The 5 Jeep accessories you absolutely have to own
By Brian Miller
There is nothing in this world quite like a Jeep and by Jeep, I mean a Wrangler or a Rubicon and there are accessories to make ownership even better.
My wife and I had to abandon our precious Jeep when our family grew too large to fit inside and there is nothing short of envy every time we pass one by on the road. We look at the sticker prices of every new and used Jeep we see on a lot and swear we are getting one again. I have even put my hand to wave at a Jeep owner only to realize I’m not in a Jeep.
Oh, those days of the sun beating down and the wind ripping through our hair, well my wife’s, I don’t have any. My son always wanted me to play the Beach Boys or Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long”.
As I watch the Jeeps go by it reminds me of all the cool accessories you can get and that made me think about the must-have accessories I owned a few years ago to make my girl even more enjoyable!
A removable canopy
There are two types of Jeeps in reality. Hardtop and soft top. The hardtop canopies can be a pain in the rear because you have to remove and store them while the soft tops simply roll back and are easily stored in the back. You can retrofit your hardtop with a soft top cover and that makes it a lot easier. Keep the hardtop at home and put it on when you get back but this way you don’t have to remove it and fight to stick it in the back.
Sunshade
The best thing we ever bought was a sunshade that we left on all the time. The top snapped into place with it installed and uninstalling it is only a matter of removing the bungee chord balls that hold it into place.
The shades are primarily made of black mesh and serve to block the hot sun above you. You retain the open-air freedom without the worry of getting burned. You can buy them to fit the entire Jeep or smaller ones that go over just the front seats. Either way, it is a must-have, especially for us bald guys!
Cage Doors
Nothing is better than riding in a Jeep with the top down and the doors off. It’s a freedom that no other car can provide and the closest you will get to feel like you’re on the back of a motorcycle. While that freedom is awesome, it is also not exactly safe, even with the seatbelt on.
Cage doors help with this as they provide open freedom with extra protection should you get into an accident of any kind. The steel doors are far better in terms of safety than the nylon cargo net counterpart.
Window sleeves
When you take the top down on a Jeep you have to remove the windows by unzipping them and then folding them nicely and laying them in the back. Window sleeves allow you to roll the windows and secure them together in a tube. Another and cheaper option that works just as well is using a velcro band. All you need to do is roll the windows and then band them with the velcro strap.
Tents
For those who are more than just adventurous, taking a Jeep on overnights is a perfect way to get out into the wild and enjoy some quality time with your favorite other or even by yourself. There are now tents that you can buy that will allow you to put above the Jeep using the support bars and a ladder for stability. These are crazy awesome and allow you to get off the ground. The Jeep truck-style vehicles also have tents that fit into the truck bed.