Can Jeep Wranglers Get Wet Inside?
Jeep Wranglers are known to be off-road vehicles intended for adventures, which may include a trip to remote destinations for camping, hiking, and more. However, off-roading means there is also the potential to run into bodies of water, large puddles, and other wet conditions on a rainy day that would normally cause internal damage to a typical car with the top-down.
Can Jeep Interior Get Wet?
Can Jeep Wranglers get wet inside? The interiors of Jeep Wranglers can get wet. The interior of a Jeep Wrangler is water-resistant, not waterproof. Your Jeep should be fine in most water situations such as big splashes or rainfall, but it should be kept as dry as possible afterward to protect its most important internal components.
The Jeep Wrangler might be able to take on a water onslaught, but the Jeep is not invincible. While the Jeep may be water-resistant, there are a few things you can do to ensure its interior stays dry or intact even on the wettest trails.
Are Jeep Wranglers Waterproof?
Jeep Wranglers are marketed towards buyers as a fun car you can take off-roading and on whatever kind of crazy—maybe slightly risky—adventures you want.
To make this possible, Jeep has included many features in the vehicle to make it adventure-ready: Wranglers usually have extra compartments to store gear.
In recent years, these Jeeps have even become equipped with heated seats and other extra bonuses to make them usable year-round.
However, the best part of the Jeep is the fact that the interior is water-resistant, but this does not mean waterproof. For example, if you go driving with the top off, the seats will still get soaked.
However, the Wrangler is better prepared to face the rain than most other cars. The Jeep comes equipped with drain plugs in the floor, so you can drain the water right out afterwards.
The Jeep in general doesn’t take a long time to dry. Left out in the sun, the Jeep can air dry in roughly an hour.
The only thing you should be concerned about is the electronics and controls in your Jeep.
One such control is the clock spring, which can be found in your steering wheel. If the spring gets ruined by the water, it could lead to problems in other parts of the Jeep.
How to Protect Your Jeeps Interior from Water
Driving with the top down and letting the rain pour into your Wrangler is fun. However, if you are afraid of water damage, there are a few things you can do to protect your car from mother nature.
Get a Bedliner
The problem with having carpets on the floor of your truck when it rains is that the carpets might form mold or mildew or develop an odor.
The best way to avoid or fix this problem is to replace the carpets with bedliner.
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Often used in trucks, a bedliner has multiple handy uses. Like a carpet, the bedliner provides traction so you don’t slip on the Jeep’s slick flooring.
The bedliner also protects the inside of your car from damage and won’t get smelly from getting wet. Finally, bedliners do not absorb water like carpets, so they are quick to dry.
Use a Top
If you’re afraid of rain damaging the car, there is always the option to cover up. You might not feel as free with the cover on but at least you know your car is safe.
You can use either the hard cover or a soft top. With either of the tops, it is better to not snap the top on and off again repeatedly, as the connecting spots could start wearing down.
- Hard Top: The hard top for Jeep Wrangler’s are usually more expensive than the soft one. Your Jeep will feel more like a car while a hardtop is on. Hard tops are better for waterproofing the Jeep, while soft tops tend to be more prone to water leaks and easier to damage.
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- Soft Top: Soft tops are made of materials such as mesh or sailcloth. These tops are usually less expensive than a hard top. Jeep owners appreciate them for their breathability.
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- Use a Bikini Top: If you are new to the Jeep Wrangler life, a bikini top is a type of soft cover you can use. These tops are often made of mesh and cover the top of the Wrangler. The cover leaves the sides and the back open. This is a perfect option if you want to somewhat protect the insides of Jeeps but still want to feel free. You’ll be able to feel the wind in your hair as you drive.
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Invest in a Jeep Cover
If you are afraid of the rain filling your Jeep while it’s parked, you could consider getting a Jeep cover.
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This is different from the hard top and the soft top as it is just for when the car is parked.
Good car covers are waterproof, scratch resistant, and UV resistant. With a car cover, your Jeep will always be protected from the elements when it’s not moving.
Use Seat Covers
The seats in a car are the hardest part to clean after a rainstorm. There are multiple types of seat covers for Jeeps—many of them waterproof.
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If you have seat covers, you can be more at peace with taking your car out into the natural elements.
Venturing into Deep Water with a Jeep
If you want to submerge your Wrangler while off-roading, there are more steps you can take to prepare your car. You can use big tires and suspension lifts to keep the car further out of water.
Make sure to seal the caps for things like the gas tank to keep water from getting in. There are also kits you can use to waterproof the electronics in your car.
There are even snorkels you can use to keep the engine running when the car is completely submerged.
What To Do If Your Jeep Gets Rained In
After taking your car out in the rain or exposing it to other wet conditions, here are things you should do to dry your cabin off completely:
Pull the Plugs
The first thing to do is pull the drain plugs under the carpets. Newer Wranglers will have between eight to 10 plugs. There’s usually one under each seat and a couple in the front and back of the Jeep. This should remove most of the water from the car.
Dry the Floor
If you have carpet mats, you might want to consider air drying them. You don’t want to leave them in the car to dry on their own because they have a tendency to get a mildew smell that won’t go away easily when excess moisture lingers for too long. It’s best to hang them up to dry then dry the floorboards underneath to prevent a bad odor from forming. You can also just remove the carpets entirely and replace them with bedliner as previously mentioned.
Dry the Seats
For your seats, take your Jeep into the sun to allow them to air dry. Your seats should dry in an hour in direct sunlight. If your seats still aren’t dry, you can use a chamois.
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The best way to use the chamois towel is to roll it up like a tube. Afterward, stick it into the crevices of your seats and it will soak the water up. Afterward, squeeze out the water and then repeat the process.
Check Your Electronics
After you have taken care of the water, you should check your car’s electronic components and controls since they are the part of the car most sensitive to water.
Make sure to wipe down the hard surfaces in these areas. The first thing you should check is the clock spring. A messed-up clock spring could lead to ruined controls such as the volume controller on your radio.
If your controls are not working correctly, wait a couple of days. Usually the controls will go back to normal by then. If it hasn’t, you can try disconnecting the battery and reconnecting.
If the controls aren’t normalized a few days after being wet, your clock spring is probably damaged. Typically, a clock spring can be repaired for roughly $250 at the shop.
Final Thoughts
Since a Wrangler’s interior can get wet, it’s the perfect car for your big adventures. All you need to remember is to dry everything off after spending some time outdoors!
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