The Jeep brand has been increasingly popular amongst people that like to modify their vehicles and go off-road. The legendary Wrangler has been the most supported off-road platform by the aftermarket industry for decades. But, now Jeep has the Gladiator pickup which draws on the Wrangler’s looks and ease of modification. So, it is no surprise that Gladiator builds are springing up. The hobby of overlanding has also increased in popularity in recent years. So, it seems natural that somebody has gone through the effort to create a Gladiator extreme build for overlanding and recorded a video with a review of it.

Who’s extreme build is this?

TrailRecon is a Youtube channel. In the videos on the channel, the host, who is former military, discusses his love for overlanding, his experience building rigs, taking them off-road, and the camaraderie built with fellow trail hunters. Of course, that will not happen without an overlanding rig. So, about a year ago, he purchased a new Jeep Gladiator.

Amelia, the Jeep Gladiator

In the video review of his build, Brad does a walk-around of what he has done to his Gladiator since he brought it home, on July fourth. He has managed to do a lot of upgrades and put 10,000 miles on it since then.

Brad calls his Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, Amelia. He has targeted his build of Amelia for long expeditions with camping in remote areas, versus rock crawling and began working on it almost immediately. His intent was to prepare the truck for SEMA last November. So, getting a lot done in a few short months required him to get after the project right away. 

The walk-around

Shortly after the SEMA show, Brad posted a walk-around video of his Gladiator. It is pretty impressive. Although he still had plans for more modifications. But, you can view the video below. 

What has been done

The modifications are extensive. Additionally, there are more to come. Brad plans on changing the rear-end gears on Amelia, for example. But, as described in the video, here is the list of modifications he has made.

• Mopar steel, stubby, front bumper and skid plate
• Smittybuilt 12,000 lb winch
• 2 KC HiLite G4 amber fog lights in the front bumper
• 2 KC Pro 6 driving beams mounted on the top of the front bumper
• 4 Milestar Patagonia M/T tires – 37-inch and a spare
• Icon Vehicle Dynamics 2.5 lift kit with remote reservoir adjustable
• Icon Vehicle Dynamics Wheels with a 4.5-inch offset
• Icon Vehicle Dynamics rear billet control arms
• Icon Vehicle Dynamics stabilizer for the steering
• Rebel Off-Road Halo Rack
• 7 KC HiLites Gravity Pro6 light bar for the roof rack
• Roam Adventure Company Vagabond Rooftop Tent
• Leitner Active Cargo Rack System
• Leitner small and large Gear Pods for the rack system
• S Pod Bantam power management system with two HD electrical controller
• ARB air compressor
• 15lb, CO2 tank
• Tembo Tusk Extreme Duty fridge slider
• Dometic 40-liter fridge
• 67 Designs Ram mount for an IPad mini

Overlanding and Jeep Gladiators

To be fair, the Jeep Gladiator is a popular platform for overlanders. So, builds certainly have proliferated through Youtube and social media. But, TrailRecon seems to have high-quality videos associated with this build that combines with Brad’s pleasant personality in his delivery. So, if you are planning your own Gladiator or Wrangler build, this channel might be a little easier to watch than some of the high-adrenaline channels that constantly scream at you.

Overlanding can be fun and safe if you are prepared for it. So, if you are new to the hobby and want to learn about equipment, you might need and what to consider, watching YouTube may be beneficial to your outdoor adventure education. In this case, the Jeep Gladiator overlanding extreme build will be very informative, and maybe even inspiring for your own build. Whatever you decide, be safe, and have fun.