All Things Jeep Blog & Musings

It's $10 dollar tee shirt Tuesday again at www.allthingsjeep.com.

See them all right here:

Ten Tees. Each Ten Dollars. Today. Tuesday.

(We love alliteration.)

(This sale includes some brand new women's Jeep-brand Tank Tops that have finally showed up at the point in time when the summer is almost just winding down. We don't need them here all winter so start shopping!) And spread the word. The more successful this day is, the more often we'll do it.

 This blog post is being written to answer the question "Should I get a Jeep soft top or a Jeep summer top for the nice weather?" and is really written for the new, confused Jeep owner (just like I used to be... and sometimes still am!)  I will try and answer all the questions people ask on the phone when they call about this topic. My Jeep came with a hardtop and as summer approached, I wanted, of course, to be able to be topless in the Jeep. But what top to get --- a soft top that you can fold back or a summertime top like a Bestop Bikini Top or Bestop Safari Top? It can be very confusing. Hopefully, after this short blog post, you'll know everything you need to know to make a decision.

One note. Readers, please chime in with any additional information that can help others. 

Jeep Hardtop owners who want to go topless in the summer have 3 choices and I've listed my pros/cons on each choice.

1.    Remove your hard top. Replace it with nothing. Enjoy.

Pros:

• Doesn't cost you anything.
• You enjoy the open air feeling all the time.
• You don't need to fiddle with setting up any top.
• People smile at you when you drive by. (They're jealous.)
• It's a chick or guy magnet.

Cons:

• When it rains, you get wet.
• When it's cool, you'll need to bundle up.
• When it's cold, you'll wish you had a top.
• People laugh at you when you drive by. (They're glad it's you, not them, getting soaked in the storm.)
• Other Jeep owners empathize.

60 degrees and sunny feels a lot cooler traveling in an open air Jeep at 30-40mph and when the sun goes down, it can feel actually cold.

2.    Remove your hardtop. Replace it with a Jeep Soft Top.

Pros:

• Flexibility. You can get the open air feeling by removing your side windows and rear window or enjoy a true topless experience by folding the top all the way back.
• When it gets cold, the mosquitoes and black flies are attacking, or when it rains, you can fold the top back up, pop in the windows and you will be fully enclosed again.

Cons:

• A soft top is expensive. It will run you $500 - $1200 depending upon the year/model Jeep you have.
• Until you are a pro at it, the process of folding the top up and down, and zipping out/in the windows will take you 15-30 minutes.
• If you are short, it is virtually impossible to do alone. (I have to climb up onto the Jeep or sometimes IN the Jeep to manage this alone and if someone is around, I'll always beg for help.)
• When you do fold the top down, you first have to take out the windows and store them somewhere. If you don't store them safely in a clean, dirt free area, pretty soon you won't be able to see out of them. It's amazing how scratched up they can get. [ Shameless Plug for a product we carry: The Cloverpatch Window Roll for Jeeps is a simple, affordable solution that lets you take your windows with you, but keeps them safely stored, rolled up and out of the way. ]

NOTES: If you've never had a soft top before, make sure you choose one that comes with all the hardware - the "bows" that act as it's moving frame (or "skeleton"), holding the fabric on. In the Bestop Line, this is the Bestop Supertop product line. (If you already have the soft top hardware and just need the replacement fabric, you would choose the Bestop Replace-A-Top, which uses existing hardware.)

3.    Remove your Jeep hard top. Replace it with a Jeep summer top.

Think of a summertime top as simply a "tarp" or "sheet" that connects to your Jeep's frame and covers the area above your head. Given that the area on the sides of you is completely open, a summer top doesn't offer much protection from anything other than a hot sun or light rain. It shades your head and eyes.

There are 2 styles of summer top.

Material sized to cover JUST the 2 front seats of the Jeep. Bestop calls this their Bikini Top (and they've trademarked that name, even though it's become a universal term for this type of top). Rampage Products calls theirs the "California Top" or the "Brief". Vertically Driven Products calls theirs the "Brief Top".

If you have passengers in the backseat and want to be considerate, then you can choose the style that covers the area above the front seats and the back seats. This is a larger area to cover. This is Bestop's Safari Tops, Rampage Products "Island Topper" or Combo Brief (love that product!) or Vertically Driven Product's "Full Brief". Every vendor names their product differently but the main point is coverage for just the front seats or coverage for both front and back.

Ok, now, with a summertime top you will need an attachment point up at the top of your windshield. They don't use the attachment points your hardtop or soft top did. That means you need to purchase an additional piece of hardware called a Jeep Windshield Channel and attach it to your Jeep. This is nothing more than a long piece of metal that screws (older Jeeps) or clamps (newer Jeeps) onto your windshield, and provides a channel for the summer top to slide into.

So, here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of a summer top.

Pros:

• A true open air feel, while avoiding sunburn and some light raindrops. You'll see a lot of summer tops out on the trail, when the folks know they'll be out in the sun all day and want some protection.
• A summertime solution that will cost you under $200 (top and windshield channel), and often much less.

Cons:

• Cold, mosquitoes, sudden rainstorms.
• Also, when you want to remove the top and replace it with a hard top or soft top, you need to remove the windshield channel too. (Windshield channels and soft tops can't be used at the same time.*)

Frankly, we sell a lot of summer top to these types of Jeep owners:

• Jeepers who live in dry climates where is rarely rains.
• Folks who can house their Jeep in the garage when the weather stinks.
• Owners whose Jeep is not their daily driver, but just a fun vehicle to take out on nice, sunny days.
• And finally, to those hardcore Jeepers who don't give a damn about the weather, the bugs, etc. Their motto is, "If you wanted to be comfortable, you should have purchased a Honda." (I love those guys!)

* One of our favorite products is the Spiderweb Shade Top which does not require a windshield channel and can stay on your Jeep even when you put your soft or hard top back on. This shadetop bungees to your rollbar. Pretty neat.

Personally, here are my stats:

-live in New England with extremely unpredictable weather

-my Jeep is my daily driver

-I have yet to snag a parking space in the garage

Thus, I have a soft top on my Jeep and can enjoy the weather when it's great, and stay warm and dry when it's crappy out.

But if I moved to Arizona or Nevada where it rains 2 days a year, I'd go bikini top all the way (sorry passengers in the back seat. Get your own Jeep!)

Hope that helped a little bit. Post your questions/comments here and we'll try and answer them for you. Which top do you have and why?

If you read the All Things Jeep (blog.allthingsjeep.com) blog much, (this thing here) you know that we love 4-wheeling. You also probably know that when we wheel, we like to do it with the folks at Connecticut based 4-wheel club JonFund (www.jonfund.com). We love JonFund so much, we even have a member design our popular Where's Your Playground Jeep Tees .

JonFund president, Mike from our warehouse

 

(seen here wearing his It's an XJ Thing, You wouldn't Understand Tee-Shirt)-- told me that in a survey of their club members last year, one of the three most important things about club membership was helping each other. Sure, the jokes can be merciless -- just ask about an unfortunately named sundae or what moniker a deep hand wound might get -- but when it comes down to it, the bromances in Jonfun put Affleck and Damon to shame.

Since the universe has never created an obstacle a JonFunder can resist, these guys have to be able to count on each other.  Sometimes, it's to find the best line, or to get winched out of a bad spot or to make a trail repair -- sometimes it's something bigger. Starting a beautiful, sunny ride last weekend, a small handful of the group decided to try a tough rock face.  Everyone was fully aware that this was an especially difficult section of trail and that the risk of damage was very real. The bulk of the group decided to save it for the end of the day, just in case. The steep face and the mud from the 6 straight weeks of rain we've seen here in Massachusetts beat most of the drivers and the group made good use of their winches. One driver looked like he was just about to make it when, instead, his tires began to slip and he rolled. Voices yelled "Hands in, hands in, hands in!!!" and everyone took off running towards the rig. Fortunately, driver, passenger and rig all escaped relatively unscathed. The other drivers in the group helped them get out safely, get their gear out and salvage the oil pouring out through the hood. Those who could checked the engine and helped get it into working shape so they could keep going. People even gave up their spare oil so these guys could keep wheeling. They were able to get through the entire rest of the day and show some good obstacles what for.

Beyond taking care of people and rigs, I'm also impressed with JonFund's attitude towards taking care of the Earth. Prior to meeting the JonFunders, I didn't understand how Tread Lightly(www.treadlightly.org) could possibly apply to wheeling. As a backpacker and kayaker, I just couldn't fathom how people driving SUVs through the woods could be good stewards of our planet. OK, maybe they were good about packing out their trash, but that's as far as it goes, right? I stand solidly corrected. In general, wheeling helps preserve natural, undeveloped spaces. If land owners can make money keeping the trees and opening space up to wheelers, they don't need to sell it off to be turned into condos and espresso bars. That certainly works with the values of this tree hugger. I've seen members stop the whole group because they saw a piece of trash off the trail and wanted to pick it up. On-trail stewardship extends far beyond packing out trash. These guys are serious about staying on the trail, respecting the plants and animals,and minimizing erosion. In the case of the rolled rig, a lot of oil still made it the the ground despite the salvage effort. It would have been so easy for the group to just drive away and leave a puddle of motor oil. Instead, they shoveled all of the oily mud into trash bags and used rags to soak it up off the rocks. There was zero evidence that oil had ever spilled in that area. I think the Lorax would have been pleased.

So, I still haven't made much progress towards acquiring my own rig, but in the meantime I'm figuring things out. Things like the importance of seat belts, spill kits and good friends.

 NOTE: Blog written as a result of fellow employee doing some pretty decent damage to his skull on a weekend trip 2 weeks back. Lots of blood involved, but he's okay now.

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Okay kids, let's talk about Trail Safety for a bit, specifically First Aid. When you go off roading, you're trying to reach the most inaccessible, extreme places around. You're dealing with wilderness, heavy machinery, and factors unknown. The deeper you go into your adventures, the farther away you are from help. All this adds up to bad news if a serious injury occurs! Luckily, the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," rings very true here.

First things first, you'll want to have a First Aid kit. Now, most First Aid kits include some gauze, a variety of Band-Aids, and some name brand painkillers. While this is good to have in your Jeep for day to day adventures, you'll want to create a more extensive kit for your off pavement trips. Keep in mind that you'll probably be trying to keep a wound under control until you can find proper medical attention, which could be hours away. The few 2"x2" gauze squares that come standard in most kits are great for a small scrape or cut, but if you've got a wound that won't stop bleeding you're going to go through those little guys quick! Clean towels kept separate from the rest of your gear are a great help (no, your oil rag will NOT suffice!). A large roll of gauze, scissors, and medical tape will make you a very happy camper. Also bring along some old t-shirts that have been washed. These can be ripped into long strips and tied on to hold gauze in awkward places.

More often than not, the scrapes, cuts, and gashes acquired on the trail will have some of said trail ground into them. So, unless you want to lose that limb, cleaning out wounds is of vital importance. Bring along a water bottle to be used strictly for flushing wounds. The large medical Q-tips and a bottle of iodine should definitely be in your First Aid kit. An ice compress in your cooler (again, keep it in a separate plastic bag so it's not filthy) will provide some relief for most injuries. Other miscellaneous items include ibuprofen or pain killer of your choice, tweezers, calamine lotion, antibacterial ointment, and latex gloves (powder-free).

Please keep in mind that I am by no means a medical professional. This is just an idea of some of the things you'll need based off of first hand experience. You know your region and what types of dangers are most prevalent there. For example, if you live in a snake area, bring a snakebite kit! Common sense and caution are the best prevention, but injuries are sometimes unavoidable. Not being prepared, however, is a mistake that you can (and should) avoid!     

I started my three day weekend with a lazy morning. A sink full of dishes and laundry begging to be done, but I'm playing on Facebook and enjoying a breakfast burrito. It goes without saying that I'm a Facebook fan of www.allthingsjeep.com . Here's our All Things Jeep Facebook Page.  www.facebook.com/allthingsjeep

Today I checked out the post about the Jeep Dog photo album on our website. There are a whole lot of awesome, adorable and adventurous Jeepin' pooches out there. I know some dogs are good off-road and others would rather spend the day at home, and I wonder how my own 4-legged princess would fare on the trail.

Delilah, my 3-year old bull dog/akita mix could go either way, I think. She can get frustrated on long car rides, but loves all the different smells to be smelled bouncing down the road. Lila's favorite ride is to my in-laws house; we pass a dairy farm, a park that's always full of kids and a roadside seafood stand. So, I think she would stay entertained on the trail. I do worry about her being up for the bumps and confusing angles that come with a good rock climb.

I worry about her safety, too. I've been day dreaming about the mods I'll do when I find that perfect Jeep. One of the first things I want is to make my rig safe and comfortable for my princess. Of course, there's always a good supply of dog toys in my ride at any given moment -- even when she's not in the car. Bones and Jeep rugged rubber or nylon dog toys can turn up at any moment. Lila's very content to hang out in the backseat with all those toys -- really, she hates riding up front -- so we've never needed any kind of barrier between us. However, if we hit a good bump, could she come flying forward? Do we need a barrier net? When she gets bored, sometimes she'll put her head on the center console to be petted. I think I would miss that as much as she would. Maybe, a barrier net's not for us. We will definitely need cargo net, though. Lila's never tried to jump out an open window, but a topless Wrangler has a lot more open space than a window. What if she lost her balance and fell? Or thought she was supposed to jump out? (She is part bulldog, you can't give her too much credit on these things.)  A good cargo net - http://www.allthingsjeep.com/asp-3141.html - should do the trick, right? My princess doesn't wear a collar around the house -- her neck is a really thick and foldy -- so it looks strange and matts her fur -- but when we go out, she has to wear her ID tag with my contact information and her rabies tag. Should she wear a brightly colored bandana on the trail just in case? When I lived in Maine, every dog I knew spent Spetember-December sporting some kind of orange gear. I saw some harnesses that clip to the seat belt, but I wonder if they would be too restrictive. Do I need a top net? I don't think she could jump that high, nor have the inclination to do so. Would I need to add anything special to my first aid kit in case she did get hurt? I'm so overwhelmed! When did taking the dog on a car ride become so complicated?

Let me know what you do to keep your Jeep dog safe and happy in your rig! How could you say no to this face?

Bust out the tents! Load up on bug-spray! Fill the cooler with ice and tasty libations! Pack it all into the Jeep and head out for fun! What could be better than a weekend full of camping & wheelin'?

Mike White, aka MrFreakinWhite, who works here at All Things Jeep, also happens to be president of JonFund, a Connecticut based 4x4 club. This weekend they teamed up with Vermont Expedition Society (VTXS) to hold their annual camping & offroading event, Field Trip. Also in attendance were a few members from Western Mass 4x4 and Northeast Toyota Crawlers (NTC).

 

 

Collectively, a whopping 35 trucks showed up for trails ranging from the brain-rattling, bone-shaking, hardcore runs to a stocker night run. I'm proud to add that my bone stock TJ on 31" TrXus Mud Terrains made it through said stocker run with zero tugs and only moderate scraping. A 2" lift and I think I'll be able to do it without the ugly sounds from beneath.

 

Speaking as the smallest Jeep (by far) at the event, you don't have to have a super-modified rig to have fun with the big boys (and girls!). Joining an off roading club is a great way to have fun with people who share your interests, off roading and otherwise. It also gives the perfect opportunity to learn how to wheel safely and pick the brains of those more experienced than you. After all, who doesn't like talking about their own Jeep?

We work hard on our rigs, and seeing those modifications get tested and pulling through in extreme situations is satisfying in a way that only 4x4 owners can truly understand. The only thing more satisfying? Perhaps a half-mile long line of 4x4 grills climbing their way behind you. What can I say? Wheeling camaraderie gives me the warm fuzzies.