Why a gladiator might not work for me.

[ACAD_Cowboy]

No need to choose between those two, Rubicon can be had with heated seats (mine does).

And, 6 cup holders for coffee!

Oh no I'm well aware, just pointing out how the newer iterations have what we both want/like. With the auto box, I can hand off driving duties.

Do you have the option of taking two vehicles? Just haven't heard that mentioned yet. Yes, you have to split up the family and burn 2x as much gas but there's lots of room to carry whatever you want.

The logistics tail and costs would murderize budgets fast.

This past weekend was a bit of a unicorn all in all, when I wheel I dont always bring the family or poochies, but sometimes I do. Sometimes we go to the state beach, so no poochies or beach driving but bathrooms and concessions are literally RIGHT THERE. So this was kinda the far corner of the envelope with nearly maximum haul and minimum stay.

The more I keep rolling it around, it appears with about 10k in bolt ons a I should be good with a gladiator

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[RobbertCole]

you take too much shit to the beach

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

Tell the wife and kids...

 

[Gvsukids]

Or buy a suburban to tow the Jeep.

 

[Lush]

With my first JT beach trip coming up this weekend, I do admit that I have started running through options in my head on how to get all of our crap out there. My 5.5 foot titan bed was filled to the brim with stuff usually, so now I have even less room.

It does make me wish I had pushed harder to get a 4wd expedition instead, so we could bring it out and have much more room for stuff, but its too late for that now

 

[PyrPatriot]

So I'm not really sure how to couch this because on the one hand I love what the Gladiator represents and how it could be employed but on the other I am also coming to terms with how much it doesn't fit with my plan, at least in its current and forseeable designs.

Using a simple single day trip to the beach as a model, I needed to haul 2 adults, 2 children of elementary age and 2 dogs in the 30-35lb class. Joining us and planned for in the load out is 2 other adults and 3 similar children. A very reasonable setup designed to cover brunch to supper.

The load out:
1 200qt: 64 cans, 24 bottles, cold water ro fill
1 65qt: dry/cold foods with ice packs
4 camp chairs
1 sun umbrella
1 10x10 with awning pop up
3 boogie boards
1 scoop shovel
1 thunder bucket
1 pop up thunder bucket tent
4 5.56 plastic cans, sundry fishing a d required recovery gear
1 smokey joe weber grill
1 8lb bag charcoal
1 charcoal chimney
2 fishing poles with sand stand
1 4' lifetime folding leg table
Typical collection of towels, swimsuits, sunblock, beach toys, fins

The boys ride in car seats and the girls ride the 3rd row jump seat with seatbelt clips, no sense is my fur missles becoming a fur bomb.

To adapt to longer stay format I would add the roof bars and load on the tent(s), bags, camp stove(s) & fuel etc.

Howeve as we can all see, seating is fixed and load space is at a premium. Further complicating matters is we wheel and not the polite dirt road kind but the gee shucks now what kind; so all the camp fixins need to be removed, setup and hopefully returned to.

And this is where the Gladiator doesn't seem to fit.

Yes, I can correct the geometry to perform on par with my JKU and all the new tricks that come with new platforms. What I can't do is make enough space as it seems. "The solution" it seems is a cap and a pair of racks and retaining at least one of the hitch baskets but the economics says its getting on 5k and likely more in a decked box to police up all the sundries is blended in.

Ultimatly I feel like an unlimited form factor with a full length roof rack would be my solution to my specific conditions. However I want to hear other voices and other opinions because no man is an island.

And because I'm a diplomatic guy, I can also see a situation in which a Gladiator makes a lot of sense. The load carry and tow capacity means I can in theory build a pretty wicked camp trailer and transfer the lions share of the load off the rig. It wouldn't solve the seating problem but that's a different problem.

As some follow on, we did see some Gladiators at the beach doing the beach rig thing with canopys carrying boards and poles, tops and doors off. One guy on the highway had a bed full of camp and a bike rack and an honerable mention goes to the daring man in the bone stock sport rental who braved the sand on some super skinny all terrains; you sir deserve a beer for the balls yous displayed.

Also seen was an uncountable hoarde of pickups and grand cherokees with the wrong tires, too much air and no clue which sand is safe sand. But in the midst of this was an e350 4x4 diesel on 33" MT and that dude had it together.

So what are your thoughts? How would you solve the problem with or without a gladiator.

Someone on here extended their cab and seating to the bed, you could try to recreate what he did.

Here is the thread

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...spartan-build-7-seater-gladiator.29340/page-6

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

Someone on here extended their cab and seating to the bed, you could try to recreate what he did.

Here is the thread

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...spartan-build-7-seater-gladiator.29340/page-6

So I had seen that thread and it of couse got me thinking, thinking all sorts of naughty thoughts which I can sum up in a single picture and the brief description " ever heard of the t-rex?"

But... it's a whole other discussion, not for this thread. Anyway who wants to discuss this can PM.

 

[dcmdon]

The logistics tail and costs would murderize budgets fast.

.........

The more I keep rolling it around, it appears with about 10k in bolt ons a I should be good with a gladiator

You are making a common mistake.

On one hand you say that the cost of taking 2 cars would "murderize budgets".

But on the other hand you are talking about dropping 10k in addition to the vehicle itself to make it all work with 1 car.

10k buys a lot of gas.

You may be looking for an excuse to buy a bunch of fun stuff. (and I totally get that, we all invent "needs" to justify purchases)

But there is no financial justification for it if you can meet your needs by simply taking 2 vehicles that you already own.

 

[ZoneArc]

It's pretty simple. The interior of the Gladiator is the same size except for the back. The back is bigger. You add a cover and add full length roof rack and you have 2x+ the storage space. If the dog needs to be in the back and you aren't ok with it not being cooled, then you need a full size SUV. If you aren't rock crawling, why do you have a wrangler? You could be in a Excursion/Grand Wagoneer and be in better shape.

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

Well then... guess I've been school.





But back to our previously scheduled broadcast.

A gladiator with a cap and racks would solve the "problem" in much the same way as a wrangler unlimited with rack would. I've already stressed that the memorial day excursion is a far end of the envelope situation, maximum effort for minimal duration and all of it based aroubd the comfort of others.

Two vehicles to the beach is possible bit there are other logistical hassles like a parking fee, shuttle cycle times, losing the spot (as almost happened were it not for the staunch fuk'you doing attitude of wife). For camp and wheel trips the logistics are untennable, I could talk her into doubleing the expenses which is fuel, tolls, ferry... nope. Don't even want to try.

And to be clear, often the wheeling trips are just me and perhaps one dog, sometimes its the whole happy herd. Many beach trips are just me at dawn with no one just to chuck a hook in and watch the sun rise or storm crowing as wild weather rolls in.

Ultimatly I think I'm just mostly bothered by the lack of unitized tub so its hard to maximize volumetric weight. I'd rather mass out before I cube out while also making sure everyone is comfortable and yes they includes the dogs. If you have shared space with herding/working dogs I'm sure you would agree that are complex emotional creatures and their comfort is as import as yours. Speaking for my two, they remember, hold grudges, have preferences and won't do what they don't like.

All of this though is somewhat moot for reasons that don't need public vivasection suffice to say that decisions will present themselves when the time it right.

For those keeping score at home:
The gladiator/no gladiator needle still hasn't moved from it's nearly permenant position of "it depends" and the +/- chart for Wrangler vs. Gladiator look like inverted mirrors of each other; both can be had with half doors, both come with the diesel, both can be correctly color coordinated to suit needs and each has advantages over the other in unique ways.

 

[BUZZHEAD]

So I'm not really sure how to couch this because on the one hand I love what the Gladiator represents and how it could be employed but on the other I am also coming to terms with how much it doesn't fit with my plan, at least in its current and forseeable designs.

Using a simple single day trip to the beach as a model, I needed to haul 2 adults, 2 children of elementary age and 2 dogs in the 30-35lb class. Joining us and planned for in the load out is 2 other adults and 3 similar children. A very reasonable setup designed to cover brunch to supper.

The load out:
1 200qt: 64 cans, 24 bottles, cold water ro fill
1 65qt: dry/cold foods with ice packs
4 camp chairs
1 sun umbrella
1 10x10 with awning pop up
3 boogie boards
1 scoop shovel
1 thunder bucket
1 pop up thunder bucket tent
4 5.56 plastic cans, sundry fishing a d required recovery gear
1 smokey joe weber grill
1 8lb bag charcoal
1 charcoal chimney
2 fishing poles with sand stand
1 4' lifetime folding leg table
Typical collection of towels, swimsuits, sunblock, beach toys, fins

The boys ride in car seats and the girls ride the 3rd row jump seat with seatbelt clips, no sense is my fur missles becoming a fur bomb.

To adapt to longer stay format I would add the roof bars and load on the tent(s), bags, camp stove(s) & fuel etc.

Howeve as we can all see, seating is fixed and load space is at a premium. Further complicating matters is we wheel and not the polite dirt road kind but the gee shucks now what kind; so all the camp fixins need to be removed, setup and hopefully returned to.

And this is where the Gladiator doesn't seem to fit.

Yes, I can correct the geometry to perform on par with my JKU and all the new tricks that come with new platforms. What I can't do is make enough space as it seems. "The solution" it seems is a cap and a pair of racks and retaining at least one of the hitch baskets but the economics says its getting on 5k and likely more in a decked box to police up all the sundries is blended in.

Ultimatly I feel like an unlimited form factor with a full length roof rack would be my solution to my specific conditions. However I want to hear other voices and other opinions because no man is an island.

And because I'm a diplomatic guy, I can also see a situation in which a Gladiator makes a lot of sense. The load carry and tow capacity means I can in theory build a pretty wicked camp trailer and transfer the lions share of the load off the rig. It wouldn't solve the seating problem but that's a different problem.

As some follow on, we did see some Gladiators at the beach doing the beach rig thing with canopys carrying boards and poles, tops and doors off. One guy on the highway had a bed full of camp and a bike rack and an honerable mention goes to the daring man in the bone stock sport rental who braved the sand on some super skinny all terrains; you sir deserve a beer for the balls yous displayed.

Also seen was an uncountable hoarde of pickups and grand cherokees with the wrong tires, too much air and no clue which sand is safe sand. But in the midst of this was an e350 4x4 diesel on 33" MT and that dude had it together.

So what are your thoughts? How would you solve the problem with or without a gladiator.

SCHOOL BUS

 

[Artsifrtsi]

At least we haven't reached "The last Gladiator I'll ever own" comment yet.

I know how you feel with the wife taking too much stuff. When we go camping, the campsite looks like an exploded RV... we have a full kitchen with Alpicool fridge, a Gazelle T-8 (2 room tent that each room has a queen sized elevated air bed)... the bed of the gladiator is packed full, and it's a good thing there are only 3 of us, because the back seat is usually full of pillows...

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

This is what I am trying to avoid in a way.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTd32YjxD/?k=1

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