Considering purchase, need to tow car hauler

[ShadowsPapa]

New here but I've been reading hundreds of posts for the last several days, hours here reading.
I was with my wife having her 18 Grand Cherokee serviced and saw a Gladiator in the showroom of the dealership and in was instant puppy love. Yeah, but it's a mid-sized truck, part of me said - but it's a JEEP , another part said.
So after reading here for days, talking with multiple people at dealerships, and comparing specs character by character, literally building a spreadsheet to compare to my current truck, I'm still left with questions but mostly - engine related.
I currently own a 2011 Silverado 1500 extended cab LTZ with Z71 and the 5.3 liter LS engine. It tows my car hauler fine.
I used to own a 95 Ford F250 4x4 with the 351 and it struggled badly to keep up 65 mph on I 80 in eastern Iowa - even OTR truckers have some problems there. The Chevy does ok - it shifts down a whole lot to do it, but that LS tach doesn't even have a redline on it and goes to 6,000 RPM. The Ford - I could floor it and it didn't keep up real well.

My trailer is a 22' car hauler - about 2,000 pounds empty, double axle, full brakes.
The cars I haul are about 3,000 to 3,100 pounds, the little 4x4 Eagle being short but heavy.
I haul to car shows and so on.
I know that with the trailer at 2,000, the SX4 at about 3,100 and say 300 pounds of parts and stuff in the back of the truck, I'm hauling about 5,400 pounds or so, trailer and cargo.
No sweat for the towing capacity - but gee, that Silverado has a ton more HP and torque.

5.3 liter
315 HP @ 5200 RPM
338 ft/lb torque @ 4000 RPM
HD cooling
26 gallon fuel tank
3.42 axle ratio
Limited slip
GVWR 7,000
9600 pound trailer max (5,000 without weight distributing hitch)
1788 pounds cargo

My Chevy has 46,500 miles on it - but it's time for tires (age more than wear - starting to show cracks) and it's big. I won't fit in my garage and even sticks out of my lean-to a few inches.

I keep flip-flopping. Like the Jeep, can deal with the shorter box and other stuff - but I'm really concerned about ripping that little 3.6 to shreds on I 80 in the eastern half of my own state -let alone hauling my car to a show in Colorado Springs next summer! (and will miss the electric seats when my wife drives and we have to re-adjust every little thing manually)

I see guys hauling TALLER trailers that weigh a lot less - and the wind resistance has to be about like pulling a lower but heavier trailer. And I've seen the truck guys haul in their test - a water tank for weight? I hope it was filled to the very tip-top and I've hauled 500 gallon water tanks only 3/4 filled and those are killers, jerking your vehicle around and all. Sloshing water is not fun. And they used a TALL trailer, maxed out.

Anyway, there are two things stopping me now - my concern that the engine will be shredded in a few months, not worried about the chassis or frame, and my wife says the colors are all wrong - she wants a lime green or PURPLE.

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[Whiplash2130]

New here but I've been reading hundreds of posts for the last several days, hours here reading.
I was with my wife having her 18 Grand Cherokee serviced and saw a Gladiator in the showroom of the dealership and in was instant puppy love. Yeah, but it's a mid-sized truck, part of me said - but it's a JEEP , another part said.
So after reading here for days, talking with multiple people at dealerships, and comparing specs character by character, literally building a spreadsheet to compare to my current truck, I'm still left with questions but mostly - engine related.
I currently own a 2011 Silverado 1500 extended cab LTZ with Z71 and the 5.3 liter LS engine. It tows my car hauler fine.
I used to own a 95 Ford F250 4x4 with the 351 and it struggled badly to keep up 65 mph on I 80 in eastern Iowa - even OTR truckers have some problems there. The Chevy does ok - it shifts down a whole lot to do it, but that LS tach doesn't even have a redline on it and goes to 6,000 RPM. The Ford - I could floor it and it didn't keep up real well.

My trailer is a 22' car hauler - about 2,000 pounds empty, double axle, full brakes.
The cars I haul are about 3,000 to 3,100 pounds, the little 4x4 Eagle being short but heavy.
I haul to car shows and so on.
I know that with the trailer at 2,000, the SX4 at about 3,100 and say 300 pounds of parts and stuff in the back of the truck, I'm hauling about 5,400 pounds or so, trailer and cargo.
No sweat for the towing capacity - but gee, that Silverado has a ton more HP and torque.

5.3 liter
315 HP @ 5200 RPM
338 ft/lb torque @ 4000 RPM
HD cooling
26 gallon fuel tank
3.42 axle ratio
Limited slip
GVWR 7,000
9600 pound trailer max (5,000 without weight distributing hitch)
1788 pounds cargo

My Chevy has 46,500 miles on it - but it's time for tires (age more than wear - starting to show cracks) and it's big. I won't fit in my garage and even sticks out of my lean-to a few inches.

I keep flip-flopping. Like the Jeep, can deal with the shorter box and other stuff - but I'm really concerned about ripping that little 3.6 to shreds on I 80 in the eastern half of my own state -let alone hauling my car to a show in Colorado Springs next summer! (and will miss the electric seats when my wife drives and we have to re-adjust every little thing manually)

I see guys hauling TALLER trailers that weigh a lot less - and the wind resistance has to be about like pulling a lower but heavier trailer. And I've seen the truck guys haul in their test - a water tank for weight? I hope it was filled to the very tip-top and I've hauled 500 gallon water tanks only 3/4 filled and those are killers, jerking your vehicle around and all. Sloshing water is not fun. And they used a TALL trailer, maxed out.

Anyway, there are two things stopping me now - my concern that the engine will be shredded in a few months, not worried about the chassis or frame, and my wife says the colors are all wrong - she wants a lime green or PURPLE.

I’d wait for the diesel.

 

[smlobx]

IF your weights are correct you should be fine with the Sport S with a max tow option.

 

[DylanR]

Towing was a big deciding factor for me as well when buying...

From what I have watched and read... the diesel option will not be able to tow as much as the max tow gas Sport S... the diesel is more about low end crawling torque.

I tow a 6,000lb+ Axis T22 boat with mine... it does much better than anyone would expect.

I have towed with the 5.3 and imo it doesn’t offer much and doesn’t do very well... the 6.2 would be better obviously.

My last tow vehicle was a ‘17 3.5 EcoBoost F-150 twin turbo (phenomenal) and I’m not totally disappointed with the Gladiator... actually surprised. It tows as well imo as my 5.4 V8 Navigator.

The torque you’ll see with the gladiator is more low end torque.

If it’s a straight road with some hills I think you would be happy. Especially at a normal towing speed. If it’s a ton of steep inclines then I’d suggest something different. Like the gauntlet test I’m sure you watched...

My opinion fwiw is coming from towing with... hemi, silverado’s, Tahoe, tundra, F-150, Navigator.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I looked up the specs on my trailer again - oops, I was off. It's a bit heavier empty than I thought.
It's actually: 2350 lbs. / 1068 kg empty and not 2,000.
Not sure where I got the 2,000 - but maybe I had seen the base specs and that stuck in my head. 2,000 is easier to remember than 2350.

But still, 2350 plus 3100 for my heaviest car makes 5450 then if I put any parts or tools in the back, I'm closer to 5700 - still under 6,000 pounds.
My Javelins weigh less than the Eagle SX4. I'm more likely to haul them on the trailer due to the drone of the pipes and other factors.
I rarely have much weight in the truck itself - and going TO a swap meet/car show, I normally have no parts in the truck. Just me, a small cooler, and my duffle of some clothes. (and if I lose 30 pounds.........) So normally it's the trailer and car and not much else, at least going out.

Trailer has 2 3500# axles, electric brakes on both.
I am strongly considering an aluminum trailer anyway - this one is almost over-kill for me.
Funny thing - the specs on my Silverado 1500 I never paid attention to until now -
9600 pound trailer max (5,000 without weight distributing hitch)
1788 pounds cargo
Ha - I've been towing without a weight distributing hitch. No wonder I drop the back of that truck a bit when I pull the car onto the trailer.
This car is very front heavy so I could have it back a bit further......

Yes, was looking at Sport S with automatic. I like to drive sticks, but don't like to tow and back up with 'em. REALLY wanted LEATHER but that's not in the Sport S lineup. REALLY wanted power seats as my wife always screws up the settings when she uses my vehicles, but I see why they don't have that....... My Silverado is LOADED - but no NAV. When towing to car shows and events - I wanted NAV but that was 2 grand in 2011.


The diesel would add weight to the truck, so should lower towing capacity since it's based on total vehicle weight as well as other things.
I tow cars maybe 2 to 3 times a year to and from shows outside of Iowa (Indiana, Ohio, WI, next year Colorado Springs). Normally twice, max would be 3 or 4 at the outside.
I like the fact the Gladiator is a true Jeep, the height to go over and through things (I have gotten lazy on snow removal and it can get pretty deep around here) - but I'm not likely to take it to the Des Moines river bottoms and go mudding or crawling over the rocks at Ledges state park.
So I'm looking for winter snow and snowy/icy road use as well as occasional towing.
I won't buy anything that isn't 4x4 any more. My cars get parked once the slime goes on the roads.

Thanks much for the input thus far. I appreciate it. This is a big thing IF I do it. Don't want buyer's remorse or regret down the road. And at my age (62), MAYBE it could be my last truck purchase - make it last me forever.

My current rig -

 

[Whiplash2130]

IF your weights are correct you should be fine with the Sport S with a max tow option.

Being a driver who has hauled trailers for around 50 years, the Gladiator will pull it with the 3.6 Pentastar

I looked up the specs on my trailer again - oops, I was off. It's a bit heavier empty than I thought.
It's actually: 2350 lbs. / 1068 kg empty and not 2,000.
Not sure where I got the 2,000 - but maybe I had seen the base specs and that stuck in my head. 2,000 is easier to remember than 2350.

But still, 2350 plus 3100 for my heaviest car makes 5450 then if I put any parts or tools in the back, I'm closer to 5700 - still under 6,000 pounds.
My Javelins weigh less than the Eagle SX4. I'm more likely to haul them on the trailer due to the drone of the pipes and other factors.
I rarely have much weight in the truck itself - and going TO a swap meet/car show, I normally have no parts in the truck. Just me, a small cooler, and my duffle of some clothes. (and if I lose 30 pounds.........) So normally it's the trailer and car and not much else, at least going out.

Trailer has 2 3500# axles, electric brakes on both.
I am strongly considering an aluminum trailer anyway - this one is almost over-kill for me.
Funny thing - the specs on my Silverado 1500 I never paid attention to until now -
9600 pound trailer max (5,000 without weight distributing hitch)
1788 pounds cargo
Ha - I've been towing without a weight distributing hitch. No wonder I drop the back of that truck a bit when I pull the car onto the trailer.
This car is very front heavy so I could have it back a bit further......

Yes, was looking at Sport S with automatic. I like to drive sticks, but don't like to tow and back up with 'em. REALLY wanted LEATHER but that's not in the Sport S lineup. REALLY wanted power seats as my wife always screws up the settings when she uses my vehicles, but I see why they don't have that....... My Silverado is LOADED - but no NAV. When towing to car shows and events - I wanted NAV but that was 2 grand in 2011.


The diesel would add weight to the truck, so should lower towing capacity since it's based on total vehicle weight as well as other things.
I tow cars maybe 2 to 3 times a year to and from shows outside of Iowa (Indiana, Ohio, WI, next year Colorado Springs). Normally twice, max would be 3 or 4 at the outside.
I like the fact the Gladiator is a true Jeep, the height to go over and through things (I have gotten lazy on snow removal and it can get pretty deep around here) - but I'm not likely to take it to the Des Moines river bottoms and go mudding or crawling over the rocks at Ledges state park.
So I'm looking for winter snow and snowy/icy road use as well as occasional towing.
I won't buy anything that isn't 4x4 any more. My cars get parked once the slime goes on the roads.

Thanks much for the input thus far. I appreciate it. This is a big thing IF I do it. Don't want buyer's remorse or regret down the road. And at my age (62), MAYBE it could be my last truck purchase - make it last me forever.

My current rig -

 

[Whiplash2130]

My last reply was truncated for some reason, but you got the idea! The Gladiator is not a daily driver for someone who tows all the time. It’s a great sports vehicle, good for off road, and would make a great grocery getter. Make sure you know what you want and why. The rest will work itself out.

 

[XJ2JTChris]

15 years experience here towing similar car hauler and fox body mustangs and 4th gen Camaro's, as well as lightweight utility trailers with tractors weighing a few thousand pounds. That being said, forget all about your specs and dealers opinions and FCA claiming it can do this and that, find a place that rents them, hook up to your trailer, and get some first hand experience. Sure it all works out on paper, but real world is where it's at. I'll tell you what, sure the gladiator CAN do it....tow it, stop it, maybe even not destroy the little motor and trans/drive line after 50k miles. The question is, is it going to be a pleasant experience in doing so. My first hand experience says hell no. When towing all the same loads with my old 4.6 F150, my newish F150 with coyote V8, and now my gladiator with max tow, the gladiator is an absolute miserable experience even only at roughly 5,500lbs. I would NEVER want to use this thing to tow the max....let alone anywhere that has the slightest hill.

 

[DylanR]

I would also say it all depends on your trailer and how well equipped it is...


Towing with my gladiator isn’t miserable at all... you have to “consider the application.” My boat would prob be considered aero dynamic lol compared to a box trailer.

It’s not a Duramax.

If I wanted to tow all over the country all the time I would have kept my EcoBoost or bought a real diesel.

Towing my boat to the lake... couple times a week at the most. It does just fine. I’d take it over the older smaller V8’s due to how it is geared and the way it gears down.

Now imo if you keep it completely stock it looks ridiculous pulling a bigger item... when you add some bigger tires etc it even looks the part. (May or may not take away from your towing capacity) but def looks better.

just my opinion.

 

[OL1970]

Well I’m a classic car guy and a Gladiator owner who has towed. First comment is drive the Cars to whatever show you are taking them to...why save them for the next guy, use them like they were intended! This is coming from a guy with a ‘67 Vette restored to concourse level quality.

Second, get the sport s with max tow and it will handle it no issues whatsoever, I’m also from Iowa originally and have driven that stretch of I80 more times than I can remember. I towed my 5400 pound MasterCraft on a 2300lb trailer about 30 miles no issues. I wouldn’t be taking a 500 mile road trip with that much weight with my rubicon LE, but for what you are doing it would be perfect.

Good luck with your decision, it’s a great vehicle to own!

 

[lrtexasman]

I Would not do it. As per previous poster please rent one for a day and do a tow test before buying. Let that be your decider. We are only offering opinions and none of us tow your rig on your terrain and know what you consider acceptable. Perhaps a forum member who lives near by with a max tow would do a pull for you to see for lunch or a case of beer, lol.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well I’m a classic car guy and a Gladiator owner who has towed. First comment is drive the Cars to whatever show you are taking them to...why save them for the next guy, use them like they were intended! This is coming from a guy with a ‘67 Vette restored to concourse level quality.

Second, get the sport s with max tow and it will handle it no issues whatsoever, I’m also from Iowa originally and have driven that stretch of I80 more times than I can remember. I towed my 5400 pound MasterCraft on a 2300lb trailer about 30 miles no issues. I wouldn’t be taking a 500 mile road trip with that much weight with my rubicon LE, but for what you are doing it would be perfect.

Good luck with your decision, it’s a great vehicle to own!

LOL - well, try driving a 1973 Javelin with a built 360, dual quad, headers, flowmasters and other fun stuff - and if you mess around with it and break something, you look for a ride home. And with the interior costing me about 4 grand for the special material, uh, no parts in there. I change clothes before I sit in it.
The 70 Javelin is mostly original, 31,000 miles and keeping it this way has doubled the value since I bought it and worked on it.

My Eagle is a best of show AMO winner, 3 time gold award winner at 3 AMO international shows and you don't haul car parts in it from swap meets - yeah, the shows I go to are show/swapmeet and sometimes racing. I can tow a small 4x6 utility trailer behind the Eagle and haul a few things, but it's not the sort of car you toss car parts into. I've taken it to Kenosha a couple of times - with IT hauling the trailer. Driven the SX4 to Cordova a couple of times, too.
I drive any of them to the grocery store and so on. They don't sit.
I do drive them around home- I bought the Eagle 12 years ago with 152,000 miles on it and it's now got over 193,000 miles on it. Lost track of the miles I put on the 73 - it's a fun car to drive if you can stand the sound and smell. (a few leaks the prior owner neglected and it runs nasty rich as I've not tweaked the new AVS2 carbs yet)
But most of the shows I go to are also swap meets, that's where I need to trailer 'em. Hard to load hoods, fenders, transmissions and the starters and alternators people bring for me to restore in those cars.
- local shows I drive the cars.

As far as renting - not something easily done in this state. This is the Des Moines area - you don't have many choices for rental. My son has rented vehicles many times in his travels, to airports and such - and you don't find vehicles like these for rent here. When you do rent a truck to haul a trailer - ouch - they want you to get a big truck, 1/2 ton full sized at least. My son looked into renting to pull a small u-haul trailer to Florida - nope, had to be a full-sized truck. They purposely don't equip small trucks with tow equipment around here - too afraid someone might - gasp!- tow with it.

I asked the dealer about trying one to tow - take my rig, unhook, hitch up and check it out. They don't have any in stock that could do that. No brake controllers on their stock Jeeps. Plus - they are all in level areas. I'd have to "test drive" for a day, drive it through Des Moines to get to I 80 east, also a no-no. They all sit with you for short drives. I tried - I asked- can I actually try one? Sorry, don't have any with brake controllers, and not for the time it would take (miles, mostly, I assume.

I have seen only one single Gladiator on the road - it was in East Des Moines, it's the only one I've seen except those on dealer lots.

(I see aluminum trailers drop 1,000 pounds off the trailer weight compared to my trailer - even one the same SIZE as mine is a thousand pounds lighter)

 

[smlobx]

Several of my car guy friends use Featherlite Aluminum trailer to haul their Porsche race cars...

https://www.fthr.com/products/car-trailers/bumper-pull/3110-car-trailer

They are very light and can be moved empty by one guy...

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Thanks for the link - been coming up short with google - it won't even show me half the dealers around me - and nothing for the Featherlite at all.
Looking into aluminum seriously for multiple reasons - as I get older -well, that's one reason HA.

Appreciate all the input so far. Reading every one.

 

[Ichthus]

Here’s one thing we should all be able to agree upon: Max Tow Ratings don’t tell the whole story. Yes, modern tow ratings are determined by a complex and regulated testing protocol, but they are also a liability limiting factor. What that means is that an Electric Mini Cooper can tow a jumbo jet for a commercial. A Nissan Titan can tow a Space Shuttle across a bridge as a publicity stunt. A Gladiator can advertise 7650 as its Class Leading towing capacity. At the same time, if you try the first 2 feats on your own, they’d deny your warranty claim for a new transmission and an accident would result in you declaring bankruptcy after a VERY quick civil lawsuit.

Regarding the Gladiator and towing: if you put 6000 lbs behind a Rubicon or a Sport Max Tow, neither will tow it very well, but they’ll tow it almost equally well. An Overland or Sport w/out Max tow will not do quite as as well, but they would still be CAPABLE of moving the load. What’s the biggest difference? The 4.10 gears instead of 3.73’s, correct? That and some trans cooling features? Ability and capability don’t mean the same thing

What I’m getting at, is that it’s utter hogwash to think that the 3.6, making peak power above 4500rpm, even though it is RATED to tow more, will tow as well as the diesel, which makes over 50% more peak torque, starting around 1500rpm. If you want a Gladiator for regular towing duties, get an Eco-diesel.

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