Why a Gladiator (JT) and not a Wrangler (JL)?

[Renegade]

I don't have it yet. However, my large hauling events generally involve hunting and/or camping. So, I have a bunch of sleeping bags; tent(s); mattress pads; bags of clothing; etc. … I have a bunch of 18"-tall tubs I can mostly fill the up the bottom of the bed with; fill in the nooks and crannies with smaller heavy stuff (air compressor; tool box; etc. …); and then put the softish stuff on top. I could secure it all with a cargo net, but, even if not, I assume I would be good to go in that scenario. I definitely wouldn't stack a bunch of cinder blocks up to the roof, which would never be a good idea if a head-on collision was even the remotest of a possibility.

BTW, being a hunter, I love the cargo spaces behind and below the back seats. Taking my two boys hunting twice last month, I put one rifle in a thin soft case behind the back seat, and put two rifles wrapped in zig-zag fashion with a synthetic wool blanket, together with a couple of handguns (there are bears and mountain lions there) in the perfect, rifle-sized cargo space below the seats.

Be careful- Those things are very dangerous. I mean the deer...

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[spazzyfry123]

I was set on the JT. After playing numbers for a while, figured I'd at least see how much cheaper a similarly equipped JLU would be. If it was substantially less expensive, then maybe I'd sway. Came out to be about $2k less with no bed and half the towing capacity. No brainier for us, JT!

 

[PyrPatriot]

I don't have it yet. However, my large hauling events generally involve hunting and/or camping. So, I have a bunch of sleeping bags; tent(s); mattress pads; bags of clothing; etc. … I have a bunch of 18"-tall tubs I can mostly fill the up the bottom of the bed with; fill in the nooks and crannies with smaller heavy stuff (air compressor; tool box; etc. …); and then put the softish stuff on top. I could secure it all with a cargo net, but, even if not, I assume I would be good to go in that scenario. I definitely wouldn't stack a bunch of cinder blocks up to the roof, which would never be a good idea if a head-on collision was even the remotest of a possibility.

BTW, being a hunter, I love the cargo spaces behind and below the back seats. Taking my two boys hunting twice last month, I put one rifle in a thin soft case behind the back seat, and put two rifles wrapped in zig-zag fashion with a synthetic wool blanket, together with a couple of handguns (there are bears and mountain lions there) in the perfect, rifle-sized cargo space below the seats.

Love it!

 

[Rocksalt]

because it is a truck...

 

[ShadowsPapa]

because it is a truck...

The obvious reason - one is a truck and the other is not. DUH. I mean, why buy a non-truck when you need a truck? Why buy a Triumph when you need to drive through deep snow and muddy roads?
I wanted a truck first - the fact this is a Jeep was a huge plus.

 

[Dr Kel]

Never wanted a Wrangler. I thought they were quirky and neat, but never wanted one; generally, I strongly dislike SUVs. To this day, Gladiators are the only Jeeps I've ever driven.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Never wanted a Wrangler. I thought they were quirky and neat, but never wanted one; generally, I strongly dislike SUVs. To this day, Gladiators are the only Jeeps I've ever driven.

The ONLY "SUV" I've ever owned, we've ever owned, have been Jeeps. From our first Cherokee Sport in the early 90s to each Grand Cherokee my wife has had, and my own WJ I bought from Dad's estate after he was killed. (04 WJ Special Edition, 125,000 miles)
They are our daily drivers.
My other daily drivers include an 82 Eagle SX4 which is a 4x4 car, the father of the modern unibody Jeep.
In Iowa, I want 4x4s. And Jeeps are reliable as heck - at least all of ours have been, from the first to our current line-up (three Jeep vehicles and two vehicles with Jeep 4.0 liter engines, 2 with the 3.6)

 

[WXman]

I disagree. From what I have seen of the JLU (and correct me if I am mistaken, I have not driven one or been inside of one, the cargo space of the JLU is pretty good given you can stack items. I saw a video of all the stuff LiteBrite got into the back of theirs, it was impressive. With the truck bed, given it is fairly low siding, you can't really stack items. Heck, a set of 32" tires felt like they were about to topple out of my bed with every curve in the road.

My previous vehicle was a Honda Element. With the seats folded up you could fit ALOT of stuff in it. What it (and other comparable SUVs) didn't have is the payload of a JT (only 675lbs!) which is why I got the JT over anything else. Nothing had the payload, off-road capability, and looks, but mostly payload.

How do the actual numbers play out? The JLU has a listed 72.4 cubic feet of cargo area. The JT only has 25.8.

Now, I'm sure you can increase the JT's cargo space with a TrailRail system and add cross rails like this

But what the JLU will NEVER be able to compete with is towing capacity. It can actually compete with payload, as the JLU sport has a 1300lb payload rating and the others are in the 1200lb range. When loading up though, that 200-300lbs difference between JLU and JT can make or break your trip. Towing is where the JT shines, and is why I went with it. 7000/7650, or even 6000 for the overland, is double or more the parsley 3500 towing of the JLU.

I don't know what you've got to do to get a JLU Sport to 1,300 lbs. of payload. Mine only was listed at 850 lbs., and it had VERY few options. An equally equipped JT would have 88% more payload. My personal JT has literally 78% more payload and 119% more towing than the JLU Sport I traded in. The JL isn't even in the same league.

Also, I'd like to see somebody do this with a Wrangler.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I don't know what you've got to do to get a JLU Sport to 1,300 lbs. of payload. Mine only was listed at 850 lbs., and it had VERY few options. An equally equipped JT would have 88% more payload. My personal JT has literally 78% more payload and 119% more towing than the JLU Sport I traded in. The JL isn't even in the same league.

Also, I'd like to see somebody do this with a Wrangler.

And I thought our driveway was a ways to haul the trash up - your drive must be a lot longer than ours to make it worth LIFTING it into the back of a truck! LOL
Yeah, can't do that with any SUV I know of, Wrangler, Range Rover or otherwise.

 

[PyrPatriot]

I don't know what you've got to do to get a JLU Sport to 1,300 lbs. of payload. Mine only was listed at 850 lbs., and it had VERY few options. An equally equipped JT would have 88% more payload. My personal JT has literally 78% more payload and 119% more towing than the JLU Sport I traded in. The JL isn't even in the same league.

Also, I'd like to see somebody do this with a Wrangler.

The 1300lbs is what was listed for a JLU 4dr model, others had 1100-1200lbs.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...r-weight-tow-capacity-max-payload-specs.1440/

 

[WXman]

And I thought our driveway was a ways to haul the trash up - your drive must be a lot longer than ours to make it worth LIFTING it into the back of a truck! LOL
Yeah, can't do that with any SUV I know of, Wrangler, Range Rover or otherwise.

It's about 1/2 mile, 90% of it is gravel. I lift the can into the truck AFTER the garbage man empties it. When I take it down on trash days, I have a neat receiver hitch attachment that lifts the can off the ground and carries it.

 

[ZTMAN]

49401[/ATTACH]

Put your ball arm in the receiver and just lean the handel of that trash can on the ball. Drives like a dream, especially when full.Never have to lift again, and have an empty rattle around in the back of the bed.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It's about 1/2 mile, 90% of it is gravel. I lift the can into the truck AFTER the garbage man empties it. When I take it down on trash days, I have a neat receiver hitch attachment that lifts the can off the ground and carries it.

COOL! I want one!

 

[WXman]

Put your ball arm in the receiver and just lean the handel of that trash can on the ball. Drives like a dream, especially when full.Never have to lift again, and have an empty rattle around in the back of the bed.

I have one of these. Been using it for two years now. Does exactly what I need. I have to get the wheels off the ground because of the rough gravel roads.

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Day-TC5000-Trash-Transporter/dp/B019DNMJFS

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have one of these. Been using it for two years now. Does exactly what I need. I have to get the wheels off the ground because of the rough gravel roads.

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Day-TC5000-Trash-Transporter/dp/B019DNMJFS

Gee, and we spent 14 grand last year for concrete to get rid of the gravel drive............ but it wasn't just to make garbage days easier, also to save my lawn tractor's snow blade and keep from blading gravel into the yard.

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