looks bad but its rc
looks bad but its rc
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Tom
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Java (March 17th, 2020)
Yep - a common problem with the new, all-electric jeeps.
Too much load up high with the roof rack!
Have you guys all seen the Gladiator with the bent frame that has been going around?
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~Not All Who Wander Are Lost~ (at least not all the time)
Don't know the details of the bent gladiator frame - I did the see the pics. No matter who may be at fault, it did kind of reinforce that using a traditional hitch ball might be part of the problem. If you are going to be dragging an off-road trailer in true 4x4 terrain, its probably a good idea to get a off-road hitch set-up that allows for the extreme angles that will occur between the tow vehicle and trailer tongue. Even an old fashioned pintle hitch set-up would be way better off-road (and worse on road). Again, it may not have been the issue in this scenario - honestly I would thing the trailer tongue would/should bend way before the jeep frame in this case, although maybe if the tail of the jeep was down (nose up a big hill), and the trailer was level but stuck going backwards, the stress would be directly in against the tongue (no bending moment), but it would be causing a bending moment on the rear of the jeep frame. Anyway, I would be concerned about the hitch set-up it on my own rig if I were doing similar stuff with a trailer for a myriad of potential concerns. In this case, I don't know whether to hope that it was driver error or poor design and construction on FCA's part...both are quite viable I think, unless the driver has clarified when/how it happened. One of FCA's big selling points was the towing/payload capacity and larger (D60?) axle the gladiators received vs normal JLs.
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James Orofino
1970 CJ5
1958 Willys Wagon
I have a pintle on my trailer, so far so good.
I didn't make time (slow down) to grab the camera, but when I was heading north to Cheyenne (I-25) a few days back I saw a gladiator pulling a pop-up toy-hauler type camper. It struck me as too much camper for the two vehicle (camper seemed as long and as high as the glad). Huh - after watching the vid - I might need to change my perspective for what it can haul.
Jim (March 18th, 2020)
The gladiator is basically using the rear end of a full size 1/2 ton Ram truck and is set-up with a class IV hitch to tow the 7600lbs or so (payload of 1500lbs) - all of which is more than my Tacoma (although the newer Tacos have been upgraded). In terms of campers...they are actually pretty light for their size.
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James Orofino
1970 CJ5
1958 Willys Wagon
Jim (March 18th, 2020)