Should I go Rubicon or Mojave?

[JTmaybeTX]

Howdy Truckers,

First off, I want to say thank you to all of you that post on this site; I’ve been lurking for a few weeks now, and the amount of useful information on this forum is astonishing!

I’ve seen a couple of other threads about Mojave vs Rubicon, but I wanted to get a fresh perspective from some of y’all, particularly when addressing my trucking needs.

I’m coming from a 2020 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X with the “updated” power train (3.8l V6, 9sp auto), which I use as my daily driver, primarily; however, it is also our adventuring vehicle to do off and on grid camping with our teardrop trailer, which weighs approx 3,000lbs fully loaded. We head out about once a month, and now that our son is a little bit older, we want to do more off the beaten path camping/overlanding in and out of state.

The Nissan has worked great for towing, daily driving, and light off-roading. With that said, the aftermarket for this truck is absolutely non-existent, and upgrading the suspension, wheels, tires, bumpers, lighting to where I want the truck to be with the available options to me is just not worth the time and money, IMO.

Seeing as I can get all of my money back and then some on the trade, I started researching Gladiators, specifically Ribicons and Mojaves. I’m pretty well versed as to what the differences are, yet I’m still unsure as to which truck is better for the needs I listed above. I think both trucks will provide more capability out of the box than the Frontier, and because of the awesome aftermarket support, I know I will be able to update the truck far into the future if need be. I test drove the Rubicon yesterday, and I was pretty impressed with the whole package. I don’t necessarily think I will need a front locker, but I do need a back locker, as I’ve had to use the one on my Frontier quite a bit. Unfortunately, there are no Mojave’s in my area at the moment, so the test drive will have to wait, but in y’alls opinion, which truck would you go with and why?

I know this is probably a redundant thread, but thank you in advance for kindly providing your input!

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[Trailman]

Fast and smooth? Mojave.

Slow and crawly? Rubicon.

 

[NachoRuby]

My 2¢: They are similar enough in price and function that it doesn't matter, unless you want/need the electro sway bar disconnect and front lockers. On an automatic, a Rubicon will tow slightly more, but it doesn't matter, your trailer is well below the tow limits of any gladiator at 3000 lbs. The Mojave should ride a little nicer due to the front shocks, but if you liked the ride of the Rubicon, that doesn't really matter either.
Get the one that's available, unless there's something about the Mojave that's just calling your name, and you want to wait or travel for it. I doubt you'll regret it either way. It's not like choosing Mustang vs Camaro. They are pretty similar. All Gladiators are. Same engines. Same transmissions. Same slow jeep (unless you want diesel, then you have only one choice).

 

[jac04]

I would wait to test drive a Rubicon and Mojave back to back. The Mojave not only has a different suspension, but it has different seats and steering wheel. You may or may not like them better.

 

[bleda2002]

The answer to this is very simple.
Rock crawling or lots slippery stuff like mud where you want a front locker? Rubicon
Diesel? Rubicon
Lifting more than 2"? Rubicon
Plan to build for flex? Rubicon

If you plan on keeping it stock, or near stock with a spacer lift and extensions and dont plan on doing mud or rocks. Mojave as its the best on road gladiator from the factory. If anything you plan on doing causes you to take off the shocks though, you're better off in a rubicon since the shocks are what really sets a mojave apart.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

Rock crawling = Rubicon
Highway cruiser or desert runner = Mojave
Stock height = Mojave
Lifted = Rubicon

 

[JTmaybeTX]

I would wait to test drive a Rubicon and Mojave back to back. The Mojave not only has a different suspension, but it has different seats and steering wheel. You may or may not like them better.

I completely overlooked the seat and steering wheel difference! Thanks for that.

 

[NachoRuby]

I would wait to test drive a Rubicon and Mojave back to back. The Mojave not only has a different suspension, but it has different seats and steering wheel. You may or may not like them better.

Genuine question: is the steering wheel actually different, or just wrapped differently, with the perforated leather and Orange vs Red Stitching? Is it flat bottom or something?

 

[JTmaybeTX]

The answer to this is very simple.
Rock crawling or lots slippery stuff like mud where you want a front locker? Rubicon
Diesel? Rubicon
Lifting more than 2"? Rubicon

If you plan on keeping it stock, or near stock with a spacer lift and extensions and dont plan on doing mud or rocks. Mojave.

Yeah, I definitely plan on keeping her pretty much stock for a long while, but I feel like given the different terrains we encounter might give the edge to the Rubicon.

 

[bleda2002]

Yeah, I definitely plan on keeping her pretty much stock for a long while, but I feel like given the different terrains we encounter might give the edge to the Rubicon.

Depending on what your budget is, the mojave is typically more expensive than a comparable rubicon, if you want the best of both worlds go rubicon and then add the fox 2.5 dsc adjustable, or the king 2.5 adjustable. Then you get the rubicon extras with a ride arguably better than a mojave.

Can also come at it the other way, mojave add a front locker and quick disconnect sway bar, then you can keep the shocks and get something similar to the rubicon goodies.

 

[ecidiego]

Genuine question: is the steering wheel actually different, or just wrapped differently, with the perforated leather and Orange vs Red Stitching? Is it flat bottom or something?

It's thicker and has bigger thumb pads.

 

[JAVIERGONZO]

I think you should buy what you can afford and makes you happy. Fuck anyone else's opinion. But that's just me.

 

[JTmaybeTX]

Depending on what your budget is, the mojave is typically more expensive than a comparable rubicon, if you want the best of both worlds go rubicon and then add the fox 2.5 dsc adjustable, or the king 2.5 adjustable. Then you get the rubicon extras with a ride arguably better than a mojave.

Can also come at it the other way, mojave add a front locker and quick disconnect sway bar, then you can keep the shocks and get something similar to the rubicon goodies.

That’s a good way of putting it. Thanks!

 

[JTmaybeTX]

I think you should buy what you can afford and makes you happy. Fuck anyone else's opinion. But that's just me.

Lol, I definitely agree with the sentiment. However, this being our first Jeep, I’m having a really hard time deciding. This whole process has been harder that choosing between women, and I’ve heard that it’ll be even more expensive than marrying one..

 

[DirkG]

One other thought - and smart of you to ask these questions before a purchase - have you considered the Sport Max Tow? You have a 3,000 trailer and while the standard tow rating for the Gladiator is 4,000 - 4,500 pounds, you might want to consider the Max Tow which will put you up to 7,650 pounds.

Copied from a Max Tow thread, this is what comes with the Max Tow ($1245) - might be an outdated price...

• Trac-Lok® Anti-Spin Rear Differential
• 4.10 Axle Ratio
• Heavy-Duty Dana 44 Wide Front Axle
• Heavy-Duty Dana 44 Wide Rear Axle
• Daytime Running Lamp System
• 240-Amp Alternator (Unavailable with some configurations)
• 245/75R17 All-Terrain Tires (Unavailable with some configurations)
• Class IV Receiver Hitch (Unavailable with some configurations)
• Heavy-Duty Engine Cooling (Unavailable with some configurations)
• Trailer Hitch Zoom (Unavailable with some configurations)

Max tow also includes anti-spin rear diff (limited slip).

Still a rugged truck that you can modify, but gives you a little extra towing capacity. Food for thought.

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