I am thinking about selling the hardtop. I want to know how the softtop does up in wisconson and michigan during the winter Months. I have kids and i dont want them to be cold.

 

the heater in the jk is kick'n so i woulld say you would be fine. if you don't need the money though the hard top is much easier with frost and scrapping the windows etc... they are also much quieter. Your soft top will last much longer as well if you don't use it in the cold winters. i would not want to run the soft top in the winter if i didn't have to, but lots of people do.

 

Having had a couple jeeps with only softtops now, I have never had an issue with the cold...frost/ice on the windows can't be scraped off, that is true, but it only takes a few mins and they clear up anyway.

The heater works excellent, never had an issue where my kids have been cold due to the softtop...

 

granted, central indiana probably doesn't see the same temps as you do up there, but it is pretty darn cold here, and i didn't have aby issues with being cold in mine... that heater is like an inferno.

 

The kids will only be cold if you don't turn the heater on. I've done it for 2 winters so far - no issues!

 

The heater works great and the soft top will be fine. The only issue may be whether or not you carry a lot in the back. I would only be concerned about unzipping the rear window when it's down to freezing temps.

 

I am in NW Indiana, pretty close to Lake Michigan. We get a shit ton of snow here and I have went two winters with a soft top and no problems at all. The JK heater is awesome.

 

yea ive been up here in new york around ontario and i have a soft top. last winter we were around -13 and the jeep was nice and cozy, the jk has an awesome heater and it heats up quick.

 

My 07 Unlimited has had nothing but the soft top on it. I am in Wisconsin, 2 miles from Lake Michigan. The heater will take care of the kids and interior. As far as the frost on the soft windows, use a rough terry towel, preferably one no longer for human use. It clears the frost without damage to the window.

Ed

 

I live in Ann Arbor, MI and work in Dearborn. I bought my JK in January of 2009. So far the soft top has been fine. I keep the JK in the garage over night but it is outside while I am at work. The windows are so vertical that the ice doesn't really stick too much.