Bear Opens Badlands Soft Top

[mbagne]

They say don't leave food out while camping, pack your cooler and food bag inside your car when sleeping, yet many sleep inside the car too, in lieu of a tent. This goes to show that you are not safe from a hungry or curious bear in your Bronco with a soft top. Certainly MIC is no guarantee, but I would have to believe that MIC would deter SOME bears, and at least delay a determined bear longer than a soft top would . . . enough time to fumble for your key fob, start the engine and peel away before the bear enters!

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[JPye]

I'm going to assume the bear smelled food. Perhaps a good wash out with a hose when needed, which is totally doable with the Badlands MGV seats and rubber floors with wash out ports.

 

[Rusty Sheckelford]

That will do it. They have a tremendous sense of smell and have destroyed cars for snacks




Edit: One more for a 1/2 piece of gum

Hooligans! Hooligan Bears!

 

[Rkeally]

Damn! Sorry to see damage to your top. Welcome to Tahoe. Absolutely positively do not leave a crumb in your ride up here!!

 

[ocbucks1]

Oh, My! I don't want that "way of life!" I worry about the occasional alligator, but you have it worse!

The bears aren’t much when you have the beauty of Tahoe. And there is no humidity or giant bugs!!! I wouldn’t want that way of life.

 

[Underflow]

Thanks for posting this, and sorry for your damages. Hopefully you’ll be able to laugh about it sometime soon.
I’ll be on the north shore for two months this summer with black Diamond soft top, and I thought about the bear problem. I’m leaning towards: no doors, no plastic windows, locking the glovebox and center console. Obviously cleaning out any trace of food. I will also put some hexoil/pinesol on rock rails and maybe floor mats — bears don’t like strong pine oil scent. Those locks on the glove and console do not look sturdy, and could get ripped open by a bear. We’ll see!

 

[lakesinai]

The bears aren’t much when you have the beauty of Tahoe. And there is no humidity or giant bugs!!! I wouldn’t want that way of life.

Yes, we all do adapt (I forgot to mention Copperheads)! PA was ticks and ice. Upstate NY was -30 brutal cold, ice, black ice . . . But the mountain & lake beauty was worth it! Here in SC, the ocean beauty is worth it!

 

[M&M Beer]

Well, I thought this might happen! Living in Lake Tahoe without a garage I figured the snow, or a bear might damage the top. Last night the motion sensor at top of the driveway went off three different times. Each time I checked the camera I saw no bear next to my Bronco, only a bear walking out of camera view, which is normal.

This morning I saw the left rear top open just like in the picture. I took another picture of the good side that is not damaged and of puncture marks on the top. He tried all four door handles too and left scratches on the front passenger door. I actually feel lucky that he didn’t shred the top or bust the handle. Looks like the spring at the end of the top popped out along with the cable that attaches to it. Easy fix or replacement of that spring at the dealer I assume. The puncture marks will stay, I had some in my middle console from another bear incident in my 2013 Explorer. Now I have a camera facing the blind spot where the bear was working on last night.

Where did ya get the winch? I like the look! Sharp!

 

[Oneand0]

Where did ya get the winch? I like the look! Sharp!

Thanks! Rough country hidden winch for 2.3 engines only.

 

[Oneand0]

Thanks for posting this, and sorry for your damages. Hopefully you’ll be able to laugh about it sometime soon.
I’ll be on the north shore for two months this summer with black Diamond soft top, and I thought about the bear problem. I’m leaning towards: no doors, no plastic windows, locking the glovebox and center console. Obviously cleaning out any trace of food. I will also put some hexoil/pinesol on rock rails and maybe floor mats — bears don’t like strong pine oil scent. Those locks on the glove and console do not look sturdy, and could get ripped open by a bear. We’ll see!

Welcome to Tahoe! I was planning on removing the top with a special outdoor hoist starting late June and keeping it off for the summer. I still will. I just can’t ignore my motion alarms at night and be completely diligent about checking for bears when it doesn’t have a top. You are right about the hex oil/pinesol, thanks for reminding me, that will help a lot. If I let my dog out he will bark the biggest bears off the property. Well, maybe not Hank the Tank!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/metro....ar-hank-the-tank-evades-capture-16536243/amp/

 

[northshoreboarder]

I'm in SLT also and I'm lucky to park mine inside as last week there were 4 cars on our street with doors open at 6AM. Makes you think if you should just leave doors unlocked as long as you don't have food inside. I would never suggest getting car alarm (not a fan of the 2AM wakeup from neighbors) but for this time of year in Tahoe not a bad idea. Usually scares them away.

 

[Underflow]

I'm in SLT also and I'm lucky to park mine inside as last week there were 4 cars on our street with doors open at 6AM. Makes you think if you should just leave doors unlocked as long as you don't have food inside. I would never suggest getting car alarm (not a fan of the 2AM wakeup from neighbors) but for this time of year in Tahoe not a bad idea. Usually scares them away.

Definitely DO NOT leave doors unlocked! Cars get totaled when: (1) bear easily opens door and climbs inside; (2) door closes with bear inside (like when parked on an incline); and (3) bear freaks out and shreds everything.

Even without food in the car, these cool bears are curious and will try opening doors.

 

[Oneand0]

I'm in SLT also and I'm lucky to park mine inside as last week there were 4 cars on our street with doors open at 6AM. Makes you think if you should just leave doors unlocked as long as you don't have food inside. I would never suggest getting car alarm (not a fan of the 2AM wakeup from neighbors) but for this time of year in Tahoe not a bad idea. Usually scares them away.

No don’t leave the doors open. Just saying because it’s luck if they don’t destroy and glovebox or console they aren’t familiar with. My 2013 Explorer I sold had claw and tooth puncture woun

Definitely DO NOT leave doors unlocked! Cars get totaled when: (1) bear easily opens door and climbs inside; (2) door closes with bear inside (like when parked on an incline); and (3) bear freaks out and shreds everything.

Even without food in the car, these cool bears are curious and will try opening doors.

I second this! My 2013 Explorer was unlocked and it got puncture marks on the middle console the bear couldn’t open. Lucky that’s all it was.

 

[northshoreboarder]

No don’t leave the doors open. Just saying because it’s luck if they don’t destroy and glovebox or console they aren’t familiar with. My 2013 Explorer I sold had claw and tooth puncture woun

I second this! My 2013 Explorer was unlocked and it got puncture marks on the middle console the bear couldn’t open. Lucky that’s all it was.

Agree at any given time they will rip the crap out of your car if they smell something, not recommending it, however the only car that had any damage was a local who left food wrappers in his work truck, the others had no damage where he opened their doors. I have my neighbors on camera, he spend about 10 seconds in the car and left.

With a soft top though in any place that has bears, not sure what best course would be. One of the thicker vehicle covers to help with possible smell of food... They would rip it up but maybe you hear it at night before he gets to the car.

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