Black top on JK gets too HOT

[taoshum]

The photo of the new red Rubicon with a red hardtop reminds me that most of the JK hardtops are black.  This means that they absorb sunlight and turn it into heat... so much so that there are now insulating panels for sale to mitigate the heat... and the cold in the winter I guess?

Has anyone painted the hardtop to reduce the heating effect?  Or had the hardtop painted?  Does it help?

[John Canfield]

When we replaced our soft top, I wanted a light color, but the choices were black or gray  .  I'm pretty certain the hard tops are fiberglass - I don't see any reason why you couldn't spray the top.  I've never seen a white hardtop though.

[Marc L]

You can get new ones in body colour. My old boss painted the roof of her TJ yellow.

Don't know how the new ones are, but my YJ and friend's TJ were rough. Probably want to sand it smooth before painting.

[Water Dog]

The hardtop for my TJ is kind of a textured finish similar to the fender flares. I painted my flares with Krylon Fusion about a year and a half ago and they are holding up great. I'm going to try the same on the hardtop sometime this summer while it's off. I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm really kind of partial to my soft top, but the dw likes the solid one.

[Terry A. Brewer]

Lots of people in the FMCA 4-Wheelers have painted their tops white.... They claim it helps.

[FrontrangeRVer]

It's my picture you're talking about I believe.   

Yes, 2012 is the first year you can get body color 3-piece Freedom Tops.  I also ordered HotHead Headliners (received them yesterday) for the interior ceiling panels.

[Ernie n Tara]

Hi,
We saw one in Moab that had been painted. He said he used Krylon. It was still in good condition after a reported four years.
Ernie

[SargeW]

I also ordered HotHead Headliners (received them yesterday) for the interior ceiling panels.

Mark, let me know how those work for you. I have had a set installed for about 18 months now. The quality is great and they do a great job at heat reduction and noise as well. But it has been a challenge keeping them up on the roof.  The velcro that is supplied is quite sticky and sticks to the top and to the panels great. But the velcro holding the tops up is the problem.  I contacted the manufacturer and he sent me more velcro, which I added next to the original strips.  Not much difference though. The smaller panels on the front removable panels stays up pretty well, but the larger panels in the back fall down routinely. 

I'll be interested what your experiences are. 

[FrontrangeRVer]

Ok will do Marty. 

I did order mine with the permanent 3-M tape, although the side panels have velcro tape.  I intend on installing these panels utilizing the recommended 50-50 alcohol/water mixture to clean the Freedom top ceiling first.  I did talk to Mark at HotHeads this morning and he assures me that I need to apply a minimum of 15 lbs of pressure to these when installing as he says this new 3-M tape is stronger than the velcro adhesive.  We'll see how these work out....lots of positive reviews on the Jeep forums.

[taoshum]

We made some panels before there were any available for sale.  We used some foam core presentation boards and some of the metallic thin insulation that is often used in HVAC installations.  The we used some 2" wide velcro to secure it to the roof.  So far they have stayed in place.  It's critical to clean the surface with solvent, like alcohol, before applying the velcro.  These panels have helped quite a bit with the a/c load and staying warm in the winter.  The heater is much stronger than the a/c though.  I have some photos of this if anyone is interested. 

[SargeW]

Well, my velcro is firmly stuck to the tops and the panels, that is no problem. The problem is that the velcro sticking to itself to hold the panels up. Let me know how those permanent 3M strips work out. I would add them in a heartbeat if they worked. 

[FrontrangeRVer]

Marty....got the HotHeads installed....in 75 degree weather in the garage, and I cleaned the hard top very good first.  I used at least 15 lbs of pressure pushing these up so the 3-M tape would stick......maybe 30 lbs of pressure.    Man these things are nice!

[SargeW]

Yep, I love the looks of them. I just need to keep them up there!

[sheltie]

Interesting thread.  We have a red 2012 Wrangler Sport Unlimited with a black top and black interior.  I DIDN'T want the black interior but had no choice.  We've had it about six months and have noticed no increase in heat buildup from the roof at all and we're from Texas.  When we park we make sure to leave the windows partially open and have noticed no difference from any other car we've owned with regard to high temps inside after the car sits for awhile.  In other words, it gets HOT, but then so did all our other non-black vehicles.