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About to purchase, help with models/options

Snake Eyes

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Las Vegas
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2022 Sport S Max Tow, 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser
So I am contemplating a gladiator, but it's a bit nauseating trying to figure out what the differences are between all the models. I was stuck on a Willy's, but then I realized I can't get the Dana axles or the max tow package. So I checked out the Sport S, checked the box for the max tow package, and it says GVW of 6,250 (I thought it was supposed to be 7,650 tow rating). Can anyone point out the main differences between the models (not including Rubicon, too rich for me), and help me make sense of the tow ratings, when Jeep's own website says two different things? Thanks!
GVWR (GVW) is the maximum gross vehicle weight you can have for your Jeep. So that is everything…the people, the cargo, the jeep AND the tongue weight if you tow (6250 pounds).
Tow capacity (7650 pounds) is the TECHNICAL maximum you can tow…the complete maximum weight of the trailer filled up (but generally it will not be true in real life)

Just because it is 7650, does not mean you can drag 7650 without paying attention to your GCWR (gross combined weight which is your total trailer weight plus your total JEep weight) or load up the whole jeep and tow 7650. If you took your jeep to 6250 which is the GVWR of the jeep and took the total trailer weight to 7650, that is a combined weight of 13,900 which EXCEEDS the allowable combined weight of 12,800. Unsafe and illegal. Sometimes states make trailers pull over and they check the combined weight….massive ticket for you AND they would not let you leave the weigh station until you dumped weight out of it…have fun leaving your things at the weigh station. Or get in an accident. If your Jeep of over 6250 or your trailer is over 7650 OR your gross combined is over 12,800, your insurance company will tell you good luck we will not help you.

Thus, You would either have to reduce the payload of the jeep or reduce the payload of the trailer.

Hypothetical:
LEts say your ordered jeep arrives and after all the factory options etc it has an empty weight with gas of 4750 (no people and no things in the jeep just the empty factory arrived jeep with gas). That leaves your 1500 of ”payload” you can add to the jeep. If you have three people in the jeep weighing a total of 500 pounds, your available payload is now 1000 pounds. And then you decide to buy trailer a 6000 (dry weight) pound trailer thinking you can load it up. Your minimum tongue weight is 600. So now take that off the jeep payload and you have 400 pounds left to the maximum the jeep can hold. So you add a heavy metal tonneau or cap (100 pounds). Now you are down to 300 pounds left for payload. And then you buy larger tires which weigh more and throw a bunch of crap in the jeep to 300 pounds and you are maxed at 6250. That leaves you 6550 left for your entire trailer (so as not to exceed the max combined of 12,800). Which means all you can add to that nice new 6000 pound trailer is 550 pounds of payload to the trailer. A full 35 gallon fresh water tank in that trailer will weigh 290 pounds. LEaving you a total of 260 for everything you want to stick in the trailer. But then your tongue wight increases to 765 and damn you are now over your jeep GVWR so now you have to lower payload out of the jeep by pulling stuff out of the cargo. Good luck with that…wont work.

Soooo, if you are planning to tow with your Jeep Max Tow, take that all into consideration.

Real life, you need a smaller trailer so you can add cargo to it and cause a lower tongue weight on your jeep which increase payload capacity in jeep. Depending on how many people in your jeep you most likely will land with a trailer that is a GVWR of 4000-6000 (that means total wight of trailer with payload).
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