So I love going topless on the weekends when I know that I am able to close things up in a relatively short amount of time. However, being in South Florida, it rains DAILY in the summer and occasionally in the winter. The rain we get in the summer is brief but torrential. It's usually sideways, windy, etc. and creates localized flooding on streets. If you haven't lived here, it's hard to explain but it's spot on at 3pm daily from pretty much May - September. The thing is, when I get out of work at 4, it's great out. Obviously it's a pain and risky to go topless then. So I began thinking about the trail covers but I find mixed reviews. Even the Best Top waterproof trail cover I'm reading that it leaks.

If the Jeep was a few years old, without leather, without Nav, etc. and a trail toy, I might be more open to getting wet inside but unfortunately, it's new and I like the interior dry when I'm in business attire.

So, what say you ol JK-Forum? Has anyone had luck with a trail cover keeping out the rain?

I guess my only other option is to just garage the hardtop and buy a soft top to open up on the rides home.

Thanks!

 

I'm in South Florida as well and i just went ahead and bought a soft top. I ended up selling my hard top and picking up a brand new 2014 takeoff premium top for $700. I also downloaded an app on my iPhone called RainAlarm, it notifies you when there is rain near by. I go topless as often as I can, and if the top is not completely down I usually open the sun-rider top on my way home. I have that down to a science, takes me 10 seconds. I have the Mopar cab cover and it is not meant for downpours, especially since it's also made to fit when the top is on, when the top is off it leaves a saggy area in the rear that accumulates water. I use mostly to cover the Jeep overnight keep morning dew off the seats.

This is the one I have, I would not recommend for a heavy downpour.
http://www.quadratec.com/products/11186_60X_A_PG.htm

On my old Jeep I got poured on a couple of times and other than having to take out the carpet to let it dry the Jeep was ok, I just left the carpet out all summer lol. I hear what you're saying, my new Jeep has the NAV and I don't know how well it will take to getting rained on.

 

Yeah...Good call on the soft top. I told myself I didn't want one because of the perceived noise and such but now I'm second guessing that! I really like the slantback tops but I'm sure factory would be a little bit better. My only hangup is that I've got a Hydro Blue. I wonder how many Hydro Blue folks are looking for a color matched hardtop?! :P

Thanks for the feedback though!

 

The new premium tops are surprisingly quiet, much quieter than my 2010 soft top and much nicer too. I sold my hard top fairly quickly on CL and got what I was asking, being that yours is color matched might take a little longer but you never know, also if you are willing to ship it or deliver it upstate, many folks up North are looking for hard tops now.

Honestly, sometimes I wish I had kept my hard top, especially for long camping trips where I know I will not take the top down, and for this winter I'm planning a trip up North so that my kids see snow. If you keep the top in the garage, you can build a hoist and shelf system to keep it out of the way and which allows a single person to remove and install the top. There are numerous threads on this and other forums on that DYI project.

My nephew's girlfriend got the TrekTop, it didn't leak but it pooled the water on the top and it was very noisy, much more than my soft top. She did not have any bows installed which would have helped, but I was not impressed with it. It also cuts the cargo space by half.

Bestop Part 56805-35 - Trektop with Tinted Windows and without Doors in Black Diamond - Fits 2007 to 2015 JK Wrangler Unlimited and Rubicon Unlimited - 4 Wheel Drive

 

A white Tee-Shirt!

Couldn't resist