Gladiator or another brand for a work truck?

[ShadowsPapa]

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.

I knew it was not coming from you but a commentary on how some others may view things..... I've been pretty lucky that way, on the other hand, I'm the sort of personality I'd not give a rip what they thought as long as I got paid LOL

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[Average-Joe]

If you need an affordable work truck with a 6 ft box; Tacoma is a easy choice. I have this model as my work truck. The utility package saves you$1700 and deletes the rear jump seats. The 2.7 is bullet proof for Just hauling material

 

[rharr]

are you self employed? if so there are tax breaks to buy a 6000lb or greater truck.

It has been discussed in some EcoD threads.

 

[wannajeep]

I just got my Mojave and i will not beat that thing up working out of it. I do residential remodel and repair. I am considering buying a cheaper gladiator to work out of as the bed size is good enough for what i need most of the time.

If you already have a Mojave as a non work truck, I think you'd be wasting money getting another Gladiator as a work truck. You already have the fun/nice truck. Even a cheaper Gladiator is a lot of money for a work truck.

If you must have just one rig I can see you'd have tough choices, but if you're already resigned/able to have two, you now have the luxury of make each one better suited to its primary purpose.

Keep it simple. Get a work grade F150, Tacoma or Ram 1500 (Ram: Tradesman or Express, if they still make them. 5.7L if you can swing it) - and be done.

Let the work truck work hard. Let the Jeep play hard.

 

[1996XJ]

are you self employed? if so there are tax breaks to buy a 6000lb or greater truck.

It has been discussed in some EcoD threads.

No at the moment I'm on payroll .

 

[1996XJ]

If you already have a Mojave as a non work truck, I think you'd be wasting money getting another Gladiator as a work truck. You already have the fun/nice truck. Even a cheaper Gladiator is a lot of money for a work truck.

If you must have just one rig I can see you'd have tough choices, but if you're already resigned/able to have two, you now have the luxury of make each one better suited to its primary purpose.

Keep it simple. Get a work grade F150, Tacoma or Ram 1500 (Ram: Tradesman or Express, if they still make them. 5.7L if you can swing it) - and be done.

Let the work truck work hard. Let the Jeep play hard.

People swear up and down the Dodge won't last long and that I should get a Tacoma. Thing is I just don't like them but I suppose I should consider them since reliability and longevity is what I need.

 

[Jerhemi]

I liked my F150. Good towing, decent on fuel (12L/100km with 5.0), TONS of cab space, quiet, aluminum body, Sync system was great. With the 5.5' box and a backrack I never ran in to a problem hauling.

 

[Guns_N_Rosaries]

Late to the party, but I also agree with the base model Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra work truck trim with the 4.3 and 2 wheel drive (unless you live somewhere icy).

Sub-$30k, will last a long time, I'm not sure about a beat up work truck holding its value, but you'll have no problem eventually selling it.

 

[wannajeep]

People swear up and down the Dodge won't last long and that I should get a Tacoma. Thing is I just don't like them but I suppose I should consider them since reliability and longevity is what I need.

When you're buying from any of the top brands, reliability and longevity is a concept that often exists more in our minds than in reality.

Assuming a well proven motor and transmission, longevity might be driven more by how people drive, use and maintain their rigs than by the brand or model.

When I was considering buying a car many years ago that was about 20 years old, kept in a heated garage and had only 18K miles on the odometer, I told a seasoned mechanic friend about it and he calmly reminded me it's easy to kill a car in just 10,000 miles.

If it's a work truck, you don't have to like it. It's a work truck. Treat it as such.

I ended up buying that old Buick, which in the for-sale post was inadvertently advertised as a V6 but which I came to later realize was powered by the old 4-Tech. It died shortly thereafter. Granted, it was because of a poorly designed timing chain system and probably not because of a lack of proper maintenance. The sweet old lady who sold it to me was well into her 80s and used the money to take a well deserved trip to the Galopagos Islands. I have no regrets :D

 

[Orange01z28]

I really, really liked my Ram Rebel

I bought my Gladiator as a compromise with something that could really wheel and still do some truck things. If I had a vehicle that just needed to do truck things I'd get a base model Ram

 

[Hootbro]

Get a Tradesman regular cab 2WD RAM 1500 Classic. Has the same engine and transmission as your Gladiator. Will simplify your maintenance support.

Edit: Gladiator is the Upgraded Pentastar series but same family.

 

[Tiny]

The truck I had before the Gladdy was a 2010 2wd Silverado WT extended cab. 4.3 V6. Bought new. Crank windows, steelies, radio only. Had heat and a/c but not much else. Bought it purposefully basic so nothing would break and 10 yrs/115k miles later, nothing did. Cruise control was the only thing I missed really. Lined the bed and beat the hell out of it. Just weekend warrior stuff but it did great. Hauled gravel, furniture, brick. Towed some box trailers periodically. I was really surprised for a full sized rwd truck how good it did in snow, provided my tires weren't bald. The 4spd auto made the V6 kind of a dog on the highway but otherwise it was fine.

Loved that truck and it am convinced with regular maintenance it would have lasted 30 years. But....then the Gladiator came along and as they say, love is fickle. Gladdy is infinitely more fun but for a work truck it was perfect. I think back then I paid about $21k. Got $10k in trade for the Jeep.

 

[bleda2002]

I'd go with a ram tradesman as well. Simple, na engines, solid transmissions.

 

[Zissou]

Everyone else has pretty much said it, but +1 for getting a utilitarian full size truck for real work. I own a Gladiator because I do not do real work lol (wfh desk job; glorified mathematician)

Personally my pick would be the F-150, but it's really down to preference if it's that or the Silverado/Sierra, or Ram. IDK if Toyota and Nissan have fleet versions of the tundra and titan but they could be alternate options too. Simpler is better with those, simple is reliable most often.
8' bed, base engine, 2wd; just for working.

 

[Boston Bill]

I have no idea. This is where spending $50 on an electronic subscription to Consumer Reports is probably worth it.

My gut says Toyota. But I really don't know.

CR is not Jeep people, they don't understand. It's rated pretty low. I bought a Gladiator anyway! And I absolutely love mine with the 3.6 gas and 8 spd auto!

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