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Tired of Roof Panels? ‘Bestop’ Offers Foldaway Option for Open-Air Adventure Vehicles

(Photo/Bestop)
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The Bestop Sunrider for Hardtop is a foldaway soft top for Jeep Wranglers and Ford Broncos.

The Sunrider for Hardtop offers freedom from freedom panels. Freedom panels are a stock option on Jeep Wranglers and new Ford Broncos that require time and effort to remove and replace.

Sunrider for Hardtop is a foldaway design makes going open-air a breeze. It’s the first and only product that provides hardtop owners instant access to an open-air driving experience without leaving the front seat of their vehicle.

If you love driving with your hardtop open, this new panel design wants to save you time and hassle. And once it’s on, it can stay on.

See the Bestop Sunrider for Hardtop
Bestop Sunrider for Hardtop freedom panel replace
(Photo/Bestop)

Sunrider for Hardtop Models

In recent years, the Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator, and new Ford Bronco have come with removable hardtops that let you feel the wind in your hair.

These storied off-road vehicles can take you into the wilderness and serve as your base once you’re there. Along the way, these open-top concepts let the sun shine in and allow for greater visibility.

The downsides of the freedom panels are that they take some time to remove, are heavy, and eat up valuable storage space — often in the rear cargo area. That’s not a big deal for an afternoon drive for one or two people. But for adventure getaways with more people and gear, it can be a hassle.

Alternatively, Bestop created the Sunrider to turn your roof into a soft top that folds back onto itself. Opening the Sunrider involves pulling down two latches and pushing the top back.

That on-the-fly design also means you can close it at the next stoplight after the first drops of rain splash the windshield.

Like a true soft top, the Sunrider is made to stay on all year, not just for fair-weather adventures.

Sunrider for Hardtop Fits

  • 2007-2018 Jeep Wrangler JK
  • 2018-Current Jeep Wrangler JL
  • 2020-Current Jeep Gladiator
  • 2021-Current Ford Bronco

The Sunrider for Hardtop is currently available for the Jeep Wrangler JK, Jeep Wrangler JL (this version also fits the Jeep Gladiator), and the relaunched Ford Bronco.

The Bestop Sunrider is available in Black Diamond vinyl or Premium Twill fabric. Bestop claims both can be installed in less than an hour without the need for drilling or extra parts.

Who’s It For?

The Sunrider for Hardtop is made for off-road adventurers who crave open air and sunshine — but who are not quite ready to get a full soft top. Its design should appeal to anyone who has been caught with their roof open during a surprise rainstorm. (Colorado, anyone?)

And the latch design of the Sunrider aims to allow drivers the ability to close the roof without getting out of their seat.

And then there’s the space-saving element: the soft top should open more room where you’d ordinarily stow hard panels. With the year-round functionality of the Bestop Sunrider for Hardtop, the question might be what to do with the freedom panels once you uninstall them.

Obviously, the Sunrider only pertains to owners of the specific Jeep and Ford models listed above. However, Bestop makes other Jeep and Bronco off-road accessories, including full soft tops, doors, body armor, storage, seat covers, and bikini tops, as well as truck bed tops and tonneau covers.

See the Sunrider for Jeep WranglerSee the Sunrider for Ford Bronco

Bestop Sunrider for Hardtop o Bronco
(Photo/Bestop)

This post is sponsored by Bestop. Find the Sunrider and other auto coverings online.

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