Please tell me there's other soft top options

[spectre6000]

I think some people are looking at it wrong. It's definitely a thing that grows on you, but the Gladiator is, at its very core, a pretty ugly truck... Like, really ugly. Way too upright on the sides, disproportionate cab/bed. The design aesthetic pretty much falls apart aft of the C-pillars... It is in good company with the VW bus, Fiat Multipla, Unimog, and a score of other very ugly vehicles. Unlike the Pontiac Aztek, another ugly machine, these vehicles are ugly for a reason. Part of it is design exercise (which is not a good thing), but enough of it is practicality and function to make the ugliness justified. Justifiable ugly is endearing. A good thing. It just takes some time to grow on you. Give the top some time, and it'll mature into something... tolerable. Certainly not aesthetically pleasing, but you'll get used to it. Then you'll come to appreciate it for its function. Then you'll come to enjoy the look, and there will be t-shirts and stickers featuring the silhouette of a man-bun sporting JT. It's just a matter of time.

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[BigRed97]

Couldn't you just take the HardTop off and put in a garage or leave it at the house. It's only a 10 minute job removing the hard top. Just saying, if your removing the whole thing then why even have a soft top, seems pointless to me.

So if youre out topless and the weather changes you rather drive home in the rain, than pull over and either 10 seconds to get out and flip it closed, or 3 minutes to get it out of the bed and on?.....

...Just one reason...

My hard top comes off around Easter and goes in THE BACK of my garage, and doesn't get dug out until November... It wouldn't be a 10 minute job for my circumstance

 

[u-joint]

I think some people are looking at it wrong. It's definitely a thing that grows on you, but the Gladiator is, at its very core, a pretty ugly truck... Like, really ugly. Way too upright on the sides, disproportionate cab/bed. The design aesthetic pretty much falls apart aft of the C-pillars... It is in good company with the VW bus, Fiat Multipla, Unimog, and a score of other very ugly vehicles. Unlike the Pontiac Aztek, another ugly machine, these vehicles are ugly for a reason. Part of it is design exercise (which is not a good thing), but enough of it is practicality and function to make the ugliness justified. Justifiable ugly is endearing. A good thing. It just takes some time to grow on you. Give the top some time, and it'll mature into something... tolerable. Certainly not aesthetically pleasing, but you'll get used to it. Then you'll come to appreciate it for its function. Then you'll come to enjoy the look, and there will be t-shirts and stickers featuring the silhouette of a man-bun sporting JT. It's just a matter of time.

That's actually a very compelling argument.

 

[danielspivey]

I'll be honest, I don't see why they couldn't have made it like the Wrangler 2 door top.
"Sunrider" position like it currently is that works when you have anything in the bed AND the slider that brings it down onto the bed rails.

I assume they would have to tweak the design a bit to clear the rear doors (perhaps more an issue than I give credit for) and maybe have it set a little further back, but it sure seems like the basic design would work.

this only doable because it doesn’t have back doors. The back soft window is removed easily… back doors not so much. That grey bar wouldn’t work with the JT and door. Plus it would be blocking the back window, which would likely need to be removed. I honestly think picture#2 looks about the same as #1.

I think some people are looking at it wrong. It's definitely a thing that grows on you, but the Gladiator is, at its very core, a pretty ugly truck... Like, really ugly. Way too upright on the sides, disproportionate cab/bed. The design aesthetic pretty much falls apart aft of the C-pillars... It is in good company with the VW bus, Fiat Multipla, Unimog, and a score of other very ugly vehicles. Unlike the Pontiac Aztek, another ugly machine, these vehicles are ugly for a reason. Part of it is design exercise (which is not a good thing), but enough of it is practicality and function to make the ugliness justified. Justifiable ugly is endearing. A good thing. It just takes some time to grow on you. Give the top some time, and it'll mature into something... tolerable. Certainly not aesthetically pleasing, but you'll get used to it. Then you'll come to appreciate it for its function. Then you'll come to enjoy the look, and there will be t-shirts and stickers featuring the silhouette of a man-bun sporting JT. It's just a matter of time.

No different when the 4 door wrangler came out. EVERYONE talked about how ugly they were, not real jeeps, etc. When they are not lifted with skinny tires, they aren’t pretty. Same with the JT. It’ll grow on people eventually, and they will have to accept the JTs haircut.

 

[u-joint]

No different when the 4 door wrangler came out. EVERYONE talked about how ugly they were, not real jeeps, etc. When they are not lifted with skinny tires, they aren’t pretty. Same with the JT. It’ll grow on people eventually, and they will have to accept the JTs haircut.

For me, that's where this argument falls apart. People called the JK "not a real Jeep" because it had a "mini van" motor, and 4 doors, and as you said, the unlimited sits too low un-lifted. E.g. a mini van.

I don't think this is quite the same. I don't hear anybody criticizing those who've purchased a soft top, or calling them "not a Jeep" or anything. All I hear is people who dislike it, and wish for an aftermarket solution (much the same as wishing to lift the JK to make it taller).

I guess what I'm saying is that there are those who will complain because it's different, and there are those who will complain for legit reasons, and I'd not mix up the two. There are legitimate reasons to dislike the soft top of both the JL and the JT, and I do hope the aftermarket addresses those.

 

[JTBurns]

I just want a tan one and don't care what it looks like open.

 

[wchevron]

I don't like the man-bun look so I'm holding off. But, I'm assuming after I get caught in a couple of rain showers, I'll get tired of getting soaked and end up getting one of next summer.

 

[u-joint]

I don't like the man-bun look so I'm holding off. But, I'm assuming after I get caught in a couple of rain showers, I'll get tired of getting soaked and end up getting one of next summer.

Yeah, that's mostly where I'm at. I SOO wanted a soft top, but because of said reasons went hard top instead. The nice thing is that now I have all the wiring for the defroster, and adding a soft top is way easier than going the other way around.

I'm hoping by spring 2022 there will be more options, otherwise I'll likely just go with the Mopar one.

*cough* @Bestop *cough*

 

[danielspivey]

For me, that's where this argument falls apart. People called the JK "not a real Jeep" because it had a "mini van" motor, and 4 doors, and as you said, the unlimited sits too low un-lifted. E.g. a mini van.

I don't think this is quite the same. I don't here anybody criticizing those who've purchased a soft top, or calling them "not a Jeep" or anything. All I hear is people who dislike it, and wish for an aftermarket solution (much the same as wishing to lift the JK to make it taller).

I guess what I'm saying is that there are those who will complain because it's different, and there are those who will complain for legit reasons, and I'd not mix up the two. There are legitimate reasons to dislike the soft top of both the JL and the JT, and I do hope the aftermarket addresses those.

So your saying it’s worse to look like a mini van that have a man bun? People will get used to it. Just like beer, tastes like shit, but after a while it’s an acquired taste. You don’t see people not buying bud light.

 

[u-joint]

So your saying it’s worse to look like a mini van that have a man bun?

That's not what I said at all.

 

[Matt84]

Bestop makes the Mopar top, they aren’t making an aftermarket one.

 

[MPMB]

Lol, no.

Just trying to help out the parts department at your local Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Truck Stealership. :D

 

[Ogre_FL]

this only doable because it doesn’t have back doors. The back soft window is removed easily… back doors not so much. That grey bar wouldn’t work with the JT and door. Plus it would be blocking the back window, which would likely need to be removed. I honestly think picture#2 looks about the same as #1.

You likely have to make the "slider" bars longer to clear the rear doors and their surrounds.
I still think it is possible, but it would also mean that the roof will sit even further into the bed area.
This might be the real reason they are not doing it.

Not sure what you mean by "blocking the back window, which would likely need to be removed".
Assuming you are talking about the rear corners & soft rear window, those absolutely would have to be removed.
Just like how the side windows and rear window is removed on a Wrangler to drop the top all the way back.

 

[Erievon]

I'll be honest, I don't see why they couldn't have made it like the Wrangler 2 door top.
"Sunrider" position like it currently is that works when you have anything in the bed AND the slider that brings it down onto the bed rails.

I assume they would have to tweak the design a bit to clear the rear doors (perhaps more an issue than I give credit for) and maybe have it set a little further back, but it sure seems like the basic design would work.

Yes, this is EXACTLY what I want. As someone said, the rear doors become an issue, but I think moving the pivot back a little further is doable.

People keep saying have the top drop into the bed. No, just have it flop on the bed rails like it does on wranglers. It wouldn't compromise the bed at all unless your load is higher then the rails. And if you need the bed rail height exceeded, leave it up in sunrider position. It's very doable.

 

[Terminus33]

Instead of moving the pivot back more, Allow the last bar to slide back about one foot farther then take that long last bar that the top is connected to and make it two bars with a hinge in the middle. when droping the top you would slide a locking tube from over the hinge to let it fold down, then to put the top up just straighten the bar and slide the tube back into a locking position.

Once the whole top and bar slides back about one more foot that hinge would be just about over the back of the roll bar and allow the top to tuck in just behind the existing top but still up out of the view of the rear view mirror. It would bring the top out of the rough air and drop it behind itself quieting up the ride as well.

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