Having participated in and watched the level of interest in this thread and the GRT Traveltop thread grow, we have decided to expedite a project that we have been working for a while. The design & development of a topper such as this for the 4 door JK is something that we have been excited about for a long time, and this is just the push we needed to take our concept from drawings and ideas to the actual product. Our design will be a single hardtop that will sleep two adults and two children in comfort, while retaining all the cargo and seating capacity of a stock 4 door JK.
The design will open forward over the hood with vertical supports down to bumper. The object of this opening direction is to not increase the footprint of the deployed vehicle & shell, important in close corners and brushy areas (or a parking lot for that matter).
Access to the sleeping platform will be through either of the rear passenger doors. The user will be able to fold the seats forward and then stand up between the 2 roll bars. A 60/40 split hatch that makes up the interior roof above the rear passenger seats will be removable and provide the access to the sleeping area. The reason we chose access in this manner was to keep the rear cargo intact for its intended purpose. Rear door access would mean that all cargo would have to be removed for access, undeniably, not very convenient and hence our design decision. When entering through this hatch, a platform will remain above the rear cargo area for staging bags etc. The hatch can be replaced from inside the sleeping area if desired to increase the sleeping area for children.
We are using a fully breathable and waterproof tent fabric, light grey in color. This will eliminate the need for a separate storm cover. Tent windows will have a small awning, similar to those in use on RTTs today to allow for the windows to be partially open for ventilation during precipitation, a happy thing in humid environments. The fabric, sourced from Australia, is no stranger to rough use and harsh environments.
The interior of the shell when closed will have a hard ceiling giving one the sense that you are under a regular factory hardtop. The advantages of this will be good headroom and improved insulation. Those of you who have JKs know how anemic the A/C can seem on a hot day in the back seat because of the single wall thickness of the factory hardtop. The exterior finish will be standard black, similar to the factory and will be paintable for those who want match colors. Factory glass and connections will be used for the rear door. Side windows will still be in place with an optional hard side insert that doubles as an external accessible compartment large enough to stow a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit.
We expect the overall height of the top to only increase by 6” over the factory height. Weight will be less than 100 lbs more than the factory hardtop. The top will attach using all of the factory hardware and can be easily put on in about 15-20 minutes. The shell can be customized by adding awnings to the sides. No provision for roof racks will be made, it would simply complicate opening and add to the COG, something we all prefer to avoid.
The targeted price point for the top will be $4400. The work for the prototype has begun and we are in the mold making phase. We expect to have the working prototype completed in Jan/Feb 2010. We are now accepting a 10% refundable deposit on pre-orders for a limited production batch of only 10 tops to be made. 2 of them are already spoken for our vehicles. We expect the remaining 8 tops to go quickly. They will be completed in the Spring, in time for the Overland Expo. If you think you are ready for this cool solution to turn your JK 4 door into a truly self contained vehicle, drop me a PM or of course, you can always reach us at Adventure Trailers.
