soft tops in the winter?

[Tacoma]

How is your soft top holding up through winter? Obviously they aren't great for keeping heat in, but how bad ARE they to drive around with in wintry temps? I'm about to pick up a YJ and I only really want to buy one top.

 

[TJDukit]

Only have experience with TJ's but the heater always managed to keep up just fine even in sub zero temps in New Mexico.

Obviously a hard top would be better for cold temps and durability and YJ tops a reasonably cheap. But they are also really heavy compared to the TJ hard tops.

If you go with the soft top be sure to keep the zippers clean and lubed and it will last much longer.

 

[frieed]

Given that there is zero insulation in the hard-top, I wouldn't think there would be much difference at all. Unless you have a lot of air leaks.

 

[Kevin B.]

I run mine all winter. It's drafty, a scarf across the back of your neck wouldn't be amiss.

 

[Jesser04]

I run one on a tj and don't mind it at all but I also don't know any different.

 

[frieed]

I'll stick with my hardtop, I likes my peace and quiet...

 

[Kevin B.]

That's a much bigger gripe with the soft top - the noise is rough.

 

[RogueJeepr]

Buy my YJ , it has a hardtop.
I ran a softy for years it was new and kept heat in remarkably well but, the noise and the windows getting sucked out in real bad wind wasnt fun . Zippers not fun going through drive-thru's either. I ended up switching to a HT this past winter.

 

[benjy]

While our TJ was a DD, we tried every possible combination, and found full door and a soft top to be the preferred combination for the winter months. The doors are where the insulation/wind noise make the biggest differences. Wind noise never bothered me, except when on longer trips (Moab). Heat was never an issue, even in our old YJ the heaters do good enough to keep the cab warm.

Unfortunately YJ tops don't latch to the windshield with either option, so they don't do nearly as well as a TJ.

 

[Cascadia]

I second ben's comments. I ran full doors and softop on one of my yj's and lj and had no complaints. Jeep heaters are some of the best and hottest IMO. It was much quieter with a full door and I felt temps were the same with hard or soft. Lj was much quieter though. Even with no carpet.

 

[Omgbecki]

I've ran my jeep with the soft top in winter since I bought it in 06. As stated, the heaters are crazy wind noise could be a bother. Don't leave snow on the top though, the water will start to seep through. My heater will actually melt the snow on the top just enough to make water the freezes. Sounds horrible at speed with ice bouncing around on the top lol.

 

[irish1371]

I had both for my 98, the soft top is more of a pita to clear the windows of any snow w/o scratching them. the hard top is quieter. In most yj's I have ridden in with the hard top, it takes longer to warm up due to the the fiberglass top also needing to be warmed. Also I found in yj's in the winter a nice towel is usually needed to remove the dripping condensation from the ceiling of a hard top.

 

[Tacoma]

Huh. My Blazer hard tops are double-walled, and have a nice barrier. I had assumed that Jeep tops were also that way? I guess not!!!

I think I'll be cool w/hard doors and a soft top then... now to find affordable hard doors! heh

Thanks everyone so far.

 

[thefirstzukman]

My dad had to have a hard top because he thought a soft top would be cold in the winter and loud all the time.. After he rode in my soft top he said it was no different then his hard top as far as heat and it was actually quieter thanhis hard top. As long as your heater is working right I think you are fine with a soft top, and it's lighter and you can definitely feel that off road.

 

[Bart]

Another satisfied owner with full doors and soft top on a TJ.

 

[DerekM]

I sold my hardtop after I used the soft top most of last winter. The hardtop is heavy and doesn't make a big enough difference. Full doors make the biggest difference

 

[frieed]

The hardtop does offer more security for your stuff

 

[DOSS]

The hardtop does offer more security for your stuff

Disagree.. I can break your window faster than I can cut a hole in plastic Automatic Center Punch

 

[Tacoma]

I won't be leaving anything in there. Still up in the air how streetable I'm going to keep this

 

[Tacoma]

Disagree.. I can break your window faster than I can cut a hole in plastic Automatic Center Punch

...which makes so much more noise than a box cutter through vinyl

security win for hard tops, by way of noisy knockout