Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Depends how you define 'capable'. More capable when it comes to hauling and towing.... not so much.
Gladiator - Good/Bad?
- Thread starter D45
- Start date
smlobx
Wanderer
Well this is an overlanding forum not a hauling and towing forum…?
From what I've seen on here, overlanding sure involves a lot of hauling or towing.
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Dude... do you even overland?
smlobx
Wanderer
Dude... do you even overland?
I have overlanded in 22 countries in 5 continents and will be leaving next week to spend 6 weeks in Southern Chile and Argentina. You?
Are you using the Gladiator?
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Me? 23 countries, 6 continents and am leaving tomorrow for 7 weeks in southern Chile and Argentina... ?
But, you have to agree payload certainly comes into play when overlanding.... Hence my do you even overland joke.
And the majority of full size trucks will offer a better payload than a gladiator.
I very much wanted a Gladiator when they came out. Still do. Fact is they don't offer enough truck capabilities for me.
This is based of course on my personal needs.
smlobx
Wanderer
Todd I like your sense of humor. ..
I think we can all agree that there is no one perfect vehicle for overland travel. Every trip has a thousand variables (length of trip, terrain difficulty, fuel availability, number of people traveling with you etc.)
Perhaps one of the best vehicles I’ve ever taken into remote locations is the 79 Series or Troopy depending on the situation. Here’s a picture of us crossing a river on a sketchy ferry in Botswana..Unfortunately they’re not available here.
in North America when there is a lot of driving on roads and the travel is relatively easy we have an F-350 with a Hallmark Expedition pop up camper. We have taken this rig all over North America like below.
and finally I have our Rubicon Gladiator that is as close to a 79 Series that we can get in the US. Here we are in Utah
I think we can all agree that there is no one perfect vehicle for overland travel. Every trip has a thousand variables (length of trip, terrain difficulty, fuel availability, number of people traveling with you etc.)
Perhaps one of the best vehicles I’ve ever taken into remote locations is the 79 Series or Troopy depending on the situation. Here’s a picture of us crossing a river on a sketchy ferry in Botswana..Unfortunately they’re not available here.
in North America when there is a lot of driving on roads and the travel is relatively easy we have an F-350 with a Hallmark Expedition pop up camper. We have taken this rig all over North America like below.
and finally I have our Rubicon Gladiator that is as close to a 79 Series that we can get in the US. Here we are in Utah
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Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Nice rides! I'd love to go back to Utah one day. Spectacular scenery.
Like I said, I very much wanted a Gladiator. I had a '64 Wildcat convertible many moons ago and a Jeep TJ at one point. Loved the open air feeling. These days, I need a truck. And I thought the Gladiator would've been a perfect way to have a fun convertible to do truck stuff and be good for Alberta winters. But no go for me.
I also considered the Power Wagon, which I think is a very capable truck out of the box. But, decided for me payload, decent gas mileage and a roomy cab for the kiddos were a bigger factor than off road prowess. Because, if I am honest with myself, I would never exceed the capabilities of a stock half ton on decent tires.
Tell me you enjoyed some fresh seafood when you were on the east coast of Canada!
Dan Grec
Expedition Leader
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Agreed, but the statement I quoted said it was the most capable stock truck on the market. It didn't specify in which class.
Dan Grec
Expedition Leader
Clearly we have to assume you're comparing things to things in the same class, otherwise there is no point ever comparing anything to anything ever again. If you disagree, then clearly everyone should just buy an 18 wheeler and be done with it.
-Dan
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Haha! An 18 wheeler would be impressive but maybe a hard to daily drive?
I started shopping Rangers and Gladiators but ended up going fullsize because I could get a bigger more roomy truck for similar money that could haul and tow more.
Even the OP of this thread must be cross shopping mid and full size trucks.
He has another thread comparing the 2.7 vs 3.5 vs 5.0 in the F150. So he must be considering both trucks?
For a lot of mid size trucks, they get similar MPG and can cost the same.... (back when big rebates could be applied to half tons)
So, I think it's fair to compare both segments depending on your intended use.
Jeep or Tacoma
Explorer
Me too first Jeep was a 77 cj7 golden eagle loved it and all since. Had a bunch of Toyotas too 82,pickup 5 transmissions yeah 5 4Runner axel leaked at the diff lancruiser main computer went ka put. In contrast my 2008 jku rubicon running 35s blew head gasket at 135 k but it was under life time warranty Toyota warranty’s ? What that ? I jest. Just a bit. Point is Toyotas. Have their issues too.