biodiesel
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2018
- Threads
- 9
- Messages
- 716
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- Location
- New Mexico
- Vehicle(s)
- 2015 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel
- Thread starter
- #1
For the last several years, we've been slowly developing our property. The Jeep Cherokee was our designated 'ranch vehicle'. We used it to tow rocks, stumps, limbs, brush, pine duff, firewood, equipment, materials, etc. As much as I appreciated the reliability and capability of the Cherokee, I also recognized it's limitations. We decided to sell it with 220,000 miles on the odometer. It served it's purpose well, but we needed something that was better equipped for towing.
As soon as the Jeep Gladiator and it's specs were confirmed, I knew it would be the perfect replacement 'ranch vehicle'. The Gladiator addressed several key issues that we had with the Cherokee. For one, the JT has a truck bed for hauling items that couldn't be hauled in the cargo space of the Cherokee. The JT also has a higher tow rating that leaves enough capacity to buy a larger trailer with brakes and still be able to haul decent sized loads.
At the same time, the JT shares some of the same features that we loved about the Cherokee. For one, the JT has a backseat area that we can put a cooler, food, drinks, gear, tools, parts, camera, and other items that we want to keep dry, clean, and secure. Even though the Gladiator is a bigger/heavier vehicle, it's still smaller than a full-sized quad cab truck.
Cherokee: 167.5"L x 69.4" W x 63.8" H
Gladiator: 218″ L x 74″ W x 75-76″ H
Ram Quad Cab: 229″ L x 82″ W x 78″ H
To be honest, I could accomplish all my goals with either the 3.6L Pentastar or the 3.0L Ecodiesel. At this current time, we don't know the tow rating on the Ecodiesel, but I do prefer the diesel for it's torque, driveability, and fuel economy. Our property is located at 7,100 feet and in mountainous terrain. Very seldom will I be driving over 60 mph. Most of our driving will be 55 mph or slower. Not only do turbo diesel engines perform better than gasoline engines at altitude, but they achieve peak power/torque in the lower RPMs. Gasoline engines, on the other hand, need to be at a higher RPM to benefit from their peak power. So, from a commuting/towing standpoint, a diesel just makes more sense for me.
Anyway, I posted a few photos so that you could see some of the things we did with the Cherokee.
As soon as the Jeep Gladiator and it's specs were confirmed, I knew it would be the perfect replacement 'ranch vehicle'. The Gladiator addressed several key issues that we had with the Cherokee. For one, the JT has a truck bed for hauling items that couldn't be hauled in the cargo space of the Cherokee. The JT also has a higher tow rating that leaves enough capacity to buy a larger trailer with brakes and still be able to haul decent sized loads.
At the same time, the JT shares some of the same features that we loved about the Cherokee. For one, the JT has a backseat area that we can put a cooler, food, drinks, gear, tools, parts, camera, and other items that we want to keep dry, clean, and secure. Even though the Gladiator is a bigger/heavier vehicle, it's still smaller than a full-sized quad cab truck.
Cherokee: 167.5"L x 69.4" W x 63.8" H
Gladiator: 218″ L x 74″ W x 75-76″ H
Ram Quad Cab: 229″ L x 82″ W x 78″ H
To be honest, I could accomplish all my goals with either the 3.6L Pentastar or the 3.0L Ecodiesel. At this current time, we don't know the tow rating on the Ecodiesel, but I do prefer the diesel for it's torque, driveability, and fuel economy. Our property is located at 7,100 feet and in mountainous terrain. Very seldom will I be driving over 60 mph. Most of our driving will be 55 mph or slower. Not only do turbo diesel engines perform better than gasoline engines at altitude, but they achieve peak power/torque in the lower RPMs. Gasoline engines, on the other hand, need to be at a higher RPM to benefit from their peak power. So, from a commuting/towing standpoint, a diesel just makes more sense for me.
Anyway, I posted a few photos so that you could see some of the things we did with the Cherokee.
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