by Eric Ammerman
Creative Content Director
For the life of me, I can’t figure out why Jeep keeps putting carpet and padding in the Jeep Wrangler. After all, one of the things we love about the Wrangler is the many adventures it takes us on, and so many of those adventures include dirt, mud, sand — all things quite difficult to remove from that kind of flooring.
These days, there are many great options to protect the interior of your Jeep, and depending on your budget floor liners may be the right choice. If you’d rather replace the entire flooring with something a bit more water resistant, then Armorlite offers a complete interior floor solution. Its new flooring kit includes drain plugs and sound-deadening material that is even better than stock carpeting, and even offers unmatched heat resistance.
If you are not sure about whether to replace or shield your Jeep carpeting, here are some top reasons it may be a great upgrade for your Wrangler.
Children
Listen, we all love our kids, but at the same time we can all admit they are messy little humans. Tell me you haven’t found a French fry, some type of cracker, dried up sauce or a toy wedged and rotting under the seat (I would also love to know why fast food French fries never look any different than the day they were dropped).
Besides food issues, my kids are constantly covered in mud on the driest day of the year and their shoes always look like they walked through the swamps of Dagobah on the way to my Jeep. Guess what takes the brunt of all that mud. Carpeting.
Additionally, if you have a child who gets carsick every now and then, you’ll need something to catch lunch when it comes back up. I’ve even heard stories of Jeep floor liners serving as a makeshift toilet in extreme situations.
Thankfully, I installed the Armorlite floors in my Wrangler JK Unlimited so I can simply hose off dirt and other debris, letting them drain onto the driveway.
Snow and Salt
I live in southeastern PA and if there is one thing that county and state road workers love during the winter, it is salting the streets and parking lots with even a hint of cold or snowy weather.
Any vehicle I have ever owned and driven in the winter gets this stiff, crusty carpet under the pedals on the driver's side that takes lots of scrubbing to get back to normal. In the case of my 2001 Jeep Cherokee, it never recovered, and the day I sold it, I cringed when I looked down at that crusty mess.
One of the first things I bought for the XJ was a set of heavy-duty floor liners, but neglect from previous owners had already done the damage. However, if you add these liners before snow and salt can take their toll, these thick rubber floor liner will serve as a nice collection barrier that can be easily removed, cleaned and then replaced to look as good as new.
Sand
From coast to coast, any beaches or deserts in between, and every place you take your Jeep that involves sand, rest assured you are taking a bunch of it home with you.
I still find sand all throughout my Jeep from a trip to Moab, Utah seven years ago. That sand is a lot finer than most beach sands, and it crawls into every crevice of every corner and inch of the Jeep. When we installed my Armorlite system, we found enough sand under the factory carpet to make a sandbox addition to your Barbie Dream House.
Additionally, carpet clutches sand just as hard as you hold that grudge from middle school, and it never lets go — vacuums just do not stand a chance. Don’t believe me? Well, if you have ever taken your Jeep to the beach, then go out to the driveway and take a hard look at (and under) your carpet. I bet you’ll see those reminders of that vacation still hanging around your vehicle’s interior.
Rain
I don’t know about you, but I love having the top down on my Wrangler whenever possible. But if I’m being honest, I’m not as diligent about checking the weather forecast as I probably should be each day. I have woken up several times in the middle of the night hearing rain hitting my bedroom window, and then looking out to see my Jeep’s top and soft upper doors off. That sinking feeling of needing to either run out and put the top up in the rain, or wait it out until morning, is one I feel too often.
The good news is my Armorlite setup makes it easy to drain that water. Floor liners will also work and trap most of that moisture, but you may still need to dry out the carpeting. Sadly, neither does much to keep the seats dry, but there are seat cover options for that issue.
Children
Yes, this is a repeat of the top reason and no, it is not a typo. It is just that important and I want you to fully understand the kind of damage children can do to a Jeep carpet. It is incredible.
Factory interiors are no match for old candy corn that has heated up all summer long, or runaway fruit snacks that find a piece of carpeting and become some kind of sticky glue mess.
So just do yourself and your Wrangler a favor and choose a nice protective solution to cover up that carpeting, or replace altogether with an Armorlite system.
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