Ranch, Lease and Hunting Trucks: Ram 1500 Off-Road Trims vs Jeep Gladiator

A private road is a different test from a public one. Nobody grades it, the washouts are not marked and the gate is always narrower than you remember. On a hunting lease or a working ranch in the South, that means two-track through pine, creek crossings that may or may not be dry and a long drive home with feed, stands, game or a trailer behind you.

Two pickups come up most often in that conversation: an off-road trim of the Ram 1500 and the Jeep Gladiator. They are built around different ideas. The Ram is a full-size truck with off-road equipment added. The Gladiator is a midsize truck built from a trail vehicle. This guide judges them on five things that private roads punish.

1. Width and length on narrow trails

Brush, gateposts and trees do not care about horsepower. Here the vehicles differ a lot.

	Ram 1500	Jeep Gladiator
Overall width	81.2 in standard; 88.0 in widebody (Rumble Bee, RHO, TRX SRT)	73.8 in
Overall length	220.5 in (widebody Quad Cab) to 241.3 in (Crew Cab, 6 ft 4 in bed)	218.0 in
Wheelbase	132.2 to 153.5 in depending on cab and bed	137.3 in
Bed length	5 ft 7 in or 6 ft 4 in	60.3 in with the tailgate closed; 81.3 in open
Fuel tank	26 gal standard; 33 gal optional	22 gal

The Gladiator is roughly 7 inches narrower than a standard-width Ram and about 14 inches narrower than the widebody RHO and TRX SRT. On a trail cut by a bulldozer ten years ago, that matters. The Ram's longer bed and bigger tank matter on the days you spend working rather than creeping.

2. Clearance and approach angles

Ground clearance decides what a truck steps over and what it drags over.

The Gladiator lists 10 inches of ground clearance on Sport and Willys models and up to 12.9 inches with the 35-inch tire package. Its approach angle runs from 40.8 to 46.7 degrees, and water fording is up to 31.5 inches, from Jeep's most recent published figure. Its departure angle is the weak spot, at 25 to 26.7 degrees, because of the bed.

For the Ram 1500, our data gives clearance figures only for air-suspension trucks: 6.7 inches at entry and exit height, 8.7 at normal, 9.9 in Off Road 1 and 10.7 in Off Road 2, on a Crew Cab with the 5 ft 7 in bed and 275/55R20 tires. The coil-spring Warlock and Rebel are described as "raised ride height" without a published number in the published specs, so measure a truck in person or ask a dealer. We did not find approach or departure angles for the Ram.

The takeaway is that the Gladiator has more published clearance and better-documented angles. The air-suspension Ram tops out at 10.7 inches in Off Road 2, below the Gladiator's best figure, and air suspension appears on upper trims such as the Limited and Longhorn, not on the Warlock or Rebel.

3. Protection, tires and a spare

Rough roads bruise the parts you cannot see from the driver's seat.

The Ram 1500 Warlock lists an Off-Road Group as standard: an electronic-locking rear differential, raised ride height, heavy-duty shocks, skid plates and tow hooks. The Rebel's highlights name the same group and also a full-size spare. On other trims, the Off-Road Group is an option costing $1,345* to $1,895*, and adds an electronic-locking rear axle, extra-heavy-duty shocks, fuel tank, steering gear and transfer case skid plates, tow hooks, all-terrain tires and a full-size spare tire. That last item is worth more on a lease road than it sounds, because a puncture there often means a long walk.

On the Gladiator, the Rubicon and Mojave lists include 33-inch all-terrain tires, and Rubicon adds locking front and rear differentials with an electronic sway bar disconnect. Mojave carries FOX internal bypass shocks and rock rails. Both list a rear locking differential at minimum. The published specs do not list skid plates or a spare for the Gladiator trims, so ask what is under the truck you are looking at.

4. The work side: bed, payload and towing

This is where the Ram pulls ahead.

	Ram 1500 off-road trims	Jeep Gladiator
Max towing	11,530 lbs (Hurricane Standard Output)	7,700 lbs (Sport S, 4.10 axle)
Max payload	2,340 lbs (V6); 1,880 lbs (Hurricane SO)	1,720 lbs

Ratings belong to engines and configurations, not to trims. The Ram RHO is rated at 8,370 pounds towing and 1,530 pounds payload, and the TRX SRT at 8,100 and 1,220. A lease truck loaded with an ATV, feed and two adults can find that limit quickly. If your work is a utility trailer, a bale spear or a stock trailer, check the exact truck.

On features for hunters and ranchers, both trucks have an answer. The Ram's Bed Utility Group ($945* on most trims) lists a 115-volt outlet, tie-down hooks, a spray-in bedliner, bed lighting and a cargo divider. The Gladiator's Cargo Group with Trail Rail System ($2,095*) lists a tonneau cover, trail rails, a bed outlet with a 400-watt inverter and a lockable underseat bin. With the V6 eTorque, the Ram can also have 2 kW of onboard power with two 120-volt bed outlets, which is handy for running lights or tools at a stand.

5. Daily comfort and range

You may drive three hours each way to a lease. The Ram is a full-size truck with a bigger tank, and the Gladiator is midsize with a 22-gallon tank. The Gladiator's only engine is a 3.6-liter V6 at 285 horsepower, rated at 17 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. The Ram offers several engines, so mileage varies by choice.

The trims worth looking at

Trim	Starting MSRP*	Why it fits this job
Ram 1500 Warlock	$53,415	Crew Cab 4x4 with the off-road group standard and the 3.6L V6
Ram 1500 Rebel	$65,845	Hurricane Standard Output engine, off-road group and a full-size spare
Ram 1500 RHO	$74,995	540 hp Hurricane High Output, a raised ride height and widebody width
Jeep Gladiator Sport S	$43,895	Highest tow rating (7,700 lbs) and the lowest price
Jeep Gladiator Willys	$49,040	Rear locking differential, rock rails and a trailer tow group
Jeep Gladiator Rubicon	$55,700	Locking differentials at both ends, 33-inch tires, 7,000 lbs towing
Jeep Gladiator Mojave	$56,200	Desert Rated, FOX shocks, a one-inch front lift

*Manufacturer-published starting MSRP excluding destination, as of November 2026. Option and package prices are Build & Price MSRP. Ram trim prices are for the Crew Cab.

Bottom line

Choose the Gladiator if your roads are narrow, rough and overgrown, and you want the strongest published clearance and trail equipment at a lower price. Choose the Ram 1500 Warlock or Rebel if you also have real work to do: more towing, a bigger bed and more fuel, plus the Rebel's full-size spare. In our view the RHO and TRX SRT are poor lease trucks, because their width and lower payload work against the job. Before you commit, drive your own gate.