2025 Gladiator Big Bear Edition Exclusively for California

[KevinM60]

Just another way Jeep acting like they’re actually making upgrades to sell the trucks. 32’s? Even the 4xe Wrangler comes with 33’s. So the Big Bear is just nighthawk with 17’s and 32’s with a cool name? Try again Jeep.

That’s what I was thinking. For Big Bear they’re going to want 35’s and a couple inches of lift minimum unless they’re just advertising for cruising the streets in Big Bear.

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[Okie Gladiator]

But does it come with a picnic basket?

lol - a pic-a-nic basket

 

[AustyPosty]

Just another way Jeep acting like they’re actually making upgrades to sell the trucks. 32’s? Even the 4xe Wrangler comes with 33’s. So the Big Bear is just nighthawk with 17’s and 32’s with a cool name? Try again Jeep.

Its actually slightly worse than the nighthawk, as that trim at least gets wide track axles. the big bear gets the narrow width axles.

 

[The Jeepstate]

At least not just another sticker edition, this time they went all out at and rattle-can blacked a bunch of first gen JL Rubi wheels too

 

[bill61]

BUT!!! It is only available to Californians. Um hmmm

 

[Bonanza]

How were you able to accomplish that without the Big Bear edition?

Prototype Big Bear mule pictured.

 

[406to417]

The nighthawk gets wide track axles, that's at least something right?

To me, it would make more sense to swap the wide track axles from the nighthawk and give them to the big bear edition(which doesn't get them for some reason)

Actually, at this point I dont understand why all Gladiators dont just get wide track axles. Surely it costs more to have two different types of dana 44s rather than just one SKU?

Came to say the exact same.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

So, why so negative?

I lived on the mountain near Big Bear and there are some serious trails up there. More serious than most JT drivers can handle. You'd be bashing in breakover angle and departure angle unless you had years of experience. Most of you do not. Even then, the Glad is not a crawler. Rubicon or otherwise, without serious mods. I own a JTM and I would not take it on some of the Big Bear trails. I had a YJ crawler for that when I was there. I still have it.

There are trails in the Big Bear vicinity that NO stock Gladiator, Rubicon, Mojave or otherwise, could navigate without a winch or body damage.

If your negativity is based on a CA location, well I get it. I am not a CA Gov fan myself. But even if it's just stickers and a badge it INCREASES THE VALUE of your 'Big Bear' JT.

And it is a positive nod to a beautiful place in the mountains. Where people are chill in the midst of a controlling CA Gov. and high CA crime. Pine trees and Bald eagles. Peaceful folks and small cafes. I left CA because of the Gov overreach and control, and the crime rate; Not because of anything else. Big Bear and the mountain towns are peace within a storm. God bless the mountain towns.

My home is not in CA anymore, but by and by: Big Bear and living on the mountain is heavenly. Been there, done that.

 

[bill61]

Totally agree about some of the trails in Big Bear. John Bull for one. Very serious.

 

[firemedic2714]

What are "McKinley-trimmed leather seats"? It seems like this is the only option that makes it special (only because I haven't heard of it). LOL

 

[ConqSoft]

So, why so negative?

I lived on the mountain near Big Bear and there are some serious trails up there. More serious than most JT drivers can handle. You'd be bashing in breakover angle and departure angle unless you had years of experience. Most of you do not. Even then, the Glad is not a crawler. Rubicon or otherwise, without serious mods. I own a JTM and I would not take it on some of the Big Bear trails. I had a YJ crawler for that when I was there. I still have it.

There are trails in the Big Bear vicinity that NO stock Gladiator, Rubicon, Mojave or otherwise, could navigate without a winch or body damage.

If your negativity is based on a CA location, well I get it. I am not a CA Gov fan myself. But even if it's just stickers and a badge it INCREASES THE VALUE of your 'Big Bear' JT.

And it is a positive nod to a beautiful place in the mountains. Where people are chill in the midst of a controlling CA Gov. and high CA crime. Pine trees and Bald eagles. Peaceful folks and small cafes. I left CA because of the Gov overreach and control, and the crime rate; Not because of anything else. Big Bear and the mountain towns are peace within a storm. God bless the mountain towns.

My home is not in CA anymore, but by and by: Big Bear and living on the mountain is heavenly. Been there, done that.

I think the negativity is more toward a "new model" that consists of some graphics and paint and calling it Big Bear as if it's more capable than any other Gladiator...

 

[Redfour5]

I think the negativity is more toward a "new model" that consists of some graphics and paint and calling it Big Bear as if it's more capable than any other Gladiator...

It's interesting how they will do the "special editions" and put one or two distinctive off roading things like the wide axles on the big bear but nothing else. They put the big tires on for looks. The Rock rails are a bit of a joke to be honest. You can go to your local aftermarket guys and they might just give you a set of those. Mine will for 25 bucks as he takes them off of everything pretty much since they don't protect the hinges and paint worth a poop and he puts on other stuff. He has them and bumpers piled up waiting for the metal guy to pick up and trash. LITERALLY.

The only one that got some actual valuable things imho was the 24 Willys. That package/edition had become a cosmetic package through 23, but in 24 they put a real rear locker on it and the wheels and tires and the aux switches so anything you might do after market was ready, good LED lighting and a partial rubicon suspension.

" he 2024 Willys gets the rubicon springs, m220 Dana 44 narrow track rear axle with e-locker and 285/70/17 bfgoodrich all terrains. The previous Willy’s have sport springs and fenders with rubicon shocks, m220 narrow rear axle with limited slip, and Firestone desrination mt in 255/75/17. Lots of differences in the 24. "

AND, you can still find a few 24 Willy's out there in the 46K range... It's important to look at the 25 models as they are leaving stuff off trim levels they had in 24. For example, the full time 4WD is NOT on the 25 X trims whereas it was on the 24 X packages for 10K.

 

[Redfour5]

What are "McKinley-trimmed leather seats"? It seems like this is the only option that makes it special (only because I haven't heard of it). LOL

I researched that back when they put them on the old "overland" (soccer mom) package. Apparently, they do a cross stitch pattern on the pleather in orange and talk em up a lot. That's about what I figured out when researching.

 

[Redfour5]

So, why so negative?

I lived on the mountain near Big Bear and there are some serious trails up there. More serious than most JT drivers can handle. You'd be bashing in breakover angle and departure angle unless you had years of experience. Most of you do not. Even then, the Glad is not a crawler. Rubicon or otherwise, without serious mods. I own a JTM and I would not take it on some of the Big Bear trails. I had a YJ crawler for that when I was there. I still have it.

There are trails in the Big Bear vicinity that NO stock Gladiator, Rubicon, Mojave or otherwise, could navigate without a winch or body damage.

If your negativity is based on a CA location, well I get it. I am not a CA Gov fan myself. But even if it's just stickers and a badge it INCREASES THE VALUE of your 'Big Bear' JT.

And it is a positive nod to a beautiful place in the mountains. Where people are chill in the midst of a controlling CA Gov. and high CA crime. Pine trees and Bald eagles. Peaceful folks and small cafes. I left CA because of the Gov overreach and control, and the crime rate; Not because of anything else. Big Bear and the mountain towns are peace within a storm. God bless the mountain towns.

My home is not in CA anymore, but by and by: Big Bear and living on the mountain is heavenly. Been there, done that.

I actually have one of the "Freedom Editions" which could be called Cosmetic BUT to a degree it is what you want and shopping carefully. The basic Sport S configuration with the limited slip diff are key for me because that is a minimum in MT where I live. Having had Stellantis crappy headlights on various vehicles vs the LED made those a critical item also and that was part of the package, along with goodies like remote start/passive entry/etc.

Further, in the Granite Crystal or black versions the blacked out parts of the cosmetics make them essentially night editions along the lines of the Night Hawk...for free... I also wanted the steel bumpers personally which in reality have little value except on a more off road oriented so kind of that "put one piece of off road kit" on a package to make it look rugged. I wanted those so that worked along with them not moving and a REAL 30% off the inflated MSRP's of 2023. I still got it for a real 43K on a 60800 MSRP. It also had a spray in bedliner and I really prefer MOPAR OEM on that.

So, for the KIND of off roading I do a Sport S is good the MIX of other things in the Freedome package including Select Trac full time 4WD a real important item for ME made one of these special editions the right choice. IF they didn't, I could criticize mine as much as the big bear version. To each their own. LIke I said, the only one with REAL off road improvments was the 24 Willy's package. If I hadn't jumped at 30% off December 27th 2023, I'd likely have one of those.

I honestly with some of the deals I saw in January at 30% plus off and a plethora of 24 Willy's out there would have gotten one of them vs mine if only because of the tires/wheels and rear locker but then I'd have had to give up my limited slip/full time 4WD. I also PREFERRED the old plastic dash and the 8.4 screen and UConnect 4 vs 5 having that on my truck and hating it. AND, for me those are critical features.

 

[AustyPosty]

So, why so negative?

I lived on the mountain near Big Bear and there are some serious trails up there. More serious than most JT drivers can handle. You'd be bashing in breakover angle and departure angle unless you had years of experience. Most of you do not. Even then, the Glad is not a crawler. Rubicon or otherwise, without serious mods. I own a JTM and I would not take it on some of the Big Bear trails. I had a YJ crawler for that when I was there. I still have it.

There are trails in the Big Bear vicinity that NO stock Gladiator, Rubicon, Mojave or otherwise, could navigate without a winch or body damage.

If your negativity is based on a CA location, well I get it. I am not a CA Gov fan myself. But even if it's just stickers and a badge it INCREASES THE VALUE of your 'Big Bear' JT.

And it is a positive nod to a beautiful place in the mountains. Where people are chill in the midst of a controlling CA Gov. and high CA crime. Pine trees and Bald eagles. Peaceful folks and small cafes. I left CA because of the Gov overreach and control, and the crime rate; Not because of anything else. Big Bear and the mountain towns are peace within a storm. God bless the mountain towns.

My home is not in CA anymore, but by and by: Big Bear and living on the mountain is heavenly. Been there, done that.

Gladiators are extremely capable and do Holocomb and John Bull all day long. In those videos even what appears to be a sport S completes the trail. I'm sure a Big Bear edition could complete these trails with a lift and bigger tires with relative ease.

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