The New Jeep Pickup Trucks

[BugoutJeep]

They're kind of a joke around here. In the logging/mining/fishing town full of F350/3500/etc. where a truck is needed, that Jeep wheelbarrow is just what you'd buy to get your daughter to collage/university. No man would ever want to be seen even looking at that overpriced monstrosity.
It tries to be a Jeep and a truck . . . . ends up being neither.

We have to get our 1 tons and 2.5 tons towed so often it's getting kind of annoying and an additional logistical nightmare. I know I might as well yell at you to get off my lawn, but trucks these days....

At least it's easier to tow a Gladiator than a 1 ton.

 

[srimes]

Some people love them. I'd rather have a longer bed and smaller back seats, or just have an enclosed SUV where the seats can fold down for hauling.

For a family off-roader I like the JKU. For a real truck with great off-road capability I'd look at the ram power wagon.

 

[mrblaine]

or just have an enclosed SUV where the seats can fold down for hauling.

My neighbor just bought a new 4 Runner. He got in a hurry and didn't do his research and wound up with the one that has the 3rd row seats. His main reason for the purchase was to get something with 4 wheel drive so he could go to the river, spend a few days fishing and sleep in the rig.

He did not notice that when they do the 3rd row that they raise the floor about 6-8" so they have something to fold down into. That means when he folds them down to sleep in it, the sleeping area is very small and claustrophobic. It is bad enough that he has explored trading it in on one with only the 2nd row seats.

I've offered to pull all the rear seats and build a sleeping platform so it works for him. His big hang up is he may need to carry a passenger in the 2nd row seats.

 

[BugoutJeep]

My neighbor just bought a new 4 Runner. He got in a hurry and didn't do his research and wound up with the one that has the 3rd row seats. His main reason for the purchase was to get something with 4 wheel drive so he could go to the river, spend a few days fishing and sleep in the rig.

He did not notice that when they do the 3rd row that they raise the floor about 6-8" so they have something to fold down into. That means when he folds them down to sleep in it, the sleeping area is very small and claustrophobic. It is bad enough that he has explored trading it in on one with only the 2nd row seats.

I've offered to pull all the rear seats and build a sleeping platform so it works for him. His big hang up is he may need to carry a passenger in the 2nd row seats.

I got my Dodge with Quad cab and 8 ft bed for comfortable sleeping and its funny that my MPG in that thing with mud tires is almost the same as our Tacoma with street tires. I would think any 4runner would be cramped. He needs a 4x4 Sprinter van.

 

[BugoutJeep]

My neighbor just bought a new 4 Runner. He got in a hurry and didn't do his research and wound up with the one that has the 3rd row seats. His main reason for the purchase was to get something with 4 wheel drive so he could go to the river, spend a few days fishing and sleep in the rig.

He did not notice that when they do the 3rd row that they raise the floor about 6-8" so they have something to fold down into. That means when he folds them down to sleep in it, the sleeping area is very small and claustrophobic. It is bad enough that he has explored trading it in on one with only the 2nd row seats.

I've offered to pull all the rear seats and build a sleeping platform so it works for him. His big hang up is he may need to carry a passenger in the 2nd row seats.

Also I find a tent ends up working out a bit better. Some of the new Pop-ups seem to really be nice and quick when you're not worried about space and weight for a tent.

I even use the awning and the awning room for a nice roomy setup if I'm not going to be doing much driving and it can go between vehicles.

We also went to a camper, mainly just for a more convenient place for the dog.

 

[mrblaine]

I got my Dodge with Quad cab and 8 ft bed for comfortable sleeping and its funny that my MPG in that thing with mud tires is almost the same as our Tacoma with street tires. I would think any 4runner would be cramped. He needs a 4x4 Sprinter van.

He is more than happy with basic. What he needs could be done with a pick up with a shell on it which is as fancy as he would ever get.

 

[BugoutJeep]

Some people love them. I'd rather have a longer bed and smaller back seats, or just have an enclosed SUV where the seats can fold down for hauling.

For a family off-roader I like the JKU. For a real truck with great off-road capability I'd look at the ram power wagon.

SUV and trailers are a highly versatile combo. My wife refuses to use a trailer for some reason. She even hauls her 10 ft Kayak in her tiny truck bed and I keep telling her that hooking up the trailer is easier than using an extender and backing up a trailer is pretty easy if you make small adjustments often and if you screw up, pull forward and do it again.

About half of my hauling is hauling junk and stuff that can easily make a big mess so the pickup bed is very convenient. With firewood, the debris is annoying to clean out of a regular SUV and since none of my trailers have high sides I do prefer to use a pickup bed and also I'm around all kinds of greasy equipment that you don't want inside your SUV. Also throwing a deer in the back of a pickup is pretty convenient. I did this with a SUV and the blood inside the SUV wasn't a good idea. At least I got a hitch carrier thing after I learned that lesson.

 

[mrblaine]

Also I find a tent ends up working out a bit better. Some of the new Pop-ups seem to really be nice and quick when you're not worried about space and weight for a tent.

I even use the awning and the awning room for a nice roomy setup if I'm not going to be doing much driving and it can go between vehicles.

We also went to a camper, mainly just for a more convenient place for the dog.

He won't do a tent. He just wants to pull up to the river, toss the camp table out, throw the ice chest under it, camp stove on top, fish a bit, cook a bit, sleep a bit. He is there to get away from people, enjoy fishing and he just needs a place to sleep when he is done for the day.

 

[BugoutJeep]

He won't do a tent. He just wants to pull up to the river, toss the camp table out, throw the ice chest under it, camp stove on top, fish a bit, cook a bit, sleep a bit. He is there to get away from people, enjoy fishing and he just needs a place to sleep when he is done for the day.

I totally understand that. I did that for awhile in my ZJ which likely a bit more cramped, but I just removed the seating and then move the passenger seat as far forward as possible and stacked stuff so it was pretty level. You could let the hatch up and use tarps, netting etc for more room/air flow.

How he describes is basically exactly what I do in my truck though. The 8 ft bed is super roomy and if it rains I can hang out all day in there. It kinda sucks, but I use deer hunting to be completely solo and I'll just scout from the bed and I've gone days at a time without moving the truck. My wife doesn't care to deer hunt, so fishing for us is some major logistics, because she likes to fish.

 

[CamoColton]

Too much car, not enough truck. Double cab and a vestigial bed, like most other "trucks" these days. Never mind the "technology", which I wouldn't have on a bet.

We all pointed and laughed at the Explorer Sport Trac with its tiny bed, but now every double cab mid size truck is a glorified explorer sport trac.
Same with the Pontiac Aztek - every single "cross over" out there is a bloated turtle shaped vehicle filling in for the Aztek

As far as Gladiators go - I like the vehicle somewhat but hate the people. Seems that the worst of the half-ton crowd, and the worst of the Jeep crowd in upstate NY are now united in the "lifestyle".

 

[AndyG]

Only an idiot would say or believe that there is such a thing as a "total" solution in a vehicle. I won't ever own one but they are highly popular around here.

I sure did not say it was, but FCA brass did.....I think that was where they lost me.

 

[mrblaine]

I sure did not say it was, but FCA brass did.....I think that was where they lost me.

Describe it to me in marketing speak contextually for the market segment it occupies.

 

[BugoutJeep]

I sure did not say it was, but FCA brass did.....I think that was where they lost me.

I think mrblaine did prequalify his statement correctly..."only an idiot"...

Obviously it isn't a total solution, but maybe a total compromise would be more appropriate...But I have to admit the Gladiator has really been growing on me, since there's a bit of a vacancy on our compact trucks in the US. Since half tons are the size of 1 tons, its hard to justify a 1/2 ton anymore.

I think the Colorado with the Duramax is probably the closest to the compact truck roll, but a diesel that comes from the 1/2 ton line-up is truly interesting with the flawed ED. If we had Toyota Hiluxes available there wouldn't be any dispute, but we've got the EPA and other regs to bloat and ruin our market. I've personally been trying to fight it by buying or building stuff as it should have been made, but I'm simply running out of time for projects and the Gladiator is very close to what I want and its on the shelf and it'll be pulled for some Gov. regulation in order to force us into the stupidity of the elite EV crowd... So I lean toward buying one now and holding it and using it for a bit.

 

[AndyG]

Describe it to me in marketing speak contextually for the market segment it occupies.

If I found the article I would gladly link it....It was just pre release marketing build up.... saying it could do it all, be a work truck, etc.

I don’t have a dog in it...I don’t own one I don’t care how good or bad it does...I think it was all very unknown going into it ... there were some overly optimistic projections and some overly pessimistic projections ...I watched production numbers for a while, but lost interest.

The only question I have right now is does everyone think the vehicle is going to have longevity.

I think to be fair about it it is a fairly versatile vehicle but I don’t know if it really shines at everything.

Claimed towing capacity was really focused on by FCA and you could tell by reading the articles they wanted the numbers to be at the top of the midsize truck category and you could also tell that it was pushing the vehicle to the limits to do that.

I never had a single problem with the vehicle’s concept as much as I did the statements that the manufacture was making.

Just like the statements they made and printed that you could not possibly put more horsepower under the hood of a modern jeep vehicle and as quick as the bronco starts making some noise , the 392 comes out.

I know I don’t always win accolades for accuracy .but I certainly like truth.

 

[AndyG]

prequalify his statement

Yes, but he knows that I know that he knows I tend to be one

I’ll never know why he would want to get into a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

 

[rubicube]

my son bought a rubicon gladiator with a stick,,,he didn't want the same ole thing every one else has,and were a jeep family.
he's a exec.at amazon lives in the city but comes to the mountains a lot to hike an fish...I've driven it an it's a nice ride.he said when they do the 392 I can have that one and I'll gladly drive it....

 

[BugoutJeep]

I think the Gladiator will be here for awhile, but the powerplants are going to be gimmicky. The price point is insane for these though, which is confusing, but they're EVERYWHERE here.

 

[CBJason]

For me the specs and pricing notwithstanding, I think it’s a butt ugly vehicle. The bed looks too small for any real functionality and the ”cab” looks disproportionately oversized but it still kinda cramped.

 

[BugoutJeep]

For me the specs and pricing notwithstanding, I think it’s a butt ugly vehicle. The bed looks too small for any real functionality and the ”cab” looks disproportionately oversized but it still kinda cramped.

It's surprising that it's basically the same as all other compact trucks.

I've been wanting to do a YJ truck build and I started measuring and its surprising how similar all of these different bodies and truck beds are. Our Jeeps are basically compact truck cabs. The beds are actually a pretty useful size. Now if I build a truck my bed will be different and it'll be a flatbed, but a lot of the differences are just aesthetics and aerodynamics. Width is a bit different too, but likely not that much different than a compact truck. I guess I grew up with really small trucks too, slightly bigger trucks, even bigger trucks and then really really big trucks. Now a 1/2 ton reminds me of an old grain truck.

I haven't compared the Gladiator in any truly detailed manner, but I've been comparing our Tacoma, because I'm happy with its size. Length wise it was basically the same as a Gladiator when we've parked next to them.

The added appeal to the Gladiator and Jeeps in general is mostly the no doors and convertible top. It is fun and the Freedom top stuff seems like they'd be convenient vs removing the whole top or messing around with zippers. Also no door or something akin to half doors is so nice and comfortable too and few vehicles have the top and door flexibility. It's kinda dumb, but it's nice splashing around in the mud and having that much fresh air around to breath and I prefer where my left elbow rests while driving. I'm also a fan of having a solid axle still.

I thought I'd have issues with the short bed, but now I pretty much prefer it, except if I'm sleeping in the back. 6.5ft is ok, but I really haven't had many issues with a shorter bed and I prefer it to a SUV, but I'm quick to grab a trailer too. But for years I was like, what crazy person would want something smaller than an 8ft bed....Honestly when I think of getting a SUV, I lean toward something like a Sprinter Van. A 4x4 Sprinter is kinda up there on my list of wants.

 

[mrblaine]

Just like the statements they made and printed that you could not possibly put more horsepower under the hood of a modern jeep vehicle and as quick as the bronco starts making some noise , the 392 comes out.

Just so you understand, the design and implementation cycle for something like the 392 is minimum 5 years outside of a race program with very limited production or extraordinary circumstances. Typical is 10 years. The day the first YJ hit the lot, they started on the TJ. The day the first TJ hit the lot, they started on the JK. What we see on lots for sale in the introductory phase has been in design and testing for typically about 10 years. They will run the mules all over the world testing the crap out of them for several years before the first production run ever goes down the assembly line.

The timing of the Bronco thing and the 392 is purely coincidental.