Custom Sunroof

icarl · **Posted:** Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:32 pm

I'm thinking of cutting a hole in my roof but not sure what the best way to go about it is. I use my KJ for nature and wildlife photography hobby but sometimes having a roof gets in the way when you are driving on the trail and see something fly over you but you don't have time to get out of the vehicle. So I was thinking a sunroof of some kind that lets me stick my head and camera out so i can take that quick picture would be an advantage. A removable roof panel like the JK's would be nice. I don't know if the stock sunroof would work for my purposes or if i would have to go custom. Any thoughts?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:35 pm

Don't do it,you will regret your decision in a few months when all it does is leak.

icarl · **Posted:** Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:53 pm

What about a pro installed oem sunroof? Does that have enough room to stick your head and camera through it?

icarl · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 12:01 am

Actually, a better question might be what is the size in inches of the sunroof opening when fully opened?

icarl · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:57 am

tjkj2002 wrote:

Don't do it,you will regret your decision in a few months when all it does is leak.

I consider it just another mod that can improve my experience while off-road. There are lots of people that enjoy sunroofs. My jeep is not perfect already. It has deep scratches all around it and rust here and there. It will not last forever anyway so I'm not worried about a little leak. Like I said I use it mostly for photography when I can on the weekends.

Boiler · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:43 am

dripping on your head isn't the problem. Soaking the headliner is.

Youre really going to stick your head and camera out? Wouldn't it be easier to open the door and get out?

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:03 am

I would say it is quicker to get out than to try and climb up from your seat, but you can get that higher view and shot. It is also safer if you are in nature and you come up on a wild animal and want pics while still being "fairly" safe.

I can see the center console lid breaking soon after from standing on it.

There is a limited size you can go with since most of the roof has ridges and not flat.

It would be interesting if you could do the big sliding roof the KK can come with.

icarl · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 4:35 pm

I was thinking I don't really need a sunroof for my purposes but what about a simple boat hatch. By design, it doesn't allow water in when closed because the top overlaps. Something like this but lighter.

Or something like this

03CDKJ · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:01 pm

Ohio had a member put a skyslider "type" in his KJ... It was a little bit smaller...
He was at the rally for life last year... It looked really good!

But no one has heard from him since... and he's obviously not an active member...

I'll see if I can't find some pictures....

03CDKJ · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:10 pm

These are the only ones I can find...
It's the Blue 05.... Not good pics but proof it can be done... I'm pretty sure he installed it himself....

Silverdiesel · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:17 pm

I have an aftermarket sunroof on my Limited and:

--It does NOT leak even through a power drive thru carwash
--long lasting, installed at 3500 miles and now odo at 74K
--it is installed thru the ridges on the rear line with no problems
--does not air noise leak either
--done lots of wheeling and its great to have that extra opening besides the four windows and great to get up and shoot pics

I guess I was lucky to have a good outside shop to do this in the first place.

Roland

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:18 pm

icarl wrote:

I was thinking I don't really need a sunroof for my purposes but what about a simple boat hatch. By design, it doesn't allow water in when closed because the top overlaps. Something like this but lighter.

Or something like this

Yes. Totally do that or see if you can find a tank hatch at a surplus store. Dont let these haterz bring you down. I think I'm going to install one on my floor so I can escape in the event of a rollover.

icarl · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 6:08 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

icarl wrote:

I was thinking I don't really need a sunroof for my purposes but what about a simple boat hatch. By design, it doesn't allow water in when closed because the top overlaps. Something like this but lighter.

Or something like this

Yes. Totally do that or see if you can find a tank hatch at a surplus store. Dont let these haterz bring you down. I think I'm going to install one on my floor so I can escape in the event of a rollover.

You should also install one in the roof with an ejection chair for those quick escapes.

icarl · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 6:29 pm

this looks kind of interesting.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:07 pm

http://jalopnik.com/cars/oh-yeahhh/a-fa ... 291340.php

DryBones · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:13 pm

trade it in for a KK with the Sky Slider roof

icarl · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:25 pm

DryBones wrote:

trade it in for a KK with the Sky Slider roof

Then I would have another car payment. The Kj is paid for. Besides if I was going to trade it in it would be on a JK.

icarl · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:26 pm

Sir Sam wrote:

http://jalopnik.com/cars/oh-yeahhh/a-fa ... 291340.php

haha that's for posers only :lol:

icarl · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:33 pm

Boiler wrote:

dripping on your head isn't the problem. Soaking the headliner is.

Youre really going to stick your head and camera out? Wouldn't it be easier to open the door and get out?

Besides the fact that most of the time you don't have time to get out, the vehicle provides camouflage and if you get out they tend to run away.
this is an interesting read.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:40 am

So what you're saying is, animals do not notice the whine of an internal combustion engine and 5K lb of steel sneaking up on them? If so, everything is OK right up until the door opens?

Why don't you try them Ninja smoke screen things?

Why don't you get some of those giant inflatable KJ's dealers put on their their roofs? I'm sure you can find them on ebay. Then set them up all over where you take pics so the animals get used to them. Then you can sneak in among the decoy KJ's and snap away. It will be tough to find but try to get inflatables with the doors open.

Could you simply kill the animal and then take it's pic? Or maybe just hurt them so they can't run away? Maybe just hit them with your KJ; if you don't open the doors they shouldn't see you coming.

Custom Sunroof

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