Potential Diesel Buyer

[99DurangoSLT360]

Hello Everyone!

I live in Idaho and am quite the big mopar head. I own a 1999 Dodge Durango with the 360 magnum V8, hence my user name. It has Flame Red paint and the Camel Brown cloth interior, it will be a future classic in these colors. I love to travel and don't want to keep putting miles on it. So I have been interested in a truck that can work and play. I have been intrigued by the flood of Diesel light duty trucks coming into the us market. Obviously the Gladiator is one one of them.

With that said, I am keeping an eye on the ecodiesel. However I know someone who has had to sell their Ram back to FCA after replacing the engine 3 times in a two year period! So hence why I am not one hundred percent sold yet. However if they get it right this time, it would be a fun truck to own. That can work and play really well! I expect it will hold 1500lbs and tow a little over 7000lbs. Which meets my minimum towing and payload requirements as a buyer. I want to be able to tow a decent sized boat or tow a project car if need be. Normally I would be towing a T@B 400 Boondock or Airstream Basecamp X camper. One of which I am hoping to get in the next few months if everything goes to plan.

Now my dream configuration as of now, the Sport S with max tow package. It will be the only way to get the towing capacity I want, at least with the current line up. I would like to get the freedom top, as a soft top is not fun to replace. I am currently replacing one on my VW. I would like to try the headliner option as well. I am hoping to get one painted in Fire Cracker Red, and Brown Heritage interior. As it would be the same color choice I currently enjoy in my Durango.

Well know you have a background story of who I am, and what I'm looking for. This is a truck I plan on keeping for the long haul. Yes well after it is paid off! I tend to get attached to my vehicles, if you need proof. My Durango is my first car from when I was 16. Plus the JT will serve as a time capsule in the future. As long as I take care of it, and keep it original like I have been doing with my Durango. With all that said I look forward to keeping up with the news on the diesel variant.

Thanks for letting me join!

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[Vegas_Sirk]

Welcome to the forum fellow Idahoan.

Some things to consider. The Diesel will have less towing capacity then the V6. This is due to cooling issues. Also it will most likely not be available in lower trims similar to how it is on the Grand Cherokee. So there is a good chance no Diesel on the Sport or Sport S.

 

[RedTRex]

I would bet no chance.

 

[Oilburner]

i would wait & see.

 

[megamucho]

Welcome to the forums!

The last truck I owned was a '96 Dodge 2500 with the 12v Cummins. Great engine, crappy transmission. But I've always wanted a diesel truck again after that one, so I had a foot in the EcoDiesel camp when originally considering the Gladiator.

Having thought more about it, I really don't expect to tow anything close to 7000lbs with this, and we now have in the family a Hemi Durango with towing pkg that will handle that if ever needed. It's nearly(?) certain that the ED for JT will require the automatic transmission due to clutch load concerns when mated to a stick shift. So to take the diesel would require +$2k for the auto (assuming that isn't part of our non-diesel build) and the upcharge for the diesel engine itself, which makes the proposition for the ED quite expensive. Given all the complexities of modern diesels, especially compared to my beloved 12v Cummins, I'm feeling more inclined to take the Pentastar and manual trans to save some money and have a more old-school Jeep truck - at least from a drivetrain standpoint.

Good luck with your decision. Nice to have options, but painful sometimes, too.

 

[RedTRex]

i would wait & see.

We kinda have to anyway...right?

 

[Oilburner]

We kinda have to anyway...right?

Pretty Much, but I have heard absolutely nothing but speculation around what trim level(s) will get the diesel.

 

[RedTRex]

Pretty Much, but I have heard absolutely nothing but speculation around what trim level(s) will get the diesel.

Me either. Just an educated swag based off what I see with Ram and GC

 

[99DurangoSLT360]

I do already know about the cooling constraints with the Gladiator. I think it will be 400-600 less than the Pentastar. Unless they find some miracle or breakthrough. Also I never thought about the possibility of there being no diesel option for the sport. I hope not, but you never know. Maybe at the very least we will see a Sport S as the minimum for the diesel.

 

[Pk2abilene]

I do already know about the cooling constraints with the Gladiator. I think it will be 400-600 less than the Pentastar. Unless they find some miracle or breakthrough. Also I never thought about the possibility of there being no diesel option for the sport. I hope not, but you never know. Maybe at the very least we will see a Sport S as the minimum for the diesel.

The max tow that has been published for the gas engine isn’t realistic, as described by TFL in a previous thread. It will be legal to do it but the engine will struggle and underperform to make it happen. Those wanting to haul 6k realistically will have to wait for the diesel.

 

[LidLess07X]

Welcome to the forum


As I understand it, the diesel Gladiator tows less, costs more , has higher maintenance costs, it’s harder to find fuel, and a good chance it won’t be as reliable as the Pentastar

I respect everyone’s wants, desires, and needs but just don’t understand the attraction to the diesel.

 

[Pk2abilene]

Welcome to the forum


As I understand it, the diesel Gladiator tows less, costs more , has higher maintenance costs, it’s harder to find fuel, and a good chance it won’t be as reliable as the Pentastar

I respect everyone’s wants, desires, and needs but just don’t understand the attraction to the diesel.

In the real world the diesel will tow more, unless you think towing up a hill at 45mph while your engine is redlining is normal. It will cost more. It will have higher maintenance costs. Diesel is found everywhere. I driven one for the last 10 years. Never had a time when I couldn’t refuel. Reliability is yet an unknown. If your stressing a gasser regularly to do things that are pushing it to the limit then who knows on reliability?

 

[Charlie]

I’ve owned my 2008 Grand Cherokee Diesel for the past 4 years and about 50,000 miles. I’ve towed a lot with it, all the way from a tandem axle car hauler with a Jeep Cherokee on it, to my current 7K dump trailer with a bobcat in it. I will say that it tows like a dream. The rear suspension on the Jeep is the weak point, it’ll sag way before the Jeep is ready to give up. The extra torque from the turbo outs so much less stress on the engine for pulling and getting going.

As far as fuel goes, you know where your stations are and it’s only been a minor inconvenience maybe once in my ownership to not find a fuel station right away.

In the maintence point, I understand that the Diesel engine in my Jeep is a Mercedes engine and not the same one that’s in the new FCA vehicles. But I have 185K miles on my Jeep and haven’t had to do anything to my Jeep except replace the glow plugs and the battery. Oil changes are more expensive because it’s a special oil and requires 10 quarts, but you also don’t have to change the oil as soon as a gasser. I can pay someone to do an oil change for $110 every 8,500 miles with the special Mercedes engine oil that it requires.

I really don’t see the reasoning for them costing more in maintenance but I also realize that the diesel engine currently offered has had some notorious faults.

Having owned this Jeep and knowing how well it tows compared to a gasser I would be eager to see how well the diesel does in the Gladiator.

 

[Vegas_Sirk]

I respect everyone’s wants, desires, and needs but just don’t understand the attraction to the diesel.

Your missing the number one reason: DRIVEABILITY

While it will tow less and be more costly, living with it daily will easily be a 10x better experience in driveability. The Pentastar is under powered and while stock Jeep around tow its fine, but add in any of the following: lager tires, steel bumpers, racks, or do any serious work with it its just not up to the task. It maybe be fine for a 1x trip but if you plan on towing frequently it will be a nightmare.

 

[Oilburner]

Can’t wait to see gas vs diesel head-to-head tow tests, JT versus JT also Colorado, Taco, etc

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