First production aftermarket hard top (RallyTops) delivered and installed - review

[SamG]

I have taken delivery of what is one of the first (if not the first) production aftermarket hard top.

This is a two piece hard top from RallyTops - costs about $4,000

The hard top came delivered in some very poorly constructed wooden crate contraption that took an hour to disassemble and break apart, but honestly it got the job done.

I know a lot of people will be interested so I will try to break down everything as best I can

Craftsmanship: definitely not the best in the industry, ADV will be better, but cost significantly more. It looks fine and functions as you'd expect but up close you can notice a bit of imperfections.

Weight: My fiancé and I were able to install it with no other help, likely approx 200lb

Water seals: I immediately took this to a touchless carwash and was presented with zero leaks

sound: This one is contentious and kind of makes me disappointed to be honest. I prefer data, not subjective ratings and as such I took a decibel reader with me on the highway with my soft top installed and then replicated that same drive with this hard top. in BOTH instances we averaged about 72 dcb readings. This hard top is entirely carpeted on the inside, only has two pieces and yet still was the exact same level of highway noise...
however, an argument can be made that passing semi's and other loud vehicles were heard less dramatically from the back, on account of actual windows vs weird plastic.

It should be noted, however, that with my light bar installed I would average about 78 dcb with the soft top, with the hard top it maintains at approx 72, so there is that added benefit.

Not entirely sure I am going to keep it - for me (and many others I imagine) the main attraction of a hard top is road noise and wind noise. I have about 20 days to decide, so I will contemplate my life choices and monitor the top for any issues

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[atx_chance]

I think one thing this design gets right is that back glass. Giving Gen 5 vibes and I like it.

 

[Jr87mustang]

Thanks for the review. The top looks nice in your pictures and the price is properly decent. To be fair, Bestop did a video on YouTube about road noise and temperature difference between a Jeep hardtop and one of their soft tops and there wasn't any significant change there either. Jeeps and Broncos are just loud and that isn't going to change very much.

 

[John Whammer]

Window flips up on the stock hardtop, doesn’t appear To do that with This one?

 

[F-Spot]

I have taken delivery of what is one of the first (if not the first) production aftermarket hard top.

This is a two piece hard top from RallyTops - costs about $4,000

The hard top came delivered in some very poorly constructed wooden crate contraption that took an hour to disassemble and break apart, but honestly it got the job done.

I know a lot of people will be interested so I will try to break down everything as best I can

Craftsmanship: definitely not the best in the industry, ADV will be better, but cost significantly more. It looks fine and functions as you'd expect but up close you can notice a bit of imperfections.

Weight: My fiancé and I were able to install it with no other help, likely approx 200lb

Water seals: I immediately took this to a touchless carwash and was presented with zero leaks

sound: This one is contentious and kind of makes me disappointed to be honest. I prefer data, not subjective ratings and as such I took a decibel reader with me on the highway with my soft top installed and then replicated that same drive with this hard top. in BOTH instances we averaged about 72 dcb readings. This hard top is entirely carpeted on the inside, only has two pieces and yet still was the exact same level of highway noise...
however, an argument can be made that passing semi's and other loud vehicles were heard less dramatically from the back, on account of actual windows vs weird plastic.

It should be noted, however, that with my light bar installed I would average about 78 dcb with the soft top, with the hard top it maintains at approx 72, so there is that added benefit.

Not entirely sure I am going to keep it - for me (and many others I imagine) the main attraction of a hard top is road noise and wind noise. I have about 20 days to decide, so I will contemplate my life choices and monitor the top for any issues

Kudos to you for being one of the first to try a new product and sharing your thoughts! Thank you! The biggest thing that gives me pause on this hardtop are these latches.

 

[SamG]

Window flips up on the stock hardtop, doesn’t appear To do that with This one?

rear window flips up exactly like on the OEM hard top

 

[SamG]

Kudos to you for being one of the first to try a new product and sharing your thoughts! Thank you! The biggest thing that gives me pause on this hardtop are these latches.

The interior latches between the rear and front piece are definitely at interesting design... the operate on adjustable tension.. so in one school of thought, its better than OEM as they allow compensation for any warping that may occur as time wares on... however, they do not seem to be the highest quality latch system I have ever seen

 

[DUSTYcazOREGON]

What I do not get with these hard tops, OEM and after market, is the expense. $4K-$6K ?! They are basically, very similar to a canopy for a truck. The OEM is made of questionable materials.....canopies are typically fiberglass. I look at my Leer truck canopy. These canopies are strong, materials do not break down or fall apart. Paint finish is excellent, seals great, inside is fully carpeted with high quality materials. My current Leer was $3,200.00 for a high end. You can get them as low as $2,200.00 Granted the Bronco top has removeable panels requiring some more seals. The cost of these tops gets me. IMO, Ford should have went with fiberglass (and mfg it the same way toppers do) or an aluminum top. If they had, maybe they would not be having all these issues with the MIC.

 

[77Ford]

I like the look of this so much more than the ADV, I just can't get past that slant in the back.

 

[pakrat]

I like the look of this so much more than the ADV, I just can't get past that slant in the back.

That’s the beauty of the aftermarket… we can get what we want (depending on your budget)!

I have absolutely hated the look of the oem top and same with this rallytop. They both look like a Nissan Cube to me. The poor quality sealed the deal with the oem. The ADV is so much cleaner and aggressive looking with it following the bodyline. But’s that’s just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.

Stoked you got your hardtop OP just in time for winter! Enjoy.

 

[Deltamav]

Maybe it's my eyes or the angle of the photos, but the rear portion of the hard top (over the second row and the trunk/cargo) looks like it slopes upwards as it approaches the back window. Does anyone else notice that?

 

[2020FordRaptor]

I have taken delivery of what is one of the first (if not the first) production aftermarket hard top.

This is a two piece hard top from RallyTops - costs about $4,000

The hard top came delivered in some very poorly constructed wooden crate contraption that took an hour to disassemble and break apart, but honestly it got the job done.

I know a lot of people will be interested so I will try to break down everything as best I can

Craftsmanship: definitely not the best in the industry, ADV will be better, but cost significantly more. It looks fine and functions as you'd expect but up close you can notice a bit of imperfections.

Weight: My fiancé and I were able to install it with no other help, likely approx 200lb

Water seals: I immediately took this to a touchless carwash and was presented with zero leaks

sound: This one is contentious and kind of makes me disappointed to be honest. I prefer data, not subjective ratings and as such I took a decibel reader with me on the highway with my soft top installed and then replicated that same drive with this hard top. in BOTH instances we averaged about 72 dcb readings. This hard top is entirely carpeted on the inside, only has two pieces and yet still was the exact same level of highway noise...
however, an argument can be made that passing semi's and other loud vehicles were heard less dramatically from the back, on account of actual windows vs weird plastic.

It should be noted, however, that with my light bar installed I would average about 78 dcb with the soft top, with the hard top it maintains at approx 72, so there is that added benefit.

Not entirely sure I am going to keep it - for me (and many others I imagine) the main attraction of a hard top is road noise and wind noise. I have about 20 days to decide, so I will contemplate my life choices and monitor the top for any issues

Holy crap that's a big box. Looks good and nice writeup.

 

[BroncoBoy22]

Thanks for the review!!

 

[Kevin W]

All in 4K, nice!!! My October 2021 soft top is holding up nicely. Fall 2023 I may start looking for a replacement hard top. Maybe 2023's Black Friday sales will include this top and the total price (delivery included) will be in the 3K range.

 

[broncobase1]

Great review. I have a soft top and most of the time I don't notice any more noise than in my sedan. Its nice to know someone is offering at a reasonable price point. This looks good to me. I think with any top you are going to find imperfections if you look close.

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