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Summertime. The perfect invitation to drop the top on your favorite convertible and hit the road. But what if the road isn’t always your favorite good-times venue? What if you prefer to head off-road in your open-air toy? Well, a used Jeep Wrangler JK could be your ticket to drop-top fun without sacrificing your off-road and campsite credentials. My 2,500-mile journey in a two-door 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon all but confirmed the JK’s versatility. 

From urban streets to campsites and trails in South Dakota, our Jeep Wrangler JK was part convertible, part off-roader, and all smiles

“Hey Erik, there’s this trip I’ve wanted to take for 10 years or so. It’s a bit of a bucket-lister for me.” So said my close friend and former firefighting colleague Ryan across the table. I could tell where he was going with it. “Any interest in tagging along?” I agreed, knowing that at the very least, it’d be a quality experience with one of my dearest allies.

Needless to say, the details really sealed it for me. First, Ryan had his eyes set on visiting the Delta-09 launch control facility and Delta-01 silo in South Dakota. They are solemn, National Park Service-run reminders of how close the world came to annihilation during the Cold War. Better yet, we were going to hit the road in his two-door, JK-generation 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Oh, and we were going to attack it without a top, exploiting one of the Wrangler’s finer points. I was sold. 

The “Topless Road Trip,” as we so cheekily named it, was a 2,500-mile trip taking us from Kentucky to South Dakota through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. He had a three-piece soft top retracted to the rear for our start, as well as a trailer hitch-mounted luggage rack bearing two coolers. With the rack installed and the top back, the two-door Jeep transformed into a surprisingly practical, open-air good-time machine. 

After well over a thousand miles of thumping tunes and hoarse voices from shouting war stories back and forth, we arrived at the Badlands National Park. We bivouacked out, dropped the doors, and went exploring. The JK Jeep Wrangler Rubicon shined even further. The doorless, topless Jeep was every bit the marriage between convertible and off-roader we’d hoped.

Now, dear reader, if you don’t know anything about that part of the country, there’s plenty to see and do. Even with our whirlwind trip, we hit the epic Minuteman Missile sites, Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, silly roadside attractions, and mile-after-mile of the stunning Badlands National Park. 

Fortunately, the Jeep Wrangler JK model conquered the trip without so much as a cough. We transformed the JK from completely naked to a little bikini top, to a full soft top repeatedly. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 wasn’t going to win any races. That, and it was admittedly thirsty, but no more so than you might imagine. And most importantly, we were left with sunburns, stories, and smiles.

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Staff Writer

Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).