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Jeep Owner Question

BostonGuy

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Anyone currently have a jeep with just a soft top in New England? How is it during the winter?

Obviously asking because I'm considering the switch, maybe aftermarket hard tops will pop up in the next 12 months.
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PWillette

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Not currently but have in the past. Not especially enjoyable up here in Maine especially if you do not have a garage. I suppose the tops these days may perform a bit better in the winter but the snow melt they put on the roads these days is pretty nasty on clothe and clear plastic windows.
 

Philly

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I have left my soft top on in Michigan past Thanksgiving and it was fine. The biggest thing is you need to clear snow off the top as soon as possible because they arenā€™t meant to have all that weight, but a few inches over night is fine.

Also, salt will dry up your vinyl windows so make sure you condition them before winter and after to avoid fogging (learned this the hard way). Windows will also get stiff in the winter so donā€™t plan on bending them because they may crack. You probably wonā€™t have to worry about cracking if itā€™s new, but after a few years of wear and tear itā€™s more likely.

As far as heat goes, my Jeep stayed more than warm enough, but it did cool off faster after I shut off the car. Not a big deal if you ask me.
 

JT58Bronc

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I had various Jeep TJ's with soft tops for years when I lived in New England mot of my life up until 2012. I used them as my commuter in the winter on the nastiest days- snow and ice storms, etc. I had no issues in the winter with the snow, ice, heat, etc. regarding the soft top. Actually during ice storms when ice stuck to everything, the soft top was even better than hard top as the ice would quickly melt off of the top and windows- and stay off of the windows when the heat was on and the interior warmed up. The interiors were always warm and kept warm with the good sealing of the soft tops. The TJ's were fantastic in the snow too, obviously with 4WD.

The only issue there- and even more here in FL is the noise of the soft top flapping. Especially on windy days. It is way more windy here and on more days in FL (flat) than New England was and the soft top on my 97 Wrangler is very loud driving at 55 MPH and even worse in a head wind. I opted for the hard top in the Bronco I ordered for this one reason only.
 

88to21bronco

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As a HS teacher, I have a student who daily drives a soft top Jeep, probably a 20-teens model 2-door. As someone with a soft top and a VIN, I wanted assurances as you do. I live in TN, so snow accumulation is not as much of an issue, but we do have some cold days. She said she has no issues with her Jeep heating up and staying warm. Also, she said wind noise is not as much of an issue as I would have thought. She drives on the Interstate occasionally and says it is fine. Her words: "I notice the quiet in a hardtop vehicle more than I notice the loudness of my Jeep."
 

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grewhi

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Is there a smell issue? I'm in the PNW and I worry about the constant rain and if there could be a mildew issue.
 

MaverickMan

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My sister has a soft top JL in Ohio and winters get cold and icy, I havent heard any complaints out of her. Newer stuff is better than my old CJ snap on types.
 

2Jeeps&PatriotX1

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I have a soft top on my LJ but live here in CO. It's fine as its just me in the jeep and my jeep sits in my garage and no longer my DD. But I refuse to allow my wife to cave in and order the soft top on her BL Bronco. It's not comfortable driving at 75mph and forget about talking not the phone while on the highway. Plus I'm sure she's try to use an ice scraper on her windows or fiddle with the rear window which will damage the windows.
 

PecOBX

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I am in the Phila, PA region and have had multiple Jeeps with soft top (and just changed my sonā€™s over from a hard top to soft top). Never really had a issue in winter and I really havenā€™t found road noise to be a big deal. That also depends on the tires you have on and how much noise they create. I agree with the one post about watching snow accumulation as the soft tops are really made to hold 8-12ā€ of snow pack but 2-5ā€ should not be a big deal. The newer soft tops are better than the older Jeep tops. I am getting an OBX with just the soft top and have been soft top from the get go.

Good luck
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