It seems lately there are a lot of people unsure if they have a Max Tow package on their Gladiator. We’re here to help. (This article does have accurate information to identify the Max Tow version of the Gladiator. It is also very farcical in nature)
Step One
Get the window sticker that tells you all of the features of your new Gladiator. If you bought a Rubicon or an Overland you do not have the Max Tow package. (The Rubicon has the same axles, axle ratio, and other features. It gets a 500 pound less rating due to the extra weight of the off-road parts.)
If you bought a base model Sport you did not get the Max Tow package. (This is no longer the case. We have seen a base Sport with Max Tow. Thank you George P.!)
If you have a manual transmission you do not have the Max Tow package.
If you bought a Sport S continue reading.
OK, so you have your window sticker. Look for the word “tow” in the optional equipment. If you don’t see it anywhere why did you buy a truck?
So you found the word. Does it say Max in front of it? No? Then you don’t have a Max Tow package.
Step Two
You searched your window sticker and it says Max Tow Package with 4.10 Axle Ratio. Congratulation you have a Max Tow Gladiator. You are now a superhero capable of towing moderate weight and gloating that you have extra towingness.
Here’s what else that package gives you so you can feel even more superior to the non-Max Tow crowd.
- Heavy Duty Dana 44 wide front and rear axles.
- Class IV hitch.
- Trailer hitch zoom rear camera.
- Daytime running lights.
- Heavy-duty engine cooling.
- 240-amp alternator.
How do I let people know I have the Max Tow version?
The easiest way is to get a vanity license plate that says Max Tow. Second to that would be putting some outlandish name decal on the hood.
For those that are more subtle, you can point out the two-piece fender flare with the extension to cover the wider axles.
How to spot a Max Tow owner.
You don’t have to. Like Vegans they will tell you before giving you their name or introducing a family member.
The Plastic fenders have additional edging to accommodate wider axles on all MaxTow
i am a retired professional mechanic and still cant see how that much tow capacity is changed with what has been added other than increased engine cooling. the transmission chooses correct gear ratio to pull at all speeds. i say baloney. all vehicles have to be used with respect to towing conditions. cmon
Bobby,
The biggest change, beyond the extra cooling, is the larger Dana 44 castings and wider axle for stability. The V6 has a similar capacity in the full-size Ram. Just shy of 7000 pounds due to the higher vehicle weight.
I also would not discount that extra cooling for towing over the regular Gladiator. Keeping the engine and trans cool offers a significant increase in reliability and performance.
I purchased a used jeep gladiator sport but I have no idea if it has the max tow package it didn’t come with no window sticker what else can I look for to determine if it is
Rosendo, do you have pictures to share? The biggest visual clue is the extra lip on the fender flare. You can see it in the last picture in the article above.
You can also do a VIN lookup to see what your vehicle came with. There are online tools or the nearest dealer should be able to tell you.
You can ask for the star report from your dealership it will give a print out of all the features of your jeep gladiator If it has the engine cooler and the 240 amp also the heavy duty trailer hitch included then it is a max tow The star report Will tell you this
I have a jeep gladiator with all the same specs of a max tow, but is says Trailer tow package.
Thank you, William, for an accurate, no “BS” article. I have a “Max Tow” Gladiator and I loce it. Have had 2 Wranglers previously. BTW, you can get a nice “MaxTow” sicker from a company on line, just Google “MaxTow”.
Thank you! Appreciate the sticker share as well.
If you already have the 850RE Trailer-Tow package, can you go get your Gladiator Sport equipped with the MAX TOW package to increase your tow capacity? If so, can you estimate how much that would cost?
You could but I don’t think the cost would be worth it. The Max Tow package has a different set of axles with different springs, shocks, and a larger transmission cooler. It also has a 4.10 gear ratio that isn’t available unless you get a Rubicon.
Assuming you didn’t sell your existing parts the axles would cost around $4000 to get the wider axle housing with the 4.10 gear ratio. The trans cooler is $500 or so.
What I would do instead is re-gear your existing axles, get stiffer rear springs or add air springs to help level a load and possibly add a larger or better trans cooler. This could be done for about the same price as 1 axle.
William,
I recently bought a max tow and it looks like the rear end sits a little higher than a relatives gladiator. Where did you find that the max tow has different springs and shocks? (Not challenging your comment we are both just curious about this)
No issue. It’s listed in Jeep’s literature for the Max Tow package. The spring also carries a different part number.
You can look up the Manroney label by your VIN here: https://windowstickerlookup.com/
If it lists the Dana 44 wides, you have the max tow. Jeep has gotten better about grouping their options on the builder site and not allowing you to select duplicates. When I tried to order mine in 2020, that was not the case and the dealer attempted to ring a bunch of stuff up twice.
Agreed Jeep has gotten better about grouping options. Thank you for the comments!
I have a 2021 sport S diesel with the 26s option package the sticker calls out a trailer tow package but does not call it a max tow but it has all the options that a max tow has. The only thing different is the gear ratio it has 3.73 I think due to it being a diesel. I trying to figure this out because some part I’m looking at we state does not fit a sport S with max tow?
You need to watch for parts that don’t fit the diesel Gladiator. You shouldn’t have any issue with Max Tow incompatibility. The diesel, as far as I know at the time of this article, did not have that as an option. They are limited in their towing capacity by underhood heat from the turbo.
Hi William, I am looking to buy a Gladiator with the Max Tow package so I can pull my travel trailer. I found one and input the VIN to the website another posted added. It does not say “MAX TOW” but every component of the package are there (4.1 axle ratio, Dana 44 wide, heavy duty engine cooling, class iv hitch, etc). Could this be a Max Tow without saying it? OR is the window sticker method not fool proof? Thanks!
Joe,
It’s certainly possible the window sticker isn’t foolproof or Jeep changed the package name. Sadly from 1 year to the next, it becomes a lot harder to keep track of the changes they make.
I still believe the fender lip is the single biggest tell on a Gladiator that isn’t a Rubicon or Mojave. The other key is to see what your listed towing capacity is.
I have a 2021 Mojave. It doesn’t state max tow on the window sticker. It has the 44” axles as well as the 4.10 gear. Also the class IV hitch, the zoom rear camera, and daytime lights. It has the extra engine cooler, but doesn’t say heavy duty. Not sure about the alternator. So is it a max tow?
Hi Bruno! The short answer is no. Max Tow is an upgrade option to a Sport trim based Gladiator. The Rubicon and the Mojave come with the larger axles and the higher tow rating as part of those packages. I would have to look but I believe the Mojave comes with the extra trans cooler as well.