Jeep Gladiator Mileage Question

[Roger 2486]

Good morning-

Presently we are on an out of State adventure from CA to AZ and heading directly back tomorrow. Approx 2000 miles over the past seven days to be traveled. We’ve enjoyed our trip hitting several trails from Flagstaff through Sedona finally ending south of Tucson. We’ve slabbed it many miles at highway speeds (70-80mph) and then hit the trails, back to the highway and on to the next trail; trying to maximize scenery and exploration with our limited time available. My question is our overall mileage has averaged 12 MPG, which is killing the budget. Our expectations were realistic being its a Jeep, but I didn’t think it would be this poor. It seems elevation, hills, overall weight just kills any gains from easing up on the skinny pedal. I expected overall mpg to be around 15 mpg with in town, highway and trail driving.

Our rig is definitely on the heavy side with our gear as is and modifications made:

2021 Gladiator Rubicon, factory drivetrain with 4:10’s, 3.6 six cylinder, 3.5“ Metalcloak Game Changer lift on mud terrain 35’s, 12k winch in factory steel bumper, RSI Smartcap Evo with crossbars, Aztec (Roofnest) hard top RTT, Decked system with tools and all cooking supplies / camp stove, 17” Blackstone griddle, etc., 11 pound propane tank, Powertank Co2, 5-gallon jerrycan of fuel, two Sceptor 5-gallon water cans, 3.8 gallon Waterport, Yeti cooler, dry food plastic storage bin, Joolca shower tent, plastic table, folding chairs, etc.

Aside from the obvious gear weight, any suggestions on getting a bit better mileage?

Taser mini to adjust for tire size increase? Gear change to 4:88’s? I’m not interested in engine or other drivetrain mod’s (aside from gear ratio change) as I wish to keep the factory warranty, reliability and maintenance ease in place.

We have future modification plans / additions to include fridge, awning and Joolca hot water system.

Any thoughts, advice or suggestions are most welcome. Thanks!

 

[Billiebob]

IF MPG are important consider...
speed. speed is not a real factor til you exceed 55mph, hence the National Speed Linmit of 55mph during the gas crisis.
tires. the bigger, heavier the rubber the more gas you need to turn them. With stock tires you might easily hit 15mpg. With 35s, not a chance.
Unsprung weight is a huge factor on gas mileage. Not that Jeeps are aerodynamic but.... lift plus gear plus RTT KILL economy over 55mph.

regear is no different than just driving all the time down one gear. you don't say, 8 speed auto or 6 speed manual ??
Try driving in 7th or 5th before regearing.

 

[Roger 2486]

IF MPG are important consider...
speed. speed is not a real factor til you exceed 55mph, hence the National Speed Linmit of 55mph during the gas crisis.
tires. the bigger, heavier the rubber the more gas you need to turn them. With stock tires you might easily hit 15mpg. With 35s, not a chance.

regear is no different than just driving all the time down one gear. you don't say, 8 speed auto or 6 speed manual ??

Thanks..mpg not a deal breaker, just thought we could do a bit better. Sorry, 8-speed automatic.

 

[MOAK]

Welcome to the club. We are, after all, driving rather large bricks down the road. My 2004 Rubicon averaged 10 mpg, loaded on tours. We now average 12mpg with our Landcruiser with a GVWR of 6800 lbs, and the trailer at 1400 lbs. highway speeds never exceed 68mph. I use the cruise control with a religious ferver and a good habit to get into. I’m gonna instal an under drive gear this winter that’ll give me the equivelant of 4:56s, which will get me back to stock performance and a wee bit better MPGs.

 

[Roger 2486]

Thanks for the reply…one can only hope. LOL

 

[Old Tanker]

...our overall mileage has averaged 12 MPG, which is killing the budget.... I expected overall mpg to be around 15 mpg with in town, highway and trail driving.

2000 miles at 15mpg burns 133 gallons. 2000 miles at 12 mpg burns 167 gallons. Is 34 gallons of gas - just over a hundred dollars - really a factor on a 2000 mile adventure?

Gear change to 4:88’s? I

It would take a lot of miles to pay for the gear change, if it would even help. Increasing engine RPMs would help with power, but maybe not mpg. It requires energy to move weight and push air.

any suggestions on getting a bit better mileage?

Slow down.

Keep the jerry cans empty until you need them.

 

[socal66]

Your numbers look like they are in the ballpark on what you should expect given everything that you are carrying and stepping up to 35” tires. The only other thing to try outside of gearing is to be mindful of your driving style and drive with a focus on your tachometer rather than your speedometer. I have a JLUR 4-door and the highway difference between me or my wife driving is around 3-4 MPG. I drive like an old man and my wife drives like a race car driver.

 

[Patman]

From one heavy Gladi owner to another, slow down.

I'm on 35s, 3.73s with a sail of a 23zero on top, and I average 15-17 fully loaded, keeping it under 70. If I manually shift it into 8th on the flats it will pull 18-19, but I really have to behave. Gears will make a difference, as it will allow it to live in 8th, but not enough to pay for the gears in any reasonable time.

 

[tjZ06]

Good morning-

Presently we are on an out of State adventure from CA to AZ and heading directly back tomorrow. Approx 2000 miles over the past seven days to be traveled. We’ve enjoyed our trip hitting several trails from Flagstaff through Sedona finally ending south of Tucson. We’ve slabbed it many miles at highway speeds (70-80mph) and then hit the trails, back to the highway and on to the next trail; trying to maximize scenery and exploration with our limited time available. My question is our overall mileage has averaged 12 MPG, which is killing the budget. Our expectations were realistic being its a Jeep, but I didn’t think it would be this poor. It seems elevation, hills, overall weight just kills any gains from easing up on the skinny pedal. I expected overall mpg to be around 15 mpg with in town, highway and trail driving.

Our rig is definitely on the heavy side with our gear as is and modifications made:

2021 Gladiator Rubicon, factory drivetrain with 4:10’s, 3.6 six cylinder, 3.5“ Metalcloak Game Changer lift on mud terrain 35’s, 12k winch in factory steel bumper, RSI Smartcap Evo with crossbars, Aztec (Roofnest) hard top RTT, Decked system with tools and all cooking supplies / camp stove, 17” Blackstone griddle, etc., 11 pound propane tank, Powertank Co2, 5-gallon jerrycan of fuel, two Sceptor 5-gallon water cans, 3.8 gallon Waterport, Yeti cooler, dry food plastic storage bin, Joolca shower tent, plastic table, folding chairs, etc.

Aside from the obvious gear weight, any suggestions on getting a bit better mileage?

Taser mini to adjust for tire size increase? Gear change to 4:88’s? I’m not interested in engine or other drivetrain mod’s (aside from gear ratio change) as I wish to keep the factory warranty, reliability and maintenance ease in place.

We have future modification plans / additions to include fridge, awning and Joolca hot water system.

Any thoughts, advice or suggestions are most welcome. Thanks!

You've built an awesome, but heavy and even less aerodynamic than stock rig. It's not going to get stock MPG. The best suggestion is to just slow down a bit, 80 MPH is a LOT pushing that thing through the wind. Of course, I'm realistic and know slowing down isn't for everybody, especially when you get out of CA and there are no towing speed limits so Big Rigs breath down your neck if you're not doing 80.

So I have to ask, is this:

...killing the budget...

really the case? You have a '21 Gladiator with tens of thousands of dollars of mods into it, is a couple more bucks for fuel really a big deal? Let's say you do re-gear or do other things looking for MPG, how many miles will it take to recoup $2-3k re-gearing front and rear?

-TJ

 

[MOAK]

You've built an awesome, but heavy and even less aerodynamic than stock rig. It's not going to get stock MPG. The best suggestion is to just slow down a bit, 80 MPH is a LOT pushing that thing through the wind. Of course, I'm realistic and know slowing down isn't for everybody, especially when you get out of CA and there are no towing speed limits so Big Rigs breath down your neck if you're not doing 80.

So I have to ask, is this:



really the case? You have a '21 Gladiator with tens of thousands of dollars of mods into it, is a couple more bucks for fuel really a big deal? Let's say you do re-gear or do other things looking for MPG, how many miles will it take to recoup $2-3k re-gearing front and rear?

-TJ

Excellent points. Back beginning in 98 we started doing long range trips in our jeep. Gas was 4.00 a gallon average. Now gas is 3.25 average & with cost of living increases over the past 23 years gasoline is really cheap. Spending a couple 3 or so thousand to garner a mile per gallon doesn’t ever pay for itself. The only reason to regear is to get the torque to street back to stock. My BIL has a new Chevy diesel, and stopped making fun of my mpg on our last trip, as I reminded him that I had zero car payments.

 

[Old Tanker]

...how many miles will it take to recoup $2-3k re-gearing front and rear?

Going from 12 to 15 mpg will save about 17 gallons per thousand miles. That's about $55 per thousand miles. Assuming $2500 for the re-gear, that's about 45,000 miles.

 

[Billiebob]

Thanks..mpg not a deal breaker, just thought we could do a bit better. Sorry, 8-speed automatic.

Yep, 90% of what we do kills gas mileage yet we accept it.... altho extending range offers the biggest advantage overlanding.
We need to look at things that extend overlanding range and reduce costs of travel.
Marketing and peer pressure are the craziest reasons to mod a vehicle.

History says adventure is possible in anything.
Even a car made of paper mache.



ps, before you regear.lock it in 7th... or 6th.... if you don't improve yer mileage, forget wasting $$$ on a regear.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Good morning-

Presently we are on an out of State adventure from CA to AZ and heading directly back tomorrow. Approx 2000 miles over the past seven days to be traveled. We’ve enjoyed our trip hitting several trails from Flagstaff through Sedona finally ending south of Tucson. We’ve slabbed it many miles at highway speeds (70-80mph) and then hit the trails, back to the highway and on to the next trail; trying to maximize scenery and exploration with our limited time available. My question is our overall mileage has averaged 12 MPG, which is killing the budget. Our expectations were realistic being its a Jeep, but I didn’t think it would be this poor. It seems elevation, hills, overall weight just kills any gains from easing up on the skinny pedal. I expected overall mpg to be around 15 mpg with in town, highway and trail driving.

Our rig is definitely on the heavy side with our gear as is and modifications made:

2021 Gladiator Rubicon, factory drivetrain with 4:10’s, 3.6 six cylinder, 3.5“ Metalcloak Game Changer lift on mud terrain 35’s, 12k winch in factory steel bumper, RSI Smartcap Evo with crossbars, Aztec (Roofnest) hard top RTT, Decked system with tools and all cooking supplies / camp stove, 17” Blackstone griddle, etc., 11 pound propane tank, Powertank Co2, 5-gallon jerrycan of fuel, two Sceptor 5-gallon water cans, 3.8 gallon Waterport, Yeti cooler, dry food plastic storage bin, Joolca shower tent, plastic table, folding chairs, etc.

Aside from the obvious gear weight, any suggestions on getting a bit better mileage?

Taser mini to adjust for tire size increase? Gear change to 4:88’s? I’m not interested in engine or other drivetrain mod’s (aside from gear ratio change) as I wish to keep the factory warranty, reliability and maintenance ease in place.

We have future modification plans / additions to include fridge, awning and Joolca hot water system.

Any thoughts, advice or suggestions are most welcome. Thanks!

I'm no expert, sir, but...
4:10's on a lifted Jeep that you then lifted more. On 35 inch tires, with a rooftop tent. Water is 8.3 pounds per gallon. Of course you need it, but realize you are carrying an extra person's worth in water and fuel alone. I wouldnt expect good mileage from that.

As others have said, I will say, I get the best fuel economy between 4t and 60. 50-55 is a sweet spot. Makes for a long trip but it's true. On a given 25 mile stretch of road, I've squeezed near 30 mpg in my full size GMC Sierra with Leer camper shell on, and some gear in the back. As long as I was light on the right

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Excellent points. Back beginning in 98 we started doing long range trips in our jeep. Gas was 4.00 a gallon average. Now gas is 3.25 average & with cost of living increases over the past 23 years gasoline is really cheap. Spending a couple 3 or so thousand to garner a mile per gallon doesn’t ever pay for itself. The only reason to regear is to get the torque to street back to stock. My BIL has a new Chevy diesel, and stopped making fun of my mpg on our last trip, as I reminded him that I had zero car payments.

Wow. Boston's North Shore had gas prices of 98c to $1.19 between 1998 and the dot com bubble burst. Sorry for you you had 4.00 a gallon back then

 

[MOAK]

Wow. Boston's North Shore had gas prices of 98c to $1.19 between 1998 and the dot com bubble burst. Sorry for you you had 4.00 a gallon back then

Might of been 2000, I just remember going up to Gaspe’ a big hurricane and then 4.50 & 5.00 a gallon for quite a while after that. It spiked again in 06 or 07.. my exact years may be wrong.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Might of been 2000, I just remember going up to Gaspe’ a big hurricane and then 4.50 & 5.00 a gallon for quite a while after that. It spiked again in 06 or 07.. my exact years may be wrong.

I do recall "hurricane pricing" and a spike before the election. Yeah.

 

[Boostpowered]

Should have waited and got the 3l diesel or electric version.

 

[MazeVX]

I have a wrangler jku diesel (European) a bit lifted with 33" mt's and my gas mileage varies between 18mpg and 28mpg... Biggest difference is definitely the speed, going 75-85mph mpg goes down massive no matter if I'm loaded up for a trip or empty, if I keep calm and go slow it goes all the way up to 28mpg.

To make a realistic example I was fully loaded in the mountains lots of steep grades and stuff and still got 24mpg because I rarely drove faster than 50mph on the way back a little bit lighter but doing around 70mph I only got 21mpg, on long distances that sums up and makes a really significant difference.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

 

[ThundahBeagle]

^^^ shining example how you can do very well when being gentle (29.9 over the previous 25 mile period) and then tank it when punishing the gas pedal (current average 11.3 -yikes!). Of course it varies with grade and how much I'm loaded up.

Honestly, having everything tucked inside a relatively smooth Leer camper shell topper, theres nothing to create wind drag. Imagine it in a wind tunnel.

uh