TonyJeep75

Hey Folks,

I just found out that I'm moving to Alaska in Feb 14. We'll be there for four years. I just bought a used soft top a few days ago. Should I sell it or should I bring it?

Tony

Militiaman54

I just left Alaska a few months ago. A few things with the soft top you should know and this really depends on where in Alaska you are going. If you are headed to Fairbanks you are looking at temps from -50 in the winter to +90 in the summer. The summer is whatever but -50 in the winter will destory the soft top. When its that cold the material will be so bridal that it doesn’t take much for it to crack. The windows are the really weak point in cold temps at -25 you will have to be very careful when you open the back because the back window will just fall apart on you.

With all that said Fairbanks Alaska has got to be one of the best places to have a soft top in the summer. Not much rain in the summer months allows you to just keep the doors and top off for a great majority of the time. The heat is not to bad and with the doors and top off you will never need to use the A/C. I was there for three years and I loved it up there with the Jeep but I had a hard and soft top.

TonyJeep75

Thanks. I'll be stationed at Elmendorf (its by Anchorage). I have a hard top that I'll run most of the time. I just wondered if it would be warm enough, often enough, for me to use the soft top. Sounds like it will work.

oneOone

Keep it. I'm in southeast ak, Juneau and if I had one I'd run if in the summer w/ hard top in winter. Our weather in southeast changes sometime threw out the day. So the ability to pop top up or down on a whim, would be awesome.

Militiaman54

Lucky @$#%$....... If I was down in the Anchorage area I would have tried to stay longer. There is a big reason that a vast majority of the population of Alaska live in the Anchorage area. I would deff keep it, once the snow melts off mid to end of April I'd have the soft top on. Good luck, your Jeep will love you for all the trails there are around!!!

Edit: By the way Eagle River is a great place to live down there. Super close to base.

White70

Keep it, I was on the other side, Ft. Richardson and I loved the weather. Try to keep the snow off the roof, to prevent it from sagging and you should be good to go.

Enjoy your trip.

HardRooster

I've never been to Alaska but I'm trying to convince my wife and her parents to move there. I guess I'd go too. Prob Anchorage area, but rural. I want to build a timber frame home out of my own trees.

I'd be interested in hearing stories from Alaska natives and transplants. I think I'd want to be closeish to the Alyeska ski area. Anyone rode that place?

Chilla

I'm in soldotna on the kenai peninsula. It's great here. Only have a hard top but one of the kids is too little for the open air still. Great wheelin north of anchorage. Not much on the peninsula either mud or closed.

HardRooster

Are you from Alaksa or did you move there? Is there rock crawling or is it going to be all muddy trails? What do you have to share about Alaska in general?

Things that draw me to Alaska

Hate heat, love snow.
Excellent tax state, especially for retires
Average household income about $10k higher than California
Less than half the unemployment in Anchorage as Sacramento/Stockton
Better snowboarding w far more heli/backcountry options (extreme importance to me)
No shortage of water
It's freaking ALASKA!

Things that concern me

Mosquitos
Cost of living may offset higher income
It's freaking ALASKA!

Chilla

I moved here in December 06. Had a tj rubi then. Work on the north slope. 2 on 2 off schedule. Don't know much about trails yet. I think u get a mix of terrain on each. There is a bunch of guys in the anchorage area with nice jeeps that wheel regularly. Check out Jeep'n Alaska on Facebook.