Does anyone run a bikini top in the summer?

[4 banger TJ]

Yes, it’s the middle of winter right now, but I’m trying to prepare for summer.

My plan is to have two separate versions of my Jeep. In the winter, I put on the hard top and take out the rear seat. Pretty simple. Last summer I ran a soft top, but I had zippers break left and right (which probably means I didn’t take proper care of the windows) which was a huge hassle.

I love the open air feel of the Jeep and I really want to emphasize it for the summer. My plan is this: Put the rear seat back in, put on a bikini top, and possibly get half doors (that is, of course, if my budget is willing).

I am also thinking of just taking the windows out of the soft top and running it windowless, that way I can take it down and put it up fast, without the hassle of zippers.

People that run a bikini top, what are the pros and cons of using one? Would you recommend one? Are they as fast to put on and take off as I think they are?

 

[tworley]

I run a safari top and tonneau from about April/May to October. Its more open and susceptible to theft unless you have a garage to park in. Also, I pack my trail cover on days with a high chance of precip, otherwise it can pool water when left in a rainstorm. I say go for it!

 

[JeepZilla380]

Plenty of folks run bikini tops in the summer, some folks use a wrap around wind jammer with that and a rear tonneau cover year round.

I got sick of trying to run the separate windshield header for the bikini and now run a Spiderweb shade mostly during the summer. But i also have a garage i park in overnight so rain storms don't surprise me.

Another option is get a cab cover you can put on i the evening/event of rain.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

My Jeep had a frameless Bestop soft top on when I bought it. From mid-spring to mid-fall I have the windows out. I have another vehicle to drive if the weather is not great. If I'm going on a day-long wheeling trip I put the windows back in for that day then they come right back out. My top without windows is what I believe most would call a safari top, its like a bikini but covers the rear seat area also. I had the entire top off last spring and loved that but had to put it back on when the FL sun really warmed up.

 

[primetime4]

I have a bikini top that installs via a header channel that is screwed into the windshield frame. Over the past 17 years or so of owning this thing, I have used it maybe 10 times. It seemed like a cool idea and I still like how it looks but it is too much of a hassle to put on. The front threads into the channel and then the bikini has to be tightened down with 3 straps that are fitted between the speaker bar and roll cage. It just takes a lot less time to take the windows off and ride around like a safari top not to mention the added benefit of rear coverage for the back passengers.

The rear coverage is especially key so I would recommend a full length safari or better yet, a Trektop NX if you like this configuration. The only other pro is that it was relatively cheap if you get the drill in header style.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

That's mostly what I run, I only run the full soft top when it is raining. Consider the longer Safari version of the bikini top which also covers the rear area of the Jeep. It can help keep the ice chest cooler by shading it from the sun.

This is the only pic I could find that shows the extra length of the Safari top on my TJ. I strongly (!!!) recommend the version that works with the screw-in 2-piece header. It's a lot easier to get installed than the screwless version which is so much of a PITA that I put it into the trashcan many years ago.

 

[lowranger]

I run a safari top and tonneau from about April/May to October. Its more open and susceptible to theft unless you have a garage to park in. Also, I pack my trail cover on days with a high chance of precip, otherwise it can pool water when left in a rainstorm. I say go for it!View attachment 133176
View attachment 133177View attachment 133178

Does it stay pretty warm in there? I was thinking of doing the same thing.

 

[Cornbread]

I run a bestop bikini top, runs from the windshield to the sound bar.
Pros: It keeps sun off you on a hot sunny day. Also it will pretty much keep me dry in a pop up rain shower (over 40 mph someone sitting in back stays dry). On a cool morning or evening with the windows rolled up and heat on it's comfortable. I personally like to keep my doors on .

Cons: Gets annoying taking the dang thing on and off every year, although it's easy.
On a warm day that's not real hot in would be nice if it wasn't even on there.

 

[tworley]

Does it stay pretty warm in there? I was thinking of doing the same thing.

Seat heaters definitely help

 

[4 banger TJ]

I was kind of hoping that a bikini/ safari top would be easy to remove if I wanted to go top less. Is there one that easily comes off and on?

 

[jeepins]

I have a Besttop one that I will literally put on as the sun comes up and take it off when sun goes back down same day (unless I know for damn damn sure it's not going to rain). Easy peasy.

 

[qslim]

I was kind of hoping that a bikini/ safari top would be easy to remove if I wanted to go top less. Is there one that easily comes off and on?

When I first got the TJ I had a bikini top and a hardtop. I ran the bikini all summer, but I'm in Utah so we get like 1/2" of rain all year. A con about the traditional bikini (at least the one I had) is that it doesn't cover the entire span of the roof, so if it does rain the water just pours right into the Jeep. When winter hit I would remove the bikini and the header channel and install the hardtop.

This past summer I ended up ditching the bikini / hardtop combo and going with a Bestop Trektop NX. It's a frameless soft top that easily converts to a bikini (by easily I mean compared to removing a hardtop and installing a bikini top). I didn't care too much about the hard top, so now I just have a full soft top, and when the weather gets nice I just unzip the two side windows and the rear windows and I have a bikini top. Much easier in my personal opinion.

 

[Equilibrium31]

Technically, I run a bikini top during the summer, but that's mostly because I have a frameless soft top. When it's warm out, I'll often take the windows off so that I can get fresh air, but still have some protection from rain.

https://www.quadratec.com/products/...WMV3ZcXMA4OlQaEYmf_3d1utlzZkTfERoCutQQAvD_BwE

 

[psrivats]

I was kind of hoping that a bikini/ safari top would be easy to remove if I wanted to go top less. Is there one that easily comes off and on?

Yes, there is is .. but it is VERY hard to find. MOPAR had an OEM option called the "sun bonnet" bikini top that attaches to the front just like OEM soft top and ties with straps into the roll cage in the rear. I posted some photos of it in the thread below (see toward end) and one other member posted photos of it on the Jeep. It is a really great option if you can find one. Just keep an eye on ebay/CL, don't think it was sold in large numbers. I posted a pdf with all the relevant part numbers in my reply in page 2 or 3.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/are-all-bikini-tops-created-equal.23843/

 

[MountaineerTom]

I was kind of hoping that a bikini/ safari top would be easy to remove if I wanted to go top less. Is there one that easily comes off and on?

I think @Jerry Bransford has the setup you might be looking for that doesn’t require the full plastic header like the full soft top.

 

[Brian83]

I ran a safari length with the quick detach header bar before I bought my frameless TrekTop. It was super easy to take on and off after the top was installed on the header.

 

[MountaineerTom]

@4 banger TJ

2 piece drill in header

Strapless Bikini Top for 2 piece drill in header

 

[duncanator]

As shown in my profile pic, I run a safari top with spiderweb shades on the side during the summer. In the winter, I put the full top on and tuck it into the garage to hibernate for the winter. You know, those cold 50 degree winter days in the Sacramento area

 

[ejay]

I used to. Before my roof rack and when I had a garage to park her in. Now my garage is full of junk so she sleeps outside.

 

[Airjunky]

Summer mode & winter mode. And lots of variations in between.

I bought it to be a toy. But in the end, I'm surprised how much I drive it daily.