Is Bestop really the Best Top?

[OldSparkee]

The LJ I just got had a hard to on it so I am looking at a frameless soft top. I find a lot of reviews on Rampage and Bestop but most are older so looking for more recent opinions on the Rampage. Maybe their quality has improved?

Is the Bestop really $300 better than the Rampage? That's the price difference right now

 

[williambmac]

I have the Trektop NX, but wish I kept the o.e. style softop.

 

[OldSparkee]

I have the Trektop NX, but wish I kept the o.e. style softop.

I thought about that too, but it's so much more to replace all the framework and everything. Since I live in central Florida, I go with a bikini top about 9 months of the year anyway. Never go full topless because the Florida sun is so brutal in the summer. That's why I thought the frameless would be perfect, pop the windows out and it's a fancier bikini top

 

[Gilaguy23]

When I researched frameless tops most people reported that the Rampage seams blew up after about a year. I decided not to go cheap and bought a Bestop. Found mostly good reviews there.

That was a good idea, I am on my third driver's side window due to blown seams, not to mention the wind noise that comes from the front header channel is horrible. Save up the extra 300 and get the bestop Frameless, it uses clamps on the front like the factory soft top instead of the terrible bolt on header bar that the rampage use
China

Technical Details

Manufacturer	‎Rampage
Model	‎68317
Item Weight	‎30 pounds
Product Dimensions	‎50 x 30 x 9.5 inches
Country of Origin	‎China

You'll never beat Bestops customer service, if or when the China special falls apart.

 

[Wtrask]

I’ve only owned a few bikini tops from bestop and all I can say is the quality and fit was better 20 years ago.

 

[RINC]

The LJ I just got had a hard to on it so I am looking at a frameless soft top. I find a lot of reviews on Rampage and Bestop but most are older so looking for more recent opinions on the Rampage. Maybe their quality has improved?

Is the Bestop really $300 better than the Rampage? That's the price difference right now

My only experience is having a Rampage top. I have only owned this Jeep for a year and have twice taken the sides and back off.

There is a seam on the top portion that is pulled apart a bit over the passenger seat. The couple times it does rain here in Phoenix, I put a 5gal bucket in the passenger seat to catch the water.

 

[OldSparkee]

Yeah I'm going with Bestop. Found some other video reviews of parts being stapled back on with the rampage and other very visual failures after only a year old. Also just found a $100 rebate from Bestop if it's bought this week

 

[Paul Land]

The LJ I just got had a hard to on it so I am looking at a frameless soft top. I find a lot of reviews on Rampage and Bestop but most are older so looking for more recent opinions on the Rampage. Maybe their quality has improved?

Is the Bestop really $300 better than the Rampage? That's the price difference right now

You can get Bestop replacement window panels for $199.00 ea. Other brands don't offer panels. I have Pavement Ends A Primo top
But No replacement Panels and I need R. Pass door and Rear windows

 

[rasband]

Other brands don't offer panels.

Rampage does, but they're expensive if I remember correctly.

I ended up just getting the bestop instead, but did framed. It flaps a lot less at speed making the trips out to Moab and such much nicer.

 

[jjvw]

I recently put a BesTop Replace a Top on mine. Other than a few minor differences, it is identical to the factory Mopar top both in fit and in finish.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I’ve only owned a few bikini tops from bestop and all I can say is the quality and fit was better 20 years ago.

The quality of the fabric is superb but I'll definitely agree the fit of my last 3 Bestop Safari tops was/is abysmal. I ordered my first one but its fit was so terrible that Bestop sent me two replacements and the fit of all three was/is terrible. The soft tops are still great and they still fit well but my Safari tops have fit so terribly that I ended up securing them into the frame over the front door with sheet metal screws so they'd stay put on the highway.

 

[06TJ35's]

Bestop hands down.

 

[Steel City 06]

Bestop. I got the full kit with all the soft top hardware. It all works together quite well. The new hardware even had built in tension adjustment. I'm still on the loosest setting, and yet it is quite tight.

For TJs only, absolutely get the Twill top. Unfortunately it is not an option for LJs. The Twill top was actually quieter than my uninsulated hardtop.

 

[bobthetj03]

The quality of the fabric is superb but I'll definitely agree the fit of my last 3 Bestop Safari tops was/is abysmal. I ordered my first one but its fit was so terrible that Bestop sent me two replacements and the fit of all three was/is terrible. The soft tops are still great and they still fit well but my Safari tops have fit so terribly that I ended up securing them into the frame over the front door with sheet metal screws so they'd stay put on the highway.

This makes me sad. You'd be the last person in my mind to think less of Bestop's quality. Truly sad to see the state of affairs of a company well known for making a quality product. I ordered a driver side rear window from them in February. Took 3 months to receive it, and it was wrong. It took 3 more attempts to get the correct window. I now have 3 wrong windows and a 4th that is finally correct, 10 months later.

 

[fourpointzero]

I’ve only owned a few bikini tops from bestop and all I can say is the quality and fit was better 20 years ago.

".....quality and fit was better 20 years ago." Im confident we can say that about many, many products. Hot dammit, that sucks!

 

[TheBoogieman]

It's all in the names. Bestop is the best top. Rampage is something you do after buying one of their tops .
p.s. I returned my sailcloth Rampage frameless top after a week. Poor quality and too much noise for me. The seams started to separate shortly after installing it.

 

[Old_Crow]

When I had my several YJ's they were all soft top from the factory. I used several replacement skins and found the Bestop were, indeed, the best.
My current TJ was a factory hard top. I've replaced the hard top with a Bestop TrekTop NX frameless top. I love it. Sure leaks a lot less than my hard top did. Not a whole lot noisier on the road, either.

 

[Fishtaco]

When I had my several YJ's they were all soft top from the factory. I used several replacement skins and found the Bestop were, indeed, the best.
My current TJ was a factory hard top. I've replaced the hard top with a Bestop TrekTop NX frameless top. I love it. Sure leaks a lot less than my hard top did. Not a whole lot noisier on the road, either.

Where did your hardtop leak.

 

[Old_Crow]

Back corners. Every time it rained, the carpet in the back would be soaked. I think all it really needed was to be taken off and re-sealed, but I prefer a soft top anyway.
It's been raining here for like 4 days and I checked this morning and it's bone dry in the back.

 

[707kevin]

I had a rampage top. I somehow managed to get 5 years out of it on my YJ, but it was a loooong 5 years of broken zippers, floppy fit, hazy windows, and tearing seams. The soft uppers would fill with water in between the layers.

I mean. It was cheap enough that I did t mind scratching it through the brush, so that was a plus .