Soft Top in Winter Conditions ?

[Skeeterjack]

Does anyone have experience with soft tops during snow and ice conditions. I live in Canada and debating a soft top to get faster delivery. Have concerns of windows fogging up. Any info would be welcomed.Thanks

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[BaseSquatch]

Soft-tops are good in any weather. They’re absolutely fine in the winter, especially with how good heaters are in vehicles these days. The only issue is that you’re not supposed to use a traditional ice scraper, because you might scratch the windows. So it’s better to just brush any snow off, and let the vehicle heat melt the ice off.

The biggest problem with soft-tops, is because they’re made flimsy on purpose, you often have to replace them every 5-7 years (leaks and wind).

 

[Kevin W]

I live in Iowa and owned a 2017 jk 2 door with a factory soft top for 2 winters. My jeep was in my heated garage every night so I never really had to worry about iced up windows or scrapping frost in the mornings. The jeep also had a really good heater so cold was never really an issue either. I would do a remote start setting 10 minutes before I got off work and could go oiut to the jeep after my shift with defrosted windows and the heater blowing hot air. I didn't mind the soft top at all, it has it's plus's and minus's for sure, but after having one for a couple of years I never had an instance where having a soft top was a real detriment. I hunt quite a bit in the fall and winter time here in Iowa. There is a lot of gravel and dirt road driving and the back window of the soft top would get pretty dirty after driving those gravel and dirt roads. In my area of Iowa the small town self serve car washes leave their spray wands on with a soft stream of warm water to keep them from freezing up in the fall / winter time. So pretty much after every hunt on the way back home I would stop by one of those car washes and use the soft stream of warm water to wash off the back window.
I changed my order to the soft top back in May and got my vin number the very next week.

 

[Neps]

In general I found that soft tops in snow sucked, not so much in regard to fogging up but water freezing on it and snow sticking to the material. You really don't think about snow removal until you have to remove snow and ice from a soft top.

Snow and ice that your used to remove with a scraper and brush, now has to be melted so not to damage the windows, vinyl, or cloth. Cab covers can help to avoid the snow and water sticking to the top, but they too can get frozen stuck to the surface and become difficult to remove.

I had a friend that used to punch his roof (soft top) from inside to get the snow off, once he hit the roof and broke right thru because it was so stiff from the cold. Then again that was more years ago that I care to admit and materials have come a long way, and the top was not of the highest quality.

New soft top are expensive to replace and the rear window gets scratched from snow and ice removal. The only way I would have a soft top in the snow again was if it was kept in a garage and used on clear days only, or I had a hard top for the winter months.

Edit: I totally agree with BaseSquatch'es statement regarding longevity, 5 to 7 years has been my experience with 5 owned.

 

[PrepVet]

I live in north central Wisconsin and I never even considered a hardtop for my old JK’s.

 

[BroncoJay]

Besttop probably one of the best manufactures of soft tops has a cool video about the myths regarding extreme weather and soft tops...

it will put to bed the issue of having one in the winter..
They are more than adequate for heat and cold...

 

[Neps]

Besttop probably one of the best manufactures of soft tops has a cool video about the myths regarding extreme weather and soft tops...

it will put to bed the issue of having one in the winter..
They are more than adequate for heat and cold...

No doubt that a soft top manufacture might be biased in favor of soft tops

 

[JGM]

I was having the same dilemma of switching to a soft top or waiting for the hard top. I asked my buddy who has a Jeep and he told me he hasn’t put his hard top back on after putting the soft top on 6 yrs ago when he bought it (he also drives it year round). We can have some pretty brutal weather here in WI during the winter season. I switched to a soft top after that conversation.

 

[Oneand0]

I get up to 6’ of snow on my house in Tahoe. I switched to a soft top and the following week got an order in. I don’t have a garage. I’ll stay on top of the snow removal from my soft top as much as possible. I’m not too worried about it. I will share pics during the winter and document it.

 

[BroncoJay]

No doubt that a soft top manufacture might be biased in favor of soft tops

Maybe, maybe not...
I’ve been told by many Iowans, where we deal with severe weather extremes and have had little or no issues with soft tops...

you don’t like them don’t get one....

 

[Trooper19]

Does anyone have experience with soft tops during snow and ice conditions. I live in Canada and debating a soft top to get faster delivery. Have concerns of windows fogging up. Any info would be welcomed.Thanks

I have had my 2014 jk from New and swapped to a soft top in 17 . I have no regrets. 6 months a year I remove the rear panels. I'm getting a soft top.

 

[jimmy234]

My JLU soft top has been awesome in the winters, but I do have the premium one. This last winter in PA was brutal; feet of snow with stretches of low temps meaning most of it never really went away until the spring. Soft top was just fine.

 

[Gotdesl]

Given the choice, I would have a soft top over the MIC on my 2 door. In my experience, the soft tops on Jeeps is more than adequate in winter weather. The top does become less pliable in cold weather. Be mindful of folding the windows while cold to avoid potential cracking. Running the heater to warm the inside should be sufficient.

 

[Skeeterjack]

Thanks for the soft top comments guys. Very helpful. Will eventually get a painted hardtop and didn’t want to be stuck with a MIC top ,which I absolutely hate. Soft top it is. Cheers

 

[Hambone08]

Thanks for the soft top comments guys. Very helpful. Will eventually get a painted hardtop and didn’t want to be stuck with a MIC top ,which I absolutely hate. Soft top it is. Cheers

Im in Mississippi and switched to a soft top. Snowed 1 time last year so I dont expect an issue

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