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Anyone considering trading their JL for a JT Gladiator?

@OUTDOORTREE

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My buddy, head mechanic at my dealership, texted me this picture so I stopped in to see it in person........ didn’t help, I still think they look funky....:facepalm:... maybe it’ll grow on me over time....but maybe not....:)

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I feel the same. They just seem disproportionate. But I must say when I see a lifted one with 37’s I love it. If I was interested in the roof top tent game I would really consider setting one up like the Way Out concept or Evos Jeep. I think they make more since for the way out.

But I am not sold on RTT’s for me it’s camper trailer, or a hammock, or my tipi, or just under the Yakima awning if the weather is nice.
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Roky

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I feel the same. They just seem disproportionate. But I must say when I see a lifted one with 37’s I love it. If I was interested in the roof top tent game I would really consider setting one up like the Way Out concept or Evos Jeep. I think they make more since for the way out.

But I am not sold on RTT’s for me it’s camper trailer, or a hammock, or my tipi, or just under the Yakima awning if the weather is nice.
Yeah.... I wonder how long before someone puts a cab over camper shell on it. It’s just to long, something that long needs a 6 inch lift with 40s on it imho, lol.
 

Carbonalpine

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No I can’t see myself buying a JT unless I get a job delivering milk jugs. If I wanted a truck I’d buy a truck. Could look cool lifted with some nice tires, but still too odd looking for me.
 

SecondTJ

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Right....my point is that 7,000lbs is wayyyy to much of a load for the 3.6, FCA should either give it more power or lower the max tow rating.

The new diesel should help this, hopefully.
FCA has already said the 3.0 diesel will have a lower tow rating than the 3.6
 

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@OUTDOORTREE

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Yeah.... I wonder how long before someone puts a cab over camper shell on it. It’s just to long, something that long needs a 6 inch lift with 40s on it imho, lol.
Yeah. Like the Evo build.
 

Stuff

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I'm considering it once my lease is over... I went to home depot to pick up some lumber, and I wanted to get some 8ft posts, but I realized I probably couldn't fit it in the JLU and I thought to myself, "Yea I'm definitely getting a Gladiator." Then I realized the 8ft posts probably wouldn't fit in the Gladiator either. :LOL:

Personally, I think it looks a little goofy, and yes, the rear overhang it too long. But it's a Jeep, it's a truck, it has a manual transmission, it's a convertible, you can put on 37s with minimal mods. If it looked better, had a 6ft bed and had a 0-60 in the 3 second range it would be my perfect vehicle. :rock:

But what else is there?

Tacoma? Chopping body mounts to fit 35s is weird, I'm sure it's safe but it just doesn't feel right.

Ram 1500? Tempting, so much more comfy but still, not as capable.

Raptor? Great, but so expensive...

Power Wagon? So awesome, but also gigantic. This is the only one that I can see me getting instead of keeping the JLU/Getting a different JLU/Getting a Gladiator.

I dunno, I'm glad I got about 2 years to figure it out. :P
 

UKCATS

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The wife wants to trade her JKUR Recon in on one. She says she will wait 2 years, but we’ll see. I think she has the fever. Wants it lifted on 37’s. Sample pic she pulled from interwebzs

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jl73660

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Moving on up .....
Does anyone know if the Gladiator has the same Steering Design Flaws as the JL ? You would hope they fixed it and have proper steering geometry and design on the Gladiator, I would trade in for one if the steering is properly designed.
 

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We won't be trading our new JLUR but I am thinking hard about trading my 2010 Canyon 4x4 for one in about a year.
 

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Sean L

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Well that's a strange benchmark.......pretty much any vehicle not named a mazda miata can get it done, albeit very slowly. My point was that it's too gutless to realistically tow 7k, and I think the numbers prove it. It's at least 25% slower up a mountain pass than other vehicles pulling their max #. It's not about a drag race, it's about how frustrated you'll be in a headwind with a 7k lb camper.....or going over a mountain pass at 40mph while it's full throttle the entire time.

I think FCA shot too high on this. They either needed to give the JT a power increase, or lower the max rating down to 5k, maybe less.

If you look at all those gauntlet tests, it's hard to find any rig as slow as the JT. Nowhere close. The JT would have probably been fine if only towing 5k lbs or less.

When I mentioned it literally not getting 7k moving I meant if parked on a hill.....I know my manual JLUR would not be able to get 7k moving from a dead stop on an incline without burning the clutch up or using 4LO. It'd be real ugly. 1st gear (and reverse) is too high for that.
My point being, is that it can haul a trailer at it's max rating up to the highest elevation on the interstate system. If you have a 7,000 lb trailer that you need to pull on a regular basis then getting a truck only rated right at the limit is not the best call, you'll be better off with a full size truck with a V8. I can tell you from personal experience, maxing out the tow rating on any pickup dramatically reduces performance. The video I showed you with the Gladiator was at the maximum for a Gladiator Rubicon, and the Sport and Sport S with the max towing package would have probably done better with the same trailer. The other midsize trucks you cited were not at their max tow ratings.

6100 lbs with the Colorado v6 that's rated at 7000 lbs
5000 lbs with the Tacoma that's rated at 6800 lbs

Not really much of a direct comparison there. If they had pulled a 5000 lb trailer as you wanted it would have been a lot closer to the 8 minute "Perfect Run"

Now as far as the Manual transmission goes, Its got a lot less of a tow rating than the automatic. So you may have a point with your stopping on a steep incline, but here the weakness is the transmission and not the engine.
 

brazos

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Towing a trailer up a Colorado mountain pass at 40mph is not a bad thing. It’s a good thing.
You won’t be in the way. People will be in your way.
And it only lasts 7 or 8 miles anyway.
 

WXman

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It's at least 25% slower up a mountain pass than other vehicles pulling their max #. It's not about a drag race, it's about how frustrated you'll be in a headwind with a 7k lb camper.....or going over a mountain pass at 40mph while it's full throttle the entire time.

I think FCA shot too high on this. They either needed to give the JT a power increase, or lower the max rating down to 5k, maybe less.

If you look at all those gauntlet tests, it's hard to find any rig as slow as the JT. Nowhere close. The JT would have probably been fine if only towing 5k lbs or less.

When I mentioned it literally not getting 7k moving I meant if parked on a hill.....I know my manual JLUR would not be able to get 7k moving from a dead stop on an incline without burning the clutch up or using 4LO. It'd be real ugly. 1st gear (and reverse) is too high for that.
Can you show us a video of a Ranger, Colorado, or Tacoma towing 7,000 lbs. up the same mountain? If not, then your claims are baseless.

Fact is, TFL unfairly hooked more weight to the Gladiator than any other midsize truck they've ever tested and then the internet lights up with stupid comments like "see, I told you so!" mostly from people who've never even owned a pickup truck.

I want to see a V6 Colorado and an EcoBust Ranger tow 7,000 lbs. up that mountain in the same weather conditions, and THEN we'll pass judgement on whether or not the Pentastar is up to the task.

On the way back from Toledo past truck with Gladiators heading south on I-75 in Kentucky

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I wish one of those were mine. :( Apparently my order is still stuck in D1 status.

Does anyone know if the Gladiator has the same Steering Design Flaws as the JL ? You would hope they fixed it and have proper steering geometry and design on the Gladiator, I would trade in for one if the steering is properly designed.
The JL doesn't have a steering design flaw. There are thousands upon thousands of stock and lifted JLs on the road that have never had a hint of death wobble or other issues. The problems, which were isolated, were the result of problems on specific vehicles, most of which were easily remedied. A lot of us even had a simple software update that fixed the issue. Those who were not patient and demanded that their dealers start throwing uneccessary parts at their Jeeps are the ones who got mired in a confusing mess.
 

twisty

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The wife wants to trade her JKUR Recon in on one. She says she will wait 2 years, but we’ll see. I think she has the fever. Wants it lifted on 37’s. Sample pic she pulled from interwebzs

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That JT is just plain bad ass.

While I think STOCK the JL looks better then the JT, it still looks pretty lame without a lift and bigger tires. Both need work in the looks department if that is important to you.
 

twisty

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Does anyone know if the Gladiator has the same Steering Design Flaws as the JL ? You would hope they fixed it and have proper steering geometry and design on the Gladiator, I would trade in for one if the steering is properly designed.
Not all JL's had steering issues. My 18 steers amazing, almost too precise.
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