Rampage Bowless Soft Top

By Bryan Irons

After taking a quick poll with the other office monkey’s we call co-workers, it’s very apparent we all like testing new products for you, the readers. That being said, we have gotten in the habit of scuttling away any old parts in a safe place until we are assured the new widget or trinket is better than the old one. So we folded up an old Jeep YJ soft top that we had be using for years and ordered a new Rampage bowless YJ soft top for testing. Here’s how it went down.

The top we ordered was a complete replacement unit designed for half-doors and only reuses the belt rail, windshield channel and soft door frames. This is perfect as the rest of our hardware was trashed from trail battering; the old fabric wasn’t in great condition either. The “bowless” part of the Rampage soft top is just as it sounds: by using the factory sport cage as the perimeter framework, no other tubing is needed. To be honest, we were a little sceptical at first that it would fit at all with the additional roll cage that had been added to our factory sport cage, but the folks at Rampage assured us that it would work.

Unpacking all the parts was pretty easy and everything was wrapped well to avoid damage during shipping. The complete kit even includes a storage bag for when the top is not needed. Installation was a little more trying but after a little head scratching we got the door surrounds in and aligned. Most of the headaches were due to our custom work in the interior, but it also came down to the fact that Mopar changed Jeep’s soft top designs and attachment processes by the week it seems. Nothing a little creative thinking couldn’t get sorted out. We are talking about a rig that has not been in production for nearly 20 years.

This one top is actually replacing a few different tops we used to store in the garage. We had a full soft top for the winter months and a bikini top for the summer, the Rampage unit replaced and improved on them both. The basic bikini top slides into the windshield channel and straps to the back like any other unit on the market. The improvement comes in the form of the aluminum door surrounds which keep any water from dumping on top of the seats and buckles that don’t require a 3rd hand to tighten. Other additions include pockets in the ceiling for storage and support bows to keep water from pooling.

When colder winter months creep up, transforming the bikini into a full-fledged soft top is as easy as zipping the side and rear windows in place. Like most tops, it’s best to wait for a warm day to allow the material to stretch and mould to the roll bars. This was especially important with the back window in our unit as it needed to stretch over the added roll bar tubes. When the back and side windows are not in use, they can be easily stored under the rear portion of the roof in a specially designed compartment that seals the windows from the elements and any errant scratches that could occur. This means that you can pop the top apart on the trail and store it in a safe place until it’s needed again. Nice touch Rampage!

The half door uppers were included in our getup and the fit is excellent. Thick rubber door gaskets ensure a good seal from the elements and the soft zip down windows allow some air movement if needed. Rampage also offers real glass sliding widows and make for a nice upgrade.

The material used to make the tops is different than others we have seen; it’s tough but does have some stretch in it once heated up. It will want to return to its original shape once taken down and reheated. In the past we had issues with dirt and mud getting imbedded into the top material and requiring hours of scrubbing. No big deal with the Rampage top, a good power washing clears it right up, just make sure to clean the windows carefully as they can scratch. All the zippers and other hardware have been treated with utter disregard by the editor and has shown no signs of giving in to our abuse; we can’t even get the threads to open by scraping the top driving under low hanging trees.

Rampage came to the drawing board with a goal of simplifying and conjoining the tops that cover our heads. We like the design, durability and added features that you would not normally think about, but they did. Which reminds us, anyone want a ratty old soft top and bikini top for cheap? We’re keeping the Rampage one for good!

Rampage Products - www.rampageproducts.com

To watch the Rampage Products Frameless Soft Top promo video click here.