V6E19 - Maintenance Days and the Gladiator

Following an enjoyable experience in Virginia, I set a course for my home town, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My front driveshaft was still removed, hindering my mobility, and I was very much looking forward to visiting with family and friends. Not to mention, I had an appointment at OK4WD in Stewartsville, New Jersey, to prepare for in the week ahead. The moment I crossed into Pennsylvania, the very first thing that I thought of was the inspection sticker on my front windshield, which expired back in October, and it was now May, 2019. My Jeep had not been in the state in which it was registered for over 14 months! Thus, I stopped at Susquehanna Auto, in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, where I purchased the Jeep over three years ago, and made a short-notice appointment for a state inspection.

The Therapeutic Purge

I spent my first evening back in Pennsylvania at Heritage Tree Farm, in Rothsville. Owned and operated by my friends, the Lee family, they graciously allow me to pop the camper on their property whenever I’m in town. The next morning, I went to my storage unit, which contains all of my belongings - or at least everything I own that doesn’t travel with me! I had been looking forward to this for quite some time, because I felt like there was a lot that I could filter out of the Jeep to make more efficient use of its available interior space... An extra pair of shoes that I never used were put into storage; in addition to a large step-ladder, several hats and t-shirts, receipts, maps, official documents that accumulate over time, and most notably - my skottle. From the very beginning, the skottle was a luxury item. It was a lot of fun to cook on, even with my lackluster food preparation skills, but it was a redundant cooking surface when I already had my Coleman stove. I was reluctant to part ways with it, but my goal was to fine-tune my gear selection, so it made a lot of sense to omit it. Other items, such as my Kelty shower shelter, I reluctantly kept. When I first started traveling, I would set up my shower shelter almost every time I settled into a campsite for multiple nights, no matter how remote. However, as time went on, I cared less and less about privacy when I was already deep in the wilderness. The likelihood of someone encountering me while I showered was very slim. So the shower shelter became an item that I used extremely infrequently. Nevertheless, I kept it on-board, because it’ll only take once, when I need a shower at some crowded campground, where I’ll be extremely thankful to have it. I spent the better part of the day at my storage unit, and by the time I left, I was very happy with my equipment selection. I had refined my gear to include everything I needed, and nothing I didn’t!  

Meeting the Gladiator

The next day, I delivered the Jeep to Susquehanna Auto for its scheduled appointment. First and foremost, I wanted them to perform an annual state inspection, and also resolve some minor misfire and stalling issues that have been problematic lately. The service attendant took my keys, and I filled out the paperwork for a loaner vehicle - a Jeep Compass, I think - but I never ended up using it! Instead, with the assistance of Jesse Harden, a sales manager at Susquehanna, I spent the morning getting acquainted with a brand new 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. To regurgitate some of the vehicle’s specifications, this particular model was black, with a 3.6 liter Pentastar V6, an 8 speed automatic transmission, tan leather interior, locking differentials, 4:1 transfer case, an electronic sway-bar disconnect, 7,000 lb towing capacity, and a 1,160 lb maximum payload. Having owned several Jeep since the mid 1990s, what stood out about the Gladiator (aside from the pickup bed) were the countless refinements and creature comforts. With every iteration of Jeep vehicle, they become less-and-less like spartan military vehicles or farm implements. This is not a bad thing. It is not wrong to be comfortable, and these things, in my opinion, do not detract from the capability or the heritage of Jeep vehicles, especially with the ever-improving reliability of new technologies. Except two caveats come to mind… While the Jeeps - even my relatively new 2013 Wrangler - are more reliable than they’ve ever been, they are also more complex, so when a system does fail, roadside, do-it-yourself repair is becoming far less viable. Furthermore, these refinements, in conjunction with inflation, come with an ever-increasing price tag. As of May, 2019, the dealer is asking $62,000 for this nearly-loaded 2020 Gladiator Rubicon. The Gladiator felt very familiar when I took it on a test drive, and although we didn’t leave pavement, I know it is no less capable than my 2013 Wrangler Rubicon, despite its extended length. What I love about this vehicle the most, from the standpoint of full-time overland travel, is all the potential that the bed space has for living accommodations. The Gladiator is still very new, and the aftermarket industry is just now starting to dig its teeth into the platform, but I’m expecting to see some amazing add-ons and modifications for this Jeep in the coming years. I will strongly consider the Gladiator as my next vehicle, but not quite yet. At the end of the day, Susquehanna renewed my state inspection, and solved my stalling and misfire issues with new cam and crank sensors. Not only was my Jeep legal to drive in Pennsylvania again, but it idled and accelerated nicely for the first time in several months!  

Turning Wrenches

In my parents’ garage, before wrapping up the week, I took it upon myself to remove the Pronghorn Alpha front bumper in favor of the stock, plastic bumper. I did this because my Pronghorn Alpha, as it was configured, didn’t have accommodations for a winch, which was scheduled to be installed next week. I’ve enjoyed using the Pronghorn bumper over the past year, and I’m particularly fond of its lightweight aluminum construction and unique styling. In place of selecting another aftermarket front bumper, I opted to utilize the factory bumper with a winch mounting plate. While this configuration isn’t very exciting, it saves a little bit of weight, and most importantly, it gets the job done while saving money. After tending to the front bumper, and a couple of other miscellaneous items, the Jeep was now ready for its appointment at OK4WD for some long-awaited upgrades. [gallery link="file" columns="5" size="large" ids="https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-17.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-2.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-3.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-4.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-5.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-6.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-7.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-8.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-9.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-10.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-11.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-12.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-13.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-14.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-15.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-16.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-18.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-19.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e19-20.jpg|"]