Gladiator is crap for towing

[Osteodoc08]

Mine tows as well if not better than every midsize out there right now. It doesn’t have the torque the newer turbo motors have but it did good enough towing my 6200# boat

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[ShadowsPapa]

sport
Yes factory tow package

A Sport with factory tow package should to as well as my Overland does.
you don't specify the tires or tire size or other mods to the truck and if it still has the standard gear ratio.

I'd be curious to know what tire sizes/gear ratios the owners that are unhappy with the towing performance have.

Exactly - also didn't state speed and other things.
Mine handles 5,000 pounds just fine, it's not a struggle or problem at all. The suspension is good. But then mine has stock tire diameter and I stick to the old towing speed limit of 65 (that used to be the speed limit for towing in many states)
I find it a very good tow vehicle, stable and safe.
It's also very hilly where I live and where I typically tow (I80 eastern Iowa sucks, ask the OTR drivers out there) And it's usually windy here - Iowa is considered among the most, if not the most, windy state - it's almost aways windy. That has an impact on towing Still, not a major issue.
I'd buy another in a heart-beat.

 

[Bug out]

Interesting all round comments
thank you

Info :all the metal is lightweight it looks heavy but is actually fairly light.
All home made.
There wasn’t even at in the bed except for ultra light cap

During both trips all pressures and temps were good
I can’t remember the ratios off hand

 

[ShadowsPapa]

All temps were good throughout both trips there and back

But do you have larger tires, heavier tires/wheels? What's the gear ratio?
The weight you added DROPS towing capacity. Larger tires drop towing capacity.
So if you have made modes like larger tires and wheels, and the tire POKE - more wind resistance.
I guess, in short, if that's your Jeep - all of your mods killed towing performance.
There's a reason these come with the tires sizes they do. It's a perfect match of RPM, torque, heat rejection and so on.
Any change you make - lift, tires, tire poke, weight of the truck, etc. - means you don't even have 6,000 pound capacity any more.

ANY weight you add takes away from payload, and trailer tongue weight is counted as part of the payload so 1400 pounds of payload, 100 pounds of grill trim, etc. comes from that for 1300 pounds and then 500 pounds of trailer tongue leaves 800 pounds for you, dog, wife, kids, gear, whatever. ANY weight you have added will reduce capacities and abilities.

 

[Labswine]

I have a stone stock Overland with the tow package (ordered 5/19, built 6/19, delivered 7/19).

I tow a 27' travel trailer that is ~5,100 lbs with all we want or need in it (tanks empty) and (I'm guessing) around a 520 lb tongue weight (with all the stuff in the pass through in the front).

I measured the tongue drop of unhitched vs. hitched BEFORE attaching the WDH stuff and the drop was about 1 1/2". Hooked up the WDH and the drop was about 3/4".

I shift manually and do NOT drive over 65 MPH. Most of my towing has been east coast towing (more level roads) so, I have yet to try the more mountainous terrain. Shifting, I get to around 2,500 RPM then move to the next gear. My truck moves that trailer nicely. Cruising, I don't get into 8th gear at all because the RPMs are too low and she seems to lug, even at 65 MPH. When going up a grade, when the speed drops to around 57 MPH, I'll drop to 6th and run around 2,500-2,700 RPMs until I get back to around 61-62 MPH or the crest of the grade then it's back to 7th at around 2,100 RPMs.

I have found this technique has served me well. I have averaged around 13 MPG towing this setup.

I think your issues come from not really understanding what your vehicle is doing and responding accordingly.

Plus, I have a good WDH/sway control set up (BlueOX) and she's very steady even when getting passed by tractor trailers.

 

[texanjeeper]

Let's face it, you don't buy a Gladiator for it's superior towing capabilities, no matter what the Max Tow guys proclaim. It's a midling option for towing, and pretty much everybody knows that if you're planning on doing more towing than off-roading, you should probably go with a more powerful option.

I'm sure that the ire of the Max Tow fanboys will be unleashed on me now.

 

[Undecided]

Mine does adequate for our ~4k camper on 33s no lift as “max tow”.

it’s worked to get us on a couple 1,500+ round trip drives, been adequate up and into Telluride. We don’t really want to take it much farther than that and plan to get a true tow truck in the future for longer.

however not great it is, I wouldn’t call it terrible by any means.

Yours 35s, lift, wheels and armor(?) is definitely got to be impacting you

 

[Shelstead]

I have a 2023 max tow and it tows great I pull a 6000 pounds camper trailer no problems only thing I have done is got Fox shocks Sumo Springs and LT255/75/17 BFG KM3 tire

 

[TheRealStreetcommander]

All home made.

Bravo sir.

Not my style but damn, you deserve a hat tip and this forum’s respect for actually doing something original and productive.

This is a place for mostly azzclowns parroting what they read from other azzclowns. The hidden treasure is that there are some really great contributors peppered in with the clownspeak, contributing really great and helpful content.

If this thread catches on, please be prepared to endure an onslaught of verbal abuse and general hazing. Not for any legitimate reason either.

Your gladiator looks really cloying and syrupy to me, and I’d be embarrassed to drive it. But, I’m a nobody driving a bone stock Jeep and I’m old and not cool anymore.

Your transmission issue is wildly atypical. Put stock sized wheels and tires back on it and let her eat pumpkin and lemon merengue pie.

 

[Biff Happy]

Just a curiosity as you’ve only towed twice, did you limit the first 500 miles to 50 mph, as recommended by manual?
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/towing-break-in-period-s.56820/

 

[Jobofly]

sport
Yes factory tow package

It sounds like a user problem. I can back that up by saying I tow a 5500lb travel trailer all over with my Mojave and have zero issues with it. Look at your setup. WDH properly setup is a huge factor.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Just a curiosity as you’ve only towed twice, did you limit the first 500 miles to 50 mph, as recommended by manual?
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/towing-break-in-period-s.56820/

I have never done that. Not on any vehicle I've ever owned. Just try to stick to 50 mph for 500 miles.
Biggest thing is to vary the speed and load. Do not cruise at a steady speed.

But in any case, that break-in isn't causing any issues he's describing.

It sounds like a user problem. I can back that up by saying I tow a 5500lb travel trailer all over with my Mojave and have zero issues with it. Look at your setup. WDH properly setup is a huge factor.

Mojave - wider axles, 4.10 ratio if I recall Mojave.
Wider axles matter for lateral stability, but the tire size and gear ratio matter for towing bigly.

 

[Sweetums]

Interesting all round comments
thank you

Info :all the metal is lightweight it looks heavy but is actually fairly light.
All home made.
There wasn’t even at in the bed except for ultra light cap

During both trips all pressures and temps were good
I can’t remember the ratios off hand

Is all that metal lighter than the plastic that came off or the air that was there before? Unless the answer is "yes" then you've added a lot of weight. You've likely been taxing the transmission with those wheels and tires plus all the added weight since you didn't regear, the towing was likely the final nail in the coffin.

 

[Bug out]

Is all that metal lighter than the plastic that came off or the air that was there before? Unless the answer is "yes" then you've added a lot of weight. You've likely been taxing the transmission with those wheels and tires plus all the added weight since you didn't regear, the towing was likely the final nail in the coffin.

Most of it is made from honeycomb sheet and fiberglass
Some metal some aluminum

When I get the opportunity I will post the stuff up here

all said and done
From my 1st post
The gladiator is not a good truck to tow with

 

[ShadowsPapa]

all said and done
From my 1st post
MY gladiator is not a good truck to tow with

Fixed it.


The properly equipped Gladiator is a good truck for towing.
A heavily modified Gladiator may not be.

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