I think it fair to write a 10k mile (talking seat time here, truck has 20k on it now). Was this a good purchase or not? After busting up my "Jeep" pretty good on the Thursday before Labor Day, I bought this the Friday after Labor Day 2022. Biggest factor was daily driving the tow rig, taking care of a trailer (which I'm finding I still would like something to haul my Buick) and fixing my long in the tooth trail jeep after most outings. The F350 sold the day after I put it up. The 36' three axle bumper sold a few weeks after putting it up. We paid off the balance owed on my wife's Navigator with some of the truck $, have a chunk in the bank intending to put it down on the JT and refi that loan back to where what the payment on the Navigator was. After 5 months, I'm not sure what we'll do there but I'll leave that to a discussion with my accountant I sleep with rather than air that dirty laundry on the interwebs
I've had a tow rig/trailer for the last 18+ years. This is a pretty big change in lifestyle for me. I do get to tell people I can't help with moving a car or whatever they've conjured up when they wanted to borrow my truck/trailer. Over the years, I've decided I'm cool with lending my equipment out if I come along with the truck/trailer. Here's the times I can help you. Now I just can't help them. It's a nice change.
As far as a tow rig, the JT is far from optimal. It's probably not horrible but I've not towed with it.
Concerns when buying:
3.0L diesel (decent power and mpg but the dreaded CP4 or whatever fuel pump it has---100k mile Chrysler/Fiat warranty---if needed, I hope I don't regret the powerplant choice)
DEF
short bed (5' bed? Come on! I like full size 8' beds---but have had more 6.75' short beds than long beds)
breakover angle
expensive car on the trail
trail adjustments (less "hard" trails---I only used the Jeep 3-5 days per year on those at best anyway---is that an acceptable loss?)
cost of JT --- no joke there
Not all of the concerns have been resolved. There are at least 3-4 times I would have liked to have Sweaty Betty back. I figured something else out each time and honestly, Sweaty Betty would have been a compromise at 1-2 of those times with the short bed. I don't remember specifically what I needed a full size truck for but remember thinking that the JT was just not even a consideration. I'm still alive and things are OK in my world so maybe "needing" the truck was more of a want?
The 3.0l diesel was not really chosen by me. I liked this specific truck as much as any I drove and it was "done". "Built" by a dealer as it sits. The title of this thread is "lazy" build. I bought this truck as it is, put Rock Slide Engineering steps, radios, ARB air and a winch on it and have just driven it. I was back and forth many times between this white Rubicon 3.0L diesel or a silver Overland 3.6 (would have put ARB lockers in, changed the lift and probably the wheels on that truck---for whatever reason the leather seats in the Overland and the painted flares were kind of the reason I went with the 3.0L truck---after deciding that the JT was for me, I looked at quite a few new and trade-in JT and just came back to lazy build). I hope as time goes by, the 3.0L doesn't prove to be a huge mistake. Plan is to run it to 60-70k miles and evaluate from there.
DEF---like any modern diesel owner, I'm not a fan. It's kind of a non-issue so far. Just another thing to plan around. I intend to go on Expedition Utah Ghost Town Tour with this truck. From what I can tell, I'm the ONLY diesel and I need 350 miles of range. With a full tank, I get about 325 miles of range. With the CP4 pump, I'm not taking any chances on running the truck low on fuel and will be taking 10 deezel gallons with me and topping off the DEF before we head out.
Shortbed---It's stupid but still functional. I would NOT want it longer for off road, in fact, it's too long for off road. My trailer hitch scrapes everytime I go anywhere. For general use, it's ok but an even shorter bed (did I just type that?) would be OK most of the time. (is it Motobilt that has the replacement beds that are shorter? ---- not happening but kind of tempting but not really)
Breakover angle---this is a problem on the trail. No way around it. 137" wheelbase and 37" tires make for creative lines at times. Frankly it's kind of fun having to be this creative. I'm sure I'll run into something where I'll hate the breakover but as long as you account for it, it's been a non-issue. I do have to take some creative lines to keep the belly out of places where I probably shouldn't be. So far, so good
Expensive car on the trail---this is kind of a challenge. My Jeep on the trail, I don't really care if I rub up against a rock or something. I need 10-20 years out of this truck for what it cost and if I do need to bail on it, I need it in decent condition to sell it. I feel like the "will this scratch my Jeep guy" at the EJS drivers meetings
Trail adjustments----I haven't run the "hard" trails much at all the past 8-10 years. My other Jeep was pretty overbuilt for all the EJS trails and if I took my Jeep on "hard" trails, I usually had to fix something. I needed to adjust the K30 Jeep to be more trail/driver friendly (possible) or buy something to fit the trails I do run. This truck will run at least 95% of the trails that I did run in the K30 Jeep. I just have to be a little more careful about damage
cost----nothing to say here.
K30 Jeep --- $10kish
JT --- $65kish (after buying stuff I "needed")
K30 Jeep wins by a landslide here (in fact, by 60k)
Things I knew I wanted and love:
- HVAC system that seems to do what I want it to do
- drivability -- people complain about these seats and head room in these things. I'm pretty happy with both
- decent sound system (important for the Van Hagar songs I dig) -- not ideal but "ok"
Things I didn't know I wanted:
- Heated seats---I'm sure I'm on record telling everyone I hate heated seats. The ones on this truck are pretty great. I only run them on the lowest setting but I haven't worn a coat all winter (it's in the back seat)
- Ability to hit 80+ on the freeway after a quick air up post trail
- Fuel range -- 325 miles is about the range I have
- 8 speed trans paired with a turbo -- I'd rather have a 5.7 Hemi in here but this 3.0L isn't bad
Things I don't like:
- ducks.... what the hell? This just points out that those that buy a "new" Jeep are buying it for the Jeep "life". Somehow the Jeep community has watered itself down to ducks. I assume that's for the cheerleader types ?
- storage --- problems for any Jeep. Jeep has done a pretty good job making spaces for you. You (me) just need to adjust what junk you bring
- hyper electronic --- I WILL have occasion to swear at the electronics in this car. So far, a reboot of the system seems to solve everything. Kind of like a Windows OS?
- I miss my old man tailgate step from the F350
- The cheap Amazon bumpers need to go. Not in a rush to replace those but I will be changing them out over time. (probably not this year as what I have still works and I have many dollars going to airlines instead of putting my cash into bumpers)
- I still don't like the three piece hard top. I didn't care for it on my JKU and I feel similarly about the JT top. The JT top doesn't leak (at least yet) like a '79 Trans Am
- Chrysler "nanny" stuff.... Do you realize to fill the diesel with a can you need some stupid $3 funnel to open the spicket/valve thing at the top of the fuel filler? No idea what lawsuit this is fighting but I'm sure it's something stupid? Possibly a "fix" for accidental DEF filling into the fuel tank?
- I'd kind of like a hard top/tin top version of this truck. Basically a solid axle Tacoma with a comfortable seating position, adequate power (lower in the powerband) and proven reliability
- There's a bunch of "storage" on the dash.... I hate shit on the dash. Very distracting to me
I CAN take this truck on trips that I've always wanted to run like ExpeditionUtah GTT. I can take day trips to the Swell, Moab or whatever. It is a solid to good daily driver. I don't have to leave a tow rig/trailer somewhere and come back to it. I like how the JT looks and drives. So far, this thing is a win despite it's exorbitant cost (at least to me). Fordyce is OUT (still want to do that trail). Rubicon is eh, not sure but with the right crew, I'd go again.
I'm not a great camper, so weeks long or 3+ night trips are probably out. I can survive anything for a night or two and am looking to see if I can make some of those things more comfortable without giving up too much that works for me on the truck. More to come there in the next few months
So for a judgement after 10k, "Good" purchase. I must like it, I drive it a LOT.
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