SunRider Top Questions

[Janster]

Good Morning Ya’ll,

I’m intriqued by the Sunrider top - however - after watching some install videos, it’s NOT what I thought it would be.

My husband and I like to take the hard top & doors off as often as we can.

The Sunrider top…. Looks more like a permanent install and not something you’d take on/off often (and certainly not quickly).

I was hoping it would clamp into the jeep like the freedom panels do…… quick & easy on/off. Just lighter and easier to handle.

Or, am I missing something? Or is there a version of it that will clamp in?
Thanks!

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[stingrey]

It's bolted in place. 2 bolts on each side and 2 bolts near center of the speaker bar.
That said, it's still very easy to remove in about 5 minutes (I use a Milwaukee ratchet). Easy to remove it with 2 people but can be done solo.
I don't know how often you take you top & doors off but for all the other times they're still on the truck, the Sunrider will let you open and close the roof, by yourself, one-handed, in seconds.

 

[Ogre_FL]

I added a sunrider to my wife's JL that I often removed the hard top/doors.
The ability to quickly open it is very nice and my wife uses it all the time where she never removed the freedom panels herself.

Its a really tough call.
Please note I typically do the removals myself, so if you have 2 people it is probably less of a deal.

While its not a huge amount of work to remove the sunrider, it is just enough of an added pain solo that I now rarely remove the top anymore.
Now I tend to remove just the doors, leave the sunrider and hard top on.
Its OK, but not the same as the full open of everything off.

 

[MoDean]

It's literally 6 bolts. Can be off in about the same time it takes to remove freedom panels.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

If its just you two, im not sure why you’d still want to remove the hard top with the space above you open to the sky.

that being said, I’ll take my spiderweb shade all day with the freedom tops all day over the sunrider because I can’t stand the sound the bestop makes when open over 50 mph

 

[Janster]

It's bolted in place. 2 bolts on each side and 2 bolts near center of the speaker bar.
That said, it's still very easy to remove in about 5 minutes (I use a Milwaukee ratchet). Easy to remove it with 2 people but can be done solo.
I don't know how often you take you top & doors off but for all the other times they're still on the truck, the Sunrider will let you open and close the roof, by yourself, one-handed, in seconds.

Thanks for the info!!
Yea…that’s not for me. We’ll just continue to take the freedom panels out / in - as that only takes a couple minutes. We go topless & doorless fairly often. My husband and I have a pretty quick process.

 

[PDACPA]

If you are taking the doors off, but not the rear roof, I do not see why the Sunrider top would not work. You can still take the doors off and then have the fully open driver and passenger area open. We did the top to make it easier (and you can do sitting at a red light) to go topless.

 

[PBCounty]

Man I'm not ever taking mine off. I absolutely cannot believe that that thing doesn't leak a drop - and I mean at highway speeds in severe downpours, at low speeds in tropical storms, under serious wind driven rain, etc.... I don't think I'll get that lucky twice - so it's staying put.

BTW the Sun Rider is fantastic. My top is open all the time now (unless raining).

 

[GWolgamott]

Thanks for the info!!
Yea…that’s not for me. We’ll just continue to take the freedom panels out / in - as that only takes a couple minutes. We go topless & doorless fairly often. My husband and I have a pretty quick process.

Honestly thought same thing for years... then got deal from someone. So grabbed it knowing would be easy to sell if I hated it.

Taking it off while taking the hard top off isn't any added time really, I bet by the time it takes me to take a panel off and put it away then do the other one. That it would literally take me like 30 seconds more to take the sunrider off. It's awkward but light and easy to carry. The unit is really a single piece a couple bolts on either side for the rails and a couple to lock the back into place. Couple extra steps? Sure, but when taking off the hard top it adds very little time. Edit: Note that this is if you are going full topless taking the the hardtop off that is. There isn't a point in taking just the sunrider off. It's a flip back convertable rag top type deal. Made to literally for me anyways to just unclasp and push it open while sitting in the driver seat. Versus taking the freedom panels off.

Compared to freedom panels, I loved them but they were always in the way. Dogs in the back and if traveling usually the bed was full of gear. It is far far nicer to just just unclamp the sunrider and flip it open then take the freedom panels off. Getting it on is more of a challenge until you've done it a couple times then it's nothing.

So honesty just don't get them if think may not like them, but keep eye out locally and on here for someone selling them. Buy it at half the cost used and if decide don't like it, well there is always someone looking for one to buy.

 

[John Hursh]

I bought my Mopar Sun Rider from my Jeep dealer using Jeep Mastercard points. Easy solo install with 6 bolts. Two latches at the windshield & fold it back at a traffic light; or sitting in the truck close it. Nothing to store when you want an open top. Been through T-storms and. car washes with no leaks. With the rear sliding window open minimal wind buffeting.

In November I’ll take it off for winter. Love mine. Wish I bought it when I bought my Gladi 3 years ago.

 

[DBravo]

Good Morning Ya’ll,

I’m intriqued by the Sunrider top - however - after watching some install videos, it’s NOT what I thought it would be.

My husband and I like to take the hard top & doors off as often as we can.

The Sunrider top…. Looks more like a permanent install and not something you’d take on/off often (and certainly not quickly).

I was hoping it would clamp into the jeep like the freedom panels do…… quick & easy on/off. Just lighter and easier to handle.

Or, am I missing something? Or is there a version of it that will clamp in?
Thanks!

I've had the BestTop sunrider installed for 2.5 years and love it. I only run it in the summer as I run my hardtop sections in the winter to spare the wear of snow and ice on the sunrider, even though it still looks like new and could probably handle winter just fine. The BestTop version that I have came in two fabric options, vinyl and twill. I chose the twill and could not be happier. Its only 6 bolts (two each side driver and passenger and two with a clamp in the center section where your removable tops lock in. You can easily remove it at the same time you remove the rest of your hard top. Remove the sunrider first, then remove the hard top. Maybe adds 5 minutes.

I purchased the sunrider as I was tired of having to carry the removeable section of my top around on days when the whether might or might not change. Or on those New England fall days when its in the 60's and you're out all day and then it drops to 42 and you're driving home.

 

[Bestop]

Good Morning Ya’ll,

I’m intriqued by the Sunrider top - however - after watching some install videos, it’s NOT what I thought it would be.

My husband and I like to take the hard top & doors off as often as we can.

The Sunrider top…. Looks more like a permanent install and not something you’d take on/off often (and certainly not quickly).

I was hoping it would clamp into the jeep like the freedom panels do…… quick & easy on/off. Just lighter and easier to handle.

Or, am I missing something? Or is there a version of it that will clamp in?
Thanks!

Hi there!
As most in this thread have mentioned, the Sunrider for Hardtop bolts in with 6 bolts and has a rear center bracket that secures the Sunrider for Hardtop to the Hardtop, its much lighter than the front freedom panels and in my opinion, much easier! Its not a permanent install, takes under 10 minutes to remove it, same with putting it back on after the initial installation. You can also call Customer Service for any additional questions you might have! 800.845.3567, option 3, Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm, MT.

~ Crystal@Bestop
www.bestop.com

 

[Janster]

Hi there!
As most in this thread have mentioned, the Sunrider for Hardtop bolts in with 6 bolts and has a rear center bracket that secures the Sunrider for Hardtop to the Hardtop, its much lighter than the front freedom panels and in my opinion, much easier! Its not a permanent install, takes under 10 minutes to remove it, same with putting it back on after the initial installation. You can also call Customer Service for any additional questions you might have! 800.845.3567, option 3, Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm, MT.

~ Crystal@Bestop
www.bestop.com

Ya’ll need to design the Sunrider concept to clamp to the same locations as the freedom panels. No hardware, no tools, no bolts. You could run it without the hard top on…. As a sunshade or rain protection.

The cost of the Sunrider (and the logistics) isn’t something I’d consider a benefit at this time. We are perfectly happy removing the freedom panels …..

 

[danimal2000]

Janster! We've had some dm's over tops and I'll just reiterate, absolutely love my sunrider. It's really nice for a quick pop open and easy close if weather changes. It goes on in April and comes off in November unless I'm going doors and top off. It's really just as easy to remove as the freedom panels imo. I've had mine on and off a dozen times this season without issue. No leaks in car wash or rain.
Sometimes tricky to "commit" to going naked. If it's going to rain every other day, I don't want the hassle of removing everything and reinstall nightly. Those good weather days in between rain, sunrider is perfect. It really is super easy to remove I think your assumption of it being "permanent" is just incorrect

A week+ forecast of no rain or light rain, ok it all comes off. It's my daily driver so I don't have the option of just using a different car on the bad weather days.

But it's all about what it's value is to you, this just my experience. If only you could borrow one for a week, get a hands on trial

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