The JK hardtop side glass can't be drilled - it's tempered glass. It may be that you can find hinges that bond on to the glass in some minivan, but all of the tilt-out minivan windows I'm aware of have a hole for the latch - there's too much pressure on the latch for it to be bonded on so they bolt it through. Maybe you'll find some hardware that bonds both the hinges and latch on, let us know if you find something, I'm sure lots of people would be interested in a mod like that.

The FJ40 hardware I used for the tilt-out windows has both bolt-on hinges and a bolt-on latch.

 

So that hole in glass is made when glass formed. Darn, figured could be drilled w/glass bit. One more "if it seems easy, you're doing it wrong ". Thanks for the correction regarding temperec glass.

 

Love the modularity of this…to be able to remove sections at a time makes it so customizable and very attractive to someone like me.

More like the range rover wishes it looked this this. Tops like this design (not the modularity) are all over the place on various different types of vehicles.

I'm a huge fan and would venture to say if this went to market it would be very successful. I would love one with a second glass roof on top as well.

The structural integrity is high enough for a tent..and one person or two? what kind of weight can it hold?

 

Thanks.

I hesitate to specify a weight limit for the roof. Because the roof rack is supported on the Jeep's roll bars, you could easily put more weight up there than it's safe to drive with. I'd hate to quote a weight and then have someone say "I had less weight than you said up there, so why did I roll over when I did a quick turn on that off-camber section of the trail?". For static weight, a roof top tent with two adult occupants is no problem at all. For dynamic weight (in motion), it depends on many factors - driving style and speed, road conditions, how high the Jeep is lifted and how high the center of gravity is with weight on top, etc. The weight limit is all about what's safe to drive with rather than how much can be supported - far more weight can be supported than would be safe to drive with in some circumstances.

 

Just remember, there are always going to be haters and trolls and, unfortunately, they are usually the loudest voices on these forums. I think that most people who are not blindly loyal to the Jeep brand (ie those who hate Land Rovers and Landcruisers, both excellent vehicles for their markets) are going to appreciate the benefits of this design. There is a reason the the Defender and Landcruisers had these designs and have sold so well all around the world.

My guess is that Jeep has not done this because they don't want a lawsuit for copywrite infringement like they did when others copied their 7 slot grill.

Your design is very well done and I imagine it will be very popular. Down under, in Australia, where I am living at the moment (yes, I am a Yank) they really like the look of the Defender and older FJ40s. Get a seller down here and I think you will have a hit.

 

I always loved the look of the Land Rover Discovery (Defenders too) and this looks like the offspring of a Jeep and Land Rover marriage. Could there be a better pairing? I think not.

Well done!

 

Thank you.

There's no problem with design infringement because there are many examples with similar design features both on Jeeps and other vehicles. In the 50's and 60's, there were many Jeep hardtops with rear barn doors and opera windows on either side of the barn door, as well as raised roofs...



And there's the 80's Jeep World Cab, which had a raised roof and a barn door:



And examples of Alpine windows in other vehicles as well, including the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser...



So there are plenty of examples of the design elements in Jeeps and other vehicles, no problem with infringement. Other than the Alpine windows, all of the design cues have appeared on other Jeeps over the years starting in the 50's. The JK Safari Cab is much closer in design to the 50's Jeep hardtops pictured above and the 80's Jeep World Cab than it is to any Land Rover.

People who think it looks too much like a Land Rover probably aren't familiar with all the earlier Jeep examples .

 

A common mod done to Land Rover Defenders for camping/overlanding us is to turn the rear side windows of the hardtop into cargo compartments. In the LR world they call them Gullwing Doors, over here I'd call them swing-up hatches .



One of the nice things about the modularity of the Safari Cab is that it's really easy to have different configurations. You've seen the flip-out vent windows I've put in the first set of prototype Safari Cab side panels, and I've also got a pair of slider windows ordered - when they come in I'll just mold a second pair of side panels to install them in. That way I can configure the hardtop with either the side panels with the flip-out vent windows, or the side panels with the sliders.

I think I'll mold a third set of side panels, because I've found a source for inexpensive "gull wings". I haven't ordered them yet, but probably will pick up a pair to experiment with both access to the rear cargo area through the hatch, and with installing a box "cabinet" in the hardtop wall like the Land Rover examples in the photos above.

 

I want!!!

 

The like the concept Jeeps have always been versatile this expands on that idea