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Motor Trend's Full Overview (12/8/2020) is "Scary" (not good)

WhatExit?

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This is a very different review than their initial review.

Motor Trend's test had some bad results for towing with the Gladiator diesel.

interesting that the diesel ran out of steam to pull the hill and the V6 gasser could outrun it. Case study that when the pedal is floored, more horsepower will prevail if the gearing is there to let it RPM

"Every editor who drove the Gladiator with the trailer attached called the experience "scary" and agreed they'd never tow anything larger than a little single-axle trailer with a Gladiator again. Every one of them had multiple incidents, witnessed by other editors in chase vehicles, of the trailer nearly colliding with other vehicles as it swayed around the lane. I, personally, experienced more trailer sway control intervention on a one-hour drive on I-10 at California's ridiculously low 55-mph towing speed limit than I've had in 12 years of professional truck reviewing combined. Passing through a construction zone with rough pavement coming down a steep hill, I genuinely believed the trailer would push the truck off the freeway and into a sound wall."

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/jee...ep-gladiator-ecodiesel-first-test-review/amp/

Here's their initial review from September:
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/jee...-jeep-gladiator-ecodiesel-first-drive-review/
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JCHGlad

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Honestly, I feel like something was off with their testing methods....but, that said, I think there is far too much emphasis on towing with this truck in general, from Jeep itself to this forum, it can tow but it’s not a great vehicle if you plan on towing a lot of heavy stuff often....buy a 1500 if that is your mission, you’ll be much happier and safer....This is certainly a lifestyle vehicle and coming from a 1500 myself I absolutely love it, but I wouldn’t if I actually needed it to do 1500 stuff.
 

JeepDrvr2018

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I have been either towing RV or driving Motorhome towing Jeep Wrangler for 35 years. The weight of the towing vehicle has more to do with the safe part than anything else. I tow a single axle utility trailer with my Kubota 2680 Tractor on it to dealer for service. My Wrangler has the guts to tow it, but it's scary doing it. This is compounded with the North GA hills, and the steepness of them. Even with the Gladiator, I don't think I will use it to tow anything other than described above. It just does not have enough mass to do it safely. NOTE: They did say the did not use a "weight distribution hitch" which has torsion bars, and keeps vehicle level with the trailer, a MUST HAVE to be safe. I am master certified RV Tech, and they did the truck and all of us dis service by not being safe with the trailer. Every dealer selling towable will put a WDH on the vehicle, if they don't, buy someplace else. And a boat in the same weight range will tow very differently than an RV. It's not the truck, it's the way they set it up. Also, I would never try to use the Gladiator to tow any RV. Something called a mass to weight ratio, it can kill you if way out of line.

And I'm not buying JT to tow RV. Like mentioned, to the Home Improvement store, 10 bags of lime or cement or fill with dirt. But I can take it on any road, and not get stuck, and that is what I'm buying it for.
 
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Silvertruck

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Funny that people say it cant tow because i see it drag the competitors off road all the time.

seriously, how would a tacoma handle same setup? This is a hit piece.
 

Schreconjeep

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Not using a weight distribution hitch with sway control on a 5,000+lb camper is dumb.

However, I'm dying to get my more reasonable 23ft, 3,700lb camper behind my EcoDiesel Gladiator and start hitting the western Maryland/WV mountains bc I just can't see this thing "running out of breath".
Will report back...
 

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CrazyCooter

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Anytime you are towing a sail that large, you should be using mechanical sway controls......I even do it with my dually! It honestly sounds like they are incompetent in how a towing application should be set up for safe use. Big difference between 6500# of flat bed trailer loaded with bricks and one weighing the same that is a giant sail with 68sqft of frontal area.

Yes, I know there are other offerings that tow better, but that's not what the Gladiator is designed for or I would be looking at a full sized truck..... It's a comfortable Jeep that can wheel, daily drive and has a pickup bed....what a combo!
 

19JTRubiconEcoDiesel

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Not using a weight distribution hitch with sway control on a 5,000+lb camper is dumb.
I agree. And they published it? Motor Trend need to be roasted for that. FCA should sue them for that article.
 

JTRdiesel

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Well this whole article is flawed imho, for one when setting up to tow a 5200lb trailer you need between 520-550lvs on the tongue (10% min) 467 is too low, having less than 520, contributed to the perceived sway they were feeling. And competent person is going to also use a weight distribution hitch on a trailer with that much frontal area. The journalists at motortrend are not greatest when it comes to trucks, never have been.
TFL will do an Ike gauntlet test with their ecodiesel rubicon soon enough and that will be a more true test.
 

CrazyCooter

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The other thing is the comment about only towing a single axle trailer vs a tandem......Pure ignorance! A properly set up tandem trailer of the same weight will always be more stable than a single....More tires and the axles will always want it to travel in a strait line.

This is just another example of the misinformed/ignorant people leading the herd. Sheeple will read the article headline and not think for themselves.
 

CrazyCooter

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Well this whole article is flawed imho, for one when setting up to tow a 5200lb trailer you need between 520-550lvs on the tongue (10% min) 467 is too low, having less than 520, contributed to the perceived sway they were feeling. And competent person is going to also use a weight distribution hitch on a trailer with that much frontal area. The journalists at motortrend are not greatest when it comes to trucks, never have been.
TFL will do an Ike gauntlet test with their ecodiesel rubicon soon enough and that will be a more true test.
Agreed! I can imagine running weight distribution on a combination thats already light on the tongue weight.

Can' wait for the TFL test so we can have an apples to apples test. I'm roadtesting a JL Eco tomorrow and will be making my desicion on whether a abort the Gladiator all together or if that powerplant makes it tolerable.
 

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BEERviper

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Well this whole article is flawed imho, for one when setting up to tow a 5200lb trailer you need between 520-550lvs on the tongue (10% min) 467 is too low, having less than 520, contributed to the perceived sway they were feeling. And competent person is going to also use a weight distribution hitch on a trailer with that much frontal area. The journalists at motortrend are not greatest when it comes to trucks, never have been.
TFL will do an Ike gauntlet test with their ecodiesel rubicon soon enough and that will be a more true test.
Good catch @JTRdiesel!
This reminds me of a couple quick YouTube video examples of what happens to trailers when the weight is distributed improperly!

Tongue Weight Safety Demonstration:


Towing a trailer can be dangerous with the wrong weight distribution:
 

CrazyCooter

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Good catch @JTRdiesel!
This reminds me of a couple quick YouTube video examples of what happens to trailers when the weight is distributed improperly!

Tongue Weight Safety Demonstration:


Towing a trailer can be dangerous with the wrong weight distribution:
I love that demo!

I've played with a lot of trailers.....5th, swivel wheel trailers, doubles, and any other combination you can think of......... Also added a 3rd axle to my existing tandem axle toyhauler.....I know first hand that tongue weight is not the only factor, just one of them. Take a 5th with the magic 25% on the pin, but throw a bunch of weight behind the axle centerline and it will wiggle without ever settling down!

The JT's overhang has to come into play too. TFL tested JT and JL back to back with the same triler and said the JT was much better. Usually I prefer a little less overhang and shorter wheelbase like a JL than what the JT is, but this is what they gave us.

My Peterbilt's hitch is 7' behind the drive axle and it tows my RV just fine despite what the internet says.
 

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Just joined the forum to respond to this thread. I am considering a JT ecodiesel to tow my 23' Airstream. If you look at this article and then compare to other pictures, I believe that the Airstream in the MotorTrend Article has a LIFT KIT. A lot of people put lift kits on Airstreams for BoonDocking down rougher roads. So the Airtstream Lift would adversely affect the handling, exspecially if the trailer was not aligned properly after the lift.
 

yolo

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Yeah, this article was garbage. No weight distribution (read the owner's manual) and not even using a brake controller.

I tow a 22' ~4k lb travel trailer (single axle) with an eco diesel rubi jt, and while it tows just fine on smooth roads, it's not the most relaxing when things get rough, windy, etc. This has nothing to do with power and everything to do with weight distribution and sway. And by "not relaxing", I do not mean anything remotely "dangerous" like the article, but you need to make frequent small corrections to keep tracking in the lane.

Personally, I'm installing an Anderson weight distribution hitch that includes "anti-sway" to help resolve those issues.

Testing at almost max tow, without proper equipment and loading, was almost slanderous by MT. Makes me wonder if it was incompetence or intentionally done. Either way, I skip any MT articles related to trucks that come up in my feed.
 

stingrey

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Nate from Dirt Lifestyle feels the same way about the Motor Trend test.
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