Fully Enclosed Gladiator

[mog]

Move the rear axle a foot forward on the bottom pic so it’s roughly in the same location as the bobbed one in the first pic.

Both have the same 137.3" factory wheelbase.

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[ACAD_Cowboy]

What it really sounds like the OP wants to do is put a 2 door JL can on a JT frame, clipping the tub and filling the space. This also sounds kinda like the Thayler and J8 "scrambloid" trucks.

like that but longer and with a roof that goes all the way back.

 

[FLUndertaker]

What it really sounds like the OP wants to do is put a 2 door JL can on a JT frame, clipping the tub and filling the space. This also sounds kinda like the Thayler and J8 "scrambloid" trucks.

yes please!

 

[Slojo]

If they made a JL Africa I'd be at the dealer now and the wifey would be yelling at me.

 

[stickshifter]

If they made a JL Africa I'd be at the dealer now and the wifey would be yelling at me.

Yeah! Tell your wife if you get the Africa she can bring that extra bag on your next road trip

If you are into technical rock crawling the Africa doesn't make sense. But for other uses in which extra enclosed storage is more important than having a great departure angle, the Africa would be awesome. For a long time now, there have been all kinds of Jeeps.

We've got the 2-door that goes back to the CJ era (I loved my 1978 CJ-7 but I'd never want it as an only vehicle today). 1978 CJ-7 photo below:

The first 4-door Jeep was the Wagoneer I believe, which came out in the 1960s (photo below); it looks like it was longer than the Africa.

The first 4-door Wrangler was in 2007 (the JKU). 4-door Wranglers now outsell 2-door Wranglers by a significant margin.

The first Jeep pickup - the Scrambler - came out in 1981 [EDIT: came out in 1966]

Nothing crazy about bringing the Africa to the market!

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

You seem confused about jeep pickups.

The cj5 with the bed extension, the cj6 and the full sized trucks... forget not the old gods for they kill as readily as the new.

 

[stickshifter]

You seem confused about jeep pickups.

The cj5 with the bed extension, the cj6 and the full sized trucks... forget not the old gods for they kill as readily as the new.

Good grief! The CJ-5 with a bed extension is one ugly duckling!

And what do you know - a Jeep "pickup" CJ-6 was available 1966-1975! It doesn't look very "pickup truck" to me, so maybe I didn't find the right vehicle. Seems like more of an extended CJ (which Jeep has done on many occasions).

I hope the old gods are appeased

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

No one ever said the old gods were pretty.

Neither the CJ5 super box or the CJ6 is terribly pickup. The FSJ are terribly CJ like. The scrambler is kinda like a compromise. Honestly it's hard.

 

[mog]

Here is a very 'out of the box' solution(?) for rear access. They added a 3rd door to this LR130 ?

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

So this happened via motorbiscuit.

Some JL/JT grafting for a more suburban style ride.

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/how-to-make-a-3-row-jeep-wrangler-from-a-gladiator/

Looks like you could make this into a reasonably troopy/Africa style rig with some minor interior adjustment.

 

[texanjeeper]

Agreed, I think if I wanted an SUV I would have looked at a Tahoe or a Suburban in the first place.

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

So all in all its a compromise of compromises really and it all depends on how much surgery you will want to endure. If you were to make a van body they why not add a tag axle for 4x6 drive and increased carry capacity right? Heck why not full 6x6 drive like the OG trex? Or why not dice in deep and put it all on a ram 1t frame... its a deep dark rabbit hole of creating new problems to solve old ones.

 

[stickshifter]

So all in all its a compromise of compromises really and it all depends on how much surgery you will want to endure. If you were to make a van body they why not add a tag axle for 4x6 drive and increased carry capacity right? Heck why not full 6x6 drive like the OG trex? Or why not dice in deep and put it all on a ram 1t frame... its a deep dark rabbit hole of creating new problems to solve old ones.

Yeah maybe, but I'm not the only one. In this thread:

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/sleeping-in-a-jt.41157/

...folks are trying to figure out how to sleep in a Gladiator, and are finding that the backseat is too small, as is the bed of the truck. A fully enclosed Gladiator from the factory would solve this. You could put in a 6 or 7 foot drawer system to provide access to gear, and use it as a sleeping platform. The whole point is to try to make it work in the Gladiator, not to buy a different vehicle. But thanks for continuing to give this thought.

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

I just forwarded it as it is in the theme of the thread.

 

[Foodtruck12]

That's a good suggestion. I had looked at the Chevy Suburban, but the last year of the solid front axle was 1991 (too old). I had forgotten about the Excursion; the last year of the solid front axle was 2008. That's not too old. Its a really big vehicle though - not a lot of fun on most of the trails in Colorado. I don't know anything about these SUVs. Looks like you could get a 7.3 liter diesel or a 6.8 liter 10 cylinder gas engine. All automatics.

For me, the Gladiator is a great vehicle, for the following reasons: (1) the perfect size, (2) has solid front & rear axles, (3) is available with lockers front and rear, (4) disconnecting front sway bar, (5) a manual transfer case (which is my strong preference), and (5) easily accommodates 35s or 37s. A manual transmission is available (my strong preference), but its only in the 3.6. A diesel engine is also available, which drives great - but only with an auto. On the plus side, its the best auto I've ever test-driven (never owned an auto). In summary, the Gladiator has a lot going for it that a 2008 Excursion does not. Having said that, I recognize that trying to turn a Gladiator into an enclosed flatbed is going to be more trouble and money than its worth.

I appreciate everyone's feedback. No need for anyone else to weigh in and tell me I'm wasting my time and money However, if anyone has actually tried removing the bulk head in any pickup truck, I'd love to hear about your experience. Thanks folks!

When I was just out of high school and was big into the mini truck scene, We did this to my buddies truck. We removed the rear glass, cut the front of the bed and the back of the cab. We then used the the same weather seal strip that was used to connect the topper to the truck to seal the space between the cab and bed. Had to cut the front of the topper as well. I can honestly say it did keep water and air out. I can honestly say I would not do it again. Once you do that, you are stuck with it. Can't put it back very easily. We drove on the city streets, no offroading, and there was a lot of flexing in the bed and cab without that extra support tying the sides together. We thought it was cool for about six months. He then sold the truck and got next to nothing for it.

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