Cab Top Covers

What a cab top cover is for

Running topless is the point of a Wrangler, but an open Jeep fills with rain, dew, leaves and dust the moment it is parked. A cab top cover stretches over the open cab from the top of the windshield frame to the rear of the tub, following the sport bars, so you can leave the top at home for the weekend and still find dry seats in the morning. It installs in a minute or two with elastic hems, side straps and hooks under the body, and packs into a small bag behind the seat. Unlike a full vehicle cover, it leaves the hood, fenders and wheels exposed, which is why it is quick enough to use every day.

Doors on or off

This is the first fit question. A standard cab cover assumes full doors are on and hangs its elastic hem over the door tops. If you run tube doors, half doors or no doors at all, you need a cover with long side panels or door opening flaps, such as the MasterTop full door cab cover or the Bestop All Weather Trail Cover, which drape down over the openings. The Smittybilt cover with door flaps works the same way. Covers with mirror pockets let you leave mirrors on; covers without them need the mirrors folded or removed, which matters on JK and JL doors where the mirrors are fixed to the door.

Fabric choices

• Non-woven waterproof fabric, as used by MasterTop, blocks water through the material itself, although the seams are not sealed and heavy rain can wick through them.
• Three and four layer spun bond covers from Rugged Ridge and Rampage put a soft lining against the paint, a water resistant middle and a UV resistant shell, and breathe well enough to leave on for a few days.
• Soft water repellent fabric with UV protection, such as the Smittybilt cover, sheds showers and dries fast.
• Lightweight single layer covers are for dust during indoor storage, not weather.

Fit by generation and body

Cab covers follow the shape of the sport bar and the length of the tub, so they are generation specific. YJ and TJ share a cover in many lines; JK two-door and JK Unlimited four-door are separate parts; JL covers are often shared with the JK of the same door count, and the listings say which. Aftermarket flares and bumpers do not affect a cab cover the way they affect a full cover, but a tall roof rack, a tire carrier that rises above the tailgate or a light bar on the windshield can. Covers with full elastic skirting handle those best. The crew cab pickup covers in this category are a different animal: four layer covers for the cab of a Silverado, Sierra, Ram or F-150, with a lock and cable included.

Using one every day

Put the cover on a cab that is at least damp-dry; sealing a wet interior under fabric breeds mildew. Hook the under-body straps so the cover is tight and does not flap, because flapping wears the fabric and scuffs the paint on the body tub. If your Jeep sits in the open, use the lock and cable through the grommets. Shake out the cover before folding it, and let it dry before it goes in its bag. Most are not machine washable; rinse with a hose and air dry. With that routine a cab cover lasts many seasons, and it is the cheapest insurance you can buy for a Jeep that lives without its top.