Am I looking at a new soft top every two or three years?

Valley of the gods Utah
2022 jeep wrangler, unlimited eco-diesel


Well, this is my first post and hopefully I found a home here and as you can tell by my name we have not been Jeepin’ long. We really do have some nice trips through Utah and Southern California under our belt and my learning curve is a tall one.

I’ll say right off the bat thank you for your patience with me and I will search previous posts first but here goes…

it’s summertime here in Southern California and it’s time to consider a soft top. From the mytop at about five grand to the average top around 2 to 3 grand I don’t want to buy a cheap because I want my top to last, look good, having ease of installation and operation are paramount.

Does anybody have an issue with a slanted back because they lost space? And what is the time frame here? Am I looking at a new soft top every two or three years because it starts to look old and tired? I do understand looks are in the eye of the beholder.

thank you ahead of time for anybody that cares to chime in

 

Welcome @SoCalnewbe … I’m sure others will chime in but I’d use some vinyl/cloth conditioners for some weather protection and keeping the top clean will go along way. Fading from the sun is probably a given. Contact Bestop for additional soft top tips.

 

@aggrex thanks for the tips on this very much appreciate it. As far as the soft tops go, is there a product that acts like sunscreen to protect the tops? I will check in on the besttop site and see what they have to offer. Appreciate the heads up.

 

Does anyone out there have a mytop?

just wondering about the longevity of the fabric and if they would recommend it or not. It is kind of pricey, however, the versatility might just offset that.
.

 

Welcome to the site, SoCal Newbie! I changed out the soft top on my 2011 in 2020 for a best top, because I had a chance to buy it almost new on Kijiji for less than 1/2 price. At 9 years, the OEM top was ok, but the zippers for the windows were seized from the salt and grit used on the roads up here in Canada in the winter. I tried getting them unseized but in the end a new top was necessary just because of the windows not functioning properly! Bestop sells some good products for tops, which I use, especially the zipper lube. Kind of expensive, but important so I make it a priority. Most of the soft tops that I’ve seen seem tough enough to last. It’s the care you give them that makes the difference.

 

Justanotherjeeper thank you for your reply and insights. Makes a lot of sense that maintenance and care can make a huge difference.

When you change out your top is it better to buy the whole deal or can you keep the hardware as with the mytop motors and such. Or is the price pretty close to getting everything new?

As my name implies some of the hard-core jeeper’s are probably shaking their heads with my questions. But thanks to all just the same for putting up with me and your patience.

getting out in the back country and places we’ve never been before is the reason for buying the jeep and we couldn’t be happier. I guess being in a rather uncivilized environment does put extra pressure on the equipment.

 

Hi SoCalnewbe, don’t worry about asking questions, that’s what this forum is all about. No one knows everything, even the old timers will tell there’s always lots to learn from others, lol! As a first option, I’d try to buy just a replacement fabric and reuse the top hardware and frame unless there is something wrong with it. I always try to spend the least, first. However, if you had a chance to buy the replacement complete, and it was a good deal, then it’s opportunistic to change it all. Actually, that’s what happened when I replaced my OEM top with a Bestop. It was being sold complete, and it was almost new so I bought it that way.
Not everyone finds it convenient to buy used stuff though, I get that. There’s always some risk with a private transaction when you don’t know the seller. But I trust my instincts, and I’ve had mostly positive experiences. Good luck!