Hard Top and Sunrider, one for winter and one for summer

[Jwarrenod]

Just placed an order for the twill fabric model, will arrive while I’m out of the country, but I’ll get it on next week! Now i won’t have “sun envy” of my wife when she’s in her S5 Cabriolet and i had the Freedom tops on!

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[DublF]

Put my sunrider on 2 years ago and have never taken it off. However, I do have a garage to park in at night.

 

[Jwarrenod]

Around here, winter is just too hard on a soft top, even if garage kept. And I take the Gladiator out in all weather, if its crappy its the Gladiator, not the wife’s S5 Cab!

Twill top might last 5 years w/out problem, or could look crappy after ice and snow for 4 months of the year!

 

[musicman10_1]

It is starting to get hot here in the desert and so my Sunrider is going to be coming off soon and the Freedom panels will go on until around October. Then it’ll be time for us to enjoy the weather again. Lol.

 

[Jwarrenod]

Around here, winter is just too hard on a soft top, even if garage kept. And I take the Gladiator out in all weather, if its crappy its the Gladiator, not the wife’s S5 Cab!

Twill top might last 5 years w/out problem, or could look crappy after ice and snow for 4 months of the year!

 

[jcarbs]

30mins... max. The best thing you can do as a Jeep owner is get a cordless ratchet, not necessarily an impact, but the cheaper/less powerful Milwaukee. 6 torx bolts and the sunrider is off.

I remove my Sunrider for longer trips thinking the had top is a smidge quieter.

We have a cordless ratchet but haven't tried to take the Sunrider off since we put it on, so my 30 min max statement was more or less a guess.

Funny, we kept it on for a 3 plus hour drive to San Antonio a few weeks ago and had the roof open on the highway. Really made the trip enjoyable, but I agree putting the freedom panels back on would make it quieter.

 

[MJRSC]

We have a cordless ratchet but haven't tried to take the Sunrider off since we put it on, so my 30 min max statement was more or less a guess.

Funny, we kept it on for a 3 plus hour drive to San Antonio a few weeks ago and had the roof open on the highway. Really made the trip enjoyable, but I agree putting the freedom panels back on would make it quieter.

Yea I just do it when it’s 8+ hrs with kids. I love my Sunrider and would always have one.

 

[RetCop402]

I live in Southeastern Indiana, I run the hardtop Freedom panels in the Winter and the BestTop Sunrider in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Not that hard to switch them.

 

[Raven65]

I just got the Sunrider a month ago and this was my original plan. It was very easy to put on, so taking it back off should be even easier. That said, I'm enjoying it so much and the winters are so mild here in SC, I'll probably never take it off.

 

[WILDHOBO]

How reasonable is it to run the Sunrider or similar tops in the summer here in WI and switch back to the hard top panels for winter?

JW

SUPER easy. I do the same in Colorado. Been doing it for three summers. Easy peasy. 5-10 minute swap twice a year.

 

[ZUUL]

Anyone have an overhead MOLLE rack (like this) AND Sunrider installed? Would love to get a Sunrider but I"m not sure if the two play nicely together.

 

[rj74]

I will be doing the opposite, July and August in Florida suck. I will put the freedom panels back during the extreme heat and the Surinder the rest of the time.

 

[RetCop402]

I just got the Sunrider a month ago and this was my original plan. It was very easy to put on, so taking it back off should be even easier. That said, I'm enjoying it so much and the winters are so mild here in SC, I'll probably never take it off.

It is just as easy to take it off as it was to put it on! save the box it came in for storage when you remove it.

 

[Fungi3]

How reasonable is it to run the Sunrider or similar tops in the summer here in WI and switch back to the hard top panels for winter?

JW

I do not recommend the Sunrider top for seasonal install/remove per season. The Sunrider only exposes the front seat passengers to open-air riding, just as the removal of the freedom panels do. Based on the money it costs for the Sunrider top, and the fact that you will be installing and removing a couple times per year anyway, I suggest paying a little bit more and switching to the Premium soft-top each season. You can then operate it like a Sunrider top, but you can also pull it way back and have a full 4-seater convertible. The Sunrider top replaces the front freedom panels (only) with a pull-back soft top. I watched it installed and removed. It takes about 45 minutes to install and about 40 minutes to remove. I may be a little slower than others, because I am pretty cautious and clean everything before removal.

 

[Raven65]

I do not recommend the Sunrider top for seasonal install/remove per season. The Sunrider only exposes the front seat passengers to open-air riding, just as the removal of the freedom panels do. Based on the money it costs for the Sunrider top, and the fact that you will be installing and removing a couple times per year anyway, I suggest paying a little bit more and switching to the Premium soft-top each season. You can then operate it like a Sunrider top, but you can also pull it way back and have a full 4-seater convertible. The Sunrider top replaces the front freedom panels (only) with a pull-back soft top. I watched it installed and removed. It takes about 45 minutes to install and about 40 minutes to remove. I may be a little slower than others, because I am pretty cautious and clean everything before removal.

But that's the whole point of the Sunrider... to replace your Freedom panels. I couldn't care less that the back seat remains covered since I rarely ever have anyone back there. There are MANY times when you won't pull your Freedom panels off and enjoy the open air because they're a clumsy pain to take off, store and put back on - whereas with the Sunrider, you can flip it open in a matter of just a few seconds - and it's just as easy to close it back. The rest of the time, you have all the benefits of a hardtop - and none of the drawbacks of a full soft top. If I'm just running a 15-minute errand around town, I wouldn't even consider spending the time to pull the Freedom panels off, put them in the bag, and then pull them back out and replace them again when I get back home, but I'll easily spend a few seconds to pop the Sunrider open on even the shortest trips. It enables you to enjoy the open air MUCH more often. I'd buy mine again in a heartbeat.

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