Springtime. The end of hibernation and the start of blue skies dominating over grey. Just the warm thought thinking about open-air exploration in your Jeep Wrangler thaws any hesitation to get out there for another year of trail conquering. There are boulders to master. Fallen branches to snap like toothpicks – You know the feeling.

But don’t be tempted to spring into spring too quickly. Before you go play, there’s a little work to be done. Let’s first take care of your soft top (and your hard top) to make adventures as fun as ever.

Your spring must-dos:

1. Your hard top and freedom panels need somewhere to nest for a spell. Somewhere safe. Stuffing them into a garage corner or tossing them into the shed won’t cut it. Protect them well. Wrap them tightly in solid tarps and tuck them into good storage space, or try Bestop’s Hoss Cart.
2. Make sure every component of your hardware is well accounted for. Are you missing a latch? Or a bracket? Even one missing piece could be detrimental to your ride and your safety. Find them all.
3. Inspect your soft top for any unexpected holes. Mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons, and other four-legged varmints have nasty tendencies to dine on twill. Bad enough that they do this. It’d be even worse if you found out during heavy rains.
4. Bathtime! Clean the top by first washing it with warm water and mild dish soap, and then drying off with a quality microfiber cloth. Bestop also recommends using a good Vinyl Fabric Cleaner, followed by a Vinyl Protectant to repel dirt and mildew.
5. Before you go bask in the spring sunshine, your soft top gets first dibs. Lay it out flat on the driveway whenever the temperature reads 72° or above. As the material warms, it becomes more elastic and more flexible to put on your Jeep Wrangler. Colder weather makes it more brittle and shrivels up. Prevent this.