Greetings from Germany with our 2020 JT 3.6 Rubicon Gobi

[PlayfulBird]

Hi everyone.

We just wanted to say hi and introduce ourselves.

Hiding behind PlayfulBird is a couple, Niki & Carly. We are both 30 and love our Jeeps (FCA/Stellantis not so much).
We have two doggys and love camping and offroading(a challenge finding legal areas outside of dedicated parks in Germany).
Carly is from the States, I was born in Germany, but we both kinda lived all over. A large chunk of that time in Africa. Now enjoying Bavaria

Until now our daily driver is a Grand Cherokee from 2006 with the Diesel. Sadly in Germany they are getting limited access to certain cities and it is not really customizable (limited to a few lift kits), so we were slowly but surely pushed to consider another platform. Adding to this, the arrival of our 55kg (ca. 121 lbs) 9 month old doggy. The GC just did not provide us with the space needed. So after back and forth, and not wanting the eco diesel, we stumbled over a 3.6l Rubicon in Gobi (import). Could not help ourselves and with all the crazy happening we would rather enjoy now.
Seeing as I have been reading in the Forum for a while I thought to sign us up .
We are part of the local Jeep community and Forum, but the JT is not discussed much, and being an import Mopar EU is kinda out of their depth, and well the US sends us back to the EU Services .

We have driven several TJ JK and JL, but after a fun day at one of our small Munich meets (getting to see a 392) and driving in one of the JL, finding creative Jeep solutions to German Parking , we both kinda knew we wanted something more like the Wrangler but needed more space. I was surely missing a pickup. Hey there is the Gladiator
Test drove the Overland Eco Diesel (Overland and Launch Edition Diesels are the only options available in Germany) at a dealer and after seeing their built 3.6 as well as their Hellcat swapped import models we were kinda sure we did not want to deal with the new Diesel Issues. Our Grand Cherokee Diesel is great, no worries but surely also because no DPF. Newer vehicles as diesels are a no go for us anymore.

After seeing our "Appa" at an importer we just pulled the trigger. Stupid because there was surely not a great vibe between us and the importer. Back left reverse led not working, rusty dinged up hitch and receiver. Scratches on the fenders and front (apparently all damages from the import process). All stuff they did not want to deal with, and later found most likely explanation on their private facebook and YT. They went on a joyride. Had they just been upfront and not explained everything away... whatever. We are freaking happy to have the truck now.

So far we have thrown out the rear seats, and a friend of ours (if anyone needs a carpenter in Munich give me a shout, he is a great dude) has built him (the little black monster you see in the pic) a platform. When all that is finalized we will post some pics.
We love the halos. Drives the local police crazy. It is an import and all from the factory, after that and the papers we have, they can't do anything, but they like to try.
So far we have coated the under-body and flooded the frame and cavities with fat. All in the name of fighting rust.
And plugged in a Tazer mini.

So that's us.

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[Trippin01]

Welcome! Enjoy, and keep posting pics! love it.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Welcome to the forum! Would love to travel like that! I have a couple questions after reading your post a few times to make sure I’m not asking what you already mentioned…. I noticed your back doors access has them swinging full open. Is that normal over there or did you take off the slider bar that keeps the doors from opening like that?
Your truck is imported…where is the build location and it was imported from where? Are these only made in the US or does jeep now have assembly plants in Germany or Netherlands where FIAT is headquartered?

 

[PlayfulBird]

Welcome to the forum! Would love to travel like that! I have a couple questions after reading your post a few times to make sure I’m not asking what you already mentioned…. I noticed your back doors access has them swinging full open. Is that normal over there or did you take off the slider bar that keeps the doors from opening like that?
Your truck is imported…where is the build location and it was imported from where? Are these only made in the US or does jeep now have assembly plants in Germany or Netherlands where FIAT is headquartered?

^Hi Kevin

Thank you.

The easy answer first, I disconnected the slider and the limiter strap so my dog can get easier in and out.
Seeing a Gladiator here is not frequent, so ours being a 3.6 Rubicon is a very rare sight. From exactly which state it was imported I do not know, but I suspect some Dealer in Florida as the importer that import us cars to Germany has a Villa there which they rent out when not in the US.

Our truck is manufactured in Toledo. It seems all Gladiator trucks are manufactured there, where and how the assembly works I honestly have no idea. I just know that we in Germany can only order Eco Diesels in the Launch and Overland trims. These trucks are also manufactured in the states, i believe I read that atleast, in EU there are a few changes that take place with the lights. That is all.
Ours being an import also does not get any of the Dealer perks like service plan...

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Thanks! You took out the back seats and built something for the large dog…please post some pics of what you built. I have a 8.5 month old Great Dane and will have to take out the seats and build something too! She already loves wearing goggles so when the roof is off, she will be up into the wind with lips flapping and slobber flinging all over!!

 

[PlayfulBird]

Thanks! You took out the back seats and built something for the large dog…please post some pics of what you built. I have a 8.5 month old Great Dane and will have to take out the seats and build something too! She already loves wearing goggles so when the roof is off, she will be up into the wind with lips flapping and slobber flinging all over!!

Will do. When it is done it will be similar to the Goose Gear Seat delete Platform. I would also advise to build it yourself to keep it as low as possible. I wanted to raise it to have more storagee, but the carpenter friend called me out. He was like are you crazy, your dogs gonna hit his head getting in there. And he was right. Good we listened

 

[BUZZHEAD]

Welcome aboard

 

[Maximus Gladius]

This is her when we got her back in October, 8 weeks old, 18lbs. She is now 85lbs and 36” height at her head. She has a few more inches to go and will probably max out at 130 ish lbs.

 

[PlayfulBird]

This is her when we got her back in October, 8 weeks old, 18lbs. She is now 85lbs and 36” height at her head. She has a few more inches to go and will probably max out at 130 ish lbs.

Ours is still waiting forr some Rex Specs from the states. You have a gorgeous dog! Crazy how fast they grow

 

[PlayfulBird]

Welcome aboard

Thank you

 

[Maximus Gladius]

So what is your diesel pushing out for MPG? You mentioned the truck doesn’t have all the emissions stuff we have to have here? How much weight are hauling around? Trailer?

 

[PlayfulBird]

So what is your diesel pushing out for MPG? You mentioned the truck doesn’t have all the emissions stuff we have to have here? How much weight are hauling around? Trailer?

I think you misunderstood.
2 seperate cars.
The Gladiator is the normal Pentastar. 3.6l, no trailer about 18mpg.
The Grand Cherokee (GC) is a 2006 and does about 27mpg average with some light towing here and there. pre 2008 i believe had no dpfs, also in the states easy to delete in some states, here that is also illegal.

 

[legacy_etu]

Welcome. Question: why do the police care about your halos? It's not like you're blinding people. Jeesh.

 

[PlayfulBird]

Welcome. Question: why do the police care about your halos? It's not like you're blinding people. Jeesh.

Yeah, ik. there are 98% of cops that are great, and then there are like 2% that will try and find an issue. We like to call them the racing committee.

So we have a stock Rubi, you get pulled over just cause you look different(they smell blood) and the cop starts with papers, and immediately states that you have modded the vehicle which is not noted in the papers (need to get many mods added to the vehicles paper, almost like a pinkslip plus registration).
Then the debate starts.

They do that to AMG Mercs or M BMWs too. Often they are factory, cop states exhaust is too loud and often they force you to give them the keys and they take it to a testing facility of their choosing. After they are through with it and find nothing you wasted a lot of time. If they do find something you can take the vehicle to a facility of your choosing to try and counter the claim and prove legality...
It is a freaking pain.

The rules are a bit dense. There are so many things that have 0 effect but will be debated.
So a winch for example you need to have be inspected, approved and then added to the papers, which you cant do legally unless you register your bumper. This in most cases you can not just do as it endangers pedestrians. To get around that you have it registered as an equipment carrier. Even better if you can prove need for it, like doing snow duty or woodlands maintenance. So no metal pumper just like that. Its a huge deal to get it.
So yay for stock metal bumpers. Also bumpers are called a Personenschutzbügel - people protection bar

Stuff that comes factory for some reason you can always get away with, but be ready to prove that it is factory

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

Welcome. Question: why do the police care about your halos? It's not like you're blinding people. Jeesh.

Reminds them of donuts, they lose focus, and then they can’t perform their job as well. Less distractions = safer neighborhoods

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