I searched, but no results.

There is a touchless car wash I go to sometimes to get the mud off the Jeep. It has vertical arms that spray soap and water horizontally as they travel back and forth around the car.

I haven't tried it with the Trektop yet - I'm wondering if the fact that the water is sprayed sideways will force it into the Jeep anywhere that usually isn't an issue. My top hasn't leaked yet, but the rain usually falls vertically (I imagine they designed it for that).

Anyone done it? If not, I'll try it and let you know what happens.

 

I'm not sure how the Trektop seals up when compared to the factory soft top but when I ran my Jeep (with the factory soft top) through a touchless it came in almost like the doors were wide open.

I would like to know about this too since I have been thinking about a Trektop.

 

Don't know about the Trektop but Jeep says to stay away from car washes with the soft top. Yes you can get a leak from the spray, but the main reason is to keep the chemicals off of it - they can damage the material. You can always use 303 or Raggtopp protectants afterwards but I can probably wash my Jeep body by hand in the amount of time it takes to apply protectant to the entire soft top. Plus, touchless spray washes don't work worth a darn anyway.

 

I don't know if all touchless washes use the same soap but the car wash I used has their soap listed as biodegradeable so I figured it was the same as what I would use at home. I only used it once after the harsh winter we had to make sure ALL of the salt was off...inside and out.

 

I forgot to mention - I am also concerned about the dryer and the force it will exert on the top and the rear window.

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

I think a lot of them give you the option to use it w/o the dryer at the end. Probably the cheapest option on the list.

 

Try hitting it with the hose on high in the driveway all over the top and then check for leaks.

 

I think I'd be afraid to take mine through. Maybe hit it with a manual pressure washer first?

I hadn't thought about the chemical/soap aspect either.


Just noticed I finally hit 100 posts - not a newbie anymore!!

 

We've run ours through the carwash on occasion with no issues. The carwash we go to is a "touchless" carwash so I think the handwash it first, then run it through the machines where it sprays the water and soap etc. (aka touchless).

 

I thought the reason not to go through the auto carwashers was due to the fact they use recylced water which contains oil which damages the windows over time. It causes the soft top windows to form a cloudy haze over them.