Hardtop Options: Gr8Tops Safari Top vs Bull Dawg Highlander

[ChadH]

I am interested if anyone has personal experience with either of these tops. My LJ currently has a Gr8Tops half cab top and bulkhead but I am not a fan and need a full length hard top. Hard tops only - I have no interest in a soft top.

Gr8Tops - https://gr8tops.com/shop/jeepmodels...ab-full-hardtop#iLightbox[product-gallery]/16
I like this top for several reasons. It looks cool (not trying to be a rover look-alike). It assembles in pieces, which also is a downfall but makes it easier for a one person job. It does have more head room. I plan on making a platform so I can sleep inside the LJ instead of getting a tent (some areas around here do not allow tents of soft sided camping), so that extra headroom would help. It also has a flat rear glass but it is designed so that a rear wiper can be installed (Jeff has a writeup on the other forum), however no rear glass heater is offered. I have heard that it is difficult to seal up well and has some leaks, especially at the rear gate glass if water is sprayed (as in washing). It could mean things would leak if it is raining hard at an angle. I also like the flat rear glass as it provides more interior room than the angled back of the other option. This is the more expensive option and the top cannot be color matched, it is either white or black - only the sides can be color matched.


Bull Dawg - https://www.bulldawgmfg.com/shop/Highlander_LJ_Hardtop_2004_2006-41-2.html
I also like this top as it looks more OEM. It has sufficient interior room and can haul more weight on the top for longer trips where more supplies are needed. Especially for the LJ, I really really like the side opening windows. It is also one piece so less of a concern for water intrusion at the cost of requiring multiple people to install - that said I have no plans to remove it. The interior can be colors other than standard white as well which is cool if one was so interested. The rear glass seems confusing as to how it closes though, seems like it partially closes to get past the spare tire then you shut the tail gate and finally lock the glass - if thats the case that will get old quick. It also has no provisions for a rear wiper, which I use a lot. However they do offer a rear glass heater. This is the cheaper option. The outside does not have a color match but they do have a 'dark kaki' which I really like and would work well on the LJ with the light kaki paint.

Anybody have personal experience with either of these?

 

[06lj]

My father has the Bulldawg on his LJ and has been very satisfied with it. There have been no leaks and it fits as good as OEM. The available side opening windows is his favorite feature. It makes accessing the back easy. The rear window locks can be secured before closing the tailgate. Having the two locks is adds a bit to closing it but it is secure and doesn't rattle.
That being said I don't think it is comparable to the gr8tops. There is a lot of information on here as it was designed by a forum member who has some remarkable skills. Here is one thread discussing it.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/gr8tops-for-tj.54063/

 

[ChadH]

The rear window locks can be secured before closing the tailgate.

I do like the side opening windows. But thanks for the clarification of the back glass. Looking at pictures it appeared like the seal was on the outside of the tailgate making it a tad confusing. I'll look at that thread, didnt know Jeff was roaming around here. Headed out for wildfire response today though, so I'll read it tonight.

 

[Blake Stamper]

There was a pretty cool LJ and pnw overland expo, it had a bulldawg top with the gull wing windows.

I like the bulldawg because it has an upgrade that allows you to run an rtt on the top of.

 

[ChadH]

There was a pretty cool LJ and pnw overland expo, it had a bulldawg top with the gull wing windows.

I like the bulldawg because it has an upgrade that allows you to run an rtt on the top of.

The strength of the highlander is definitely something I would opt for. The idea/plan is that I can actually sleep inside the LJ with the seats fully forward. Obviously that only works for myself, not if I have company. It's a tough decision. The strength and opening side windows I absolutely love. But the Gr8Tops is built in a way that a rear wiper/heater can be installed, which is also a huge factor. I use my rear wiper a ton on the TJ with road spray coming back up on the glass. Without it seeing to the rear is almost impossible. But maybe I could get a custom cut rear glass for the bulldog and install the factory wiper???

 

[suicideking]

I really like the Bulldawg with the side windows that open. I've seen a few that bought them and have been tempted myself, just expensive. I would by one that's pretty basic, but definitely want the side windows that open. Both companies make quality products, so really up to which one you prefer.

 

[L J]

Anybody have personal experience with either of these?

@jscherb designed the Safari Top and runs one on his LJ. He has the most ownership experience.

 

[jscherb]

@jscherb designed the Safari Top and runs one on his LJ. He has the most ownership experience.

True statements .

I am interested if anyone has personal experience with either of these tops. My LJ currently has a Gr8Tops half cab top and bulkhead but I am not a fan and need a full length hard top. Hard tops only - I have no interest in a soft top.

Gr8Tops - https://gr8tops.com/shop/jeepmodels...ab-full-hardtop#iLightbox[product-gallery]/16
I like this top for several reasons. It looks cool (not trying to be a rover look-alike). It assembles in pieces, which also is a downfall but makes it easier for a one person job. It does have more head room. I plan on making a platform so I can sleep inside the LJ instead of getting a tent (some areas around here do not allow tents of soft sided camping), so that extra headroom would help. It also has a flat rear glass but it is designed so that a rear wiper can be installed (Jeff has a writeup on the other forum), however no rear glass heater is offered. I have heard that it is difficult to seal up well and has some leaks, especially at the rear gate glass if water is sprayed (as in washing). It could mean things would leak if it is raining hard at an angle. I also like the flat rear glass as it provides more interior room than the angled back of the other option. This is the more expensive option and the top cannot be color matched, it is either white or black - only the sides can be color matched.

Anybody have personal experience with either of these?

When Gr8Tops licensed the Safari Cab design from me I offered them a number of options, some of which they did not put into production - for example, a rear wiper, which, as you noted I posted instructions for installing one in another forum.

I did experiment with a rear defroster grid, but Gr8Tops decided not to offer that option. For the prototype I used a kit from Frost Fighter, at the time it was kit number #2612 although I just checked the web site and they seem to have changed their part numbers and changed their dimensions to metric, but I'm sure you can find one there that will work nicely on the Safari Cab back window: https://frostfighter.com/clear-view-order-guide.htm

Other options that were designed and tested but they decided not to offer include roll-bar support brackets for roof racks, soft sides which can be swapped in place of the removable hard sides, an easy install wiring kit for Jeeps without hardtop wiring, also DC power for hardtop-mounted accessories. At various times I've posted info on how to DIY some of these things as well.

The Safari Cab on my LJ seals just fine, the only time water gets in the back door is when the automatic car wash attendant sprays his pressure washer right at the barn door/hardtop gap (the liftgate on the factory hardtop would likely leak in this scenario as well), but running through the carwash after he does the preliminary pressure wash is no problem, nor is rain a problem.

Sorry Gr8Tops doesn't offer the roof in matching colors, I imagine that's a cost issue for them but I don't really know, they never discussed it with me. Have you asked them if they'd color match the roof for an extra charge?

As far as personal experience with these tops, mine has been on my LJ since 2010 so as @L J said I've got more experience with them than anyone, and that's not counting my design and construction time. This is a photo of the first test fit of all of the first homemade fiberglass parts, still not all fully trimmed and with mockup printed paper windows, in June 2010:

And although mine is homemade I know enough about the Gr8Tops version to probably answer any questions you might have.

 

[ChadH]

True statements .



When Gr8Tops licensed the Safari Cab design from me I offered them a number of options, some of which they did not put into production - for example, a rear wiper, which, as you noted I posted instructions for installing one in another forum.

I did experiment with a rear defroster grid, but Gr8Tops decided not to offer that option. For the prototype I used a kit from Frost Fighter, at the time it was kit number #2612 although I just checked the web site and they seem to have changed their part numbers and changed their dimensions to metric, but I'm sure you can find one there that will work nicely on the Safari Cab back window: https://frostfighter.com/clear-view-order-guide.htm

View attachment 553782

Other options that were designed and tested but they decided not to offer include roll-bar support brackets for roof racks, soft sides which can be swapped in place of the removable hard sides, an easy install wiring kit for Jeeps without hardtop wiring, also DC power for hardtop-mounted accessories. At various times I've posted info on how to DIY some of these things as well.

The Safari Cab on my LJ seals just fine, the only time water gets in the back door is when the automatic car wash attendant sprays his pressure washer right at the barn door/hardtop gap (the liftgate on the factory hardtop would likely leak in this scenario as well), but running through the carwash after he does the preliminary pressure wash is no problem, nor is rain a problem.

Sorry Gr8Tops doesn't offer the roof in matching colors, I imagine that's a cost issue for them but I don't really know, they never discussed it with me. Have you asked them if they'd color match the roof for an extra charge?

As far as personal experience with these tops, mine has been on my LJ since 2010 so as @L J said I've got more experience with them than anyone, and that's not counting my design and construction time. This is a photo of the first test fit of all of the first homemade fiberglass parts, still not all fully trimmed and with mockup printed paper windows, in June 2010:

View attachment 553783

And although mine is homemade I know enough about the Gr8Tops version to probably answer any questions you might have.

I remember following your original thread as you designed and built it, along with the dozens of prototype toppers for the dinoot tub you designed. Good to see you are still around and active on the forums!! My main concern with the Safari cap was the water intrusion and how well the sides sealed up, but it sounds like maybe the couple of discussions I did see with water intrusion issues were likely a rarity and depending on a pressure washer. I really really like that a rear wiper and heater can be added to this top, that's kinda a big deal to me with how fast even the OEM rear glass gets dirty. So that's a huge positive in favor of the Gr8Tops. The coloring is kinda funky but totally understandable. I spoke with, Matt I think it is, and he mentioned they used to offer a paint to match top but they had some really serious issues with poor transportation and the paint getting badly damaged. It is also a 1500-2K additional cost in paint. So those two things combined are why it's not offered. I would likely opt for a white top just to keep the heat in summer down, and I could always do a paint or coating of my own later on. The last deciding factor that I'm trying to work out is the side windows. It does have sliding windows. But the LJ being longer, does make for accessing some stuff a tad more difficult. The BullDawg top offers side opening windows, which is a fantastic idea. I'm not sure if I could modify the windows on the Safari Top to open in such a way, or maybe ask Mike if he would just not put in any cutouts on the sides and let me take care of that later. Although I must admit I have to do everything in the back yard so I dont have a 'shop' to work with. But I am trying to see if I can find a 'canopy' replacement window that could just bolt right up - that would make the Safari Top the clear winner.

 

[jscherb]

... The last deciding factor that I'm trying to work out is the side windows. It does have sliding windows. But the LJ being longer, does make for accessing some stuff a tad more difficult. The BullDawg top offers side opening windows, which is a fantastic idea. I'm not sure if I could modify the windows on the Safari Top to open in such a way, or maybe ask Mike if he would just not put in any cutouts on the sides and let me take care of that later. Although I must admit I have to do everything in the back yard so I dont have a 'shop' to work with. But I am trying to see if I can find a 'canopy' replacement window that could just bolt right up - that would make the Safari Top the clear winner.

It's possible to order a Safari Cab from Gr8Tops with solid sides (no windows) so if you could find an opening window/hatch solution you liked, you could install them yourself.

Before Covid hit, I was working with an RV window company to do cargo window retrofits for factory hardtops. The first ones I was working on were for the JK/JKU, and the JK 2dr ones would have also fit the LJ Safari Cab.

A preproduction sample on my workbench:

And a sample installed in a JK 2dr hardtop:

These could have been installed fairly easily in the side of an LJ Safari Cab. The bad news: once Covid hit, the window company was operating with such reduced staffing that they had to give up all projects except absolutely essential RV projects, so these windows went on the back burner. The company that was going to market them to the Jeep market (not the RV company that was going to manufacture them) never asked me to restart the project after Covid ended, so the project ended with only a few prototypes made. And further bad news, up until a few months ago, I had some prototypes still in my workshop, but as I was downsizing to move to a different state, I had to get rid of a lot of stuff - prototypes, molds, etc., so I no longer have those prototypes.

I had also designed a retrofit kit for the factory TJ hardtop but never got to the point of producing a prototype because the entire project was put on hold.

RV window manufacturers can make these windows and sell them wholesale for less than $75 each, so they could have been priced affordably and at a price that allowed the company that planned to market them to do so profitably.

Cargo hatch windows are on the market for RV's, here's one that would be a good fit on the side of an LJ Safari Cab. But more bad news, look at the price:

For prototpying many window ideas, I've found many useful windows and hatches at Bontragers Surplus: https://bontragers.com/. They're in northeastern Indiana and I used to visit them whenever I had meetings at MORryde in Elkhart. Bontragers has a huge selection of surplus RV windows and hatches in stock, and sometimes offer them on eBay. One of the ideas I prototyped with surplus hatches from Bontragers was this JKU hatch with a MOLLE panel inside, it's a solid hatch, not a glass window though:

Since it appears you're in Montana a visit to Bontragers is probably out of the question, but they may be able to tell you over the phone if they have anything that might work. Solid RV hatches in many sizes are much more common in the surplus market than glass hatches, so if you could use solid hatches you've have a very good chance of finding something that might work. Here's one I found at Bontragers that perfectly fits on the side of the LJ Safari Cab, I think I paid $25 for it:

I know probably none of the above is exactly what you're looking for, but there are at least some possibilities out there.

For reference, these are the dimensions of the window openings for the standard windows in LJ and TJ Safari Cabs (the only difference is that the TJ doesn't have the small side "opera windows").

 

[mjbcomp]

I had that Bulldawg LJ Hardtop when i bought my jeep almost 2 years ago and i hated it for several reasons.

First, there was no space between the hard top and the soundbar in my 06 LJ. It rode right on top of the sound bar. I got around it by putting a thin sheet of rubber foam padding between the rub points on either side of the soundbar but always felt like it was putting undue pressure on the sound bar.

Second, the way the glass closes down is retarded. Its just as you indicated. You have to lower the glass so its behind the spare tire and then try to precariously close/slam the tailgate and then the glass sits against the outside top ledge of the tailgate where you then turn both handles to lock the glass against the side of the top.

That gets annoying really quick. Also on my hard top the key that fit the back glass locks was not the same as the key that fit the side lift up windows. I even took it to a locksmith and they said because the back glass locking mechanism was different than the side window mechanism they could not key them alike.

The Bulldawg LJ Hardtop is also significantly heavier than an OEM hard top. I was using one of the TopLiftPro's and it could barely hold the weight of the Bulldawg Hardtop because of how unbalanced the weight was. It seems almost dangerous to me. I was always afraid i was going to come home and find my hardtop crashed and sitting on the garage floor.

One final thing, the Bulldawg uses two foam pieces where the hardtop attaches to the top windshield frame and it just seemed cheap to me and didn't really fit tight or stayed in place due to being 100+ degrees in Texas.

Any questions just ask.

 

[ChadH]

It's possible to order a Safari Cab from Gr8Tops with solid sides (no windows) so if you could find an opening window/hatch solution you liked, you could install them yourself.

Before Covid hit, I was working with an RV window company to do cargo window retrofits for factory hardtops. The first ones I was working on were for the JK/JKU, and the JK 2dr ones would have also fit the LJ Safari Cab.

A preproduction sample on my workbench:

And a sample installed in a JK 2dr hardtop:

These could have been installed fairly easily in the side of an LJ Safari Cab. The bad news: once Covid hit, the window company was operating with such reduced staffing that they had to give up all projects except absolutely essential RV projects, so these windows went on the back burner. The company that was going to market them to the Jeep market (not the RV company that was going to manufacture them) never asked me to restart the project after Covid ended, so the project ended with only a few prototypes made. And further bad news, up until a few months ago, I had some prototypes still in my workshop, but as I was downsizing to move to a different state, I had to get rid of a lot of stuff - prototypes, molds, etc., so I no longer have those prototypes.

I had also designed a retrofit kit for the factory TJ hardtop but never got to the point of producing a prototype because the entire project was put on hold.

RV window manufacturers can make these windows and sell them wholesale for less than $75 each, so they could have been priced affordably and at a price that allowed the company that planned to market them to do so profitably.

Cargo hatch windows are on the market for RV's, here's one that would be a good fit on the side of an LJ Safari Cab. But more bad news, look at the price:

View attachment 553828

For prototpying many window ideas, I've found many useful windows and hatches at Bontragers Surplus: https://bontragers.com/. They're in northeastern Indiana and I used to visit them whenever I had meetings at MORryde in Elkhart. Bontragers has a huge selection of surplus RV windows and hatches in stock, and sometimes offer them on eBay. One of the ideas I prototyped with surplus hatches from Bontragers was this JKU hatch with a MOLLE panel inside, it's a solid hatch, not a glass window though:

View attachment 553830

Since it appears you're in Montana a visit to Bontragers is probably out of the question, but they may be able to tell you over the phone if they have anything that might work. Solid RV hatches in many sizes are much more common in the surplus market than glass hatches, so if you could use solid hatches you've have a very good chance of finding something that might work. Here's one I found at Bontragers that perfectly fits on the side of the LJ Safari Cab, I think I paid $25 for it:

View attachment 553831

I know probably none of the above is exactly what you're looking for, but there are at least some possibilities out there.

For reference, these are the dimensions of the window openings for the standard windows in LJ and TJ Safari Cabs (the only difference is that the TJ doesn't have the small side "opera windows").

View attachment 553829

Do you know what the dynamic weight capacity is of the Gr8Tops production version? Yeah I have been looking even for truck canopy side opening glass windows but it's surprisingly difficult to get ahold of them. I think that would be the best option. But I haven't been able to source one yet. I do need to see if Mike would be willing to still install the rear glass on either sides of the tailgate but just not make a cutout for the side wall glass.

I had that Bulldawg LJ Hardtop when i bought my jeep almost 2 years ago and i hated it for several reasons.

First, there was no space between the hard top and the soundbar in my 06 LJ. It rode right on top of the sound bar. I got around it by putting a thin sheet of rubber foam padding between the rub points on either side of the soundbar but always felt like it was putting undue pressure on the sound bar.

Second, the way the glass closes down is retarded. Its just as you indicated. You have to lower the glass so its behind the spare tire and then try to precariously close/slam the tailgate and then the glass sits against the outside top ledge of the tailgate where you then turn both handles to lock the glass against the side of the top.

That gets annoying really quick. Also on my hard top the key that fit the back glass locks was not the same as the key that fit the side lift up windows. I even took it to a locksmith and they said because the back glass locking mechanism was different than the side window mechanism they could not key them alike.

The Bulldawg LJ Hardtop is also significantly heavier than an OEM hard top. I was using one of the TopLiftPro's and it could barely hold the weight of the Bulldawg Hardtop because of how unbalanced the weight was. It seems almost dangerous to me. I was always afraid i was going to come home and find my hardtop crashed and sitting on the garage floor.

One final thing, the Bulldawg uses two foam pieces where the hardtop attaches to the top windshield frame and it just seemed cheap to me and didn't really fit tight or stayed in place due to being 100+ degrees in Texas.

Any questions just ask.

Hmm interesting. @06lj said earlier the rear glass closes just like the OEM hard top but has additional T-handle locks. Thats good to know about the interior height. I'm not necessarily a fan of excess headroom but with planning to sleep inside the LJ at night it would be nice to have the extra couple inches the Safari top offers. Thanks for the input

 

[Old Pueblo]

I have the Bull dawg on my LJ and love it. Some of the gripes are Legit, the T handles, and 2 different keys. I have no issues with my sound bar or the windshield gasket area. I have a tire carrier bumper, so the glass closing thing is irrelevant to me.
I wanted the Gr8 tops since I first saw it, but then I saw one in person and the fitment made me pass. I wont say they all fit together poorly, the one I examined was poorly fitting.

 

[ChadH]

I have the Bull dawg on my LJ and love it. Some of the gripes are Legit, the T handles, and 2 different keys. I have no issues with my sound bar or the windshield gasket area. I have a tire carrier bumper, so the glass closing thing is irrelevant to me.
I wanted the Gr8 tops since I first saw it, but then I saw one in person and the fitment made me pass. I wont say they all fit together poorly, the one I examined was poorly fitting.
View attachment 553972

That's good to know. So can you confirm for me if the rear glass does or does not need to be shut after the tailgate is shut? Maybe you wouldn't mind measuring the side windows?

 

[jscherb]

Do you know what the dynamic weight capacity is of the Gr8Tops production version?

I hesitate to give a dynamic load rating because I don't know what Gr8Tops says the load rating is - if I gave a number and the top got damaged from that load, I doubt Gr8Tops would offer any warranty support if the number I gave wasn't their number, so it's best to ask Matt (it's Matt, not Mike) at Gr8Tops what they say the dynamic load rating is.

I have had probably 500 pounds up there for short distances on the road but my roof rack is supported by the roll bars so there's no stress on the fiberglass. I typically carry my roof top tent up there when exploring/camping off road, and more often than not I have a cargo box in the front rack extension plus 4 aluminum sand ladders on the rack floor under the RTT, so all that plus the large rack and extension is probably 250+ pounds. This next photo shows just the RTT in place on the LJ and the following photo shows the rack box and RTT on the same rack on the JKU, since both Jeeps have XJ Cherokee racks on the roof and the rack basket attaches to the XJ rails, I can share the rack system between both Jeeps, I just don't have a photo of the RTT and cargobox on the LJ to show so the JKU will have to do. And notice that the LJ has the soft sides installed so there are no hard sides to support the weight on the roof in this photo...

To support this weight, I've got two long angled brackets in the back, and two shorter brackets just in front of the main roll bar hoop. All of these brackets attach to factory holes in the roll bar so there was no drilling and they're very secure and strong. In the photo at right, the bracket is just to the left of the fire extinguisher (which BTW fits up there because of the extra roof height).

BTW in the photos above you can also see how much higher the ceiling is above the roll bars than it would be on the factory hardtop. I often store things above the roll bar using that extra space, including on a webbing net and on a swing-down MOLLE panel. For example, I often store my half door uppers on the mesh net, there's plenty of space up there for them:

And in the back I store things on the swing-down MOLLE panel...

I know the last two photos are a bit off topic from your question, but the do illustrate ways the extra height inside can be used for cargo.

 

[Old Pueblo]

That's good to know. So can you confirm for me if the rear glass does or does not need to be shut after the tailgate is shut? Maybe you wouldn't mind measuring the side windows?

I'll measure the glass when I get home. The glass needs to be shut after the tailgate

 

[ChadH]

I hesitate to give a dynamic load rating because I don't know what Gr8Tops says the load rating is - if I gave a number and the top got damaged from that load, I doubt Gr8Tops would offer any warranty support if the number I gave wasn't their number, so it's best to ask Matt (it's Matt, not Mike) at Gr8Tops what they say the dynamic load rating is.

I have had probably 500 pounds up there for short distances on the road but my roof rack is supported by the roll bars so there's no stress on the fiberglass. I typically carry my roof top tent up there when exploring/camping off road, and more often than not I have a cargo box in the front rack extension plus 4 aluminum sand ladders on the rack floor under the RTT, so all that plus the large rack and extension is probably 250+ pounds. This next photo shows just the RTT in place on the LJ and the following photo shows the rack box and RTT on the same rack on the JKU, since both Jeeps have XJ Cherokee racks on the roof and the rack basket attaches to the XJ rails, I can share the rack system between both Jeeps, I just don't have a photo of the RTT and cargobox on the LJ to show so the JKU will have to do. And notice that the LJ has the soft sides installed so there are no hard sides to support the weight on the roof in this photo...

View attachment 554083

View attachment 554082

To support this weight, I've got two long angled brackets in the back, and two shorter brackets just in front of the main roll bar hoop. All of these brackets attach to factory holes in the roll bar so there was no drilling and they're very secure and strong. In the photo at right, the bracket is just to the left of the fire extinguisher (which BTW fits up there because of the extra roof height).

View attachment 554084

BTW in the photos above you can also see how much higher the ceiling is above the roll bars than it would be on the factory hardtop. I often store things above the roll bar using that extra space, including on a webbing net and on a swing-down MOLLE panel. For example, I often store my half door uppers on the mesh net, there's plenty of space up there for them:

View attachment 554085

And in the back I store things on the swing-down MOLLE panel...

View attachment 554086

I know the last two photos are a bit off topic from your question, but the do illustrate ways the extra height inside can be used for cargo.

I do like the extra interior height that is a benefit for sleeping in the cab. I think Gr8Tops added some additional fiberglass though for strength so I dont think the production version has the same amount of room as yours does. I'll have to ask again what the dynamic load rating is.

 

[mjbcomp]

Hmm interesting. @06lj said earlier the rear glass closes just like the OEM hard top but has additional T-handle locks. Thats good to know about the interior height. I'm not necessarily a fan of excess headroom but with planning to sleep inside the LJ at night it would be nice to have the extra couple inches the Safari top offers. Thanks for the input

On all TJ/LJs with OEM hard tops i am pretty sure you close the rear glass FIRST on the hard top then close the tailgate last. And the bottom of the glass is touching an insulation strip that runs along the top edge of the tailgate?

 

[AdventurePig]

Love these tops.

What i’d love is operable rear windows for a factory TJ hardtop. Sliders would be my preference over the hinged gull-wing but I love running a hardtop 100%, minus the lack of operable windows for rear passengers. I know the oem top design makes it hard to get there, but it’s still on my wishlist

 

[Old Pueblo]

I'll measure the glass when I get home. The glass needs to be shut after the tailgate