Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[Jurfie]

There's another configuration possibility for the JK Safari Cab that I haven't posted much about before that the photo above brings it to mind. The LJ Safari Cab can be run without the hard rear panel or the side panels, here's a photo of that configuration on the trail.

There are two metal supports at the back of the roof to provide support, and the roll-up side curtains go all the way around the back. This configuration provides the maximum open air experience but retains the cargo carrying capacity of the roof and the soft sides are quick to roll down for inclement weather. It's especially nice with half doors.

That's my favourite configuration. Enjoying watching the progress!

 

[jscherb]

That's my favourite configuration. Enjoying watching the progress!

Some concept drawings of what the full soft sides configuration might look like.

Rolled up:

Rolled down:

 

[jscherb]

I'm really liking the quick access provided by the new roll-up soft top side panel...



Now I'll have to sew up a pair from nicer side panels instead of the old scratched one I used for this prototype.

 

[jscherb]

Over the course of the JK Safari Cab project I've posted a number of images showing the soft roof concept. Since the roof panel is removable, it's pretty straightforward to swap the fiberglass roof panel out for a canvas roof. Here are a few of those concept images I've posted before:

I'm working on several methods of securing the front of the soft roof panel. In this first photo I've got a factory soft top header installed across the top of the windshield. The Safari Cab upper surrounds have recesses molded into them to accept the ends of the header, you can see in this photo how the ends of the header fit into the recesses in the surrounds.

I also experimented with a Bestop bikini header to see how it might work with the Safari Cab door surrounds. The header needs a slight trim at each end, but it would work fine too.

The bikini canvas isn't long enough to reach the rear panel, but I expected that. I wasn't really trying to see if the bikini top fit, I was only testing the fit of the Bestop windshield header with the Safari Cab parts. It would be easy to do a new piece of canvas to fit the Bestop header and be long enough to cover the entire roof opening.

 

[jscherb]

I'm in the process of verifying the precise fit of all the Safari Cab components before I start the finishing/paint work. One detail that I had worked out a while ago but hadn't tested yet is the fit of the weatherstripping for the barn door. The factory weatherstrip has a pocket at the bottom of each side, and the factory hatch has two rubber bulges that go into the pockets when the hatch closes.

If the barn door doesn't have the bulges on it, it won't seal properly to the factory hardtop weatherstrip and will almost certainly leak.

One way I could seal the barn door would be to buy the factory weatherstrip that goes on the bottom of the liftgate and install the bulges from that weatherstrip on the barn door, but I've got a simpler weatherstrip solution.

The Safari Cab rear panel is designed to accept the press-on factory hatch weatherstrip, so what I'm doing is using the later model weatherstrip designed for the wide hatch opening. Since the Safari Cab barn door opening matches the early model narrow hatch opening, the later model weatherstrip is too long, but it works out that's it's just long enough that if you cut the pockets off, you end up with straight weatherstrip around the entire opening.

Here are a few photos of the later model weatherstrip trimmed to fit:

 

[Gonzzo]

Thanks. I've pretty much finished my work on the prototypes for now, I'll wait to hear if the company wants to go to the next step and I'll keep people posted.

In the meantime, I'm going to try to find some time to finish up the JK Safari Cab, I plan to do one final fitting to verify everything and then I'll start the finish/paint work.

Hi:

Have you heard anything on the possible "windoor" for the 2dr 2011 and up jk?.....

Sorry to bother, REALLY interested. .....

Thank you.

 

[jscherb]

Hi:

Have you heard anything on the possible "windoor" for the 2dr 2011 and up jk?.....

Sorry to bother, REALLY interested. .....

Thank you.

No bother, I'm glad there are people interested in the project .

Mostly I've been spending my time on the JK Safari Cab in the last week or two, but a number of things have happened with the hardtop window retrofit project since I last posted about it:

1. I've met with a manufacturer about producing the retrofit kit, which allows the installation of standard flat RV windows on the curved window mounting surface of the hardtop. They're now waiting for me to deliver a prototype retrofit kit to them which they'll use as a reference for making their CAD model for production.

2. I've finished up a first draft of the installation instructions, which covers removing the factory window and installing the retrofit kit and the window. I've sent the instructions along to the company that I'm doing this project for to get any comments they might have about the document and to ensure they're comfortable with the installation procedure.

3. I've confirmed to the RV window company that the prototype frame they made up for me to do initial installation testing with is spot-on for size and angles. They're waiting to hear from me that I want them to start the glass process so they can do a short run of complete slider windows for further testing.

4. Just yesterday afternoon I heard from the company that asked me to do this project that they do want to go ahead and get everything ready for production. Since I've been doing the prototype sized for the late model JKU, that'll probably be the first to be released, and probably with a slider window. The timing of other JK models and any other window styles/hatches are yet to be decided.

 

[Gonzzo]

Sounds awesome! , please keep us posted and most of al, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK!, IT IS AMAZING! ....

 

[jscherb]

Working on some final prototype JKU hardtop window retrofit kits today in preparation for meetings with the window company and the hardware manufacturer.

 

[jscherb]

Any updates on the ammo can trays making it to market?

I'm off to a meeting today with one of the big Jeep catalog companies. The Jeep is outfitted with a bunch of things to show them, including...

I've also got a preproduction StoreGate tailgate storage compartment/trail table installed, plus a few other goodies to show them, including a few for the TJ/LJ.

 

[Jakes01234]

Nice, good luck!

 

[jscherb]

I picked up a new spice bikini top on eBay for $30, I bought it for the fabric, and today I received some tinted window material I ordered from a fabric supplier, enough for 4 barn doors. I've already got plenty of black soft top material and black zippers, and the other day I found some zippers that will go pretty well with spice, so I've got everything I need to sew some final barn door skins in both colors, all I have to do is find the time to sit down at the sewing machine and get them done.

 

[jscherb]

I made the test panel for the slider retrofit kit from a JK Safari Cab panel, modified to have a standard factory window opening/recess (the Safari panel has a flat window mounting surface and larger radius corners in the recess to match up with the RV slider corner radius).

I'm doing a final test fit of the Safari Cab on the JK today before I begin the paint process, so I put the slider test panel in place to see how the slider might look on an actual Jeep. Don't mind the dust on everything . I don't have the Safari roof panel on in these photos, but that works out ok because the Safari side panels without the roof are about the same height as the factory roof.

 

[jscherb]

A few photos of today's test fitting of the Safari Cab. Everything is very dusty and the bright white gelcoat doesn't photograph well so these aren't the best photos I've ever taken but they'll do for now.

I've got one very small fitment issue I've got to resolve, but other than that everything fits very well and bolts together just as it's supposed to. I'll get that one issue resolved tomorrow morning, more photos tomorrow.

 

[jscherb]

One other thing I needed to do before finalizing everything is to verify the details of the design of the roof rack tie-in to the roll bars, so I threw the RTT up top. I oriented the RTT to open over the back so it provides a little bit of shelter from the weather when accessing the cargo area of the Jeep.

If you think the ladder will interfere with the barn door, as I have the tent installed it will. The tent can mount 9" further back on the roof rack, and only 7" more is required to clear the ladder. That's another reason for throwing the tent up there today, to learn things like this. Next time I'll install the tent a little further back .