Reviews for Bestop Sunrider for Hardtop for 18-24 Jeep Wrangler JL & Gladiator JT
Love the top but the order stated I would get a $100 gift card I never received. I may have purchased it somewhere else if this lie had not been advertised.
Versatility
I think it will be great to be able to open and close the top easily, especially when it starts raining; and we'll get the cargo space back in the rear which has been taken up by the freedom panel case. I look forward to seeing how well it fits and expect it will not leak.
Ease of use
The best investment I made so far for my Gladiator, the ease of opening the top up and enjoying the view and the outside air is Great!
About 95% of the people who install this have the rear seal installed wrong, the rear seal does not lay on top but tucked into the grove, do not this is mention anywhere in instruction, stumbled on a YouTube video that shows this. Has a lil water on passenger side in hard rain , rode like this for months until I saw several jeeps with seal tucked down, had to loosen a few screws and used special tools to tuck seal, do not use a blade of any kind, about 20 min fix. As for side bolts being to short try installing from top down,
Looks awesome on my JL after over an hour of trying to install it. The installation isn't such a breeze at all. It's rained a few times & so far hasn't leaked. It's so nice just to flip over the top & have it open, no mess. Would of given 5 stars but installation is tricky.
Finally got it installed today, so I haven't had an opportunity to see how it functions in all environments, but so far I think its going to be pretty awesome. Installation wasn't bad at all. The only surprise I had is that I now cannot use the Mopar graph handles that I had installed. You have to remove them to install the top and once you do, there is not way to get them back on. I am curious if anyone knows of handles that can be installed with the sunrider on?
Not as nice as the one I had on my 2018 JKU...The quality of material and the quality control were much better...This unit seems like a thinner twill material and there is a terrible vibration when traveling at highway speeds with the Sunrider open...Not sure they engineered this one properly...Waiting to hear from Bestop as to the fix for this issue...
This is a solid bolt-on component that only takes about 30min to insall with (8) T-40 hex bolts. The product comes without any torx tool so be prepared to have a T-40 hex bit and/or wrench. I have driven with this product open on the highway going 80-90mph with little to no flapping on a windy day.
The reason for my 3-star review is two fold:
Issue #1: The product came with (6) M8 1.25 20mm screws which are simply too short to thread through the Bestop frame > jeep frame. I ended up having to go to Home Depot to and purchasing some M8 1.25 30mm screws which were the perfect length. To me, for $800 I shouldn't have to go buy additional hardware to make the product work. There is simply no way to thread the short screws through no matter what level of force used to shorten the gap. Otherwise the install went like a breeze. Once the 30mm screws were installed, the product is very sturdy.
Issue #2: It comes with velcro straps that must be used to ensure that wind doesnt catch it and attempt to open it mid-driving. To me, at this pricepoint there should be a more thoughful design to secure the hinges than velcro. I mean come on, that's like sending a product with a roll of duct tape.
Pro Tips:
- Be sure to cinch down the hinges with the velcro straps very well and you will get less road noise and less flapping.
- Go buy (4) M8 1.25 30mm flanged bolts (https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Hillman-Group-M8-1-25-x-30-mm-Internal-Hex-Button-Head-Cap-Screws-8-Pack-44491/204786369). You will need these during installation guaranteed.