Eco diesel or max tow

[White Jeep]

Sport S is one of the lightest base Gladiator. Sport is the lightest. All options, one any model take away from PAYLOAD number. That is why my heavy optioned Overland only has a payload of 1035. Bob

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[ScottLars]

Sport S is one of the lightest base Gladiator. Sport is the lightest. All options, one any model take away from PAYLOAD number. That is why my heavy optioned Overland only has a payload of 1035. Bob

Right. As you said all vehicles will have a different #.

 

[RiverMtnBeach]

I keep hearing about cooling issues, but my experience with the gas MaxTow has been great so far! 5,200lb boat climbing that last hill from the 40 into Havasu in 118 degree heat only moved the temp needle slightly and trans temp barely budged. That climb during the summer almost killed my Commander Hemi V8. Not going to win any races, but 60mph buzzing along at 3500-4000 rpm (3rd or 4th gear I think?) was at worst a little noisy. Truck was already 10k over my budget, so Diesel wasn’t even a consideration, but I probably would have opted for it.

 

[LostWoods]

"Cooling issues" are because the Davis Dam test is literally one of the hardest pulls anyone will do with their truck. I-70 and others have worse grades but the SAE test includes doing the average 12% grade in the Arizona heat to certify. It is very unlikely you will have cooling issues in most places.

 

[biodiesel]

While I agree there are lots of valid reasons for a diesel JL/JT, I just don't think towing is it. Properly geared, the gas engine tows just fine up to what is reasonable to expect a mid-size pickup to tow. I mean if you're off road in a place an F-150 can't fit, you're not exactly towing a 5k lb camper.

Most off-road campers have a GVWR of 3,500 lbs or less. You can read more about them here:

https://www.trailerlife.com/rv-gear/rvs/ultimate-guide-to-off-road-tiny-trailers/

Compared to the max tow and proper gearing, there's just no way to really justify it when a fully loaded trailer and two people max out the truck's payload.

I don't think we need to justify buying a diesel if that is our intended purpose. There are plenty of people who already think the Gladiator is a joke for the cost, but you don't need to justify the cost if that is your intended purpose. People get caught up on the diesel cost. Folks, if you can't afford the diesel option, then you can't afford the gasoline option, either. These trucks are not CHEAP!

Also, you need to remember, you get a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty with the diesel. That warranty alone might help pay for some of the cost of the diesel engine. Next week, my dealer is replacing the water pump on my 2015 Ram EcoDiesel with 92,000 miles at no cost due to the Powertrain warranty. The pump alone is $500 bucks not counting labor.

I live at 7,000' feet in the mountains. My nearest grocery store is 60 miles away. Everything I own is diesel. The fuel is easy to store, the engines are more efficient, they don't downshift like the Pentastar does, and they have more range. The diesel is more fun to drive, but that's personal preference. For sure, I would want the lowend torque of the diesel when I'm hauling logs/firewood off the mountain.

 

[Sazabi19]

I've not seen anyone mention your average driving yet. While yes the diesel will be more fun to drive daily, how long is your average drive? From what I know these diesels don't like shorter commutes and it could upset the regen cycle. If your normal drive is less than probably 30 miles (someone correct me if I'm wrong I forgot the number) each way then the diesel just isn't for you.

I loved the diesel as an idea and really wanted one but for my average 7-15mi commute every day it wouldn't play nice with the engine and regen. I don't tow but I got the Max Tow for the beefier components without having to go to the Rubi.

The diesel may feel better for towing but it's only meant to perform up to a certain rating. Towing near max is dangerous. You'll have quite a bit more headroom in the Max Tow though it may feel a bit sluggish, but who cares, you're towing, it'll still get you there if you're smart about what you're doing. The extra torque would be NICE, but at this point that seems to be about it. Just keep in mind what would serve you best as your normal driving conditions, not the rare times you tow, unless you're getting this to tow often, in which case you just may be looking at the wrong truck in general.

 

[biodiesel]

"Cooling issues" are because the Davis Dam test is literally one of the hardest pulls anyone will do with their truck. I-70 and others have worse grades but the SAE test includes doing the average 12% grade in the Arizona heat to certify. It is very unlikely you will have cooling issues in most places.

You are correct. The EcoDiesel mostly had the cooling issues. According to the Jeep engineers, the narrow Jeep grille opening limited the air flow needed to rate the EcoDiesel higher.

 

[Sazabi19]

You are correct. The EcoDiesel mostly had the cooling issues. According to the Jeep engineers, the narrow Jeep grille opening limited the air flow needed to rate the EcoDiesel higher.

So just remove the hood for those long hauls then right? That oughta let her breath just fine.

 

[biodiesel]

I've not seen anyone mention your average driving yet. While yes the diesel will be more fun to drive daily, how long is your average drive? From what I know these diesels don't like shorter commutes and it could upset the regen cycle. If your normal drive is less than probably 30 miles (someone correct me if I'm wrong I forgot the number) each way then the diesel just isn't for you.

During the work week, I drive 2 miles to work and 2 miles home in my EcoDiesel truck. It's not a big deal unless if that's all you do for weeks on end. We do lots of short commutes and long distance travel, including lots of towing. We've towed our travel trailer though 17 states, from coast to coast, and over some of the tallest mountain passes in Colorado.

 

[biodiesel]

So just remove the hood for those long hauls then right? That oughta let her breath just fine.

We'll see what the aftermarket comes up with. I'm sure there will be some mods that will help with cooling. The biggest help will probably come in the form of a tune.

 

[Sazabi19]

During the work week, I drive 2 miles to work and 2 miles home in my EcoDiesel truck. It's not a big deal unless if that's all you do for weeks on end. We do lots of short commutes and long distance travel, including lots of towing. We've towed our travel trailer though 17 states, from coast to coast, and over some of the tallest mountain passes in Colorado.

I was simply stating what I heard/read for the engine. If it works out for others then that's great, I just wanted to add something that I didn't see yet for them to think about. I've seen it noted several places. Small commutes are mostly what I do, so I feel it wouldn't work well for me based on the info I have. IF I drove longer distances I would love to have a diesel. Anything over 20mi is a rareity for me *shrugs*.

 

[biodiesel]

I was simply stating what I heard/read for the engine.

I'm not pointing my figure at you, but so much info about the EcoDiesel is coming from people who don't own one. I own two (gen 2 engine and gen 3 engine) and use them frequently. Regens are not an issue unless you're someone who rarely gets their speed up to 65 mile per hour.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

what about relocating the inter cooler to this area below the bumper?

 

[danielspivey]

I've not seen anyone mention your average driving yet. While yes the diesel will be more fun to drive daily, how long is your average drive? From what I know these diesels don't like shorter commutes and it could upset the regen cycle. If your normal drive is less than probably 30 miles (someone correct me if I'm wrong I forgot the number) each way then the diesel just isn't for you.

I loved the diesel as an idea and really wanted one but for my average 7-15mi commute every day it wouldn't play nice with the engine and regen. I don't tow but I got the Max Tow for the beefier components without having to go to the Rubi.

The diesel may feel better for towing but it's only meant to perform up to a certain rating. Towing near max is dangerous. You'll have quite a bit more headroom in the Max Tow though it may feel a bit sluggish, but who cares, you're towing, it'll still get you there if you're smart about what you're doing. The extra torque would be NICE, but at this point that seems to be about it. Just keep in mind what would serve you best as your normal driving conditions, not the rare times you tow, unless you're getting this to tow often, in which case you just may be looking at the wrong truck in general.

Your “Towing near max is dangerous” statement is true in some circumstances, but is also very misleading.

Towing near max tow capacity, without a brake controller... is dangerous.

Towing near max tow capacity, without a WDH... is dangerous.

Towing near max tow capacity, driving 80 mph... dangerous.

Towing near max tow capacity, in strong cross winds... could be dangerous.

Towing near max tow capacity, on steep mountain gravel roads... could be dangerous.

Point being you can be doing everything right and still have a wreck. I try to control as many variables as I can, to be as safe as I can. Some people do that by only towing a load they are comfortable with, which no one can argue. But I would argue to give a blanket statement that “it’s dangerous to tow near capacities” is a stretch, if so, many manufactures would likely be accountable for wrecks and issues that people ran into.

Most of the time people wreck because they don’t know what the heck they are doing... like driving an expidition, with 7 people in it, w no WDH or brake controller, driving 85 threw the mountains!

 

[biodiesel]

Point being you can be doing everything right and still have a wreck. I try to control as many variables as I can, to be as safe as I can. Some people do that by only towing a load they are comfortable with, which no one can argue. But I would argue to give a blanket statement that “it’s dangerous to tow near capacities” is a stretch

Very true! All three trailers that I posted above have brakes on all 4 wheels. And more importantly, the brakes are adjusted properly. My maximum towing speed on highway is 65 mph. I use a 10,000 lb weigh distribution hitch. There are other precautions that I take (replacing trailer tires every 5 years, adjusting tire pressure for the load, greasing the hubs regularly, inspecting the hubs for play, using trailer tire pressure monitors, etc.)

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