IF FALL IS IN THE AIR, SHOULDN’T YOU BE?

[Challenger85]

It does look different when opened but every other Jeep out there looks the same. I get the options point but the Mopar top is hard to beat.

I paid $600 for mine as an upgrade over the standard top but buying it outright is a bit spendy.

If I knew the aftermarket was going to suck, I would have paid for the soft top at purchase and dealt with it.

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[Challenger85]

Lol.
2 latches, not 10. I don't even have to get out of my seat!
Flick the top at about 5mph as I accelerate, boom; done for around town driving.
Going on the highway? Strap it down. Out. Of. The. Way. 1 minute, ish.

You're not done when you bag them up. You have to put them somewhere. Then you have to secure them and hopefully they won't be taking up a back seat or sliding around banging into stuff.
No thanks. Love my Soft top!

Apparently you've never driven in Iowa summer or spring. Take panels out, go for a drive and damn, the sun is gone and a torrential rain is in the air and your tops are 30 minutes away in the garage.
I've considered a top I can flip back when the sun shines and without leaving my truck's cab, close it up when one of our popcorn storms comes in (they are generally unpredicted and come fast as a big surprise to everyone)

One reason I don't take the panels out more often is because here, you have no idea ............ and do you stow them in the back seat - no, that's full of stuff. How about in the back end? Yeah, that's possible but you are out shopping and need that space, too.



Kids.
Try that 3 minute trick with a sun shade in the way of the latches. And not that easy with a back issue. They are up there in the air, you have to stand tall to get them in place without scratching stuff, then latch them around the shade pulling it back so the latch can be latched.
Do a video of you taking them off and putting them in the bag in 3 minutes and post it - properly stowed in the bag, bag zipped then stowed and secured in the back of the truck so they don't slide around.
Then do a video of the process reversed - getting them out and putting them back in - in 3 minutes.

Great, I’m glad you both like your top. The freedom panels still aren’t hard to remove and I don’t want an $800 flip top. I want a full soft top that folds back and lays flat.

 

[Challenger85]

Do a video of you taking them off and putting them in the bag in 3 minutes and post it - properly stowed in the bag, bag zipped then stowed and secured in the back of the truck so they don't slide around.
Then do a video of the process reversed - getting them out and putting them back in - in 3 minutes.

How about 2/3 of that time with a sun shade in a tight garage by a midget of a guy? I have no issues reaching anything and my truck is lifted. I even fumbled with the zipper getting stuck on itself for 20 seconds. Also ignore the blinking, bad LED lol I gotta replace it.



I don’t store them in the truck, they stay in my garage where i sat them in the video. But if I had to take them I’ve put them between the front and back seats and my dogs are just fine back there. Takes 2 seconds to load up and remove.

 

[JTBurns]

The sunrider is worth every penny. I've had mine for two years and no matter how many claims that you can do the panels in 3 minutes, you'll never be able to do it in 3 seconds at a red light or whatever. I also have 3 kids so if I don't have to spend time putting those panels in a bag and storing them it's a plus.

Totally understand why you may not want to spend the money, but acting like it's a waste for everyone is short sighted. I flip mine, literally almost any day even thought the winter and just blast the heat because I love the open air. I know I wouldn't be taking the time in the winter to remove and replace panels. If you have it, you use it a lot, I'd bet more than any freedom panel removers out there

 

[SuperUltraMan]

Lol of course I’ve seen it. I’m not looking to spend $800 to a fix a problem I don’t have, the freedom panels are easy to remove. We all want a real soft top and you’re letting us down.

Totally agree that this thread was started with an insensitive lack of judgement on behalf of Bestop.
I’d like to see the Sky One-Touch offered for our Gladiators. That’s a great top for doing it all with a truck.
Oh and I have the Sunrider on both my Jeeps and they’re far better than the panels.
Even a full soft top takes more effort to open or close and limits security.

 

[Challenger85]

The sunrider is worth every penny. I've had mine for two years and no matter how many claims that you can do the panels in 3 minutes, you'll never be able to do it in 3 seconds at a red light or whatever. I also have 3 kids so if I don't have to spend time putting those panels in a bag and storing them it's a plus.

Totally understand why you may not want to spend the money, but acting like it's a waste for everyone is short sighted. I flip mine, literally almost any day even thought the winter and just blast the heat because I love the open air. I know I wouldn't be taking the time in the winter to remove and replace panels. If you have it, you use it a lot, I'd bet more than any freedom panel removers out there

I’m not sure what most of you don’t seem to understand, nobody is criticizing what works for you. I, as in me personally do not want to spend $800 to fix a problem I do not have. If I want to take off the front panels, I can do that right now for free, that works for ME.

I (there’s that word again), want a way to fix the problem I have where I have to remove the entire back cap for a fully open top. I don’t want a half soft top, I want a full one. You loving your top does not change what I want.

 

[Challenger85]

Totally agree that this thread was started with an insensitive lack of judgement on behalf of Bestop.
I’d like to see the Sky One-Touch offered for our Gladiators. That’s a great top for doing it all with a truck.
Oh and I have the Sunrider on both my Jeeps and they’re far better than the panels.

Ugh. The fact the soft top doesn’t fold flat is so annoying. I don’t know why Jeep didn’t make the one touch top available, that’s the PERFECT solution! I always seem to buy the cars with crappy aftermarket support. Buy a Camaro? Oh it’s not a V8, so nothing for you. Challenger scat pack? Truly zero mods to really make it faster. Jeep? Best aftermarket there is! Oh it’s a Gladiator, never mind…if it can fit a wrangler and a gladiator it exists otherwise you’re out of luck.

I’m sure the top is great. But I don’t need the sun rider if I have a soft top lol. Now I just sound like I’m whining and really all I’m trying to convey is I would like our Gladiator to get more support from Bestop. I keep waiting for a soft top to emerge but I might have to buy the stupid mopar one for summers or get that sun top I don’t truly love.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

How about 2/3 of that time with a sun shade in a tight garage by a midget of a guy? I have no issues reaching anything and my truck is lifted. I even fumbled with the zipper getting stuck on itself for 20 seconds. Also ignore the blinking, bad LED lol I gotta replace it.



I don’t store them in the truck, they stay in my garage where i sat them in the video. But if I had to take them I’ve put them between the front and back seats and my dogs are just fine back there. Takes 2 seconds to load up and remove.

I like mine better.

 

[Challenger85]

I like mine better.

Great! Are you going to buy one for me?

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Great! Are you going to buy one for me?

Why? You don't pay for my bad decisions.

If it's any consolation, you probably don't drive around with headphones.

 

[NachoRuby]

I’m not sure what most of you don’t seem to understand, nobody is criticizing what works for you. I, as in me personally do not want to spend $800 to fix a problem I do not have. If I want to take off the front panels, I can do that right now for free, that works for ME.

I (there’s that word again), want a way to fix the problem I have where I have to remove the entire back cap for a fully open top. I don’t want a half soft top, I want a full one. You loving your top does not change what I want.

I love my hardtop. I really do. I don't want only a soft top (if you do, great, I'm glad you like it). I also don't really want a sunrider (no offense to anyone who likes their sunrider). I just take my freedom panels off and throw them in the bag in the bed.

@Bestop , a lot of us are looking for a full soft top from you that doesn't cost $2100 like oem. We just want a basic soft top to use for part of the year, while we take our hard tops off. Then, starting in about October, and through March, I'd throw my full hardtop back on. Taking the freedom panels off and on is easy, so I'm not interested in a sunrider. I just want an affordable soft top to use in the spring and summer. I really don't even care if it opens and closes exactly the same way as the OE top, as long as it could be made cheaper. $2100 is just way too much for a top I'd only use part of the year. Make it thinner if you have too. Make it flimsy and noisy. I don't care, just make it cheap. It'll be down most of the time anyway, until it's starts raining.

 

[JTBurns]

I’m not sure what most of you don’t seem to understand, nobody is criticizing what works for you. I, as in me personally do not want to spend $800 to fix a problem I do not have. If I want to take off the front panels, I can do that right now for free, that works for ME.

I (there’s that word again), want a way to fix the problem I have where I have to remove the entire back cap for a fully open top. I don’t want a half soft top, I want a full one. You loving your top does not change what I want.

Fair enough. Honestly think the length of the cab and the 90 degree angle it takes to fold down the top makes it pretty hard design wise to do it without taking up half the bed. Really think we'd have seen an option like this one the market by now if it were so easy.

Maybe bestop will finally make a tan soft top in the factory format and then I'll sell my sunrider and hardtop for it. Let's keep tossing our coins in the wishing well.

 

[Challenger85]

I love my hardtop. I really do. I don't want only a soft top (if you do, great, I'm glad you like it). I also don't really want a sunrider (no offense to anyone who likes their sunrider). I just take my freedom panels off and throw them in the bag in the bed.

@Bestop , a lot of us are looking for a full soft top from you that doesn't cost $2100 like oem. We just want a basic soft top to use for part of the year, while we take our hard tops off. Then, starting in about October, and through March, I'd throw my full hardtop back on. Taking the freedom panels off and on is easy, so I'm not interested in a sunrider. I just want an affordable soft top to use in the spring and summer. I really don't even care if it opens and closes exactly the same way as the OE top, as long as it could be made cheaper. $2100 is just way too much for a top I'd only use part of the year. Make it thinner if you have too. Make it flimsy and noisy. I don't care, just make it cheap. It'll be down most of the time anyway, until it's starts raining.

Boom. Exactly. I want a soft top just for spring and summer and my hard top for winter. I do not want a soft top on my Jeep in a Colorado blizzard lol. That snow is HEAVY! But yes! The top is so over priced!

 

[Challenger85]

Fair enough. Honestly think the length of the cab and the 90 degree angle it takes to fold down the top makes it pretty hard design wise to do it without taking up half the bed. Really think we'd have seen an option like this one the market by now if it were so easy.

Maybe bestop will finally make a tan soft top in the factory format and then I'll sell my sunrider and hardtop for it. Let's keep tossing our coins in the wishing well.

Yeah, I think that’s why. Wrangler has the back trunk space to fold down into. Gladiator would have to fold over the bed. I wish it had 2 options though and that would make it more palatable. Up if you need the bed and down over the bed if you’re just driving around. It just sucks we don’t really have any options. I like having the freedom panels off and the sun rider would make it much easier to do at any moment. But I bought the Jeep to be a convertible and the hard top makes that difficult. I don’t want to take the full top off and then it rain inside. That’s why I want a soft top, so I can drive and close it when I park if it looks like something may happen. I guess Bestop doesn’t think there’s a market for it.

 

[Bestop]

Agreed. $800 to remove the easiest portion of the hard top is not the move. It takes less than 5 minutes to remove the front hard top panels on a JT/JL. They’re also easily stored being so small.

No offense Bestop

None taken, sir. To each their own.

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