First REAL towing with the Gladiator Overland -- 4900 pounds tow load

[Gren71]

Just did my first towing with 2020 sport s, manual. needless to say there is no way to get the max tow option on the manual anymore, which sux big time (and no I do not care at all for the useless 300 watt 110 outlet). So no max tow towing rt 81 going through Appalachian sucked major bottom. I averaged 100 miles per tank less than my normal 370. It was new to me so did not know if hubs on the trailer would fall off and though my tire rating was at 75 so kept to 75 (hoping the boat would still be there when I made it home), but 75 in 5th gear is a hair under the RPM needed to hold the hill so down the hill 5th about to start going up 4th and this felt like every other mile... normally I do 80 and if it gets hilly I stay in 5th without much of a problem... bottom line 800 biles there mpg at 20, same back with the boat (did not reset) mpg at 15. boat plus trailer under 1500 lb. Let me know if I did something stupid, but I will tell you if you plan on towing long distance with the gladiator sport or sahara without max tow in mountain regions think again.

I think you had a couple thing’s working against ya on this trip. A boat is nearly as un-aerodynamic at the JT its self so theres a lot more drag there. Then having a manual is a pita with hills since the jt makes its money in higher RPMs. And, having the manual, the 3.73 (im assuming) is a bear to tow with from what ive read.

For reference i just got back from pulling my 6,000lbs TT. With the max tow’s 4.10s i lived in 5th/6th. Got 10-12mpg over the whole 200 miles trip with some hills and a couple steep grades. On the steeper grades the Jt would down shift to 4th and run highhh rpms until the crest.

Overall it was still a great pull and Im happy with the performance of the Jt. So I don’t think you did anything wrong. But I do think you would have a more pleasant experience pulling a different trailer and possibly with different gearing.

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[bd100]

Just did my first towing with 2020 sport s, manual.
...
so kept to 75 (hoping the boat would still be there when I made it home), but 75 in 5th gear is a hair under the RPM needed to hold the hill so down the hill 5th about to start going up 4th and this felt like every other mile...
...
with the boat (did not reset) mpg at 15. boat plus trailer under 1500 lb. Let me know if I did something stupid, but I will tell you if you plan on towing long distance with the gladiator sport or sahara without max tow in mountain regions think again.

My truck is similar and I tow a 2000lb fold-down camping trailer plus cargo across the country including the Rocky Mountains. What you describe is normal. 15MPG, shifting on the hills. (The automatics shift on those hills too!)

I consider the shifting to be part of what makes the drive so much fun. It feels more like you actually DROVE the thing instead of just holding down a pedal.

But the problem I had was the steepest interstate grades where I could wind out first and second gear up to 45MPH, but third would barely hold and I could not accelerate any more. They could have designed this transmission with closer gears and only one overdrive, but instead they were probably forced by CAFE to have those two overdrives (which are really close together). Closer gears might have gotten me up to the speed limit on those uphills. Maybe 4.10s would help, but then again maybe I'd be stuck at 40MPH instead of 45!

Other than that, I enjoy rev matching the shifts, downshifting on the downhills, dropping two gears to pass, etc. Even more fun when my wife winds it up to full power coming out of a rest stop right in front of a bunch of big rigs.

 

[bd100]

For reference i just got back from pulling my 6,000lbs TT. With the max tow’s 4.10s i lived in 5th/6th.

So that's direct drive and one gear lower. For a manual that would be 4th and 3rd, but he was in 5th and 4th. So he was doing fine for his 1600lbs.

 

[HappyGladiator]

That's why I have been running 91 since new. It allows the engine to use full power without retarding it for knock.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Speculation - you don't know the tune on these, nor has it been dyno tested.
For all we know, these may already be running maximum ignition advance and only do an adjustment for extreme heat conditions.
Not every engine will see a difference.
If the spark is already timed for maximum combustion pressure at about 14 to 16 degrees ATDC, then there's no benefit at all and it's in your head.
Fast burn chambers don't require the ignition advance that was needed in the 1970s or 80s.
That's because it takes TIME for detonation to occur - the higher the RPM, and/or, the faster the burn, the less chance of detonation (and 91 burns a bit slower so may be a negative in some cases)
It's why racers with high RPM engines can get by with high compression and advanced ignition - the charge burns so quickly, it won't detonate.

Show me on a dyno.

There's so much guessing and speculation, especially by non-techs. So far, no one has shown any proof other than "I say it does".

 

[bd100]

Fast burn chambers don't require the ignition advance that was needed in the 1970s or 80s.
That's because it takes TIME for detonation to occur - the higher the RPM, and/or, the faster the burn, the less chance of detonation (and 91 burns a bit slower so may be a negative in some cases)

In the Rockies, they usually offer 85 octane as the base fuel, and 87 is the mid. Based on my older truck, I'd be sure to use the 87 in the mountains to avoid engine ping while towing. "Magnum" 5.2L engine, old style V8. This seemed to work well.

With the JT, I did the same and ended up with the engine making with a lot of scary sounds while towing near the redline. Probably just engine pinging but it sounded pretty wild. But it had 87 fuel.

Doesn't the computer sense pinging and back off the timing?

The engine is fine under the same circumstances at low altitude, so it looks like it wasn't valve float.

So are you thinking the 87 may be a mistake at high altitude under heavy load near red line because of this fast burn engine?

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