How do you plan to drive your Gladiator?

[alpineovernappa]

I use mine to drag my LJ home when it breaks down. Just kidding! The LJ is the more reliable one. The JT is my longer distance rig and my LJ is my local daily.

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[UnforseenWeather]

Daily driver for me… optimistic that the MPGs go up in the summer and I can get close to 20. Big dreams. Love driving the dang thing though, just the promise of $5/gal is sucking some enjoyment out.

 

[Beemer533]

Like God intended the Mojave to be used; jumping bridges and small buildings. Oh and sand dunes

Seriously though, mine is My DD but I plan on using it as a truck and sort of beating the crap out of it offroad as much as my work allows time for.

Definitely won't see any wax, but I may put a set of these on it: https://www.trailscales.com/collect...t-trail-scales-package?variant=32969727344722

 

[PsyRN]

My JTR is my all-rounder. It's my DD, and long distance vehicle. I use it for dump runs, and as a Lowe's hauler. I don't really take it rock crawling, or mudding. It's still stock so that limits what I can do with it and that's ok because I really don't want to do those things, but I do like to take it off road when I get the chance on fire roads and trails. Pin-striped it the 2nd week I had it, burnt bushes and trees don't give way very easily. I just ordered a Ovrlnd Canopy Camper, so that's in it's future.

 

[jcarbs]

Mine is a DD and we like to take the top off and let the grandkids enjoy riding in the open Jeep just like the JK. Like the OP, just want to do some light trails etc. so we can have some fund with the grandkids as well.

 

[kurtasmith]

As a recovery rig for my LJ

Actually that's partially serious, my modified Taco (DCLB) would've been challenged to get into a place that my lightly modified LJR would get stuck. My JTR has a much larger margin for error/challenge to recover the LJ than my Taco or F150 before that.

My JTR will be a bit of everything, I need a truck bed for yard work, as well as a secure (w/ a topper) mountain bike hauler. I live at the "edge of pavement" so it sees dirt/mud/snow every other day or more, and some of those roads go from almost Prius capable in the summer to "I'm going to need my winch and creativity with the shovel" in the winter. The lockers are mostly for snow for me, in my LJ and now the JT I use them weekly. I don't really have a daily commute, so mileage is mostly for trips and hitting trailheads and we have a Subaru Forester for MPG/DD.

I wanted something that can do the big miles on narrow, bad mountain roads in all weather for the Rockies. The main use is as a nasty dirt/snow RV, we love camping year-round in Montana to bike & BC ski and are putting an Ovrlnd Camper on it in a month... Which gives us a light weight, worry free spot to sleep in dense bear country. My wife and I also plan on pairing the JT up with our LJ for some regional trips. Both as a 2nd vehicle to tug each other out and as a base camp for wheeling the LJ.

I've done 1000s of miles on forest service/mining/backroads on past vehicles and plan to do more with this truck. From past experience I wanted something that can get past short challenging sections (drifts, 12" rock gardens, stuck Subarus) to keep on going my way.

I have a 2020 Sport Tow Package 37's no lift have been towing a 21 foot snowmobile trailer year round motorcycles/snowmobiles everything. Have been sleeping in it all over Colorado and Utah. Looking at the Ovrlnd Camper hard for the last 2 months close to ordering. What did you do/add for cold weather camping in the popup? Did you do windows??? My only two worries about ordering the camper... Thanks for time and opinions.

 

[kurtasmith]

My JTR is my all-rounder. It's my DD, and long distance vehicle. I use it for dump runs, and as a Lowe's hauler. I don't really take it rock crawling, or mudding. It's still stock so that limits what I can do with it and that's ok because I really don't want to do those things, but I do like to take it off road when I get the chance on fire roads and trails. Pin-striped it the 2nd week I had it, burnt bushes and trees don't give way very easily. I just ordered a Ovrlnd Canopy Camper, so that's in it's future.

I have a 2020 Sport Tow Package 37's no lift have been towing a 21 foot snowmobile trailer year round motorcycles/snowmobiles everything. Have been sleeping in it all over Colorado and Utah. Looking at the Ovrlnd Camper hard for the last 2 months close to ordering. What did you do/add for cold weather camping in the popup? Did you do windows??? My only two worries about ordering the camper... Thanks for time and opinions.

 

[DJPodratz]

I for one plan to drive it safely.

Beyond that,perhaps some mild off-roading. I bought it to replace a Wrangler and Frontier since we downsized and I only have one garage stall now. Stock Sport.

 

[Rummie]

It's an adventure vehicle. We drive it for adventures! ? Just got back from a month long trip out to Death Valley. We have taken it across country multiple times. Hard rock trails, overlanding, pulling a camper, daily driver, kayak hauler, etc.

I drive the crap out of it. Been on our side in Moab, have done trails all around the west even though we live in Florida. Have some damaged fenders, bent rock sliders, currently a broken sway bar bracket in the rear, and a lot of use on the belly armor.

 

[djthumper]

When I sold my Silverado crew cab to get my JT Sport Eco Diesel it was not intended to be a DD but my weekend and adventure vehicle. Since I am getting around 25 MPG it has become my DD because I drive 70 miles round trip daily for work.

 

[PsyRN]

I have a 2020 Sport Tow Package 37's no lift have been towing a 21 foot snowmobile trailer year round motorcycles/snowmobiles everything. Have been sleeping in it all over Colorado and Utah. Looking at the Ovrlnd Camper hard for the last 2 months close to ordering. What did you do/add for cold weather camping in the popup? Did you do windows??? My only two worries about ordering the camper... Thanks for time and opinions.

I didn't add anything from them, but I may do some diy insulating once it gets here. A buddy just built out a van conversion and did his own insulation and said he could help me with mine. Said it was pretty easy to do. I don't live where it snows, so I didn't really have to consider it too much. Most of my "winter" camping will probably be along the coast. lol They do have some cold weather options, although they are kinda pricey and since I don't live anywhere that cold...

I didn't get windows because I read a few places that they tend to get scratched, but I don't think it would be too hard to add them later.

 

[montechie]

I have a 2020 Sport Tow Package 37's no lift have been towing a 21 foot snowmobile trailer year round motorcycles/snowmobiles everything. Have been sleeping in it all over Colorado and Utah. Looking at the Ovrlnd Camper hard for the last 2 months close to ordering. What did you do/add for cold weather camping in the popup? Did you do windows??? My only two worries about ordering the camper... Thanks for time and opinions.

I did land up getting the Ovrlnd over other topper+pop-ups for cold weather as well. Otherwise I would've gotten a GFC which are made about 6-7 miles away from my house.

I'm picking it up in a couple of weeks, but the owners are great for talking through builds. From Ovrlnd I got the arctic pack insulation liner which velcros to the tent wall part. I did get windows in the back doors and splurged on Arctic Tern windows for the sides. You can pretty much get whatever combo you want. The Terns are well insulated, and I'll probably just use reflectex on the back windows for both privacy and insulation. For the camper walls it is really easy to do whatever insulation you want, the support beams look easy to insulate around. My plan is to actually try Havlock wool for my walls and then place a thin paneling over the top. The wool doesn't have the same moisture issues as synthetic insulations, is naturally anti-microbrial, good R-value, non-toxic, and all that.

Beyond that we'll see after next winter, unless we get a decently cold April/May here in Montana to try it out. The truck bed itself will be another challenge for cold, I'll probably put a bedmat down for the floor, the bed walls will probably be covered with gear anyways.

I guess I'll only be the 2nd Gladiator with an Ovrlnd Camper according to them. Looking forward to using it on the way back from Flagstaff.

 

[ecidiego]

I just send it.

 

[kurtasmith]

I did land up getting the Ovrlnd over other topper+pop-ups for cold weather as well. Otherwise I would've gotten a GFC which are made about 6-7 miles away from my house.

I'm picking it up in a couple of weeks, but the owners are great for talking through builds. From Ovrlnd I got the arctic pack insulation liner which velcros to the tent wall part. I did get windows in the back doors and splurged on Arctic Tern windows for the sides. You can pretty much get whatever combo you want. The Terns are well insulated, and I'll probably just use reflectex on the back windows for both privacy and insulation. For the camper walls it is really easy to do whatever insulation you want, the support beams look easy to insulate around. My plan is to actually try Havlock wool for my walls and then place a thin paneling over the top. The wool doesn't have the same moisture issues as synthetic insulations, is naturally anti-microbrial, good R-value, non-toxic, and all that.

Beyond that we'll see after next winter, unless we get a decently cold April/May here in Montana to try it out. The truck bed itself will be another challenge for cold, I'll probably put a bedmat down for the floor, the bed walls will probably be covered with gear anyways.

I guess I'll only be the 2nd Gladiator with an Ovrlnd Camper according to them. Looking forward to using it on the way back from Flagstaff.

Thank you

 

[kurtasmith]

I didn't add anything from them, but I may do some diy insulating once it gets here. A buddy just built out a van conversion and did his own insulation and said he could help me with mine. Said it was pretty easy to do. I don't live where it snows, so I didn't really have to consider it too much. Most of my "winter" camping will probably be along the coast. lol They do have some cold weather options, although they are kinda pricey and since I don't live anywhere that cold...

I didn't get windows because I read a few places that they tend to get scratched, but I don't think it would be too hard to add them later.

Thank you

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