Released by Autovation Ltd., an automobile aftermarket product development company
HARTLAND, WI – Autovation Limited, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer, released JeeTops™, a panoramic fixed sunroof product, which installs into the Jeep® Wrangler Freedom Top® three-piece modular hardtop, utilized on all Jeep® Wrangler models from 2007 through 2012, including Sport, Sahara, Rubicon, Arctic and Call of Duty. The JeeTops™ front panels have a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1295 and are available for both the 2-door and the 4-door three-piece factory hardtops.
The front sunroof panels are made of 3/16” next generation impact-resistant acrylic and are factory installed using both 3M® and Sika® brand polyurethane adhesives, the same materials OEM engineers specify in the production of aircraft canopies and ship portals. The specialty-grade sunroof polymer material, produced by DOW Chemical Company, is often stronger than the factory-installed side glass windows and the panels are design to withstand heat, intense pressure, and high impact, with light-transmitting formulations that minimize UV A and UV B rays. These panels are also scratch resistant and can be easily buffed out if rugged outdoor experiences happen to bring a surface scratch.
Although Jeep® factory-made Freedom Top® hardtops offer rear and side windows, consumers still state that they experience a “closed-in and cave-like feel.” According to inventor and company owner, Christopher Hinrichs, “JeeTops™ offer another alternative to bring the outside in.” JeeTops™ meet or exceed all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and the company stands behind their product with a 5-year/50,000 mile replacement warranty.
Each JeeTops™ order includes snap-in sun shades for sunny, hot environments when drivers want to benefit from a closed and air conditioned environment. The shades also provide an extra layer of insulation, protecting from cold or warm extremes.
Jeep® owners have expressed experiencing a more pleasant temperature-controlled cab environment with warm filtered light as a result of the JeeTops™ sunroofs. JeeTops™ also respond with added flex to withstand pressure and provide more overall resilience during rough off road experiences. Although the performance sunroofs are twice as thick as typical sunroof glass, they are light weight and reduce the overall load of each factory-standard Freedom Top® by three ounces, making the vehicle less top heavy and more maneuverable, as well as providing a slight improvement in efficiency.
“JeeTops™ allow you to enjoy a panoramic view of the outdoors while keeping the elements out,” said Hinrichs. “The best part of providing this product is when we receive emails and phone calls from customers telling us that they cannot imagine driving a Wrangler without JeeTops™.”
JeeTops™ front sunroof panels are factory installed in a controlled environment with highly trained technicians. The company’s warranty stands behind its installation and the adhesive performance. When performance tests were conducted on the JeeTops™, they withstood thousands of pounds of pressure and outlasted the resilience of the OEM factory-produced hardtop. Hinrichs demonstrates the strength of the JeeTops™ on a YouTube video as he jumps on the tops with full weight. Check it out at the company website under the FAQ at www.JeeTops.com.
The company’s sunroofs were recently displayed at SEMA, November 2011, in two different booths on both the Mickey Thompson Jeep® Wrangler and an aFe Advanced Flow Engineering Wrangler. They will be displayed at the Moab Easter Jeep® Safari, Moab, Utah in April 2012, on both Mickey Thompson and Kenny Hauk of Hauk Design™ vehicles. JeeTops™ can be seen on the Outdoor Channel’s Off Road Overhaul show in the upcoming season.
"I'm excited to have JeeTops™ as a sponsor for Season 2,” expressed Mike Duval, host of Off Road Overhaul on Outdoor Channel. “I have JeeTops installed on my own Wrangler and love them. They make a great product and I'm sure our lucky show recipient will get years of enjoyment from the ones they receive.”
When an order is placed, the manufacturer will ship a custom-designed container that will safely transport the customer’s Freedom Top® panels to the Wisconsin factory where the JeeTops™ panels will be installed and returned within approximately two weeks. If customers do not have the ability to drive without their hardtop for two weeks, JeeTops™ will send completed panels with sunroofs installed in the customer’s matching the color and texture, at which time, the customer will return their original OEM panels to the manufacturer.
JeeTops™ are available at select new car Jeep® dealers and conversion houses across the country and in Canada. Refer to the JeeTops™ website for exact locations. The manufacturer is currently expanding its distribution outlets; interested additional new car dealers, restylers and installers should contact the company for consideration. Additional distribution outlets, including expanded aftermarket channels, will be announced soon.
Hinrichs attended Beloit College and studied design and economics and has worked in the automotive aftermarket industry, specifically in sunroof technologies since the 1980’s. He has been a Jeep® owner and enthusiast his entire life and grew up surrounded by car aficionados and race car legends.
JeeTops™ is a product of Autovation Limited, an automotive aftermarket product development company which incorporated in 1989 and has been designing and installing aftermarket sunroofs since the company inception. Hinrichs designed the JeeTops™ products in 2008 after a customer and Jeep® owner inquired about their availability and has perfected the product’s development over the last four years. The product was patented in 2010 under number D636719 and the company has five additional patents pending. Order inquiries can be placed by calling 262.367.1006 or contacting the company online at www.jeetops.com. Press inquiries contact Harris Marketing Group at info@harrismg.com or 262.968.9008.
04/03/12
