I’m in the northeast and usually swap my soft top for a hardtop when winter comes. But lately, the winters haven’t been too bad, so I’m thinking about sticking with the soft top. Anyone have experience using a soft top through winter? Any issues I should know about?
I live in the intermountain west and have kept my soft top on through two winters now with heavy snow. No issues at all. The only reason I’d even think about switching to a hardtop would be for less road noise, not because of the weather.
@LyamGenesis
Good to know, thanks! Road noise isn’t a big deal for me.
That top looks way better than the stock one.
Carl said:
That top looks way better than the stock one.
Thanks! Had it for a couple of years now without any problems.
Carl said:
That top looks way better than the stock one.
Bestop all the way.
Only had one issue with my soft top in the snow. We got rain, then snow, then more rain, which froze everything together. It was stuck to the soft top overnight, and the next day, as I drove home, chunks of ice started sliding off. Had to pull over and clear it off.
Most of the time, snow brushes right off, no problem. Just be careful if there’s rain before the snow.
Temperature hasn’t been an issue at all. I have the standard Ford soft top, but I’d say keep yours on. Should be fine unless you get some weird weather mix.
@Brook
Thanks! Mine is the higher-end Bestop version, the black twill material. It’s heavier than the other options they offer, so I think it’ll hold up well.
I’d throw the hardtop on for winter. If there’s a warm day, you can pop a couple of panels and enjoy the open air. It’s not so much the snow that’s tough on the soft top, but the freeze-thaw cycle that can mess things up.
I have both a hard and soft top and live in NJ. I love how easy the soft top is when I want open air, but I always look forward to putting the hardtop back on. The soft top is just too noisy for me on the highway.
I’ve been through two winters with my soft top in the northeast and haven’t had any real problems. I just use the remote start to warm it up a bit before heading out.
I’m in the Pacific Northwest, and last winter, we had a few ice storms. My soft top handled it fine. It felt like any other car, and it was actually easier to clear the snow and ice off, even though I park outside all year.