Getting Up Close and Personal With The Jeep JT Truck Bed!
The Jeep JT Gladiator is finally here and the reviews on it give this new Jeep high marks!
It is an off-roading and overlanding dream, giving you plenty of reasons to get outdoors and have some fun!
There’s a lot of things that make this Jeep special and one of the more important ones is its bed.
Yep, a Jeep with a pickup bed and it’s not just any pickup bed either.
The Gladiator bed was expertly designed to be the perfect size for almost anything you might want to use it for, especially when hitting the trail for some cross-country adventure.
Check out these great features on the Gladiator’s bed and think of all the possibilities!
What Is the Bed Size?
There are a lot of opinions out there about the size of the bed on the 2020 Jeep JT Gladiator.
A lot of people find it to be perfectly useful at 5 feet in length and 50” wide, enough to provide plenty of cargo space while not being too long.
Others find it to be way too long, mostly due to how it affects approach and departure angles while hill climbing.
The longer, lower wheelbase has been found by some as easy to drag the truck’s belly on really rough going.
So, while the Gladiator might not be the ideal choice for extreme rock crawling or hill climbing, it offers a lot of other features that standard Jeeps just don’t have.
It’s the typical tradeoff.
You’ll just have to plan out where to take it and be sure you pick a trail that won’t have you scraping or high centering, although you shouldn’t be doing that anyway, no matter what you’re driving, right?
How Is the Bed Constructed?
Which material is preferable for constructing a pickup bed, steel or aluminum?
Steel is stronger but also a lot heavier; aluminum is light and great for off-roading but more easily damaged.
In trying to please the overlanding crowd while also giving the bed of the Gladiator some durability, Jeep used both.
The tailgate and many other parts of it are made of aluminum to reduce weight; however, the inside of the truck box is constructed from durable steel that you can depend on when out off-roading.
Are There Any Options or Accessories Available?
Since the Gladiator is so new, there are only a few accessories available right now, but the selection of fun things to add to it will surely grow as time goes on.
The base vehicle includes LED lights and four tie-down points, but that’s about it.
You can order it from the factory with a high quality spray-in bed liner and there’s also an optional cargo management system to buy.
The cargo system includes tri-rails and tie-down cleats plus a 115-volt outlet in the bed as well as an under-seat storage bin for the rear seats and a 240-amp alternator.
There are a few more aftermarket fun things you can find for the bed of your Gladiator, starting with the amazing Overlander Rack from Fab Fours that has already started production on some other Gladiator parts like bumpers and high-performance fenders for equipping your Gladiator.
In addition, you can find other items like tonneau covers, bed drawer systems, bed and tailgate liners and mats, optional lighting kits, and much more with additional great products on the way.
A Great Addition to A Great Jeep
The Jeep Wrangler JT has been a favorite for decades, so it only makes sense to use it as the base for the amazing JT Gladiator.
The addition of a pickup bed might seem weird to some; however, if you’re someone who will appreciate the extra space for carrying cargo, it’s a one-of-a-kind off-road vehicle.
Decked out with some lighting and accessories like the Overland Rack and you’ll be ready to make the most of your cross-country trail riding!