What are the "MUST HAVE" mods after buying your Gladiator? ($5,000 starting budget)

[BAT]

I have a rubi, but nothing on my list is specific to that:

Dead pedal. MORE makes a red one, I love the very subtle red accent pop (that almost no one ever sees), matching Rubicon. They don't make an orange one but you could paint the black. This was the first thing I did.

Rokblokz Mudflaps. Front only for me - color matched in red again (they do have orange). Summer here is dry, but spring/fall/winter our door handles were just constantly coated in thick mud or snow or snowy mud or muddy snow.

Factory take-off soft rolling tonneau cover. (Purchased on the forums here.)

Mopar door sill guards. Mine didn't have this from dealer. I went with the Mopar ones over 3rd party because they don't come up over the lip of the door. Many people want the higher ones with more coverage, but those can affect the door seal and let water in during water crossings. A little less coverage, a little more water protection...

Purchased but not used: Fox Shox Steering Stabilizer. I ended up getting the TSB fix for wandering steering, and I'm not sure if I'll put this on. Might end up for sale on here...

Next purchase: behind rear seat ARB compressor mount (813 fab) and ARB single for on-board air. I'm surprised this isn't on more people's lists. I often don't air down on trails because I don't have easy access to air (without driving on the highway back to a town).

I bought the ARB portable air compressor kit that way I can take it in other vehicles or use it in my garage, etc. If I need it for the truck just put it in the back

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[Trailman]

I bought the ARB portable air compressor kit that way I can take it in other vehicles or use it in my garage, etc. If I need it for the truck just put it in the back

Yeah I've been sort of on the fence between mounted and portable. Realistically though I'm never going to throw it in our VW Golf and I don't anticipate having any other trucks or 4x4, so I'm leaning toward mounting.

Edit: and I already have a pancake style compressor for home use (nail gun, etc.).

 

[Gvsukids]

Side steps also help with keeping rocks from hitting the side.

 

[cuellar13]

A modified bank account balance isn't a "must have" but more of a direct result of buying a JT... and not modified in a positive way.

 

[AustinL911]

Bestop Sunrider is a must. Unless you like the growl of CAI it really adds nothing to the performance. I am about to remove my S&B CAI and put on a Hauk snorkel. The S&B intake actually takes away about 20HP over the stock intake. The Hauk will at least provide improved fording capabilities and give me my stock HP back Get the touch screen glass for your dash. Makes a massive difference in the feel and cleanliness of the screen. Go with 37's if you are debating between them and 35's. Then you don't have to sell tires for 1/2 the price 2 months later to get the 37's.

Which one do you recommend?

 

[AustinL911]

A really good warranty and a dealership you trust. But I digress
Quadratec super tweeter speakers shorter antenna
Treatment for the hard top seals
Weathertech floor Mats
Honestly it's hard to stop getting " essentials" for a jeep lol

Can you expound on this?

 

[BuckSawLilandtheGoose]

Which one do you recommend?

For intakes?

 

[AustinL911]

For intakes?

Touchscreen glass for dash.

 

[awraynor]

JK handles have a button for your thumb with a fixed "loop" that you pull on with the remaining 4 fingers.

JL/JT have the whole handle as a loop that pulls out to unlatch the door.

Bears can operate the pull out "loop" style handle pretty easily, but can't press a button and pull simultaneously. Or maybe they can, but it takes time to figure out, and they're usually pretty lazy. There's another trashcan somewhere nearby. They can get through soft tops too if there's something really great smelling inside and the doors are locked... One of those decisions you have to make sometimes... Take the doors off, and maybe they'll just get it muddy and put some claws through the upholstery? The real answer is to never allow food in the car, and keep the doors locked. But that's pretty bear-country specific.


I've spent some serious bucks with AEV in the past, but I'm not sure spacers are something I'd pay that premium for. At least not if that's all they are. I haven't looked to see if there's anything more substantial than the usual spacers.

And I thought snakes were my biggest worry. Man I hate snakes.

 

[AustinL911]

Just got my JTR a couple week ago and short of driving it home from Gupton, it's been mostly parked until I can get some of my personal 'Must Haves' out of the way.

I'm not a dedicated offroader or anything, but I do intend on keeping this vehicle for quite a while (last vehicle was/still is kept for 14+ years). So, protection and preservation are at the top of my list. Everything else, I'll sort out as I see a need.

Things I will do before driving it too much:
-Smart Liner floor mats
-Rugged Ridge sill guards
-Ceramic window tint to protect the interior/me
-Full paint detailing/correction/polishing/ceramic coating
-Mud flaps
-Hinge protection film
-Possibly some additional paint protection film on the hard hit areas
-Bullet liner bed liner w/ Bedrug XLT on top


I have a WHOLE list if things I'd 'like' to have, but the above are a must. I paid way too much for this thing to let it get beat up too quickly.

 

[BuckSawLilandtheGoose]

Touchscreen glass for dash.

This is the one I bought. Works very well and easy to clean.


https://www.quadratec.com/p/mopar/media-center-screen-protector-jeep-wrangler-jl-84-screen

 

[spectre6000]

And I thought snakes were my biggest worry. Man I hate snakes.

Don't park in any Mayan temples.

 

[Gvsukids]

Touchscreen glass for dash.

I bought this, also works great.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07SC8VWNL?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[Smittie]

Hey everyone,

Excited to be part of the Jeep community!

I recently placed an order for my Sting-ray Gray Mojave, I loaded it out minus leather seats and adaptive cruise control.

Big thanks to everyone here who recommended the Gupton route, y'all the real MVP's.

From experience of the owners already, what are the "must have" mods or accessories to install on your Gladiator?

I know this can be subjective to your needs and use of the truck itself but let's just say from an overall everyday perspective (no commute tho since I work from home) with camping/adventure trips in the mix.

So far I'm instantly thinking about tires, AEV spacer kit, CAI, front bumper/bar, tint, bed rack, extra lights.

Utility based mods are appreciated vs purely vanity.

Thank you all!

It depends a lot on what your uses will be.

I have a Willys model. I am replacing front and rear bumpers with solid steel. Mounting a winch for self-recovery. Putting in two radios (GMRS and CB) because the crowd I run with is a mix. Molle panels in the bed to serve as tie down for gear and to protect the bed walls. Tonneau cover that makes the bed interior lockable.

Let us know what you decide to do.

Smittie

 

[IamAlan]

The first thing I did was to get a locking tool box for the bed.
The second thing was to get a bed extender, because I lost a foot of bed space to the tool box.

Mudflaps are a must. I went with Weathertech and had no issues with mounting them. YMMV.

I don't see myself having a need for a bumper mounted winch, so I got a heavy duty set of come-alongs. I keep them in the box, along with a shovel and other assorted stuff.

I got a pair of tube doors and a set of mirrors for running naked. Just more comfortable that way.

I didn't bother with a wireless airplay adapter. I just plug the iPhone into a usb/turbo connector and CarPlay automatically detects it.

As far as sun shades, a hat from Bass Pro with a string to keep it from blowing away is $100 less than a bikini top. Just sayin'
.

There is an 800+ page, 12,000+ response thread Titled "What Did You Do To Your Gladiator Today" that will keep your Amazon cart full and wallet empty for months. Lots of great ideas there.

And welcome to the family!

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