Jeep Tops, Getting Ready For The Summer

March 2, 2013

      Jeeps are fun to have, and one reason people buy a Jeep is to remove the top, who doesn't like cruising around with the top off, and possibly even the doors, its a blast. But, what if your a Jeep owner that lives in an apartment complex, you removed your hardtop three months ago, and you have no where to store your Jeep but outside, how do you keep the elements out. What if your Jeep only came with a hardtop, and the person you had help remove it last time is not able to help, or you like things a bit quieter, and your factory soft top just doesn't do it. Today, I'd like to discuss the pros and cons of each top that is offered with the Jeep Wrangler, and some other options for the Jeep owner.

      I'll start with the Jeep hardtop because I am a Jeep Hardtop only owner, but I've owned Jeeps with each top. The hardtop, just as the soft top version has its pros and cons. I've owned three different Jeep Wranglers over the last several years, this recent one having being my first Jeep with a hardtop. One of the things I noticed right off was, its hard to remove by yourself, you have to have someone help you remove the top from the Jeep. You first have to remove six bolts from the rear edge of the tub, and unhook the sun-visors and unclasp the front of the top from the windshield, that is the easy part. The next thing is to lift a 120 lb top off the Jeep, and that's where having a buddy on one side and you on the other comes in handy, both can lift the top up, and walk it off the back. If your lucky enough to own a garage, you can purchase a hardtop lift, you mount the lift to the ceiling of your garage, and when your ready to remove the top, you attach the hoist to the edges of the top, and crank the handle or push the remote lift button. These lifts will run a person anywhere between $150-$200 or more dollars.

      Things I like about having a hardtop, and you yourself may like as will, I like that they are a bit quieter than the soft top versions. With a hardtop, I can have a decent conversation with front or back passengers, because of little road noise that comes through. Now I am not saying that a hardtop is like riding in a luxury car, you do have a bit of road noise come from the outside but not as bad as a soft top. Another thing that one may like about a hardtop Jeep is, the little bit of extra added security. With a hardtop, once the doors are locked and the tailgate is locked, a crook is going to have to work a little bit harder to break into your Jeep, than would if it where a soft top version. Also, the hardtop models offer a rear wiper on the back along with a rear defroster, which I find very useful.

      But if your not fortunate enough to have a place to store your Jeep or you do not always have a buddy to help, there are other options for the hardtop only owner. You can purchase whats called a waterproof cab cover for your Jeep, or you can spend a little more and purchase a soft top.

      A cab cover allows you to leave your hard or soft top off and will still allow you to keep the elements out of your Jeep. A cab cover simply slips over the roll bars and windshield of your Jeep, and with the available straps, you attach the cover to the frame to keep the wind from blowing it off. Cab covers can be purchased with the ability to slip them on over the hard or soft top, which cost a few dollars more than their cab cover top off counterparts.

       A soft top has its pro's and con's just as its cousin the hardtop but one of the best pro's is the ability to remove the top by yourself. You simply unzip the side and back windows, pull the back corners out of the tub, remove the side holders from the door surrounds, unclasp the front portion from the windshield and lower the top into the back of the tub behind the seat, and before you know it, your soaking up the suns rays, and the wind is blowing through your hair. Another great thing about a soft top is if you brought the windows with you, you run into a freak rain storm, you can pretty quickly raise the top and your protected from getting wet, with a hardtop, your out of luck.

      A few con's with a soft top are one, they are a little bit noisy. Don't get me wrong, the newer model's now days have way better tops on them than thirty years ago, you can at least have a conversation while driving down the road. The newer tops now days are made from whats called "sail cloth material", and comes in a really thick material and is less likely to flop around in the wind while driving down the road. Another thing with a soft top is the little security, its a cloth top, and it is not hard for a crook to take a knife and cut open your top and be gone with your belongings.

      Hardtop Version
Pro's 

• Less road noise
• Better Security
• Rear Wiper and Defrost

Con's

• Hard to remove alone
• Out of luck once in a freak rain shower

Soft Top Version 
Pro's

• One can remove
• Easy to remove and put on

Con's

• A little road noisy
• Less secure

Soft top or hard top, with the warmer weather approaching, knowing some facts about each top can help you decide and start enjoying the sunny weather as you cruise down the road with your Jeep's top down. Happy Jeeping Guys.

Jeep Owners, Some of the Nicest People

February, 28, 2013

      Jeep owners just as I said in the title, they are some of the nicest and most awesome minded folks that you will ever meet. A Jeep owner is an outgoing, humble to be around, most generous and adventurous person one can ever meet. Not long ago I was working in a will known department store, and I had an individual go through my check out line. I noticed that this person was wearing a cap that said Jeep on it, and so I hit up a conversation with this individual. Before I knew it, I was being invited along to a Jeep meeting to go and wheel some where.

      Here recently I have ran into a little bit of a money situation, haven't we all lately, and was really wanting to get myself a soft top for my Jeep. I started looking and hanging around Jeep enthusiast forums, and before long, I found several individuals answering my want ad I had posted looking for a soft top. Jeep owners look out for other Jeep owners, its a love, a passion that they all share, and there is a lot of heritage that comes with that love and passion.

      So, if your a individual interested in purchasing your first Jeep, or you are currently a Jeep owner, you will soon know or are already aware of it, you become part of a club, a group of people that look out and help one another out, "Only in a Jeep", and that slogan couldn't be more true. Thanks for reading guys, and happy Jeeping.

The Jeep Wave

 January 6, 2013

       The Jeep wave, you may have experienced it if you're have been or currently are a Jeep owner. Your driving down the road, going to go wheel at one of your favorite off road spots, and you meet another Jeep owner that is wildly waving back at you behind his or her windshield. The first time you experienced this you may have been wondering why the person was waving at you and did you happen to know them. The thing is, once you become a Jeep owner, you also become part of a community if you like it or not. Jeep owners are very passionate about his or her Jeep, and share this passion with other Jeep owners. Its as if you belong to a club, one where everyone looks out for one another. Jeep owners that are familiar with the "Jeep Wave", understand why they are being waved at, and understand that its a symbol from the other person meaning, "its nice to run into you and nice to share the road with another passionate Jeep owner, have a good day".

            Back in 2003, I purchased my first ever Jeep Wrangler, a 1993 model. I was very unfamiliar with the Jeep world as this was my first one, and so I gradually started reading about them, learning all I could about the Wrangler, and CJ models, and will I guess I missed the part on the Jeep wave. I remember driving down the road one day, and I met an old CJ, and they had removed the doors but had left the hardtop on, and as we met, the driver waved out the side of his Jeep, and I thought to myself, "who the heck was that?", and I continued on. Will I met another Jeep, this time a Wrangler, and they waved as we met each other, and at this point I am just baffled. Will...like the saying goes, "third times charm", I finally understood what was going on, they where waving back because I was another Jeep owner. The one thing I did notice was, it seemed that the owners of older model Jeeps waved more than the folks driving the newer model Wranglers. Which gets me into my third paragraph.

            This is strictly my opinions and my beliefs, I have no proof to back the following statements up. Today, as I follow the current Jeep enthusiasts forums, I always seem to find a statement about the all famous "Jeep Wave", and all seem to ask, "what happened to the Jeep Wave?".  This is my opinion as to why I think Jeep owners today don't wave as much as they used to, and keep in mind, I am totally biased on what I am about to say. In 2007, Jeep redesigned the Wrangler, and started to offer a four door model. With the all new four door model, you are going to attract a whole new breed to the brand, folks that are unfamiliar with the brand, which I think is a really great thing. I hated to see the old time traditional Jeep body turn into a four door but I agree with it as will because it was a great idea to keep the Jeep brand alive. And to, you are also going to attract current owners to the all new four door model because the extra room is invaluable for hauling more gear. Also, you have a small percentage that look at a vehicle as just a means of transportation and nothing else, "get me to work and back".
 

      Anyway, my point being, I believe the new Wrangler attracted more folks to the brand, ones that where unfamiliar with the Jeep lifestyle that older owners know so will. These newer owners may be just like I stated, looking for an SUV that could haul his or her family around, have off road capabilities for bad weather and remove the top in the summer for a little fun, and have no desire to understand the Jeep lifestyle, and I say that's fine, I am not downing that. Today, I see more and more Jeeps on the roads in my area, the southeast, than I used to ever see. And most that I meet, they hardly ever wave back, and like I stated, I am not downing that, its the owners choice as to whether he or she wants to wave or not. And just as I first noticed back in 2003, it seems that most of the owners of older model Jeeps seem to wave back but not as much since back when.
      
          Wave or not to wave, I have no problem with it either way, waving back at another Jeep owner is strictly your choice. Maybe as time goes on, things begin to change and maybe that is just it, folks are steering clear of that good old mid twentieth century morals in favor of more individualism. What ever the case, I felt the need to express my views on the all famous "Jeep Wave". Anyway guys, thanks for reading and as always, Happy Jeeping.