First Real World Gladiator Towing Impressions & Results (7000 lbs)

[TommyTFL]

Just curious, did you turn on the off-road pages and monitor the transmission temp pulling that load uphill? If so how hot did the trans oil get?

Yes, I believe they did, I'll have to double check. One note on the off-road pages, on our trucks it has been surprisingly fiddly. Often on startup it won't show up at all, and when it does it takes an annoyingly long time to load. Maybe a glitch to be fixed soon, but the info it displays is positively awesome!

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[Sgt Beavis]

Yes, I believe they did, I'll have to double check. One note on the off-road pages, on our trucks it has been surprisingly fiddly. Often on startup it won't show up at all, and when it does it takes an annoyingly long time to load. Maybe a glitch to be fixed soon, but the info it displays is positively awesome!

My JLU's 7" UConnect has been 'fiddly' since the day I bought it. I'm not surprised.

I'm just down the road, in Erie, from you guys. Towing is one of the things driving my decision to move from a JLU to a Gladiator. However, after seeing this I'm again thinking I should either wait for the diesel or get a turbo charger. I'm leaning towards waiting for the diesel.

Then again, I may just spring for a Raptor and be done with it.

 

[Vegas_Sirk]

Here is the article that speculates that the diesel will actually perform worse in terms of towing potential: https://jalopnik.com/the-engineering-behind-the-jeep-gladiators-tow-rating-1833657453

The max tow might be less, but it will tow that weight a lot more easily with how much more low end torque it will have.

This^ It will tow less due to the cooling issues, but it will tow better.

 

[steffen707]

V6 engines are better suited to tow 2800-3500lbs

in what conditions? My v6 Grand Caravan can tow 4000 lbs easy. i'm assuming the JT won't struggle at 5000lbs around here either. Maybe at colorado elevation and 80mph.

 

[steffen707]

My cousin's answer to everything is "LS SWAP!"" in this case the answer might be "HEMI SWAP!!"

No I get it. They are important considerations...

3.0L Tornado motor!

 

[WXman]

I find it funny that 20 years ago V6 engines had far less power and everybody thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Nobody would even hesitate to hook anything on to the back of a V6 midsize pick up. Now we have V6 engines that are approaching 300 horsepower and everybody acts like they're weak and you can't do any work with them. Lol. 15 years ago this was V8 power. Now we have it in a V6.

 

[Sorbs]

I find it funny that 20 years ago V6 engines had far less power and everybody thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Nobody would even hesitate to hook anything on to the back of a V6 midsize pick up. Now we have V6 engines that are approaching 300 horsepower and everybody acts like they're weak and you can't do any work with them. Lol. 15 years ago this was V8 power. Now we have it in a V6.

Seems some folks forget 1980s V8s, as in, 1980 Corvette = 180HP or worse, the 70s, i.e. 1976 Corvette with 165HP.

Today’s midsized truck HP:
Tacoma 3.5-liter V6 with 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque
Ford Ranger 4 banger is 290 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque
Chevy Colorado is 308 hp and 275 lb.-ft. of torque
Jeep is 285 hp and 265 tq

Some might need reminding of the Jeep 4.0L - 190HP/225tq HO inline 6 or the mighty 2010 3.8L - 202HP/237tq just for reference...

 

[5JeepsAz]

I find it funny that 20 years ago V6 engines had far less power and everybody thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Nobody would even hesitate to hook anything on to the back of a V6 midsize pick up. Now we have V6 engines that are approaching 300 horsepower and everybody acts like they're weak and you can't do any work with them. Lol. 15 years ago this was V8 power. Now we have it in a V6.

 

[5JeepsAz]

3.0L Tornado motor!

 

[5JeepsAz]

Thanks for that. Looking forward to the video, have been following you guys for years.
I know this might be hard but can you guys do those test with a manual trans Gladiator at max and compare?

I don’t ever tow, but I’m planning to pick up a small track car and I’d like to be able to confidently tow it to the track.

 

[5JeepsAz]

Lest we not forget the one thing.

Everyone is all, 100% Truck on the hill climb. Ok fine. It's turdy mcturdface on a freeway.

JT is 100% Jeep. The one thing.

JT will tow up the side of a mountain, no roads, 50 mph just the same, and none other compares.

 

[5JeepsAz]

Anyone remember this?

 

[steffen707]

Anyone remember this?

OR when we were ogling over cad drawings?

 

[12BNNT]

This would be my question to those more modernly mechanically minded ( I did votech in the 80’s and a lot has changed since then)
1) so TFL said towing suffered at altitude with the naturally aspirated pentastar and would be better with the turbo 4 in that arena.
2) between my JKU and my current jk, I had a v6 challenger. Same pentastar tuned a little different making 305 or 310? HP in sport mode (had the track pack on it that tweeked the tune and shift points) and seen a post at that time in a forum or somewhere where a company in Texas was putting a big turbo, air box, & exhaust on the pentastars and pushing them close to 385HP.

So here’s my question;
Would installing said turbo on a JT give it enough ass to actually pull 7k at altitude??

 

[overland_chariot]

@TommyTFL can you post a video of the fuel door operation? id be interested to see that

at time 2:35 in this video, this guy quickly shows the fuel door where you can see its a puch to open style and what looks like a locking gas cap. hope this helps

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