To Mojave, or Not to Mojave...

[geewillys]

For me it was back and forth between the Rubicon and Mohave . As for capabilities there were the strong points of both. But to be honest I am not going to do real hardcore rock crawling or be doing whooptees on dunes at high speed. So the decision came down to towing capacity, interior color choice, being able to order the front steel bumper. The extra 1000 lbs towing of the Ruby was key.
The icing on the cake is as a Georgia Bull Dawg I don't do orange very well ; )- . It was a hard enough pill to swallow that the color I wanted was named Gator!!
But I must admit I still get hood envy when I see the Mohave!

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[RedTRex]

You make a great point. I think threads like that should be worded more like “I really don’t fully understand these models, pls explain them to me”

there’s really only 3 models.

Sport (with or without max tow)
Mojave
Rubicon

Everything else is just noise.

Cum on feel the noize
Girls rock your boys
We get wild, wild, wild.......

Sorry, could't resist.

For me it was back and forth between the Rubicon and Mohave . As for capabilities there were the strong points of both. But to be honest I am not going to do real hardcore rock crawling or be doing whooptees on dunes at high speed. So the decision came down to towing capacity, interior color choice, being able to order the front steel bumper. The extra 1000 lbs towing of the Ruby was key.
The icing on the cake is as a Georgia Bull Dawg I don't do orange very well ; )- . It was a hard enough pill to swallow that the color I wanted was named Gator!!
But I must admit I still get hood envy when I see the Mohave!

Who doesn't love those gray seats though?

 

[GladiSD]

Mojave is the top of the stack! The answer is ALWAYS Mojave. They are just a better package overall than any other Gladiator for all uses. The way the factory set it up leaves very little incentive to modify anything.

 

[Bonanza]

Mojave, to me, isn’t worth it. It’s a rubicon priced sport with a rear locker.

Yes I know it has a “beefed up” frame and stronger front axle knuckles and reservoir shocks. But since 95% of jeeps are mall crawlers...unless that really matters to you then it’s an irrelevant Jeep model with parts on it that mean nothing. Unless you’re paying for the hood. Yay.

Hydro bumps, and bypass (not just reservoir) shocks are nothing to shake a stick at. Plus the steering wheel, seats, front skid, accents (which I really like personally), knuckle, reinforcements, locker, different sway bar, hood together are a lot of items that can't easily be done by oneself at home. Most of the Rubicon, lockers included, I can do myself and save money. The items in a Mohave could be done in theory, but the time and money spent would surpass the factory cost, imo.

I disagree that 95% are jeeps are mall crawlers. Yes, some people buy them because they want to appear outdoorsy. But far north of 5% of Jeeps go offroad. I for one, would love to test that Mohave out here in Johnson Valley.

 

[BLK HOLE]

Hydro bumps, and bypass (not just reservoir) shocks are nothing to shake a stick at. Plus the steering wheel, seats, front skid, accents (which I really like personally), knuckle, reinforcements, locker, different sway bar, hood together are a lot of items that can't easily be done by oneself at home. Most of the Rubicon, lockers included, I can do myself and save money. The items in a Mohave could be done in theory, but the time and money spent would surpass the factory cost, imo.

I disagree that 95% are jeeps are mall crawlers. Yes, some people buy them because they want to appear outdoorsy. But far north of 5% of Jeeps go offroad. I for one, would love to test that Mohave out here in Johnson Valley.

And if you lift it most of that goes away. The sway bar doesn't even disconnect.

it does have its place...but I bet its a dead model in a year or 2.

 

[kickingaz]

Personally, I don’t know why folks start threads soliciting feedback from a forum about whether or not they should purchase a vehicle. when was the last time any of you sat at a dealer and said to yourself, “i asked the forum if I should do it and they said no, so I’m not going to buy this model, this trim, or add this package.” Oh never??

OP if you have/had the opportunity to pickup a Mojave and you want to move your Sport S for it after dropping “x” amount of dollars into it, and financially the deal is something you can handle and makes sense to you? then it’s your decision....

Looking for input from folks who have no nickels in that quarter is just crazy. Do what makes sense to and for YOU and not what makes sense to me or anyone else.

just out of curiosity which way did you lean?

To answer your question, I asked the forum in case there were things I was not considering in my equation. I know there are a great deal of resources here on the forum including people that are Jeep employees that might have some additional insight, or others that may have had the same thoughts and come up with alternatives.

At this point in time, I am going to continue to finish my Sport S Max Tow and put in lockers and gears.

 

[Adawg1203]

To answer your question, I asked the forum in case there were things I was not considering in my equation. I know there are a great deal of resources here on the forum including people that are Jeep employees that might have some additional insight, or others that may have had the same thoughts and come up with alternatives.

At this point in time, I am going to continue to finish my Sport S Max Tow and put in lockers and gears.

Based on what you are doing to your gladiator. Would the Rubicon been more suitable of a purchase for the cost of upgrades? Or would you have replaced/upgraded standard Rubi setup as well?

 

[kickingaz]

Based on what you are doing to your gladiator. Would the Rubicon been more suitable of a purchase for the cost of upgrades? Or would you have replaced/upgraded standard Rubi setup as well?

Good question Adawg1203. The Rubicon would have had the lockers that I anticipate installing, but I bought the Max Tow Sport S because it has the same 4.10 wider axles and I could lock the axles later. My Max Tow Sport S MSRP was $45,175 and I purchased it for $37,947, so $7,228 under MSRP or 16%. I also had a trade and was not undervalued on my trade. No one was dealing on the Rubicon models and at the time, at least not to that extent, so I thought it best to do lockers later. Had I purchased the Rubicon, I still would have done wheels and tires, level kit, on board air, etc. The options I wouldn't have had to do to the Rubicon were adding the Rubicon suspension, hood and high fenders. I was able to buy all of this used from local shops and spent less than $2,000 on all that and sold the stock hood and fenders for $500.

The Mojave is more of a desert runner IMO and I would have only put 35s on it and left it alone as I believe a lift would ruin the purpose. After thinking about it more and getting some input from the forum, I realize that most of my off-roading is in the rocks rather than the open desert. I did a lot of very difficult trails in my 2014 JKUR, and I realize I will not be able to do those in the Gladiator, but I'm OK with that as I don't need to do the extreme 5+ trails all the time (i.e. Pritchett Canyon in Moab, Steel Bender etc.). I will continue to build my Sport S by taking the features I like from the Rubicon (lockers, sway bar disconnect or Currie Antirock) and Mojave (knuckles and shocks) and combining the best of both worlds...perhaps a "Mojavicon S" or a "Max Tow Mojavicon"- LOL. O|||||||O

 

[studiodfw]

Hello everybody! First post here as a new member and new JT Mojave owner. I am no stranger to these forums as a previous JL owner but I am always a bit perplexed by the number of owners that feel the need to poo on other models, especially those that have never driven the Mojave. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post but consider this my initial review and purchase experience (rather than starting a new thread). So here are my 2 cents...

Full disclosure, I am a former buyer/wholesale manager for a large nationwide auto group. I also have been an independent dealer and I currently own a company that provides dealer services for car dealerships. I have quite literally driven almost every make/model/trim package over the last 15 years and I have vast experience running dealerships and dealing with auto manufacturers. Not that any of this makes my opinion superior to others but I do have a unique perspective.

That being said, I fully intended to purchase a Rubicon when I decided to make the switch from the JL. I do quite a bit of overlanding pulling an off road trailer and the extra towing capacity and bed storage was advantageous. I found the perfect JTR on a lot ($61k MSRP), secured an aggressive deal and then proceeded to BVA the vehicle overnight in order to make sure she was the one for me. The look of the vehicle was incredible and I had 100% confidence in the off road capability of the JTR but at the end of the day I was left a bit wanting from the driving experience. Coming from a JL I think I had to adjust a bit to the “truckiness” of the JT, turning radius, weight, wheelbase, etc but also the suspension of the JTR on road can be a bit abrasive. Bumps, pot holes and bad roads can be turned quickly into a less than smooth drive. I’m a Jeep guy and as such give tremendous amounts of “Jeep thing” allowances and fully understand this is not a Cadillac. Some people don’t mind and actually prefer this ride quality but for me the Ford Raptor has always been the gold standard of how a suspension should perform. I was really perplexed about how to proceed tbh, everything about the vehicle was perfect except for maybe the most important thing, how the driving experience made me feel. I decided to check all potential options before pulling the trigger, I drove a diesel JL (considered waiting) and then I drove the Mojave and... wow!!! Smiles ear to ear. This thing drives exactly like a want a Jeep to drive, on road or trail this thing is just an absolute joy to drive and honestly the closest experience to driving a Raptor, albeit still a bit underpowered. Two additional cylinders and the Mojave would be almost unbeatable. I have always envied the seats and steering wheel from the Raptor and now the Mojave adds a similar option. The seats are a bit more comfortable with the additional bolster IMO and the steering wheel feels amazing in hand! I cannot stress enough how different the Mojave performs when compared to EVERY other Jeep I have ever driven.

I was left with a tough decision because honestly the perfect JT IMO does not exist. The option I was most reluctant to lose was the steel bumper group, I despise plastic bumpers on the Jeep but there will be plenty of options as time goes on. Would I like a front locker? Sure. E Disco? Absolutely. What am I really losing that is either absolutely vital, incredibly expensive or impossible to add via the aftermarket? There will always be aftermarket solutions to most deficiencies with your Jeep and tbh most JT owners on this forum will never come close to reaching the physical limitations of their rig. I personally do not plan on doing major mechanical mods to my Jeep and the Mojave comes right out of the box ready to attack pavement, washboards, sand and honestly reasonable rock. Am I going to run the Rubicon in a stock Mojave? Absolutely not, but tbh slow crawling is not really my jam and I have no desire to do major damage to my brand new $60k Jeep. Give me balance and versatility for my money. As a someone who tows overland, the added frame strength is another big plus. To attack the Mojave as some sort of ”glorified Sport” is incredibly misguided and ignorant IMO and most likely comes from someone who has not been behind the wheel of one yet. Both the JTR and JTM are brilliant but each have their strengths and limitations. Throw the Max Tow and Overland in as well. No matter how you look at it you will ultimately have to make decisions about what you want and what you can live without, be it equipment or money.

I can assure you that the Mojave is no flash in the pan, gone in two year trim level. Unlike other trims where Jeep essentially shuffles it’s parts catalog in order to appeal to new buyers, the Mojave is the result of serious R&D money and I predict will be the genesis for a new division of “Desert Rated“ vehicles across the platform. Jeep is attempting to convert Raptor buyers and appeal to those who have always wanted one but found them slightly cost prohibitive, all while building a Jeep for Jeep lovers that is a different type of fun from the ones currently offered. I applaud Jeep for their vision as well as their execution of the Mojave. I am yet to read a review that doesn‘t have essentially the same takeaway after driving one, search for yourself there are plenty out there. Strap a V8 or some forced induction in this thing and it is game over.

In conclusion, the Mojave is an amazing new addition to the lineup and we are fortunate to have it. In fact, it is one of the finest all around vehicles I have ever had the pleasure to drive. If you find your self wanting to cast stones in its direction, go drive one for yourself first.

Here are a couple photos of the Mojave and my trailer for reference, I will post more/better photos soon!

 

[Etoimos]

Hello everybody! First post here as a new member and new JT Mojave owner. I am no stranger to these forums as a previous JL owner but I am always a bit perplexed by the number of owners that feel the need to poo on other models, especially those that have never driven the Mojave. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post but consider this my initial review and purchase experience (rather than starting a new thread). So here are my 2 cents...

Full disclosure, I am a former buyer/wholesale manager for a large nationwide auto group. I also have been an independent dealer and I currently own a company that provides dealer services for car dealerships. I have quite literally driven almost every make/model/trim package over the last 15 years and I have vast experience running dealerships and dealing with auto manufacturers. Not that any of this makes my opinion superior to others but I do have a unique perspective.

That being said, I fully intended to purchase a Rubicon when I decided to make the switch from the JL. I do quite a bit of overlanding pulling an off road trailer and the extra towing capacity and bed storage was advantageous. I found the perfect JTR on a lot ($61k MSRP), secured an aggressive deal and then proceeded to BVA the vehicle overnight in order to make sure she was the one for me. The look of the vehicle was incredible and I had 100% confidence in the off road capability of the JTR but at the end of the day I was left a bit wanting from the driving experience. Coming from a JL I think I had to adjust a bit to the “truckiness” of the JT, turning radius, weight, wheelbase, etc but also the suspension of the JTR on road can be a bit abrasive. Bumps, pot holes and bad roads can be turned quickly into a less than smooth drive. I’m a Jeep guy and as such give tremendous amounts of “Jeep thing” allowances and fully understand this is not a Cadillac. Some people don’t mind and actually prefer this ride quality but for me the Ford Raptor has always been the gold standard of how a suspension should perform. I was really perplexed about how to proceed tbh, everything about the vehicle was perfect except for maybe the most important thing, how the driving experience made me feel. I decided to check all potential options before pulling the trigger, I drove a diesel JL (considered waiting) and then I drove the Mojave and... wow!!! Smiles ear to ear. This thing drives exactly like a want a Jeep to drive, on road or trail this thing is just an absolute joy to drive and honestly the closest experience to driving a Raptor, albeit still a bit underpowered. Two additional cylinders and the Mojave would be almost unbeatable. I have always envied the seats and steering wheel from the Raptor and now the Mojave adds a similar option. The seats are a bit more comfortable with the additional bolster IMO and the steering wheel feels amazing in hand! I cannot stress enough how different the Mojave performs when compared to EVERY other Jeep I have ever driven.

I was left with a tough decision because honestly the perfect JT IMO does not exist. The option I was most reluctant to lose was the steel bumper group, I despise plastic bumpers on the Jeep but there will be plenty of options as time goes on. Would I like a front locker? Sure. E Disco? Absolutely. What am I really losing that is either absolutely vital, incredibly expensive or impossible to add via the aftermarket? There will always be aftermarket solutions to most deficiencies with your Jeep and tbh most JT owners on this forum will never come close to reaching the physical limitations of their rig. I personally do not plan on doing major mechanical mods to my Jeep and the Mojave comes right out of the box ready to attack pavement, washboards, sand and honestly reasonable rock. Am I going to run the Rubicon in a stock Mojave? Absolutely not, but tbh slow crawling is not really my jam and I have no desire to do major damage to my brand new $60k Jeep. Give me balance and versatility for my money. As a someone who tows overland, the added frame strength is another big plus. To attack the Mojave as some sort of ”glorified Sport” is incredibly misguided and ignorant IMO and most likely comes from someone who has not been behind the wheel of one yet. Both the JTR and JTM are brilliant but each have their strengths and limitations. Throw the Max Tow and Overland in as well. No matter how you look at it you will ultimately have to make decisions about what you want and what you can live without, be it equipment or money.

I can assure you that the Mojave is no flash in the pan, gone in two year trim level. Unlike other trims where Jeep essentially shuffles it’s parts catalog in order to appeal to new buyers, the Mojave is the result of serious R&D money and I predict will be the genesis for a new division of “Desert Rated“ vehicles across the platform. Jeep is attempting to convert Raptor buyers and appeal to those who have always wanted one but found them slightly cost prohibitive, all while building a Jeep for Jeep lovers that is a different type of fun from the ones currently offered. I applaud Jeep for their vision as well as their execution of the Mojave. I am yet to read a review that doesn‘t have essentially the same takeaway after driving one, search for yourself there are plenty out there. Strap a V8 or some forced induction in this thing and it is game over.

In conclusion, the Mojave is an amazing new addition to the lineup and we are fortunate to have it. In fact, it is one of the finest all around vehicles I have ever had the pleasure to drive. If you find your self wanting to cast stones in its direction, go drive one for yourself first.

Here are a couple photos of the Mojave and my trailer for reference, I will post more/better photos soon!

Nice setup you have there. I'm similar to you, but with a Rubicon and OGT trailer:

I was seriously considering the Mojave as well as I'm doing mostly overland stuff now (I rocked crawled in my JKUR). Had there been one local to me when the wife told me to pull the trigger, I might have ended up with the Mojave instead of the Rubicon. The main point for me was that I could always upgrade the suspension on the Rubicon to compete with the Mojave easier than I could add a front locker and gears to the Mojave.

What I really would like to have is a diesel with Mojave suspension and a front locker. I could live with out the E Disco. lol

 

[Bonanza]

I want one of those trailers. Badly. But hot DANG they're pricy.

 

[Etoimos]

I want one of those trailers. Badly. But hot DANG they're pricy.

They do put a dent in your wallet. lol The value is actually quite good for what you get, depending on what company you go with. My OGT Expedition 2.0 is all aluminum, has a queen size bed, fold down kitchen with two burner stove and sink with on demand hot water, 60L Dometic fridge, shower, a furnace, more storage then you know what do with, 21" of ground clearance and 50° of departure angle. The thing will go anywhere my Jeeps can go terrain wise.

 

[studiodfw]

Nice setup you have there. I'm similar to you, but with a Rubicon and OGT trailer:

I was seriously considering the Mojave as well as I'm doing mostly overland stuff now (I rocked crawled in my JKUR). Had there been one local to me when the wife told me to pull the trigger, I might have ended up with the Mojave instead of the Rubicon. The main point for me was that I could always upgrade the suspension on the Rubicon to compete with the Mojave easier than I could add a front locker and gears to the Mojave.

What I really would like to have is a diesel with Mojave suspension and a front locker. I could live with out the E Disco. lol

Love your setup! Those OGT rigs are absolutely fantastic. I probably would have purchased the Rubi without even driving the Mojave if it wasn’t for the miles of washboard roads I had endured during my recent 6 week/ 6k mile over landing trip. The ass ache I endured on the 27 mile forest road between Flagstaff and Sedona is still fresh in my mind. I think the perfect out of the box JT is probably a hybrid of the two with a V8 but for now we will just have to choose what we can live without.

 

[studiodfw]

I want one of those trailers. Badly. But hot DANG they're pricy.

They certainly aren’t cheap but so just so clutch for getting outdoors at a moments notice. Renting them out when not in use is a good way to mitigate some of the cost.

 

[Blade1668]

If the Mojave would have been out when I was getting mine.. one would be in my driveway now that said would I trade in my Max-Tow for it Hell no... but the dealership I got mine from has 2 in Gobi . It would be a better ride that I know with out even driving one. I'd loose towing and cargo capacity. Mine has already hauled a half ton of concrete and wood. When I pick up stuff I'm not worried about the loading wt. And I'm getting damn good MPG for a Jeep truck... averaging 23+ MPG that didn't drop off when I was hauling 10 bags of concrete. It rode great with it too. If you're going to replace half the OEM parts why pay for them? For cool stickers? A VIN #, to say it "was" a Rubicon or Mojave? Yes I would prefer reinforcements and cast iron hubs over having AL. ones.
If you're having to "ask" that's your common sense telling you it's not needed. IMHO

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