The Gladiator does just fine towing

[RIPLER]

I finally got to tow my boat today with my Rubicon and it did just fine. My last 5 tow vehicles had been full sized trucks, 2010 Titan, 2014 Ram 1500 Sport, 2017 Titan Pro 4X, and 2018 Titan Pro 4X (the 2017 was a lemon and Nissan bought it back). My boat full of gas and equipment is about 5,000 pounds, the Titan towed it like there was nothing back there. I had to adjust my driving style with the Gladiator on the hills, I had to keep my momentum up to keep my speed. I live in South western PA and tow my boat on twisty and hilly roads and the Gladiator handled it well. The truck does squat with the boat hitched up and it did bounce a little more than I was used to with my other trucks, but it wasn't unsettling. I may add some air bags that I can inflate when I tow. I do have surge brakes on my trailer so stopping wasn't a problem. All in all I'm pleased with how the Gladiator towed and have no regrets in trading in my Titan.

Sponsored

 

[megamucho]

Thanks for the report - glad it went well.

 

[Tacoman03]

Good to hear as I'm looking to upgrade my current travel trailer to a 4800lb one!

 

[Mirchi]

Anyone know how many miles you should drive before you tow? Used to be 1,000 miles.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

Anyone know how many miles you should drive before you tow? Used to be 1,000 miles.

Todays modern components are mfg to a standard only dreamed about a few years ago. In my engine building days we measured in the /100 ths today its .10000 thousands. Back in my days burning a quart of oil every 1000 mi was a goal few reached, today you won't burn a quart every 10,000 mi.

I would tell you today burn a tank (250-300 mi) and tow easy, drive sanely, the lake will still be there when you arrive. Break it in by towing it in, do a few tows like that and you will be good to go.

 

[Mirchi]

Thanks for the advice Ole Cowboy.

 

[futzin']

Thanks for the post. Appreciate it.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

The old days: Sawdust and Water

Bearings failed often and rods would knock, no problem. On the ranch we kept a bundle of harness leather. Jack up that old Ford roll under dropt the pan and all but 2 of the crankshaft bearing caps, remove that old "babbitted" bearing and slap in a cut piece of harness leter bolt up and remove the last 2 caps and do it to them. Replace pan filter the oil thru an old T-shirt and drive.

Rear end whine getting so lound can hear the radio: No prob we set back some seasoned Oak or Hickory if we can find it. Chainsaw it over a tub till you have a few cups of sawdust. Pull cover off the axle pumpkin, filter thru old T-shirt, mix in the sawdust and add in some more 140 Wt gear oil and that rear axle or std trans will run as quiet as a church mouse.

Lead: Yes gas had lead in it and it built up along with carbon on the valves. Your engine would perform poorly and lose power due to poor seating of the valves. A valve job was costly as they took the heads off the engine, So we did a Valve Job in a Can. Bring engine up to operating temp, remove air filter assembly, grab a 12 oz can of drank coke or beer, rinse out and fill with water. With engine running and a hand on the accelerator rod on the side of the carb, slowly pour the water thru the engine as it is running and you are revving it up. 1 can, maybe 2 if you have a big V8 will do a valve job on your car as good as removing the heads.

 

[Moab]

The old days: Sawdust and Water

Bearings failed often and rods would knock, no problem. On the ranch we kept a bundle of harness leather. Jack up that old Ford roll under dropt the pan and all but 2 of the crankshaft bearing caps, remove that old "babbitted" bearing and slap in a cut piece of harness leter bolt up and remove the last 2 caps and do it to them. Replace pan filter the oil thru an old T-shirt and drive.

Rear end whine getting so lound can hear the radio: No prob we set back some seasoned Oak or Hickory if we can find it. Chainsaw it over a tub till you have a few cups of sawdust. Pull cover off the axle pumpkin, filter thru old T-shirt, mix in the sawdust and add in some more 140 Wt gear oil and that rear axle or std trans will run as quiet as a church mouse.

Lead: Yes gas had lead in it and it built up along with carbon on the valves. Your engine would perform poorly and lose power due to poor seating of the valves. A valve job was costly as they took the heads off the engine, So we did a Valve Job in a Can. Bring engine up to operating temp, remove air filter assembly, grab a 12 oz can of drank coke or beer, rinse out and fill with water. With engine running and a hand on the accelerator rod on the side of the carb, slowly pour the water thru the engine as it is running and you are revving it up. 1 can, maybe 2 if you have a big V8 will do a valve job on your car as good as removing the heads.

Excellent stuff Cowboy! I remember my grandpa doing these same scenarios. I also remember him
“cleaning” an old V8 Chevy’s innards with kerosene before he changed the oil again and then again to get the dirt and sludge out. It was his truck that would take him back and forth to the mill. It finally rusted out
but he had saved that engine!

 

[Ole Cowboy]

Excellent stuff Cowboy! I remember my grandpa doing these same scenarios. I also remember him
“cleaning” an old V8 Chevy’s innards with kerosene before he changed the oil again and then again to get the dirt and sludge out. It was his truck that would take him back and forth to the mill. It finally rusted out
but he had saved that engine!

LOL, glad to know some remember grandpa or in my case Dad telling me these things and yes a few quarts of Kerosene would clean out an engine like new. In fact once a year we flushed with kerosene and did the water thru the carb, put in a new set of spark plugs and it ran as good as new.

 

[bgenlvtex]

Much of that knowledge is just moot at this point because of technological advancements. I remember aftermarket "oil filter" housings that accepted a roll of toilet paper as filter media. Blow by tubes, cast iron gear boxes, home made/modified tools.

The ability to work on your own vehicle was a rite of passage for men (and some women), it helped ensure that you owned your mobility. That mobility was easily equated to economic success and freedom. Some of us who grew up that way have never forgotten those things. Some of us have instilled those same abilities on the next generation, it is not lost but it is definitely in decline.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

Much of that knowledge is just moot at this point because of technological advancements. I remember aftermarket "oil filter" housings that accepted a roll of toilet paper as filter media. Blow by tubes, cast iron gear boxes, home made/modified tools.

The ability to work on your own vehicle was a rite of passage for men (and some women), it helped ensure that you owned your mobility. That mobility was easily equated to economic success and freedom. Some of us who grew up that way have never forgotten those things. Some of us have instilled those same abilities on the next generation, it is not lost but it is definitely in decline.

Good points, is it moot? Yes and No!

IMO the TJ was the last of the simple. It was also a near bulletproof Jeeps. Keep the radiator flowing and unless you burned out a throwout bearing in your clutch or grenade both axles you drove off the trail. That is why IMO I still think the TJ is the best of the extreme OR game if your choice is 4++ trails and extreme off-road anywhere in the US. Electrics and water do not mix well.

Here is a river crossing-saving a life and a Jeep, I got water splashing in thru windows, TJ can survive...sorry for the size but it was taken from a long ways off. I was the only one along with the guy I saved his butt and rig to get across the river, the rest of them about 7-9 Jeeps ended up not getting home for 2 days...till the river went down enough to drive over it.

 

[Malarkey21]

Anyone know how many miles you should drive before you tow? Used to be 1,000 miles.

I want to say my 2018 ram owners manual said 1k to “mate driveline components” before towing. It’s really not hard to put that many miles on in a few days when you are super excited about a new toy lol. I would say probably good to go after the 500 miles for engine break in.

 

[Blade1668]

Good points, is it moot? Yes and No!

IMO the TJ was the last of the simple. It was also a near bulletproof Jeeps. Keep the radiator flowing and unless you burned out a throwout bearing in your clutch or grenade both axles you drove off the trail. That is why IMO I still think the TJ is the best of the extreme OR game if your choice is 4++ trails and extreme off-road anywhere in the US. Electrics and water do not mix well.

Here is a river crossing-saving a life and a Jeep, I got water splashing in thru windows, TJ can survive...sorry for the size but it was taken from a long ways off. I was the only one along with the guy I saved his butt and rig to get across the river, the rest of them about 7-9 Jeeps ended up not getting home for 2 days...till the river went down enough to drive over it.

I remember doing a few of them things to a few of my vehicles, to include my XJ's MJ and LJ. I tried to flush the motors oil at least every year, cleaning intake the same thing but throttle body cleaner or Sea Foam. Another old days trick... put a cap full of brake fluid in to swell up leaky seals.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

LJ built out right is prob the best OR rig ever made, then and today.

That said building a Jeep right is not easy, nor simple. When I have my Offroad shop around the time of the month that JP mag showed up in mailboxes I got calls on the latest and greatest magic do-dah that will make your rig invincible on the trails, most of those companies go out of business because it does not work. SO for those of you who have some trail time do you remember the 10 inch lift kits? I was VISCOUSLY arttacked on those. I thought it was a joke, but sadly it was real and I will tell you some of the writers di the 10' on there personal rigs. I remember talking with him and do you have ANY friggin idea of Center of Gravity calculations?

Then there was the full Airbag suspension setup, about $7000k. the deal was you adjusted your airbag as you went thru and obstacle. It did work exceptionally well as long as the obstacle was not much more than a curb and I met them by invite upon Moab. Obstacles in Moab are very complex when you get to the 4++ trails and in order to balance and adjust air bags where are your eyeballs???on the dash switches and not on the obstacle. Good idea I guess, no springs just airbags which can work great for hi way rigs, but Moab prob put the company out of business, but not until they had graced the pages of Jeep rags and sold tens of thousands of dollars worth to the well heeled Jeepers. It was a disaster in Moab, but the 3 rd day only a few of the nearly 25 customer rigs were working, it was not a very reliable system.

Just a few things I have seen over my 50 years of Jeeping. Most are funny unless you are the guy who bought into it $$$

Sponsored