Vacation! Soft top or hard top??

[smorris18]

We are going to Daytona Beach next week. About a 13 hour drive. This will be our first trip with the Gladiator. I am looking forward to driving it on the beach.
I need some opinions on driving there and back with the soft top or hard top. I've already got the soft top installed. It will be my wife and two younger children. I know it will be fun rolling back the soft top and possibly taking off the doors when we get there. But I am concerned how the trip will be in case we run into bad weather along the way. I know a little rain won't hurt and there is the possibility of some leaks. I have yet to actually drive it in rain so I really don't know how its going to be.
If this was a trip I was taking by myself there is no question I would use the soft top. However, those who have a wife and young children. What kind of complaints can I expect to encounter? Just wondering if others would go for it or play it safe with the hardtop?

Sponsored

 

[jeepster345]

I've driven in the rain with my soft top on and doors off, and I got pretty wet. At faster speeds, there's less of it, but you still get a bit wet. I think you'll be fine, as long as you pack some towels and a few presents to apologize with after the fact.

 

[smorris18]

I've driven in the rain with my soft top on and doors off, and I got pretty wet. At faster speeds, there's less of it, but you still get a bit wet. I think you'll be fine, as long as you pack some towels and a few presents to apologize with after the fact.

Wait, you said doors off? I don't plan to drive in the rain with doors off . I'm more concerned how the soft top will handle traveling if we do hit rain with doors on? Only time I may take doors off is if I know there is very little chance of rain. And that's when we are at our destination.

 

[iadslgladiator]

Hard top
I've made the drive from Iowa to Florida twice (16 hrs both ways) with a soft top and once with a hard top. I'll never do another several hour road trip with a soft top. It's worth pointing out 2 things.
1. that I do have a place to put the hard top and doors once we get to Florida to so for me it's really just a decision about comfort while getting to and from the destination.
2. My soft top/s (dealer worked on several times and replaced at least once) stretched and vibrated/flapped incessantly above 65 mph and/or when driving into virtually any headwind. No leak issues but noise was maddening and unbearable. (Then again if your kids and/or wife have ear buds or headsets on the entire time like my kids, maybe they won't notice)

 

[smorris18]

Hard top
I've made the drive from Iowa to Florida twice (16 hrs both ways) with a soft top and once with a hard top. I'll never do another several hour road trip with a soft top. It's worth pointing out 2 things.
1. that I do have a place to put the hard top and doors once we get to Florida to so for me it's really just a decision about comfort while getting to and from the destination.
2. My soft top/s (dealer worked on several times and replaced at least once) stretched and vibrated/flapped incessantly above 65 mph and/or when driving into virtually any headwind. No leak issues but noise was maddening and unbearable. (Then again if your kids and/or wife have ear buds or headsets on the entire time like my kids, maybe they won't notice)

I have driven it on the highway between 75-80 mph. And though it is louder than the hard top, I didn't feel it was unbearable. It seems pretty tight. I do notice some wind buffeting, but it seemed only noticeable when the radio is off.
We are staying at a hotel so leaving the hard top off somewhere won't be an option. Taking doors off might happen only because I can heavily pack them in the bed.
Thanks for the input. If I get more opinions recommending hard top I may batten it down. But right now my biggest concern is rain and leaks.

 

[jeepster345]

Wait, you said doors off? I don't plan to drive in the rain with doors off . I'm more concerned how the soft top will handle traveling if we do hit rain with doors on? Only time I may take doors off is if I know there is very little chance of rain. And that's when we are at our destination.

I was actually referring to you saying you were gonna take the doors of when you get there. My brain doesn't work well these days.

 

[iadslgladiator]

I have driven it on the highway between 75-80 mph. And though it is louder than the hard top, I didn't feel it was unbearable. It seems pretty tight. I do notice some wind buffeting, but it seemed only noticeable when the radio is off.
We are staying at a hotel so leaving the hard top off somewhere won't be an option. Taking doors off might happen only because I can heavily pack them in the bed.
Thanks for the input. If I get more opinions recommending hard top I may batten it down. But right now my biggest concern is rain and leaks.

Should be good if rain and leaks are your main concerns.
Mine was vibrating/buffetting so bad the windshield was vibrating and I couldn't see anything through the rear view mirror.

 

[Captain Muskie]

I drove from Ny to SC in my softop JLU the only time i heard complaints was when we got inbetween 2 semis on hwy 81 alot of buffeting but still worth it when we got there to just flip it back in good weather.have a great trip!

 

[BAT]

I've been driving my soft top for going on a year now and have had very little issues with it and I have driven that thing through some torrential rain storms. No leaks. Only thing is if you get into a very high cross wind you will likely hear some buffeting of the top and perhaps when you get stuck around 18 wheeler. Enjoy drive when you get into areas where you want to slow down pop the top back and enjoy the trip.

 

[smorris18]

Should be good if rain and leaks are your main concerns.
Mine was vibrating/buffetting so bad the windshield was vibrating and I couldn't see anything through the rear view mirror.

I hope it doesn't get that bad. Was that after a while of the soft top breaking in or pretty much instantly? So far I haven't noticed any window vibration but that would not be good if it gets that way.

I drove from Ny to SC in my softop JLU the only time i heard complaints was when we got inbetween 2 semis on hwy 81 alot of buffeting but still worth it when we got there to just flip it back in good weather.have a great trip!

Yeah I could see where that might happen close to semis. Even behind them I could see where it would be a problem, but I always keep my distance. Getting caught between them however is sometimes hard to avoid. I hadn't thought about it so good to know. Thanks!

 

[smorris18]

I've been driving my soft top for going on a year now and have had very little issues with it and I have driven that thing through some torrential rain storms. No leaks. Only thing is if you get into a very high cross wind you will likely hear some buffeting of the top and perhaps when you get stuck around 18 wheeler. Enjoy drive when you get into areas where you want to slow down pop the top back and enjoy the trip.

Very good info! I have been in some wind on the highway and the whole truck doesn't like it. The top seemed to do ok but I can't say the wind was bad enough. Yeah I am really looking forward to it. We usually take these trips in the mini van. So it's going to be an experience. Hopefully for the good.

 

[KevinC]

If all you are concerned about is what you listed, the soft top will be fine.

I live 45 minutes from Daytona Beach and have been driving on the beach for most of my life. I would like to point out a few things that is going to happen.
1. Black College Reunion. This is normally the first weekend of April. If you are coming for BCR, have a good time but..., you need to take precautions; it gets crowded and rowdy and is not something I would feel comfortable with my family in a open Jeep. (Edit - Looks like they do not promote BCR anymore. This may/may not be happening)
2. Security - You are staying in hotel? Outdoor parking? At night the freaks come out looking for opportunity to prey on tourists and their vehicles. Plus remnants of Spring Breakers are still around
3. April - very unpredictable weather in Central Florida. It is going to get into the 40's this weekend with rain on the way. The wind on the beach this time of year can be brutal. Wind=blowing sand into every cavity you didn't know existed.

This time of year I am more prone to have my hard top on and A/C going. Topless/doorless season for us Florida folk is more September thru February.

 

[smorris18]

If all you are concerned about is what you listed, the soft top will be fine.

I live 45 minutes from Daytona Beach and have been driving on the beach for most of my life. I would like to point out a few things that is going to happen.
1. Black College Reunion. This is normally the first weekend of April. If you are coming for BCR, have a good time but..., you need to take precautions; it gets crowded and rowdy and is not something I would feel comfortable with my family in a open Jeep.
2. Security - You are staying in hotel? Outdoor parking? At night the freaks come out looking for opportunity to prey on tourists and their vehicles. Plus remnants of Spring Breakers are still around
3. April - very unpredictable weather in Central Florida. It is going to get into the 40's this weekend with rain on the way. The wind on the beach this time of year can be brutal. Wind=blowing sand into every cavity you didn't know existed.

This time of year I am more prone to have my hard top on and A/C going. Topless/doorless season for us Florida folk is more September thru February.

So, what you are saying is I'm going to look like a tourist with the soft top no matter what I do? I really didn't think about how windy it will be on the east coast. Probably should have booked on the panhandle. The hotel I found is more geared toward families so I am hoping that area won't be too bad.

This Black College reunion you speak of. What exactly should I be worried about? Are we talking dangerous, or just wild uncensored? And is it beach mostly or around the city?

We will probably stay around the hotel most of the time. We may get out some days to play mini golf or find some rides for the kids and of course souvenirs.

With what you say I am now definitely considering the hardtop. I will make sure we don't leave valuables in the vehicle that would make it enticing. But I do worry about someone damaging the canvas or vinyl window.

 

[smorris18]

1. Black College Reunion. This is normally the first weekend of April. If you are coming for BCR, have a good time but..., you need to take precautions; it gets crowded and rowdy and is not something I would feel comfortable with my family in a open Jeep. (Edit - Looks like they do not promote BCR anymore. This may/may not be happening)

Saw your edit later. I hope this is the case. You had me considering changing our plans.

I live 45 minutes from Daytona Beach and have been driving on the beach for most of my life.

I am also curious if you have any recommendations on beach driving. I would like to one day drive and park for a full beach day. Any specific area you suggest? What all do I need to know?

 

[SuburbanGP88]

Professional criminals take note of out of state plates to prey on them, especially if you come from a non-ccw state. Take this how you will but FL has shall issue CCW and the criminals don't like getting shot by locals but they may get away with it with tourists. That's according to those gun pundits. FL residents may wish to chime in.

Spring break is generally a bad time to go anywhere that's popular. I had a 3.5 hour road trip turn into 6+ hours thanks to the traffic on the roads everywhere.

Just be aware of your surroundings at all times. Tourists are always going to be noticed by the bad element no matter what. Hard tops will always be harder to break into compared to a soft top, especially a soft top jeep that has the easy to take apart individual soft top panels everywhere.

Sponsored