The only thing you need the salesman to know when shopping for any vehicle is you do not have to have it and do not need to buy it but he needs to sell to earn his money.The first time I went to the local dealership to look at Gladiators the salesman that had been there 14 years told me all models have the same tow rating.I ended up buying elsewhere.
I totally agree. I was just responding to an OP comment that a salesman at a Jeep dealership thought that all Gladiators have the same towing capacity. So he left and went to another dealership to purchase one.
Which is my point, nobody cares if you tow a 7k pounds trailer when your mojave was rated at 6k. Nobody will ever weigh it, and even if you did haul commercially with a JT the DOT isn't batting an eye when you hand them the brochure that proudly states up to 7700 pounds when properly equipped. The only proper equipment they would look for is the hitch being rated the same. Which is why I point out that any JT can tow 7k pounds. All our hitches are rated the same. Axles. Brakes. Frames. No different than the max tow. The 4.10s, upgraded alternator, and cooling fan all come on the rubicons and mojaves too. It's not a safety, liability, or legal issue.
Whether anyone cares or not, I was skeptical of buying the Mojave instead of my Rubicon because I felt that the engineers must have some reason for the lower towing rating. I was thinking that it likely had to do with the suspension and tongue weight considerations. Sure the Mojave can pull the higher weight, but is there the possibility/likely hood that at 7k, it would compress the Mojave's springs and shocks excessively since the Mojave does provide what some term as "smoother and softer" ride.
Manual transmission too?
The softer springs could be a draw back, depending on trailer design, tongue weight, wether you run a weight distributing hitch, etc. I never hooked up a trailer when it was stock so I can't say for certain. On 3.5" metalcloak springs it tows great in the 6500 to 8200 pounds ranges I've pulled. The heavy trailers have all been tandem axle which helps with stability at lower tongue weights though. The lumber filled trailer pictured didn't cause much squat at all despite the 8240lb weight. The water buffalo was~6800lbs filled and only squatted the rear 1". I push the limits of most things so take my advice with a grain of salt.
It would pull it fine until the clutch exploded, but they do that empty too
. If I had a manual, it would get an upgraded clutch out the gate. At that point I'd still send it with a 7k pound trailer.
You said it all .... "You buy a Gladiator because you want a Jeep but need a truck." Amen.
This is a mid sized truck, which one are you buying for towing capacity? The Tacoma has a max rating of 6500lbs. The ranger 7500. The Colorado just increased to match the gladiator at 7700lbs. There is no better mid size truck for towing period. AND it's still a Jeep. No it can't compete with full sized trucks, especially not the 2500-3500 lines but no reasonable person is making that comparison.
This is my point exactly. And a further point is that while the Gladiator is a midsize truck, it is in a class all it's own. From wind noise, driving dynamics, comfort, off road ability. If someone is comparing the Gladiator based on towing or hauling numbers over other midsize trucks, the disappointment level could be very high. Especially those who are not used to the driving dynamics. Like I said before, the Gladiator is a compromise vehicle. It does nothing great but does so much good. It is the perfect vehicle if you wanted a jeep but needed a truck. Other than that, people should look elsewere. I bought a used 21 Willys that was fairly loaded. I liked it so much I purchased a New 2025 18 months later. I am that guy who wants a Jeep for the ability to go naked on nice days, but needs a truck also. To me the Gladiator is the perfect vehicle for how I use it. I had a Colorado. It was a 21 with a v6 4x4. It was far more comfortable, had more power, and boring as hell.
