Any Full-Size Converts?

[DreamedofaJeepSomeday]

We'll see what happens when I pull the duck boat out at the end of the season. It weights about 5000lbs

Duck boat ?? That's a floating swamp !!

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[Beardly_David]

My vehicle history is a bit hectic but I have driven a full-size truck either my own or a work vehicle for over 10 years now and the Gladiator is a much better vehicle for my uses.

Technically I over-sized to a gladiator, I drove a 2016 Ford Fiesta ST for most of 2020 but I was coming from a 1998 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT with a 350 V8, the vehicles I've used for work since 2010 have all been a variation on a Chevy/GMC Silverado/Sierra 1500 V8 and I find those to be cumbersome and unreliable, not to mention less capable off-roaders out of the box.

To be fair we use our trucks like cars and rarely use the beds, they're just more adapted to the roads in the Arctic, where a car would get wrecked. Even those Chevys blow a set of U-Joint every year and the rear suspension every 2-3 (maybe if we loaded them more often they'd stay in one piece)

The JT isn't here yet so I cannot attest to it's resistance to Arctic road conditions but from what I saw from driving it around New-Brunswick it'll do very well.

TLDR: Moved from a 1998 Sierra to the JT and 0 regrets.

 

[relayer4u]

Traded away a 2019 Silverado 1500 (POS) and the 20 JLU for the Gladiator. Still have a Jeep and a truck, only have to insure 1 vehicle!

 

[dickeldan]

Traded in my 2013 f150 crew cab. Great truck but was time for something new. Miss a little bit of interior room but so far love my Mojave.

 

[Shackleton]

Traded away a 2019 Silverado 1500 (POS) and the 20 JLU for the Gladiator. Still have a Jeep and a truck, only have to insure 1 vehicle!

I almost bought a Silverado when the new body style came out. The discounts were pretty insane for a while but after I sat in one it just didn’t do it for me. I’m very happy with my JT choice

 

[XJADDICTION]

I’ve had F-150’s (crew cab) and F-350’s ( crew cab, 8’ bed, Diesel) as well as Jeeps most of my driving life. I’ve had a Scrambler (should have kept it) a Comanche and Toyota pickups. The Comanche and the Toyota’s were so nimble and easy to drive compared to a full size truck. Once I quit towing heavy loads I didn’t need the F-350’s, although I did miss the 8’ bed. I had 3 vehicles (F-350, Expedition XL and Jeep Rubicon JKUHR) just for me? I sold everything when the Gladiator came out and decided to try one vehicle. The Gladiator IS a Swiss Army Knife.

I bought a 2020 Max Tow and so far (26,000 miles) I really love it. I needed to add a bed rack to carry longer loads, a hard cover for the bed and I have trailers for hauling toys and a Kubota diesel zero turn mower for services.

The bed is SMALL on the Gladiator and was my biggest frustration when I was thinking of buying one. I had contractors racks on the F-350’s and they were really handy for longer pieces of lumber. So, I added a bed rack and Yakima load bar to the hard top and.. perfect! I can carry whatever length lumber I need up top without a trailer. I can carry a roof top 7’ Yakima skybox, kayaks, 17 foot canoe, lumber for my house... everything I need to do. The hard cover also has load bars to carry mountain bikes without taking a wheel off, hanging off a trailer hitch or sticking out of the bed with the tailgate down.

I’m going to build a drawer system for the bed as well. I built a lot of this stuff myself because there wasn’t and still isn’t, a whole lot of what I needed available. The drawer system available is nice but not very tall.

Rebel off-road has the best roof height rack (IMOP) currently and has a carrier that attaches to both the roof and their bed rack. I might go to that setup. You can still take the freedom panels off with the roof mounted rack which is sweet!

BUT, I want a soft top for the summer. So, I am thinking how am I going to accomplish that with a hard top mounted carrier? I have an idea and will build that this winter.

Long post, sorry about that... in answer to your question and some other points brought up here.

1- roof rack is absolutely necessary if you use your truck bed
2- the bed is useless for me with out a hard cover and a drawer system. Love that the tailgate locks with a push of a button!
3- pretty soon there will be an extended range auxiliary fuel tank (my diesel trucks had these and when you were about empty you just flipped a switch and kept going). They have these auxiliary tanks for the JKU and the JL’s already.
4- Towing... 7k is a lot of weight for these trucks. I know they say the Max Tow is good for 7600lbs but I personally will never tow that much. If you had a short trip for those 6 times per year and just put yourself in the Gladiator and nothing else, it would probably be ok. Honestly 5000lbs with load leveling hitch, anti-sway and trailer brakes is max for me to tow comfortably for long distances with this truck. I know people tow more than that on here with the Gladiator. With my experience towing heavy, it’s just not worth the risk to me IMOP.

God luck with your choice. I love the versatility of the Gladiator. This Jeep puts a smile on my face when I just think about driving it!

 

[WillieFlo]

I am currently running a 2018 Ford Raptor, and love my truck, but ever since I saw the AEV Brute come out, I've thought about going back to a Jeep. I do love off-roading during hunting season and during Spring Break or Summers in Moab. When Jeep announced the Gladiator, I saw a glimmer of hope to go back to a Jeep and it be practical for a DD. In 2006, I had to sell my heavily custom modded '04 Rubicon 2-door, after my wife and I found out she was pregnant, and she in turn, had to sell her Z06 Corvette as well........I am VERY hopeful that Jeep continues their trend of putting a 392 Hemi in the Gladiator platform, because as much as I like my Raptor, a V-8 powered Gladiator with a lift and 37's appeals to me very much. Would appreciate a larger fuel tank like my Raptor's 36 gallon as well, but we'll see.

The 3.6 Pentastar would only be an option if they put twin turbos on it, like the Raptor's setup. I'm not interested in going back to a 6 cylinder NA motor, even with 4.88 gears turning 37's. Waiting patiently for the Hemi 392 in the Gladiator to become reality, unless I see a good deal come along on Rubitrux.com with one already in it. Just seems crazy to add another $35k for a conversion.

 

[syreeves]

still waiting for mine to come in but I'm going from a 2010 Powerwagon to the Gladiator

I looked at Powerwagons - as far as I am concerned a PW is the same thing as a JRT - cost isn't that different and both are theoretically as capable. I went with the JTR because I needed the narrower and lighter physical attributes of a JT. But my compromise was reduced towing capacity and load capacity. Oh and not having the sound of that 6.4v8! I did get the 6MT - if they made a PW with a manual transmission I could have easily decided to go with that instead of the JT. Especially considering the price similarity.

 

[RodRecket]

I looked at Powerwagons - as far as I am concerned a PW is the same thing as a JRT - cost isn't that different and both are theoretically as capable. I went with the JTR because I needed the narrower and lighter physical attributes of a JT. But my compromise was reduced towing capacity and load capacity. Oh and not having the sound of that 6.4v8! I did get the 6MT - if they made a PW with a manual transmission I could have easily decided to go with that instead of the JT. Especially considering the price similarity.

Yea, the PW was a great truck, a bucket list vehicle for me. It was huge which was awesome for storage and capacity but also a downside when daily driving. You can remove the doors and top from a JT and the best part, row gears.

Given the fact I DD my truck the JT was the right option for me, it's much more versatile.

Also, I went with a Sport S because of my experience with my PW and JKUR. Both of those vehicles lost the lockers because of solenoids going bad. Going Ox locker on this one.

 

[syreeves]

Yea, the PW was a great truck, a bucket list vehicle for me. It was huge which was awesome for storage and capacity but also a downside when daily driving. You can remove the doors and top from a JT and the best part, row gears.

Given the fact I DD my truck the JT was the right option for me, it's much more versatile.

Also, I went with a Sport S because of my experience with my PW and JKUR. Both of those vehicles lost the lockers because of solenoids going bad. Going Ox locker on this one.

Just curious - any info on how your lockers went bad? I know if mine go I'll put in something more reliable like Ox - if only to avoid air lines, electrical etc. This video was really helpful in understanding the different types of lockers:

 

[RodRecket]

Just curious - any info on how your lockers went bad? I know if mine go I'll put in something more reliable like Ox - if only to avoid air lines, electrical etc. This video was really helpful in understanding the different types of lockers:

I've watched the video myself, does a great job of explaining the differences. I have no interest in air lines for multiple reasons. Unfortunately, I lost lockers on my PW doing nothing cool...just literally driving on the freeway (70 mph) and hitting a puddle that formed under an overpass. Hit the puddle and the serv 4x4 lit up and locker light switch went out. Dead solenoid from hitting a damn puddle.

 

[syreeves]

I've watched the video myself, does a great job of explaining the differences. I have no interest in air lines for multiple reasons. Unfortunately, I lost lockers on my PW doing nothing cool...just literally driving on the freeway (70 mph) and hitting a puddle that formed under an overpass. Hit the puddle and the serv 4x4 lit up and locker light switch went out. Dead solenoid from hitting a damn puddle.

Water spray dislodged the electrical line or some BS like that? Not cool - that sucks you have to go through that. Hope they warranty it.

 

[MojaveBart]

In addition to the Mojave, we have a full size, pick-up, a Tundra. So I didn't give anything up. I do find the larger cabin and spacious seats more comfortable than the Mojave. That's not to say the Mojave isn't comfortable. But on long road trips the Tundra is more comfortable.

 

[Mooseknuckle]

I bought the Gladiator as a smaller funner vehicle to drive when I did not need my full size truck(GMC 2500 gasser 8 foot bed). The truck feels like a school bus in parking lots running smaller errands. But I kept the truck and need it for work hauling seafood like oysters and crabs. The Gladiator works for smaller loads but hopefully I have days where I catch enough that I need the truck. There is no question the truck tows my smaller boat better buts thats just for recreational hunting so its seasonal.

 

[Alans17]

Things I miss from my old f150...

Fuel capacity
Bed capacity

... and that’s really it. The Gladiator will tow as much I ever may tow (which is very little), and is way more versatile. Plus the smaller general size is actually a benefit for me in all but a few situations. I live in the burbs and it’s easy to whip into parking spaces and I’ve got less fear of door dings.

Everything else is a bit more subjective, but my old truck didn’t have 4 wheel drive or a full second row of seats.

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