What did you do WITH your Gladiator today?

[Racer_X]

Finally got snow here. Around 9:30pm, the road to my place was effectively de-plowed and traffic was zero. Took the turn, and zipped up the road at 40pm in 4HI. What a blast!

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[ShadowsPapa]

Similar here - but in our case not "finally" but "we got snow and ice AGAIN.
Poor truck sits out under the lean-to and had the whole front covered with a mini snow drift and the windshield was covered with a couple inches or so. Brushed it off good as I left my shop for the house - Barbara wanted to go to church tonight. I wanted to challenge the truck and to get out of the area by my shop I have to use the neighbor's drive that goes from the road to his shop. It's about 200-250 feet, up hill, and he doesn't plow it. The snow was several inches deep, packed drifts and ice.
Remote start to let it warm a bit as I got ready. Got in - my wife said "you got it in 4 wheel drive?" Yup - as I pulled the lever as I pulled out of the lean-to and into the snow. She said "Better make a run for it and keep moving".
I sort of did but could tell it wasn't going to be a big problem. The only place we really slowed was where the plow truck came by and piled heavy stuff at the end of their driveway.
The 3 miles from home to Runnells where we picked up a road with more traffic was pure ice - and I mean ROUGH ice, like bouncing over a Canadian highway by the Arctic Circle or something. Some snow pack as the winds were still doing 45 mph from last night, blowing the snow that wasn't ice covered around making the ice more slippery and smooth.

The Rubicon take-offs I'll be picking up next week will be better, but frankly, we didn't have any troubles. I figure with very little work this thing will be a go anywhere, do anything sort of a truck. It did fine getting up the neighbor's drive through that snow (up hill all the way, literally) and wasn't bad on the ice. I left it in 4H until I could get at least a couple of wheels clear road then went the rest of the trip in 2.
Destination, small town, they plowed but you could tell everyone coming up to the stop signs, then leaving again, made the intersections like an Olympic skating rink - so the anti-lock brakes worked great and taking off again - I could feel the traction control working. No big deal.

And all that was with no weight in the back yet - still plan on some sand bags back there. Never know, weight helps, and I've actually used it in the past years to help others with traction problems. Poor baby looks like heck, though, covered in dirt, SAND, salt brine, packed with ice and snow.

 

[coit]

My first mountain off-roading adventure in the truck. Was a blast, and had a nice mug of German beer in Helen, GA to boot!

 

[tbaker]

Drove mine to work today

 

[Red Hot Sloth]

We went out to the desert friday morning, came back last night. Wind Tunnels, Slot Canyon, a little bit of Truck Haven, Crossover and many washes. Really enjoying the Jeep!

 

[GladiatoRic]

you use the off road button in the snow? helps ? how

Assuming your referring to disabeling traction control, Consistent power to both rear wheels allowing you to intentionally get sideways aka “snapping donuts”.

 

[Texops]

Drove mine to work today

You sound like me

 

[JeepApex]

Took the family out to an place called "Little Picacho Wilderness." Fun, easy trip with hiking for everyone. And of course, an awesome sunset!

The slot/canyon behind my Gladiator is just one of many slot canyons in that area. The one's out by us are not as beautiful as the slot canyons of Antelope Canyon, but they're still really cool to hike through.

 

[uplandgunner]

Jeep camp 12 in N WI fun time for all

 

[kvrsos]

Hit Cleghorn Ridge OHV in San Bernardino w a buddy and our sons. Also got to use the rear locker for the first time...

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[ShadowsPapa]

Picked up a couple old AMC dealership signs and a service sign (strapped under the sheet of 1/2" plywood on the trailer) and the Rubicon take-offs I bought in Omaha.

Got a whopping 13 mpg there and back running 69-70 mph.
The empty trailer was really hard on the little truck. It was a really rough ride and that 1500 pound trailer kept the truck in 5th and 6th most of the time.
Saw 7th once in a while and it dropped back to 4th on the bigger hills, engine screaming to pull that trailer at the speed limit.
WOW. I expect about 8 mpg with a car on it.
It hunted gears the whole time over and back.
Loaded as shown the trailer was likely a whopping 1650 pounds. I was frankly surprised at how hard it struggled to keep up empty.
Without the trailer when I go down hill the mpg will hit 99 at times, definitely over 30 when cresting a hill and heading down. With the trailer I never saw it go out of the low 20s, even down hill. Apparently it saw it as a huge drag.

 

[Whiplash2130]

Picked up a couple old AMC dealership signs and a service sign (strapped under the sheet of 1/2" plywood on the trailer) and the Rubicon take-offs I bought in Omaha.

Got a whopping 13 mpg there and back running 69-70 mph.
The empty trailer was really hard on the little truck. It was a really rough ride and that 1500 pound trailer kept the truck in 5th and 6th most of the time.
Saw 7th once in a while and it dropped back to 4th on the bigger hills, engine screaming to pull that trailer at the speed limit.
WOW. I expect about 8 mpg with a car on it.
It hunted gears the whole time over and back.
Loaded as shown the trailer was likely a whopping 1650 pounds. I was frankly surprised at how hard it struggled to keep up empty.
Without the trailer when I go down hill the mpg will hit 99 at times, definitely over 30 when cresting a hill and heading down. With the trailer I never saw it go out of the low 20s, even down hill. Apparently it saw it as a huge drag.

What gearing do you have? I’m guessing 3.73’s. It will tow better with 4.10’s but will no doubt take away some mileage. You might also look into a Pedal Commander ( I have no first hand experience with Pedal Commander but I read it has a mode for towing).

 

[Tufelhundin]

Picked up a couple old AMC dealership signs and a service sign (strapped under the sheet of 1/2" plywood on the trailer) and the Rubicon take-offs I bought in Omaha.

Got a whopping 13 mpg there and back running 69-70 mph.
The empty trailer was really hard on the little truck. It was a really rough ride and that 1500 pound trailer kept the truck in 5th and 6th most of the time.
Saw 7th once in a while and it dropped back to 4th on the bigger hills, engine screaming to pull that trailer at the speed limit.
WOW. I expect about 8 mpg with a car on it.
It hunted gears the whole time over and back.
Loaded as shown the trailer was likely a whopping 1650 pounds. I was frankly surprised at how hard it struggled to keep up empty.
Without the trailer when I go down hill the mpg will hit 99 at times, definitely over 30 when cresting a hill and heading down. With the trailer I never saw it go out of the low 20s, even down hill. Apparently it saw it as a huge drag.

I towed a tandem axle trailer this weekend 115 miles north and picked up buggy and all my hunting clothes and deer stands, the bed of the truck could not hold another set of boots and the back seat was full as well. Heading north with the empty trailer I was running against a 14-15mph NE wind and got around 11.5 mpg, on the way south loaded and with the tail wind I was around 10.5 mpg. I was running about 65 mph and yes there are some hills that had me in 4th but like you I saw a lot of 5th and sometimes 6th...anything higher was because I was either going down hill or was going a lot slower through a speed trap town. I'm running 3.73's and stock tires at the moment. I'm also coming from a Canyon Diesel that was getting around 30mpg empty and 17-18 mpg with this load. My 5.3 Sierra got 12mpg with this load and running 285-70-17's.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I towed a tandem axle trailer this weekend 115 miles north and picked up buggy and all my hunting clothes and deer stands, the bed of the truck could not hold another set of boots and the back seat was full as well. Heading north with the empty trailer I was running against a 14-15mph NE wind and got around 11.5 mpg, on the way south loaded and with the tail wind I was around 10.5 mpg. I was running about 65 mph and yes there are some hills that had me in 4th but like you I saw a lot of 5th and sometimes 6th...anything higher was because I was either going down hill or was going a lot slower through a speed trap town. I'm running 3.73's and stock tires at the moment. I'm also coming from a Canyon Diesel that was getting around 30mpg empty and 17-18 mpg with this load. My 5.3 Sierra got 12mpg with this load and running 285-70-17's.

Glad to see it wasn't "just me".
I was shocked at the empty trailer causing the struggle that my JT seemed to be going through.
Empty - 1500 pound trailer, only added weight was the spare and the tool box, all aluminum with maybe 20-30 pounds of straps and jack.
Overland is 3.73 ratio - and it was stock overland tires at the time.

My wife is now suggesting we use her Grand Cherokee to tow my car to Colorado Springs! LOL
Well it is rated higher in towing capacity, believe it or not.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I used my front hitch to maneuver my car hauler, turn it around in my cramped drive space and park it...........Worked quite well.

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