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DunnMan

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Ugh, I knew the diesel was coming but decided to order my Rubicon JT back in May anyway. Here we are in mid-July and still no truck and now the diesel is available to order. Starting to kick myself but honestly I'm shocked that the towing capacity is so poor with the diesel.
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biodiesel

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The Gladiator isn't really designed to tow more than 5,000 lbs comfortably. With that said, I would much rather tow 5,000 lbs with the Ecodiesel than I would with the Pentastar. You can't compare the two engines. I live in a mountainous region and the Pentastar is gutless compared to the EcoDiesel.
 

tj3089

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The Colorado diesel gains 700lbs of towing capacity, 7700lbs instead of 7k.... It's absurd that the gladiator can only tow 6k with the diesel! I wanted to wait for the diesel, but I'm glad I didn't... I'll probably trade in for a hemi JT in a few years.
 

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The Colorado diesel gains 700lbs of towing capacity, 7700lbs instead of 7k.... It's absurd that the gladiator can only tow 6k with the diesel! I wanted to wait for the diesel, but I'm glad I didn't... I'll probably trade in for a hemi JT in a few years.
If I'm not mistaken, the Colorado is only rated that high in a RWD configuration with the diesel. Hence Jeep claiming the highest towing in class (ie 4x4 mid size).

That said, the article I posted earlier explains its a function of cooling, because other design elements of the JL/JT prevented expanding cooling in other ways. And the diesel charge air cooler restricts airflow further.
 

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MrKnowitall

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If I'm not mistaken, the Colorado is only rated that high in a RWD configuration with the diesel. Hence Jeep claiming the highest towing in class (ie 4x4 mid size).

That said, the article I posted earlier explains its a function of cooling, because other design elements of the JL/JT prevented expanding cooling in other ways. And the diesel charge air cooler restricts airflow further.
The diesel colorado still has a higher tow rating than the v6. According to an interview with Dave Harriton, it has lower cooling requirements than the gas engine. Of course, its also down a lot of horse power.
 

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The diesel colorado still has a higher tow rating than the v6. According to an interview with Dave Harriton, it has lower cooling requirements than the gas engine. Of course, its also down a lot of horse power.
Only in 2wd though.

Max in 4wd is 7600# compared to 7650# for the Pentastar w/Max Tow.

Jeep Gladiator 2021 Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel Officially Announced Screenshot_20200714-154637_Drive
 

MrKnowitall

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Only in 2wd though.

Max in 4wd is 7600# compared to 7650# for the Pentastar w/Max Tow.

Jeep Gladiator 2021 Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel Officially Announced Screenshot_20200714-154637_Drive
Sorry, I might not have been clear. The diesel colorado has lower cooling demands than the gasoline Colorado, despite the higher tow rating.
the much more powerful Gladiator diesel has higher cooling requirements than its gasoline counterpart, resulting in the reduced tow rating.
 

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Did I miss the payload? I wonder how much you have to give up
the order sheet lists GVWR changing to 6350 for Sport and Overland, and 6450 on Rubicon. This mitigates 100lb of the weight penalty (on Sprot) and 200 on Rubicon. An Ecodiesel Ram is 375lb heavier than a Pentastar truck. Some of that could be weight from a different rear axle (which isn't the case on the Jeep). I would be looking for a reduction of 250-270lb on a Sport and 150 on a Rubicon. Would be swell if you could check a box to get the 6450GVW on a gas Sport though.
 

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tj3089

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If I'm not mistaken, the Colorado is only rated that high in a RWD configuration with the diesel. Hence Jeep claiming the highest towing in class (ie 4x4 mid size).

That said, the article I posted earlier explains its a function of cooling, because other design elements of the JL/JT prevented expanding cooling in other ways. And the diesel charge air cooler restricts airflow further.
That's true, but the 4wd towing capacity with the diesel is 7600 pounds. Still 1600 more pounds than the diesel gladiator can safely tow. Definitely not best in class and a big disappointment for people wanting to tow. I understand WHY it's lower, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. Jeep really dropped the ball on this one...
 

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Jeep really dropped the ball on this one...
I disagree. A midsized truck is supposed to be small and compact. If you want to tow something that weighs more than 5,000 lbs, you might as well get a 1/2 ton truck. For a mid-sized truck, the tow rating on the Gladiator is impressive. I wouldn't want to tow more than 8,000 lbs with a well equipped 1/2 ton truck. Here's my classification system:

3500 DRW (15,000+ lbs)
2500 SRW (8,000 - 15,000 lbs)
1500 (up to 8,000 lbs)
midsized (up to 5,000 lbs)
 
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MrKnowitall

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I disagree. A midsized truck is supposed to be small and compact. If you want to tow something that weighs more than 5,000 lbs, you might as well get a 1/2 ton truck. For a mid-sized truck, the tow rating on the Gladiator is impressive. I wouldn't want to tow more than 8,000 lbs with a well equipped 1/2 ton truck. Here's my classification system:

3500 DRW (15,000+ lbs)
2500 SRW (8,000 - 15,000 lbs)
1500 (up to 8,000 lbs)
midsized (up to 5,000 lbs)
You see, I have little desire to drive a FST every day, but it comes up that stuff needs pullin- a week ago I got to drag home our dead JKU, loaded with camping gear, in a trailer. As I am without a truck currently, I rented a suitable one, but I’d hate buying a truck, even a midsize, knowing it wasn’t up to recovering a jeep on a flatbed.
 

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Ok, and I'll disagree with you. I do not tow anywhere near the max tow rating on any vehicle. I usually stick to 75% of the rated capacity. A higher tow rated gladiator will allow me to tow more weight (larger trailer) safely. My toy hauler weighs 3200 lbs empty and about 4500 lbs loaded, so still within the tow rating of the ecodiesel (and my Sport S w/tow package). The Chevrolet Colorado 4x4 z71 trim 2.8L diesel has a GVWR of 6200 pounds. About 100 pounds less than the gladiator sport diesel, but it can tow more? Come on, I'm just saying it can be done in a lightweight mid-size truck, but FCA couldn't get it done...
 
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biodiesel

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Ok, and I'll disagree with you. I do not tow anywhere near the max tow rating on any vehicle. I usually stick to 75% of the rated capacity. A higher tow rated gladiator will allow me to tow more weight (larger trailer) safely. My toy hauler weighs 3200 lbs empty and about 4500 lbs loaded, so still within the tow rating of the ecodiesel (and my Sport S w/tow package). The Chevrolet Colorado 4x4 z71 trim 2.8L diesel has a GVWR of 6200 pounds. About 100 pounds less than the gladiator sport diesel, but it can tow more? Come on, I'm just saying it can be done in a lightweight mid-size truck, but FCA couldn't get it done...
Remember, the tow rating is based on towing performance. The Gladiator is going to handle very differently when towing a high profile trailer vs a low profile trailer even though both trailers might be the same weight. We know that the EcoDiesel in a properly equipped truck is rated to tow as much as 12,560 lbs, but that doesn't mean it is safe to tow a 24' enclosed car hauler that weighs 11,000 lbs. As someone who does a lot of towing, I can tell you that the Gladiator, with it's impressive platform, is still limited on stability, especially when towing a taller trailer with solid sidewalls. It's like the tail wagging the dog effect.

I will say that the Gladiator and the Chevy Colorado had to undergo the same SAE J2807 towing testing. Due to Jeep's narrow grille opening, proper engine cooling was the limiting factor for the EcoDiesel.

Your toy hauler doesn't sound like it's very big if it only weighs 3200 lbs empty, so you should be okay, depending on height/width. I would read the owner's manual and see if there are restrictions on towing a large profile trailer. My Jeep Liberty CRD restricted the square footage on the front of a trailer, which was their way to increase the tow rating, but keeping people from towing a larger profile camper. I noticed that Jeep advertised the Gladiator towing an Airstream, not a typical 8' or 8',6" wide travel trailer with lots of frontal area and tall sidewalls.
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