How to spend $33K, kill two days, drive 1200 miles through 7 states and average 17MPG...

[BourbonRunner]

I finally found the one.

2022 Mojave with every option except leather and the body-colored roof and fenders. Found it in a Chevy dealer in Orlando Sunday. I negotiated the terms that day and flew down from Baltimore Wednesday and took it home. It had just under 30K on it when I drove it off the lot. I've been hunting for a 22-23 with SelecTrac and a trail cam for a few years now and had all but given up on finding one in the used market. I was in negotiations to buy a brand new Mojave X locally last month but couldn't come to terms with the dealer. I still prefer the black fenders/top over body colored so it worked out.

The previous owner added the bumper, sliders, winch, sprayed bedliner, marker lights, Sunrider, tonneau cover, some interior storage cubbies, a Bulletpoint mount and thankfully the start/stop bypass harness. Bought not built, sure, but that's exactly what I'd have done once I got my own so it's saving me a couple steps and several grand. I think it may have a spacer lift too, it seems higher than other Mojaves I've driven and there's little to no rake.

Day 1: FL-GA-SC. Stayed with my sis and her family outside Columbia and surprised the nieces and nephews.
Day 2: SC-NC-TN-VA-WV-MD

I hit 3 Buc-ee's, ate brisket, lots of jerky and a tanker truck full of coffee. I also managed to hit Asheville Vehicle Outfitters, The BMW Zentrum in Spartanburg, a rose grower in SC for my better half and didn't have any run ins with armed tax collectors on the highways. It was all highway driving for the most part. If I didn't have to get back to work tomorrow I'd have made it a longer run and hit some trails and the Blue Ridge Parkway but there's plenty of time for that in the future.

It's a Buc-ee's duck.

My two favorite types of money pits.

I neglected to reset the clock at the dealer and it was about 65-70 miles from Orlando to Daytona Beach at the first Bucc-ees and however many across town to get on the highway trying to find an auto-parts store for a fuse for my radar detector plug.

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[Freems]

I finally found the one.

2022 Mojave with every option except leather and the body-colored roof and fenders. Found it in a Chevy dealer in Orlando Sunday. I negotiated the terms that day and flew down from Baltimore Wednesday and took it home. It had just under 30K on it when I drove it off the lot. I've been hunting for a 22-23 with SelecTrac and a trail cam for a few years now and had all but given up on finding one in the used market. I was in negotiations to buy a brand new Mojave X locally last month but couldn't come to terms with the dealer. I still prefer the black fenders/top over body colored so it worked out.

The previous owner added the bumper, sliders, winch, sprayed bedliner, marker lights, Sunrider, tonneau cover, some interior storage cubbies, a Bulletpoint mount and thankfully the start/stop bypass harness. Bought not built, sure, but that's exactly what I'd have done once I got my own so it's saving me a couple steps and several grand. I think it may have a spacer lift too, it seems higher than other Mojaves I've driven and there's little to no rake.

Day 1: FL-GA-SC. Stayed with my sis and her family outside Columbia and surprised the nieces and nephews.
Day 2: SC-NC-TN-VA-WV-MD

I hit 3 Buc-ee's, ate brisket, lots of jerky and a tanker truck full of coffee. I also managed to hit Asheville Vehicle Outfitters, The BMW Zentrum in Spartanburg, a rose grower in SC for my better half and didn't have any run ins with armed tax collectors on the highways. It was all highway driving for the most part. If I didn't have to get back to work tomorrow I'd have made it a longer run and hit some trails and the Blue Ridge Parkway but there's plenty of time for that in the future.

It's a Buc-ee's duck.

My two favorite types of money pits.

I neglected to reset the clock at the dealer and it was about 65 miles from Orlando to Daytona Beach at the first Bucc-ees.

Good looking new sled, congratulation. How was the highway ride compared to your old JT?

 

[BourbonRunner]

Good looking new sled, congratulation. How was the highway ride compared to your old JT?

Thanks. This is my first JT- Ive rented one and test driven more than a few. I joined the forum in '22 thinking it was going to be imminent at the time but life has a funny way of throwing you curves.

Tough to compare to the rental- it was also a Mojave but ran heavy with a RTT/SmartCap and full overloading kit. I put 17-1800 miles on it in my one trip... and had similar aches in my legs and rear end.

Let's just say I'm ordering Seat Jackers and a dead pedal ASAP.

 

[Jaxmax]

Congrats Steve, you always had good input while looking , and while you look really, really slow apparently you looked good also nice truck!, looks like a good setup for you!….Jack

 

[Idlethunder]

Very nice Mojave, congratulations! I took a similar trip last month to get a 23 diesel from Delaware. Was kind of a pain in the butt at the time but so glad I did it by the time I got home. Some times it takes a while to find the perfect Jeep. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do!

 

[legacy_etu]

Sweet, congrats Steve. Always nice to find exactly what your looking for.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

And here I thought driving 2-3 hours to LA was intense for finding the Gladiator I wanted. Kudos!!!! You went all in!!

 

[biodiesel]

I finally found the one.

2022 Mojave with every option except leather and the body-colored roof and fenders.

Congratulations! I hope you love the Gladiator as much as I do. In many ways, it's the perfect midsize truck.

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

Nice. 2-3k road trips are the norm for us. We did one large western national park loop in the Wife‘s JLU Sport pulling a tiny camper. I really disliked the seats in that one. I am 6’/180 and athletic, but the seats were not very comfortable. That almost prevented me from getting my Gladiator. The seats in my ‘06 Silverado were like roadtripping from the couch. Since picking up the Gladiator we have put a couple of days in on the highway. The power, leather seats are WAY better than the ‘21 Sport leather seats. I almost ordered some seat jackers, but I finally found the right seat settings. I only wish the jeeps had “memory“ seats. I cringe every time my wife moves the drivers seat.

 

[biodiesel]

The power, leather seats are WAY better than the ‘21 Sport leather seats.

From my understanding, the seats get more comfortable as you move up through the trim levels. Our Rubicon seats are comfortable, but I've heard others say that the Mojave seats are even better.

We live about 900 miles from my parents' house. We usually drive it straight through. At Christmas, we took the Gladiator for the first time. We both thought the seats were comfortable.

I just remember needing to turn up the fan to keep the cab warm when the ambient temps were in the teens. There's not much cab insulation in the Gladiator like there is in our Ram 1500s. It kept us plenty warm, but we had to keep the heater fan blowing hard to do so.

Also, there was a lot of wind on the way home, so we both agreed that the road/wind noise was a little daunting after 15 hours straight. I do like a quieter cab if I'm going to be in a vehicle for a long period of time.

I'm 6'1" and 195 lbs. (longer legs and shorter torso), so the Gladiator feels a little cramped for 15 hours of driving in terms of leg space. We decided that we wouldn't voluntarily take the Gladiator again on that long of a trip, but wouldn't mind doing so if we had to. Fortunately, we have two Ram 1500s that are spacious and very comfortable for those types of trips.

Overall, I'm impressed with the Gladiator. I also like the 26 - 27 mpg that I get when traveling.

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

From my understanding, the seats get more comfortable as you move up through the trim levels. Our Rubicon seats are comfortable, but I've heard others say that the Mojave seats are even better.

When I purchased our Gladiator I researched both the Rubicon and Mojave trims, but I guess I missed that there was a seat difference. Heated leather seats were a requirement no matter what trim I went with. I also knew I wanted a hard top. I really didn’t enjoy long trips with the Wife’s soft-top. I will still be installing insulation in my hard top. I have noticed that in 12*F temps, it’s a little chilly. Probably due to the proximity to the glass. The seat heaters are definitely a plus there. I have also noticed that a little heat on the lower back can alleviate some of the discomfort of long days in the saddle. I had heated covers in my last truck and it was clutch at the end of a long day.

 

[IamPro2A]

Nice ride. I always wonder when we see a nice used purchase if the previous owner is/was a member here? That would be fun.

 

[KevinC]

You ventured into my neck of the woods. You should have drove right down Main Street, Daytona Beach and had all the Bike Week people check out your new ride. They would have welcomed you with open beer cans.

Congratulations on the new JT. Mojave's rule.

 

[Stuntman Mike]

Thanks. This is my first JT- Ive rented one and test driven more than a few. I joined the forum in '22 thinking it was going to be imminent at the time but life has a funny way of throwing you curves.

Congratulations, took a little bit long but finally "Veni, vidi, emi"

 

[BourbonRunner]

Sweet, congrats Steve. Always nice to find exactly what your looking for.

Thanks-- Took a while but I certainly did.

Congrats Steve, you always had good input while looking , and while you look really, really slow apparently you looked good also nice truck!, looks like a good setup for you!….Jack

Thanks Jack. I have enjoyed the time on the forum and now finally am officially in the club. I hope to run across you one day on Assateague and share some fish stories!

From my understanding, the seats get more comfortable as you move up through the trim levels. Our Rubicon seats are comfortable, but I've heard others say that the Mojave seats are even better.

When I started the process a few years back I drove a Rubicon and Mojave back to back and between the bolstered seats and slightly less beat-the-snot-out-of-you transmission, it focused my attention solely on Mojave's. Being 6'1" and 200lbs with a couple bulging discs seat comfort is always a factor.

I really was impressed by the X's power leather seats but the extra $25K+ to get in the game when I really wanted a black top instead of body color was tough to swallow. I like the larger infotainment screen but that's not a must have. Wireless CarPlay would be nice though.

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