There are a few pieces of tech missing from the Gladiator (in my opinion):
Heated wipers
Rain-sensing wipers
Power seats
Lane steering assist
I understand the lack of power seats, and if a human being can hardly keep the truck driving straight, I suppose I understand why the tech wasn't included for a computer to try it. But, why skimp on the wipers? I've found that it's really hard to overcome significant snow and ice build-up while driving, to an unusual degree. So, I bought and installed some heated wipers.
I went with Everblades, which were an easy swap and pretty simple wiring that can detach. I cut a small hole in the cover vent and ran the wiring through there (really easy to reach the engine bay), then tapped into the heated mirrors / rear defroster fuse. Now when I see build-up, I just press that button and the snow is gone shortly after.
Performance: These are extremely effective. They get hot and they do it fast. Watching some ice fall onto a hot blade, you watch it melt instantaneously. What I didn't realize is that it's not just the rubberized blade that heats up but several points on top of the assembly itself. This way, it prevents build-up. I've been really happy with them thus far.
Downsides: There are two downsides. First, I'm finding some more wiper noise. Apparently they don't work well with Rain-X applied and given that I had some on at the time of installation, I'm expecting the wiper noise to subside. In fact, I'd say it already has for the most part. Still, they aren't as smooth as the blades I've had in the past.
The second downside is that, when I start the vehicle remotely in the cold (automatically triggering the rear defroster), by the time I'm outside the cab has a mild "burnt rubber" smell. For the most part, that seems to be subsiding, but it's still noticeable.
Summary: All in all, totally worth it if you're encountering lots of snow build-up and resultant visual impairment.
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