When it comes to off-road capability straight out of the box, it’s hard to match the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. The truck won the 2020 Four Wheeler Pickup Truck of the Year award after capturing our attention with its impressive trail competence, on-road manners, and various other features. Since its win, we’ve had the privilege of spending a year with the Gladiator with the task to evaluate the truck from all angles. From extended overland travel and weekend camping trips to grueling pushes on the interstate and assorted cargo-moving chores, the Gladiator has demonstrated its utility across the board. As we prepared to bid farewell to the Hydro Blue seven-slotted four-by, we thought it was fitting to point it to the mountains for some trail exploration. As it turned out, it became a particularly wet weekend that allowed us to affirm the truck’s off-road prowess on rain-soaked and mud-slathered trails.
When winding through mildly bumpy tracks, wet or dry, the Fox shocks handled the jolts respectably, and only the sneakiest of potholes caused us to fully consume our uptravel. The disconnecting front sway bar allowed the Falken tires to find traction on the rocks while the pair of locking differentials kept all four corners pulling forward. Even if we did have a mishap, the steel armor on the undercarriage, rockers, and both bumpers was on standby. When the rutted, muddy trails resembled Southwest beef stew, the 11.1 inches of ground clearance kept our pumpkins from plowing into the dirt.
This story is from the May 2022 edition of Four Wheeler.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2022 edition of Four Wheeler.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
2022 Summer Safari
NEK Overland led the way into parts of Vermont and a bit of New Hampshire most will never see
This fourdoor Ford foreshadowed late-model Broncos
Ddecades ahead of the '20 four-door Bronco, and even preceding the Ford Explorer and Excursion, came an SUV that could have passed for OEM and was built to answer the call for a three-row people-haulin' off-roader.
JEEP OR BLAZER BUILDING
I was hoping to pick your brain as to a couple of different builds. I have a '19 Jeep Wrangler JL and a '74 Chevy Blazer. I'm a little baffled as to what to focus on. The '74 full convertible Blazer is my dream vehicle. She's been a long build and now I am thinking of focusing my energy on my wife's '19 Jeep JL. I recently joined a Jeep club and have been going off-road with a few guys. I'm shopping around for lift kits. Would you suggest that my time be spent and focused on the Blazer or enjoy the Jeep? I really can't do both.
JEEP BEACH 2022
10 days, 25,000-plus Jeeps, 225,000-plus spectators
TAULER JACK
A new alternative to the old off-road jack
OVERLAND ADVENTURE 2022:
MEET THE PARTICIPANTS 12 outstanding, Mojave-ready over landers
JEEP GRAND CAMPER
This custom 1994 Grand Cherokee and homebuilt trailer were made to go camping
ROCK JUNCTION 2022
4 days, 23 trails, 1 awesome event
DECKED OUT SILVERADO
Is this the ultimate overland accessory for pickups?
SANDTASTIC!
Dangle the opportunity to put the hammer down on more than a dozen square miles of the largest coastal dune complex in the world, add in partying with family and friends at sand camps, spice it up a bit with a variety of motorsport competition and nightly concerts, and it's easy to see why the five-day