The Jeep Wrangler JK is comfortable and quiet. Add a hardtop to the mix and it is as cozy as a Cadillac! So why would we want to yank our fiberglass Freedom Top and replace it with an aftermarket soft top?

While the factory hardtop has many benefits, it also has just as many draw backs. It is quite heavy sitting up high on the Jeep, making for a less-than-desirable center of gravity.  It takes at least two people … or a fancy contraption, consisting of ropes and pullies, to get it removed. Storage is a pain because of its large size, and when wheeling, the upper, rear corners love to smack trees and rocks in narrow trail situations.

As summer approaches, we recently went in search of the ultimate soft top that would address all the short falls of a hard top, while still retaining the comfort that the JK is known for. Bestop, the premier provider of hard and soft tops for Jeep vehicles, has released its new Trektop that promises to deliver just what we were looking for. Winner of the 2008 Design Excellence Award from Chrysler, we knew that we’d get a product that wouldn’t let us down and quality that we were used to from Bestop.

Bestops excellent Trektop seals up very nicely and keeps passengers dry and warm.

The Trektop is not a traditional Bikini top, nor is it a full-out factory soft top. It’s really something in between that allows the owner to easily and completely remove the top, roll back the canopy portion for an open air feeling. It can also totally enclose the cab of a two- or four-door as well as any factory unit can. 

Two thoughts came to mind when considering this top: “Big price tag” and “difficult to install.” We also didn’t think that it would separate us from the snowy, rainy and sometimes blistering heat of Colorado, where soft tops are actually the preferred equipment. We couldn’t have been more wrong on all accounts.

All the hardware and door surrounds fit perfectly on the Trektop.

First of all, the Trektop is super easy to install, taking us about 45 minutes, even with final adjustments. The price? It’s not expensive at all when considering that purchasing a new factory soft top will set you back over $1,400. You’ll only pay about half that for the Trektop, which is comparable in every aspect. Did it keep us warm and dry when we wanted it to?  Heck yeah! Surprisingly well, in fact. Snow and rain storms haven’t phased the Trektop.

The new header uses two clamps and knobs to secure tightly on the top of the windshield frame.

The included door surrounds are stout and well engineered, fitting perfectly into the spots they were designed for. A few nuts and bolts and they were solidly in place. The header system fit snug onto the top of the windshield … but make sure to follow the provided instructions, as we goofed and installed parts of the header wrong, from left to right, making for a less-than-desired fit. As quickly as we made the mistake, however, we corrected our error and the header fit exactly as intended with the threaded knob system. The fabric top attaches to the header and is then literally draped over the rest of the Jeep and affixed to the back using the factory Jeep rail system. That’s it! No complicated bough system, latches and very little Velcro to deal with. 

The tensioning straps and the bar they attach to are well thought out.

We were very impressed with the tensioning straps at the rear of the top, and it’s what we feel sets this product apart from its few competitors. By pulling and attaching these straps to the rear of the Jeep, we were able to get the fabric top as tight as a drum. One important note though: Snug these straps down but do not over tighten! Over tightening will pull on the front windshield header, creating a gap that will cause unnecessary wind noise. Tighten it just enough so that the fabric top is firm and tight.

Ok. Aesthetically, you can’t … overlook the look! The Trektop is good looking with its fastback appeal and will not be mistaken for the old, run-of-the-mill commoners. Not to mention with the lower profile we’ll never have to worry about those pesky trees on our tight, wooded trails again. Other advantages? With the Trektop, we lowered the center of gravity on our JK and we no longer have to sneak under the low-hanging garage door anymore.

The Trektop fast back design is just plain cool looking from any angle.

The really exciting part for us came on our trip to Moab, Utah, for the Easter Jeep Safari, 2009. Our plan was to make the whole trip wearing our new Trektop and ditching our hardtop that we’ve run with at EJS for the last two years. Springtime weather in Utah can be volatile, ranging from 80+ degree heat to fast-moving thunderstorms and snow. This was the perfect environment and test for Bestop’s Trektop. How’d it do? We can report that our 400-mile commute to Moab was a little noisy. However, this was due to our aggressiveness when pulling the rear straps too tight. On the other hand, our trip home was much more quiet after loosening the rear straps we mentioned earlier. What a difference!

Even with the straps slightly less taught, the Trektop was still very snug fitting and didn’t let us down once. The top kept all occupants of the four-door Rubicon warm and toasty, even as we passed through blizzard-like snow conditions at over 11,000 feet in altitude in the Rocky Mountains. It rained while we were in Moab and not a drop of water or mud entered the Jeep during any driving conditions on or off the pavement. We also had a warm day in Moab and had no problems with total removal of the top or a quick and simple roll back of the front cab area.

As we tested our Trektop, we tried to find a weak point in its design but only found problems with our installation skills. We just hope that our factory hard top enjoys its long retirement on the garage shelf. Well done Bestop … well done.

CONTACT
Bestop
P.O. Box 307
Broomfield, CO 80038 U.S.A.
www.bestop.com
Toll Free: (800) 845-3567 (U.S. and Canada)
Main: (303) 465-1755 (International)