SANCTUS

A Jeep Gladiator Mojave Built for the Long Haul

- JOHN MATA

While there are plenty of options to choose from within the midsize pickup truck segment, only a handful of them are truly off-road-ready straight off the lot. Even in that narrowed field of worthy rigs, it all comes down to one in the end. Many factors are responsible for convincing someone to fork over a healthy down payment and to willingly participate in years' worth of monthly payments to come, but there are few factors as powerful as staying loyal to vehicle type and brand badging.

Keeping It Real

My husband Josh was in the middle of building his third Jeep Wrangler when I said, 'hey, it's My turn." says Michelle Patton, a real estate appraiser and broker from Central California. "I'm a truck girl to begin with, and I am obviously familiar with Jeeps, so the Gladiator was naturally a perfect fit for me. I chose the Mojave edition given its upgraded suspension package, its uniqueness and rarity on the road-plus, I was absolutely in love with the Gator color, which was only featured on this model for only half of a year."

Upward and Onward

With a solid idea of exactly what she wanted for her factory Gladiator, Michelle had zero intention of leaving it in OE condition for long. Giving this truck moderate trail capability was the number one goal. Of course, Michelle also wanted her Jeep to handle well on paved roads as well since she bought it to serve as her daily driver.