rkj__
Adventurer
Sales to pretenders are needed to make off road vehicles economically viable. If it was only the hardcore who bought them, sales would be too low to make the vehicle worth producing.
New Jeep Pick Up to be unveiled...The Gladiator
- Thread starter smlobx
- Start date
STREGA
Explorer
The great thing about the pretenders is that they get tired of pretending in the same vehicle so go on to the next vehicle to pretend in. So in the next 2 to 5 years there should be a lot of good clean Gladys/Scrambles that have not been used, abused or molested for us to buy at a better price. Hope that Jeep sells a boatload of em' and a bunch of them to the "Pretenders" out there. Kinda sounds like a Jackson Brown song.
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Clutch
<---Pass
Yes sir!
I see that 1600 lbs payload getting used for bumpers, sliders...winch...and other paraphernalia.
I have no need for rear seats. But I see it being used for storage. Have alway been an extra cab 6 foot bed kind of guy. Could make a DCSB work.
Have been mulling a DCSB for the next truck...since I tow a trailer regardless. Sub 2000 lbs too. So a Gladiator would be perfect.
rkj__
Adventurer
I'm very interested to see how the Gladiator handles storage for bulky items in the rear cab space, when the seats are not in use. I hate what GM has done with the Colorado in that regard. A flat (or nearly flat) and unobstructed floor is what I like to see when seats are folded.
^^This^^. When the Rubicon first came out I was annoyed by the typical buyer and their lack of knowledge on any of the added features. A lot of money for no benefit to the average joe. But for me I am not in, nor do I suspect I will ever buy a new car off the lot. I hope they sell a boat load of these in offroad trim to people that have no business owning them. Flood the market with them. I could care less about being the first on the bandwagon, but in 5 years do I want to buy from the guy that used it as an offroad vehicle, or do I want it from the soccer mom who took it to the dealer for all the service and put it in 4wd twice a year? This seems to be the truck jeep has been promising for 10+ years now, and I am indeed excited and hope it is a big seller for them. For now, I will smile and wave at every 'pretender' I see at a stoplight or in line at Starbucks.
Clutch
<---Pass
I do like how Ford’s rear seats/cargo area is in the F-Series.
Would haul the bikes in the bed...then toss the gear bags in the cab when we are out riding.
Could do that now. By my extra cab doesn’t have rear doors. Pain in the butt to throw a huge moto bag back there. So I do a camper shell and utility trailer route.
A Gladiator on 35-37’s would awfully handy when fetching broken down bikes in the back country.
Wallygator
Adventurer
Yeah as a personal rule I never tow more than 80% of the whatever vehicles tow rating. If I need more I get a vehicle that can tow what I need within that 80% window.
Wallygator
Adventurer
Fridge or cooler next to the gear bag with some cold after ride brewskis. hell yes! I think this is gonna be a good vehicle. My only concern is reliability. It seems to be hit or miss with the Jeeps. You most likely will get a good one, but there are some nightmares out there. I have been spoiled by Toyota, but Toyota is not what it used to be and my next vehicle prob won't be a Toyota. Problem is my current one won't ever wear out.
rkj__
Adventurer
Me too. I wish all pickups were more like the Ford in that regard.
Clutch
<---Pass
Oh hells to the yeahs! You see my vision.
I have always wanted a Jeep. Have come close to buying a few over the years, but after every test drive I get out and think..."Man what a POS"...I'll stick with Toyotas. That and the need for a pickup bed. Not for actual work mind you, but for play, running around...and the occasional suburbanite hard ware store runs.
This Gladiator thing might be a good compromise...get the Jeep part, manual trans option, darn near endless aftermarket support, decent in cab storage area...and a little bed for hauling motos, bicycles...maybe a bag of mulch or three. An Extra Cab 6' bed version would be perfect. DCSB could work though.
BUUUUUT....big but in there. With such a horrible reliability track record. Not sure I could do it. Neighbor across the street went from a F150 to a Tacoma DCSB, now in a Tundra CCSB...the other guy 3 houses down...just traded in his JKU on a Tundra DC-6.5' bed. Both of said they have been eye balling my Tacoma and always wanted a Toyota. Grass is always greener, eh?
...and that is the thing, what I have now works pretty darn good. It refuses to die. The little frontend refresh I have done in the last month has it feeling newish again. The Jeep Glad peaks my interest though. Showed a picture to the better half....she said she would soooo drive that.
Maybe for zimm we could get a white one with one headlight eyelash and a black top...
...he seems like the kind of guy that would like that movie.
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Clutch
<---Pass
It would be nice. That is the other thing I don't like about the Access Cab Tacoma...wish the clamshell doors would open (what it is it?) 170º??? Like on on the F150 Super Cab. Not sure how far the Ranger Super Cab opens.
Have been looking at the double cabs for that reason. Don't need to haul passengers, but a regular opening rear door would be easier for tossing stuff in. Like on our Trooper. I keep the rear seats folded down...but tend to use the side doors more than I use the rear.
Wallygator
Adventurer
Oh hells to the yeahs! You see my vision.
I have always wanted a Jeep. Have come close to buying a few over the years, but after every test drive I get out and think..."Man what a POS"...I'll stick with Toyotas. That and the need for a pickup bed. Not for actual work mind you, but for play, running around...and the occasional suburbanite hard ware store runs.
This Gladiator thing might be a good compromise...get the Jeep part, manual trans option, darn near endless aftermarket support, decent in cab storage area...and a little bed for hauling motos, bicycles...maybe a bag of mulch or three. An Extra Cab 6' bed version would be perfect. DCSB could work though.
BUUUUUT....big but in there. With such a horrible reliability track record. Not sure I could do it. Neighbor across the street went from a F150 to a Tacoma DCSB, now in a Tundra CCSB...the other guy 3 houses down...just traded in his JKU on a Tundra DC-6.5' bed. Both of said they have been eye balling my Tacoma and always wanted a Toyota. Grass is always greener, eh?
...and that is the thing, what I have now works pretty darn good. It refuses to die. The little frontend refresh I have done in the last month has it feeling newish again. The Jeep Glad peaks my interest though. Showed a picture to the better half....she said she would soooo drive that.
Maybe for zimm we could get a white one with one headlight eyelash and a black top...
...he seems like the kind of guy that would like that movie.
Hilarious! I have had two Jeeps in my life, both TJ Rubicons and both manuals. The 4.0 inline six was so nice. Never had any issues and I considered them just as reliable as any Toyota I have had. It seems that reliability changed, went down, with the JK. I thought things would be better with the JL but now it seems to be going through first year issues. Between the reports of death wobble and the whole frame weld debacle, it may be best to wait a few years until the bugs are ironed out.
Clutch
<---Pass
After my '92 Toy Pickup...I was seriously looking at Jeeps before I bought my current Tacoma. IIRC test drove about 10 or 12 of them...every single one was a POS!!! One even over heated on a test drive around the block. I tried to like them...just couldn't bring myself to buy one.
One of my bucket list dream trucks is a Toyota FJ45 UTE...a Gladiator would get me real close. Though...probably have better luck reliability-wise importing a roached out 25+ year old Toyota. Doh! Saw that Mastodon had a few roll through. Would have to change out that grill, and do linked coil over suspension, and a healthy LS swapped in. Gladiator is looking better and better...basically the same thing with a warranty, and no wrenching! At least at first...
Then there is the unotainium ICONs...even have rear doors unlike the ones Mastodon had.
The Gladiator even if you optioned to the tilt at $60K would seem like a bargain compared to what The FJ Company would charge you to restore a FJ45.
https://www.fj.co/detail/2001-Land-Cruiser-FJ45-Crew-cab_304
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Ovrlnd Rd
Adventurer
Yep that's the one. I was doing the Idaho BDR last summer and that's the "Hippie Bus" just outside Burdgorf Hotsprings.
