Gladiator or another brand for a work truck?

[1996XJ]

Good luck and cheers!
[/QUOTE]
A

I considered purchasing a 2021 v8 silverado but changed my mind after researching how many issues related to dynamic fuel management (DFM) and valve lifters. The 8 speed transmission has/had its fair share of issues as well.

If I was in your situation and needed a reliable work truck close to the size of the gladiator, I'd probably go with tacoma.

Tacomas have terrible auto transmission shiftpoints and a gutless 3.5 liter engine (likely because of the engine and trans combo) but they do live up to their name when it comes to reliability.

Maybe snag a 2021 base tundra or sr5 since the new 2022 TTV6 tundra will likely experience some issues.

My 2 cents.

Good luck and cheers!

Thanks for the input i appreciate it.

Sponsored

 

[1996XJ]

Most guys around here that do that sort of work have a trailer - almost everything they need is in the trailer, including a work surface, tools, and more. They run a cord to it and there's outlets inside for multiple tools, air compressor, whatever. Every person I've hired to do anything here (which is few since I do most stuff myself) has a trailer and a medium size truck. I think at least here the days of the huge truck that does it all are about gone. Trailers are the way to go.

I'd to a gladiator because they'll go anywhere in any weather, great in winter, would tow a tool/work trailer, can haul said trailer into most work areas, including mud and rock and snow and they are comfortable as heck to drive. The only way one guy even used his truck as a truck was when he hauled rock and sand here for some major hardscaping. But he could have hauled it in a trailer, too.
I bought mine because it's a TRUCK. I wanted a smaller truck, I bought this TRUCK. It's a truck first. And it's done all the truck stuff I've asked it to. It's easier to take into some places because of the size. It will go places my Silverado would never have gotten into. Turns tight, maneuverable, comfortable, far better MPG than any other truck I've had.

Right now i have a good job with a contractor so i dont really need a trailer of my own yet. I can carry my basic needs and they haul the bulk of materials and large items. Thats why im kind of considering any option that i think i can pile miles on. I normally work out of my XJ but its having some crazy issue that no one can diagnose and im not sure where i will end up with her. Hopefully it can get it figured out and i can get her over 300k

 

[redriderjf87]

Maverick, Colorado or a Frontier might be cost efficient options depending on what bed size and light towing you need. Assuming you'd be looking at something new.

 

[Eventyr_JT]

I have been driving a company provided Chevy 2500 service body for 3 years. Although it is heavy - about 9k lbs with tools - it has plenty of get up and go, towes well when I need it to, has plenty of cargo space. Would I buy one? No, it is bigger than I would need for myself and cost them $100 a week in gas. But it has been a good truck - power doors, windows, mirrors, heated mirrors, Bluetooth, CarPlay, cruise control…

 

[dcmdon]

Umm yeah. Been working out of trucks for over 35 years. It's not the most practical but how you set up goes a long way in making it efficient.

I drive a lot for my work. This is the vehicle I want to drive all day so why not? The jobs get done. I enjoy my drive. If the weather is nice the top goes down along the way. Maybe there's a trail I saw that I want to hit on the way home.

I like my logic better.

Your logic includes things that don't factor into a pure work truck. Top goes down, you enjoy driving it. For an "owners truck" that is what you want.

But often pure work trucks are purchased for employees to drive. In that case it comes down to 1) cost 2) capability 3) reliability.

And based on that cold hard logic, the Gladiator fails compared to the competition.

There is no debating really that you would be better served by a bland standard truck. But you've got to enjoy driving it. I get it. If you are gong to spend hours per day inside it, you want to enjoy your time. But judged as a pickup truck, the Gladiator is expensive and not terribly capable.

 

[dcmdon]

Maverick, Colorado or a Frontier might be cost efficient options depending on what bed size and light towing you need. Assuming you'd be looking at something new.

I think we are going to see a lot of Mavericks with work caps on them being used by companies like Comcast and such. Where you don't need a ton of room or weight capacity.

 

[rharr]

The nissan frontier is a popular fleet truck around here for pool companies, pest control ect.. my buddy services some for a pool company and has nothing bad to say about them, cheap and functional.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The nissan frontier is a popular fleet truck around here for pool companies, pest control ect.. my buddy services some for a pool company and has nothing bad to say about them, cheap and functional.

That must be a thing with pool companies in general - I had to sort of laugh as gee, that's what they use around here, too - at least a couple of them.

If you run a doggy daycare, indoor dog park, and grooming service, the Wrangler works well..........

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Your logic includes things that don't factor into a pure work truck. Top goes down, you enjoy driving it. For an "owners truck" that is what you want.

But often pure work trucks are purchased for employees to drive. In that case it comes down to 1) cost 2) capability 3) reliability.

Let's not move the goalposts here.

OP stated from the context of an owner/operator, not outfitting his employees' fleet.

Edit: If the OP wants to drive a Jeep to work it can be made into a work truck. Optimal and reliable especially to 300k I would say no.

In that case you'd be better served by a Ranger, Frontier, F150, 1500, Transit, or any of the many cargo vans on the market.

For a long time I worked out of a dedicated cargo van. That is optimal.
15 years ago I switched to a 6.5' super crew F-150 to pull double duty. It worked great.
Now I'm in Gladiator that is doing double duty and still happy; with the caveat that the F-150 is still around for the occasional heavy hauling and towing. I use it about every other month.

The nissan frontier is a popular fleet truck around here for pool companies, pest control ect.. my buddy services some for a pool company and has nothing bad to say about them, cheap and functional.

I've known quite a few who work out of their Nissan frontiers, and all are very satisfied.

 

[MPMB]

Some people follow the old adage: never drive a vehicle better than your boss. Some people get ticked that, indirectly, they're paying for your vehicle. That's a true perception of people - and it comes from rich and poor people. I knew a guy who got pissed his employee bought herself a BMW. I don't know why he was pissed, he was sitting on roughly $10 million in real estate, with a huge lakeshore cabin.

I'd try it out as a work truck. You can get a bed rack that will haul things like ladders and wood. You could also get a 180* or 270* awning to work in the shade and write it off.

It can't be any worse than all these lifted Denali HDs on 22s/24s I see at job sites.

 

[MPMB]

The nissan frontier is a popular fleet truck around here for pool companies, pest control ect.. my buddy services some for a pool company and has nothing bad to say about them, cheap and functional.

Probably the only way Nissan can sell them.

 

[Gren71]

Assuming you’re going to keep it for a while, and drive a lot of miles…a gladiator may make sense on the back end. It will retain more value than any of the other options. Which will give you flexibility to buy another work truck later at a lower cost to you after you trade or sell the work Jt.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Some people follow the old adage: never drive a vehicle better than your boss. Some people get ticked that, indirectly, they're paying for your vehicle. That's a true perception of people - and it comes from rich and poor people. I knew a guy who got pissed his employee bought herself a BMW. I don't know why he was pissed, he was sitting on roughly $10 million in real estate, with a huge lakeshore cabin.

Never heard that one.
I often drove at least as nice as my boss had, except for my first boss and then I was 14 and just starting out with a first car and he was an established business. My bosses frankly never cared. And a some of them never saw what I drove.

Naum drove luxury as did the company CFO when I worked at CCC but then Naum was the sort he wanted his employees to thrive and succeed. Big holiday bonuses, a week off between Christmas and New Years (paid) plus your normal time off.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Assuming you’re going to keep it for a while, and drive a lot of miles…a gladiator may make sense on the back end. It will retain more value than any of the other options. Which will give you flexibility to buy another work truck later at a lower cost to you after you trade or sell the work Jt.

I don't believe there is a practical concept of reinvestment on a high mileage work truck.

It's very evident to me that the premier work truck, the F-150 Ford has been constructed much differently than the Jeep Gladiator. My F-150 felt like it was barely broken at 100,000 miles, whereas the Gladiator is already showing signs of loosening up at around 6,000. I can't imagine what it's going to be like as it approaches 100k let alone 300K.

I was very jealous of my buddy's new Toyota tundra Crew cab with 8 ft bed when I bought my new 6.5' bed SuperCrew. More comfortable cab and 8 ft bed. At the time of purchase I did not get much reassurance from the display at my Ford dealer that showed the immense disparity between the underpinnings of the Ford and Toyota. But boy it sure did show up at about 100,000 miles when my buddies Toyota was literally falling apart and my truck felt like it had not yet been broken in.

My Gladiator work truck is not a long-term strategy. I only bought the diesel because the hybrid was not going to be released until 2024, at which time I will be trading it in for just that. I drive all my vehicles with great care, the occasional "Italian tune-up" notwithstanding.

 

[MPMB]

Never heard that one.
I often drove at least as nice as my boss had, except for my first boss and then I was 14 and just starting out with a first car and he was an established business. My bosses frankly never cared. And a some of them never saw what I drove.

Naum drove luxury as did the company CFO when I worked at CCC but then Naum was the sort he wanted his employees to thrive and succeed. Big holiday bonuses, a week off between Christmas and New Years (paid) plus your normal time off.

Oh, don't get me wrong. It's your money, buy what you want. But there are some people in the world who have a different viewpoint.

My current employer is a bit of a cheapskate when it comes to his company. He saw me get into my car one day and said off-handedly, "nice car." I never heard him make a comment like that to anybody, nor when I got into my Expedition.

I was getting in my A4. Which we bought used in 2016 for $23k. It was $10k cheaper than my "utility" Expedition. And it was almost 1/2 the price of the Challenger parked next to it.

Was it the only "luxury" brand in the parking lot not belonging to the company owner? Yes. Was it the most expensive car, outside of the company owners? Not by a long shot. At best, it was 4th cheapest out of 15.

That said, will I be driving the JT to work when/if I go back into the office?

Nope.

Sponsored