Blame Jeep for the size of the speaker, it was part of the option package that came with this Jeep.

 

I'm getting ready to install the barn door on the Jeep... yesterday I made up the "stakes" that will be used to attach the upper to the tailgate. I also finished up the installation of the components - I had done the wiper a long time ago but today I got the washer nozzle installed and plumbed. The washer nozzle is the black thing to the right of the wiper, it sprays up from below. Underneath the wiring plug and the washer hose are visible hanging down (the stakes can be seen too). The wiring includes circuits for both the wiper and a defroster grid, although I don't plan to install a grid on this one because I have never felt a need for one the way I use the Jeep.



This isn't the final glass, it's a piece of plexiglass I've been using for mockup and fitting purposes, so I still need to get a piece of safety glass cut to size.

I plan to install the barn door tomorrow, more photos then.

 

This Barn Door set up would be a great Winter application , much better way to load/unload large dogs , etc.
Summer would be roll-up side and rear windows . I'll be looking for a second hard top, no glass, for the Summer Version of the Retro Fit.

 

Installed the barn door today. Everything fits as designed.












A video of the barn door in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJU5GVdKHYM

 

One more video, the wiper in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfoMV9mSYNY And the view out the rear view mirror. Sure is nice not having the wiper motor blocking the view! When I've got the Safari Cab installed the third brake light won't be blocking the view either, that'll come off because the Safari Cab brake light is above the barn door.



Now I'll take the barn door off so I can give the JKU back to Heather. It's got to be painted and have the final glass installed.

 

When will the "Barn Door" be available ?

 

I don't know that it ever will. There is a company interested in marketing it but at this point I'm not sure there would be enough demand for it to make it worth the trouble to work with them to get it into production.

 

For lack of a better word, its really annoying that the one thing I want and have been following from the start is still not being produced by anyone. Every time I check back I hope that one of the updates is finally go buy it here -> or I don't want my prototype anymore and selling it lol.

Someone buy and fab this thing already!!

 

I'm sorry my project is annoying, that's not my goal.

If there's a company interested in licensing the design so they can put it in production, I'll be happy to discuss it with them, but I really don't think there's enough demand for a hardtop like this or for the separate barn door to make it worth a company going through the expense and effort to produce them. I have been discussing it with one company that's interested, but I don't know it anything will come of that discussion. And even if a company does decide they want to take this on, I don't know if I want to do it - usually it's a lot more work for me than just turning over my prototype molds to a company - almost always I have to be involved and help them get from prototype to production.

I don't have any plans to sell the prototype, sorry. In all my projects, I've only sold one prototype and that was after a company started manufacturing it and they gave me a production model so I no longer had a need for the prototype. In most cases I keep the prototype and put it to use, because the main reason I build these projects is for my own use.

You didn't say so I have to ask - what specifically is it you want? The barn door for use with a factory hardtop, or the complete Safari Cab hardtop?

 

BARN DOOR FOR FACTORY HARDTOP ! My Vote.