Trying to overcome discouragement

[Hersbird]

Frontal aera is frontal aera, the shape doesn't matter. Now in the real world of course the shape does matter, but both the front and back contribute equally to drag. So although the front may be better, I'm sure the rear is terrible. So you go with 8' wide and the distance from the ground to the roof, then you have to add even more for all the crap on the roof especially the AC. Basically you are over the frontal aera. So what to do? Keep it under 60 mph and it will make much less of a difference, 55 even better. Where you run into the problem with the Gladiator, is it has the same motor in my 2011 Chrysler Minivan. 4:11 gears are great and all but you also have big tires so effectively they aren't much better than the 3:16s in my minivan. But hey, I'd tow that camper with my minivan if I had one even though I only have a 3600 pound tow rating in a heartbeat. I just wouldn't be supertrucking it down the interstate at 70 mph.

PS I hate to be that guy because I love the Gladiator but I would 100% have waited for the new Ecodiesel.

[NJKris]

Really glad I settled on a 3 year old F150 V-8 as my TV. Tows my GeoPro, same as OP's, all day long at 70 mph and you never even know it's behind you. Maybe a tad slower on mountain grades, just because I don't wan't to blow all my cash out my tailpipe!

[clarkbre]

For reference, page 8 of the FORD TOWING GUIDE says that the frontal area for the 2019 Super Duty is only 60 sq. ft. for conventional, bumper pull trailers. 8' wide x 8' tall (typical travel trailer) is 64 sq. ft.

[The Evil Twin]

I would think (though I do not know) that the frontal area would only be much of a consideration as you begin to get closer to maximum towing capacity.
FWIW, the max frontal area on a F350 is something silly like 60 ft.

[moose074]

Dude go camping enjoy repeat as needed. Read this forum almost nightly lots of great information. Lots of headaches as well. Learn to drive w hat you have and enjoy . Just remember nothing is perfect

[NJKris]

clarkbre, I THINK (somebody correct me) that 'bumper pull' is when you mount the hitch ball directly to the bumper, where the rear license plate indentation usually is, not the type of connections we make pulling RV's.

[Lins]

Originally Posted by NJKris

clarkbre, I THINK (somebody correct me) that 'bumper pull' is when you mount the hitch ball directly to the bumper, where the rear license plate indentation usually is, not the type of connections we make pulling RV's.

Good point but I think bumper pull is just used to differentiate from a 5th wheel or gooseneck setup. And the guide doesn’t state bumper pull, just gooseneck/5th wheel (75) and all others (60).

If you read page 8, it says that’s a limitation/configuration - so which is it?

[clarkbre]

Originally Posted by NJKris

clarkbre, I THINK (somebody correct me) that 'bumper pull' is when you mount the hitch ball directly to the bumper, where the rear license plate indentation usually is, not the type of connections we make pulling RV's.

"Bumper pull" is a commonly used term referencing that the trailer attaches to the rear most point of the tow vehicle. "Conventional towing" is also an interchangeable term to this. These include tow balls, pintle hooks and other shank/receiver type hitches. It can also include the ball mounted directly to the bumper itself. The tow vehicle will likely have different towing and weight carrying capacities depending on where the ball is mounted. A bumper mounted ball will have a much smaller capacity than a Class IV receiver hitch.

"5th wheel", "fiver", "gooseneck", are all in reference to an attachment point in the bed or over the rear axle of the tow vehicle.

[gmacklem]

Originally Posted by Chesley

As far as the Gladiator being unproven as a tow vehicle, I’m not sure it would get used a lot for that purpose. We really like exploring off road (not rock crawling) and really enjoyed doing it in a Wrangler (my second favorite vehicle I’ve ever owned; 1969 Camaro SS396 purchased upon returning from Vietnam, being my first favorite) years ago. I was thinking the Gladiator would be a good fit for the exploring and at the same time be capable of towing the TT when we wanted. Plan B...if Gladiator were not to work out as a tow vehicle, I’ll sell the TT.

Sorry for the bad luck, hope things improve for you. I am jumping in to find out how well the Gladiator works out for you. I currently tow a Wrangler behind my Class C and I am considering getting a T@B 400 Boondock Edge, but the Wrangler is a poor vehicle for towing.

So I am also considering getting the Gladiator to tow the T@B with. It is a smaller, more aerodynamic camper so I am sure it will tow it fine. But I am interested in hearing from real owners how well the Gladiator manages. Please report back after you have towed your camper a time or two and let us know how it does. On the bright side, you will be one of the guys helping the Gladiator become a tried and tested towing vehicle.

[D W]

So, you paid for a transmission replacement on your 2007 rig that did not function correctly, and you just threw in the towel?

[frank4711]

Sounds like your TV is good to go ... as far as over thinking ... I am notorious for hand wringing - searching and reading everything - asking 1000 questions and mostly getting to much information ... here on the forum you will find members who have real world experience with products and services that you have or may want to acquire ... ask here for help and you will get it .... having to wait to find out your AC did not work is unexceptionable would not be my dealer for long .... bad luck runs in 3's so you should be done for awhile .... best of luck

[pgandw]

Frontal area creates more drag at highway speeds than trailer weight. Takes horsepower, torque, and fuel consumption to overcome.

As a point of comparison, I have towed a smaller A-frame, and now a High Wall A-frame with my Hyundai minivan (250HP V6, similar torque, 5 spd transmission). Frontal area was 35 sq ft with the smaller A-frame, 42 sq ft with the High Wall. High Wall weighs about 18% more. I got 17mpg with the smaller A-frame, towing at 65mph (what the tires were rated for). I get 14mpg with the High Wall, towing at 72mph (tires are rated for 75), drops to 13 with a headwind, even if I slow to 65.
With the High Wall, the minivan transmission will drop down a gear a lot more frequently to keep speed (and torque) up.

Frontal area makes a difference. Weight is only significant when going uphill.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

[AlaskaErik]

I think the Gladiator is the worst of both worlds. As a tow vehicle, it's going to have a hard time at the mid to upper end of its limit with that minivan V6 engine. Even with 4.10 gearing. If I'm ever going to tow 7650 lbs, it's going to be with my Silverado that has the 6.2L engine and max tow package. And on the trail, it's going to be awkward and clumsy. With its long wheelbase, the 20.3° breakover angle is going to leave you stranded like a beached whale while 2 and 4 door Jeeps will have no problems. And forget about those switchback trails. You'll be jockeying all day on one that a 2 door can easily make and a 4 door can make with a three point turn. I've been off roading for years with my Jeep Wrangler and there is no way I would ever consider taking a Gladiator on the trails I've been on.

[Chesley]

Originally Posted by D W

So, you paid for a transmission replacement on your 2007 rig that did not function correctly, and you just threw in the towel?

Yep, I just threw in the towel.



“I think the Gladiator is the worst of both worlds. As a tow vehicle, it's going to have a hard time at the mid to upper end of its limit with that minivan V6 engine. Even with 4.10 gearing. If I'm ever going to tow 7650 lbs, it's going to be with my Silverado that has the 6.2L engine and max tow package. And on the trail, it's going to be awkward and clumsy. With its long wheelbase, the 20.3° breakover angle is going to leave you stranded like a beached whale while 2 and 4 door Jeeps will have no problems. And forget about those switchback trails. You'll be jockeying all day on one that a 2 door can easily make and a 4 door can make with a three point turn. I've been off roading for years with my Jeep Wrangler and there is no way I would ever consider taking a Gladiator on the trails I've been on”

That’s not the kind of exploring I do. So, I’m not concerned with that lack of ability.

[Chesley]

Originally Posted by gmacklem

Sorry for the bad luck, hope things improve for you. I am jumping in to find out how well the Gladiator works out for you. I currently tow a Wrangler behind my Class C and I am considering getting a T@B 400 Boondock Edge, but the Wrangler is a poor vehicle for towing.

So I am also considering getting the Gladiator to tow the T@B with. It is a smaller, more aerodynamic camper so I am sure it will tow it fine. But I am interested in hearing from real owners how well the Gladiator manages. Please report back after you have towed your camper a time or two and let us know how it does. On the bright side, you will be one of the guys helping the Gladiator become a tried and tested towing vehicle.

I’ll report back after I get chance to tow it. I had previously bought a Teconsha Prodigy P3 brake controller for the Silverado. I contacted Teconsha this morning regarding a vehicle specific wiring connector for the Gladiator (I’m not willing to cut wires to hard wire it at this point) and was told it will be three to four weeks before they release it (anticipated part number will be Teconsha 3073-P).

[D W]

Originally Posted by Chesley

Yep, I just threw in the towel.

Okay. That's entirely your business. I was just wondering. Wish you well in your future endeavor!

[Barry Allen]

Truck should be fine. I have the same trailer and I pull it with a Ford Sport Trac (mini-truck like a Ranger) with GVWR 5000 lb and it goes like a champ. No issues at all. And I do a lot of extreme mountain stuff in the Canadian Rockies.




I love the trailer, BTW. No problems of any consequence here...

[hdsportguy]

First off I’ve always been a Jeep guy, but purchased a Chevy Colorado Duramax Z71 4x4. I use it to tow my Kodiak Ultimate 279RBSL. Dry weight 6300, tonge weight 890, loaded around 7000. With all that being said, I got the itch to trade for a Gladiator. The dealer actually let me hook it to my TT for a test drive. Although it’s rated to tow 7650 just like my Colorado, the difference was really disappointing. 1. You can’t get a factory trailer brake in the Gladiator. 2. The side mirrors are way to small for towing, not an issue with the Colorado. The wind noise in the Gladiator is almost deafening, the Colorado is very quiet. The tonge weight squared the Gladiator badly, not the case with the Colorado. I can tow at 70 if I want to all day with the Colorado, the Gladiator had trouble maintaining 60.
Again, I’ve always been a Jeep guy and have had several. And I’m not knocking the Gladiator, just making comparisons. I was very disappointed. Needless to say I kept my Colorado. Oh and towing with the Colorado I get 12.6 mpg. The Gladiator got 8.1 in a 62 mile interstate loop. This was my experience.

[HGSpartan]

I don’t think you will have an issue with the Jeep if the max capacity is 5000+ lbs. I’ve been towing my GEOPRO 19FBS with my 2017 Toyota Highlander and it towed well and it’s capacity was 5000 lbs (1500 miles Midwest). On the highway I stayed between 55 and 60 mph in the right hand lane. It was a little irritating with people passing me on I-65 and my normal 6 hr trip to Michigan added an hour to my drive but it worked out okay. So I don’t think you will have any issues. Truth in lending- I just bought a truck but the reason was so I could have additional payload capacity and room in my TV - so I could take some longer trips with my trailer and and do some dispersed camping in the wilderness. Look at GEOPRO Adventures on YouTube - they have towed well over 18K with a Jeep Grand Cherokee on the east coast, Rockies and west coast. My first video I saw them in was at 11K ft in Telluride Co. .

[Mrprovy]

This guys towing with a similar set up (16BH):
http://youtu.be/whrF-u6Gcg0

The weight specs are almost The same for the 16 BH and your 19; I'll be weighing my Geo Pro 16BH this weekend and I'll post the weight (w/o water, with 2 lead acid batteries, 2 full 30lb propane tanks, and cargo filled up).

After reading earlier posts, I'm nervous about my A/C; it was only 40° last weekend when we picked it up, so didn't get to test out the compressor...next warm day now that I'm hooked into shore power.