Towing near max?

[PapaHepcat]

We have a vintage '31 Silver Streak trailer that maybe weighs about 7,100 lbs, fully loaded. We currently pull it with an old '99 Suburban 2500 with the 7.4L / 454. Due to the 3.73 gear ratio, tow capacity is at 8k. Tows the trailer with no problem at all.

I've lurked on a few threads here and I watched with rapt attention the Super Ike Gauntlet, but I haven't come across anything where folks are maxing it out in "real life". On the other hand, I'm probably not ever going to do anything as serious as a 7% grade and in the thin air. Maybe a 6% grade here and there. And yes, I fully understand and agree with the need for trailer brakes.

I'm wondering if anyone's had a chance to tow at or near capacity with a Sport or Sport S with Max Tow?

My wife has already said she'd be fine with we sold our trailer for something slightly smaller in order to accommodate my Gladiator when I get it (she's great like that).

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[futzin']

Can't help with your questions, but what a beauty of a camper! A lot of love apparent in that one. Very nice.

 

[bgenlvtex]

I'd buy a Power Wagon.

That's a nice trailer, and they I'm sure you know have a following and command a premium, so if you're not attached to it........

 

[PapaHepcat]

Can't help with your questions, but what a beauty of a camper! A lot of love apparent in that one. Very nice.

Thanks. Yeah, it's been a bit of work. But pretty fun. And doesn't look like EVERY other trailer in the campgrounds.

I'd buy a Power Wagon.

That's a nice trailer, and they I'm sure you know have a following and command a premium, so if you're not attached to it........

I've considered a Tundra for a new tow rig, but they're not made to take the top and doors off! If don't end up keeping this trailer, we'd probably sell it and buy a slightly shorter / lighter version without too much additional investment. We've put a lot of work into fixing this one up, so it'd be nice to just keep it.

 

[Pion]

After adding a trailer brake, load distribution and anti-sway - I'd say it'd tow it, but it'd have to work at it. I've towed with V6 mid-size trucks at/near their limit and when you do hit a hill or a solid headwind, life can get a bit tense as it sits at 4-5k RPM or whatever. Engines seem to be better designed nowadays and can handle high RPM, but I think the sweet spot would be around 5,000 dry weight.

 

[WXman]

I have towed 7000 pounds with midsize trucks and also with full size trucks and I don't care what anybody says you're gonna have some struggle especially in foul weather regardless of which truck you go with. You're gonna know the camper is there. Anything short of a heavy duty diesel truck is going to stay in lower gears a lot. I had a 2013 F-150 with the Coyote V8 and my 7x16' trailer/ camper worked it hard. So if I were you I would buy the truck that you're happy with and go from there.

 

[TxAg91]

I just got my Gladiator yesterday so I haven't towed yet but I plan on towing a 20' Astro Fish-and-Ski. I'll update later once I get it hooked up. I also have 35" wheels that the dealer had put on. In the meantime, I found this article very useful in making a buying decision. I had decided to just buy a Wrangler Unlimited (3,500 max towing capacity) until I read this article. It changed my mind and I went with the Gladiator Overland. Check out the chart in the article. https://www.tfltruck.com/2019/03/2020-jeep-gladiator-towing-specs/

2020 Jeep Gladiator Sport Towing and Payload:
Transmission Rear Axle Ratio Payload Max Towing
D478 6-speed manual 3.73 1,600 lbs. 4,000 lbs.
850RE 8-speed auto 3.73 1,105 lbs. 4,500 lbs.
850RE 8-speed auto (Max Tow) 4.10 1,535 lbs. 7,650 lbs.

2020 Jeep Gladiator Overland Towing and Payload:
Transmission Rear Axle Ratio Payload Max Towing
D478 6-speed manual 3.73 1,140 lbs. 4,000 lbs.
850RE 8-speed auto 3.73 1,120 lbs. 6,000 lbs. ***this is what I got so I'm expecting it to pull a boat just fine.

2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Towing and Payload:
Transmission Rear Axle Ratio Payload Max Towing
D478 6-speed manual 4.10 1,200 lbs. 4,500 lbs.
850RE 8-speed auto 4.10 1,160 lbs. 7,000 lbs.

 

[PapaHepcat]

Part of what I'm concerned about is tearing up the motor & transmission over the long term. I've had both Ford and Chevy versions of beefy motors & transmissions - albeit older ones - and both had trouble from previous owners maxing them out, or even going over the max.

When I do get a Gladiator, I play on keeping it for a long time. I've wanted a Wrangler since before I got my license almost 30 years ago for the same reasons I like riding a motorcycle (wind in the hair, wide open views, etc.). I've seen too many wrecks on bikes, so I don't ride anymore. That just leaves the Wrangler. I just could never justify spending the $ for one. That all changed when the Gladiator was announced.

What I don't want to do is get one, run the warranty out, then end up needing to do a bunch of work because I overdid it. If that's the case, I may be content to do a different trailer. I even know someone who might want to trade our Silver Streak for their slightly smaller and much lighter Airstream. This isn't a vintage trailer forum, so I'll save the merits of such a trade for another venue.

 

[PapaHepcat]

So we took our trailer out camping and went through a CAT scale. Total weight was 13,820 lbs. Subtracting 8,600 for the ‘Burb’s GVW, and that leaves trailer weighing only 5,220.

That’s quite a bit less then the numbers I’d seen online and in the owner’s manual. But we’ve done a ton of work on it, that might explain it. Maybe we’ve nickel and dimes it down with replacing stuff (don’t get me started on all the things we’ve done on it).

So while it doesn’t really answer the towing at max question, it does mean I’m good to go! Bring on the Gladiator!

 

[bgenlvtex]

Keep us posted on how it does please, I'm personally thinking that 5200ish is going to be about 95% of what you might want to tow with any regularity with the Gladiator.

I'm looking for real world, practical application data across the spectrum of "normal" elevations (sea level to 9500 feet or so)

 

[WXman]

If the 3,000 lb. load I pulled last month with my JLU (identical driveline to the JT, minus gear ratio) is any indication, I wouldn't want to tow 7,000 lbs. regularly with this truck. I got 12 MPGs on that trip, and the trans. stayed in 5th or 6th the entire time. Granted, the JT has 4.10 gears in the axles, but all that effectively does is make up some for the extra 500 lbs. of curb weight. The Gladiator is still going to struggle with multi-ton loads. It's just the nature of the beast. If you're going to tow a large camper or boat at 5,000 lbs. or more, be prepared for dismal fuel economy and high RPMs on the entire trip.

I LOVE the Pentastar engine. Fantastic power and efficiency. The problem is the weight of the truck. At 4,700 lbs. in Max Tow trim and 5,000+ lbs. in Rubicon trim, these Gladiators are approaching Ram 1500 curb weights and are beyond Ford F-150 curb weights, but both of those full size trucks have over 400 lbs/ft of torque. So it's not that the V6 engine is bad, it's just that Jeep has unfairly paired it with an extremely overweight and porky pickup truck for its size.

 

[Bobzdar]

So we took our trailer out camping and went through a CAT scale. Total weight was 13,820 lbs. Subtracting 8,600 for the ‘Burb’s GVW, and that leaves trailer weighing only 5,220.

That’s quite a bit less then the numbers I’d seen online and in the owner’s manual. But we’ve done a ton of work on it, that might explain it. Maybe we’ve nickel and dimes it down with replacing stuff (don’t get me started on all the things we’ve done on it).

So while it doesn’t really answer the towing at max question, it does mean I’m good to go! Bring on the Gladiator!

Unless you had the burb loaded to max, it won't bet at 8600lbs. Use curb weight (6128lbs if it's a '10-'12) and add any objects you had it in it (like driver/passenger) while it was being weighed to get the actual weight. If the suburban was empty, that'd make your trailer around 7600lbs....

 

[LidLess07X]

The Suburban’s GVWR of 8600 pounds is not the same as it’s curb weight

 

[PapaHepcat]

Yeah, I've been thinking about this since I weighed it. The Suburban is probably somewhere between the curb and GVWR. It was my wife and me, plus a couple of kayaks and a bunch of camping stuff in the back, but prob not up to the full GVWR. I think I'll go back and weigh just the tow rig with the kayaks and stuff in the back. Then I'll have a better idea.

I mentioned to my wife that maybe we should just get a full size pickup and keep the current trailer. I figured there'd also be more room inside for kids and their friends, etc. She reminded me that I've wanted a Jeep Wrangler (now Gladiator) since she's known me and the kids are all older (youngest is a sophomore in high school), and they're not as interested in coming on trips like they used to be. I suppose she's right. I admit it bums me out a little, but if the kids are going to abandon us anyway, maybe I can just reward myself with a Gladiator. Soften the blow a little!

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