GATOR Gladiator JT Club

[DirkG]

The Jeep on the showroom floor was also a Gator and had American flags on both front fenders and rear tailgate...I decided to mimic it as I liked the look. I believe the showroom model was a nod to the Freedom Edition Wrangler. Mine is a nod to the good ol' USA

Supposedly these decals give me a 1hp boost

(and yes, the right side - not pictured - is properly waving to the rear of the vehicle)

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[DansJT]

Purchased 5/31 and just finished the 500 mile break-in. This replaced a 2004 Grand Cherokee. Man, what a difference. I am in love.

 

[Membrain]

Whew... I have finally made it through each and every post of these 127 pages to date.
I dropped my Gator order last week and am waiting on the status change from D...

I see that the Gator color is the Jeep version of that internet test where everyone looks at the one "yellow" dress / object and each person sees a different color...

Anyway, planning on the RK lift with 37's, but still haven't decided on the wheel yet, and other build parts already on order.

 

[Steppenwolf]

A couple of mine ...

Took delivery in January. It has over 2500 miles as of yesterday. Only real mod was a bedliner.

I think the 'mono-color' look - with the body-matching Gator roof and fenders - makes it stand out. Haven't seen many mono-color Gladiators in any color around here, so maybe it's not a popular option.

 

[YYCSahara]

Any of your gator followers that are worried about the color being more brown than green, here is the gator compared to the Toyota TRD Quicksand. Also is a pick of the gator at near sunset the day I took delivery, which would be convincing that it is brown. Both are the same truck in different lighting.

To me this is a brown color. I am waiting to see if they announce an actual green like Sarge Green they have on the JLs right now for 2021 hopefully!

 

[azeeb]

A couple of mine ...

Took delivery in January. It has over 2500 miles as of yesterday. Only real mod was a bedliner.

I think the 'mono-color' look - with the body-matching Gator roof and fenders - makes it stand out. Haven't seen many mono-color Gladiators in any color around here, so maybe it's not a popular option.

I picked up a color matched gator two weeks ago. I went in thinking I wanted one with black fenders and top and cloth seats. They also had a color matched version with saddle leather that I really liked when I saw it in person.

Just realized I don’t have a picture with the color matched top on. Here is one with my airstream.

 

[Odds]

I picked up a color matched gator two weeks ago. I went in thinking I wanted one with black fenders and top and cloth seats. They also had a color matched version with saddle leather that I really liked when I saw it in person.

Just realized I don’t have a picture with the color matched top on. Here is one with my airstream.

How well does the Gladiator pull the Airstream? I've considered setup, but am worried that the tongue weight is excessive for the Jeep.

 

[azeeb]

How well does the Gladiator pull the Airstream? I've considered setup, but am worried that the tongue weight is excessive for the Jeep.

So far it has been much better than expected, but to be honest, I haven't towed it much yet. Probably 50-60 miles total just to get a feel for it. I previously had a 3/4 ton GMC with a Duramax. It does not compare to that. The gladiator definitely lacks power for heavy towing, but it does OK where I live (fairly flat) if I keep the speed 65 or less. It felt much more stable than I expected. Just don't be afraid to let the engine rev up when it needs to.

If I was shopping for a new airstream today, I would probably lean towards a 23 footer with the gladiator. Not only are they lighter, they are also a little narrower, which helps with wind resistance and visibility. I already had the 25fb so I'm going to try and make it work.

The tongue weigh is a concern to me, and I have taken some steps to manage that. I only carry one 30lb propane tank instead of two. I also converted to lithium batteries which are much lighter and moved inside the trailer instead of on the tongue. Those two changes dropped the stock tongue weight by over 100lbs. It is a tad over 700 lbs now. I can also move the spare tire around if I need to depending on how I am loaded. I am very careful about how I load the trailer and setup my hitch. I have a sherline tongue weight scale I check with. I just bought and installed a new blue ox sway pro WDH hitch this weekend. I also put airlift air bags in the rear coil springs. Although, after installing the new hitch, I'm not sure the air bags were even needed.

I have several trips planned this summer in Michigan, so we will see. I think it will be fine, but I wouldn't want to go with any bigger of a trailer. Mine probably runs a little over 6000 lbs loaded, and I pack pretty light.

I'm also going to be towing a smallish loader tractor on a 18' flatbed trailer back and forth between my house and my hunting property. That will total in the 5000-6000 lb range. I will be trying that within the next week or two.

If the gladiator can handle these towing tasks 8-10 times a year, I will be thrilled, and glad to be back in a Jeep.

 

[DirkG]

The Bushwacker hood guard looks great on our Gator color...

 

[Odds]

So far it has been much better than expected, but to be honest, I haven't towed it much yet. Probably 50-60 miles total just to get a feel for it. I previously had a 3/4 ton GMC with a Duramax. It does not compare to that. The gladiator definitely lacks power for heavy towing, but it does OK where I live (fairly flat) if I keep the speed 65 or less. It felt much more stable than I expected. Just don't be afraid to let the engine rev up when it needs to.

If I was shopping for a new airstream today, I would probably lean towards a 23 footer with the gladiator. Not only are they lighter, they are also a little narrower, which helps with wind resistance and visibility. I already had the 25fb so I'm going to try and make it work.

The tongue weigh is a concern to me, and I have taken some steps to manage that. I only carry one 30lb propane tank instead of two. I also converted to lithium batteries which are much lighter and moved inside the trailer instead of on the tongue. Those two changes dropped the stock tongue weight by over 100lbs. It is a tad over 700 lbs now. I can also move the spare tire around if I need to depending on how I am loaded. I am very careful about how I load the trailer and setup my hitch. I have a sherline tongue weight scale I check with. I just bought and installed a new blue ox sway pro WDH hitch this weekend. I also put airlift air bags in the rear coil springs. Although, after installing the new hitch, I'm not sure the air bags were even needed.

I have several trips planned this summer in Michigan, so we will see. I think it will be fine, but I wouldn't want to go with any bigger of a trailer. Mine probably runs a little over 6000 lbs loaded, and I pack pretty light.

I'm also going to be towing a smallish loader tractor on a 18' flatbed trailer back and forth between my house and my hunting property. That will total in the 5000-6000 lb range. I will be trying that within the next week or two.

If the gladiator can handle these towing tasks 8-10 times a year, I will be thrilled, and glad to be back in a Jeep.

Thanks, and great looking setup BTW!

 

[NC Gator]

 

[Forum Crawler]

We’re building a Gator.

 

[Cwelroy]

So far it has been much better than expected, but to be honest, I haven't towed it much yet. Probably 50-60 miles total just to get a feel for it. I previously had a 3/4 ton GMC with a Duramax. It does not compare to that. The gladiator definitely lacks power for heavy towing, but it does OK where I live (fairly flat) if I keep the speed 65 or less. It felt much more stable than I expected. Just don't be afraid to let the engine rev up when it needs to.

If I was shopping for a new airstream today, I would probably lean towards a 23 footer with the gladiator. Not only are they lighter, they are also a little narrower, which helps with wind resistance and visibility. I already had the 25fb so I'm going to try and make it work.

The tongue weigh is a concern to me, and I have taken some steps to manage that. I only carry one 30lb propane tank instead of two. I also converted to lithium batteries which are much lighter and moved inside the trailer instead of on the tongue. Those two changes dropped the stock tongue weight by over 100lbs. It is a tad over 700 lbs now. I can also move the spare tire around if I need to depending on how I am loaded. I am very careful about how I load the trailer and setup my hitch. I have a sherline tongue weight scale I check with. I just bought and installed a new blue ox sway pro WDH hitch this weekend. I also put airlift air bags in the rear coil springs. Although, after installing the new hitch, I'm not sure the air bags were even needed.

I have several trips planned this summer in Michigan, so we will see. I think it will be fine, but I wouldn't want to go with any bigger of a trailer. Mine probably runs a little over 6000 lbs loaded, and I pack pretty light.

I'm also going to be towing a smallish loader tractor on a 18' flatbed trailer back and forth between my house and my hunting property. That will total in the 5000-6000 lb range. I will be trying that within the next week or two.

If the gladiator can handle these towing tasks 8-10 times a year, I will be thrilled, and glad to be back in a Jeep.

Thanks for the towing tips with an airstream. Trying to talk my wife into anything between 17’ and 23’. Want an old one, though. 50’s or 60’s if possible. Harder to justify the price after buying a gladiator!

 

[Rockchucker]

Another gator

 

[SWAMP RAT]

Got the 35’s put on, blacked out the grille, antenna, and door hinges.

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