Gladiator is crap for towing

[Bug out]

Hi all,
I have come to the conclusion that my Gladiator is crap for towing.
6 months ago, we travelled to California from Florida. 2600 miles. averaged about 350 miles a day towing 3500lb travel trailer (ultra light weight).
55MPH average. The ride was good .
When we got there trailer unhooked, that's when I found that the suspension was not right. It was like being in a boat.
So moving on.......... we were there 6 months. Sold the trailer.
December 2023 we moved back to Florida towing 'on a dolly' my wife's Hyandai Veloster. Not a heavy car by any means.
About 600 miles from home after travelling 2000 miles, I could feel the transmission struggling.
We made it home and I took the Jeep to dealer. They inspected and found transmission to be failing.
Thankfully it is under warranty so it is being replaced. My jeep has only done about 55k miles.
So after 55K miles the 1st and only times we have towed the transmission is done as well as the suspension.

I thought I would just post this to see if anyone has any input or has experienced similar issues.

(When i get it back from dealer I will be putting upgraded suspension on, but I don't want to lift it).
Happy days

Sponsored

 

[Mr._Bill]

Which model Gladiator do you have?

Does it have a factory installed Tow Package?

 

[aldo98229]

If your avatar shows your actual truck, I'd say towing should be the least of your worries... ?

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

Hi all,
I have come to the conclusion that my Gladiator is crap for towing.
6 months ago, we travelled to California from Florida. 2600 miles. averaged about 350 miles a day towing 3500lb travel trailer (ultra light weight).
55MPH average. The ride was good .
When we got there trailer unhooked, that's when I found that the suspension was not right. It was like being in a boat.
So moving on.......... we were there 6 months. Sold the trailer.
December 2023 we moved back to Florida towing 'on a dolly' my wife's Hyandai Veloster. Not a heavy car by any means.
About 600 miles from home after travelling 2000 miles, I could feel the transmission struggling.
We made it home and I took the Jeep to dealer. They inspected and found transmission to be failing.
Thankfully it is under warranty so it is being replaced. My jeep has only done about 55k miles.
So after 55K miles the 1st and only times we have towed the transmission is done as well as the suspension.

I thought I would just post this to see if anyone has any input or has experienced similar issues.

(When i get it back from dealer I will be putting upgraded suspension on, but I don't want to lift it).
Happy days

I have not had any issues like what you have described here and have towed right under the legal limit….. and it does fine at 65-70mph… (terrible diesel motor though, and has a different transmission than the gas powered. - could be apples to oranges comparison.)


Just curious, if your Jeep is the one in your avatar photo, any of the transmission slipping issues be associated with lack of cooling/air flow? - did you monitor trans temps while towing?

also looks like 37’s? And Heavy black rhino wheels…. Did you re-gear to compensate for losses power due to increased rotational mass? (Also could add to the transmission heat.)

 

[Bug out]

Which model Gladiator do you have?

Does it have a factory installed Tow Package?

sport
Yes factory tow package

 

[Bug out]

I have not had any issues like what you have described here and have towed right under the legal limit….. and it does fine at 65-70mph… (terrible diesel motor though, and has a different transmission than the gas powered. - could be apples to oranges comparison.)


Just curious, if your Jeep is the one in your avatar photo, any of the transmission slipping issues be associated with lack of cooling/air flow? - did you monitor trans temps while towing?

also looks like 37’s? And Heavy black rhino wheels…. Did you re-gear to compensate for losses power due to increased rotational mass? (Also could add to the transmission heat.)

All temps were good throughout both trips there and back

 

[Lost1wing]

I'm with you on the towing capabilities of the Gladiator. Was the towing the reason for your transmission failure? I think it depends on how you drive it. I have towed a JK on a 2000lb utility trailer. It pulled it fine but I didn't try to do any 0-60 tests or 60-0 tests. I did some long hill climbs trying to stay at 55mph while watching transmission temps . Not being really familiar with what a normal temp range should be, I slowed down a bit when it got to 190f. I have other things to tow with so the JTR will get a pass when I need to tow something.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

I towed a U-Haul trailer about 1,900 miles from Houston to Boston area with no issues. Mine is ‘21 Sport S w/ Max Tow Package. It’s lifted and on 35s as well.

The Appalachian Mountains in WV, PA, and MD definitely tested it, but it did fine. The RPMs would regularly get around 6k going up grade at 65-70mph, but I did it and the engine has been bullet proof since.

Don’t be afraid to rev that Pentastar out. Engine braking and braking in general was stellar. Zero complaints from me there. Good trailer stability and control as well.

Edit: Although my truck is lifted, it still has the Max Tow package springs. However, my steering setup is not stock so not an apples to apples comparison by any means.

 

[TheRealStreetcommander]

The Gladiator is not a great heavy tow vehicle. That’s true no matter what factory tow options you have. People will allege that MaxTow is the ticket, but from experience, it’s only going to keep you road legal for the higher rated weight and does not appreciably increase the tow performance in any meaningful way.

IMO the Gladiator tows very well with lighter loads and at lower speeds.

The odds suggest you either overtaxed your truck with aftermarket gear, or you have an extreme anomaly. The ZF8 is objectively the most durable, reliable, and efficient modern rear drive transmission in the past 40 years. It’s not perfect but it is truly magical.

 

[Mr.Wilson]

I have a Sport S with max tow. I took my John Deere X340 riding lawn mower on a 6x12 utility trailer (neither one are all that heavy) to the dealer for work. Truck never shifted out of 4th gear. I had to shift manually both ways. You are correct sir! They SUCK for towing.

 

[sarguy1941]

I have a 2020 Max Tow. No major mods other than steel rubi bumper and winch along with a back rack and rubi rims. We took a 6000 miles trip towing a CTC. The CAT scale showed truck and trailer total weight of 8100#s. Was it fun. Nope. did it work. Yup. worked fine. Temps stayed low. Some days we drove 8-10 straight. All across America, (VA, NY, CO, UT, TX, AL, GA, VA). Its not a tow rig. But I didn't buy it to be.

I'd take yours to a scale as I'm sure empty you are over weight as it is....

And also hope your dealer is good. If that grill is what you dropped it off with I can see Jeep not covering it as you killed the cooling. The JT has a different grill than the JL just for cooling.

 

[Weldit]

Maybe because of all the heavy scrap-iron hanging off your jeep, and tall tires with improper gearing. Maybe shifting manually will preserve the transmission because I’m sure it shifted in and out of overdrive constantly your entire trip. It’s a dual purpose vehicle. Not great for towing, but gets the job done for some recreational towing. It wasn’t designed as a tow vehicle. Towing springs will make it ride rough when off-roading.

 

[NVjeff]

I'd be curious to know what tire sizes/gear ratios the owners that are unhappy with the towing performance have.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

I'd be curious to know what tire sizes/gear ratios the owners that are unhappy with the towing performance have.

Same. There’s a lot of other variables too that could contribute to differing experiences, even if we all had the exact same builds. The hitch setup, trailer dimensions, driving habits, towing confidence, traffic conditions, general expectations vs reality, etc could all still affect the varying experiences.

All this being said, I get OP’s frustration. Idk how the transmission failed. Seems like an anomaly to me as someone else eluded to.

Sponsored