In the Market for First Truck

Gator Jeaux · May 12, 2015

I plan on getting my first truck within three years. I'm looking at the 2014 Silverado because those will have depreciated the most of the 3rd-gen Silverados by the time I'm ready to buy. I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on which trim to get. I want a decent truck that can handle going off-road (I do plan on making necessary modification to make it handle perfectly on and off-road). I would also like a truck that can handle towing a boat like a Tracker Grizzly 1654 MVX Sportsman, of which the package weighs around 1,402 lbs. I might also like to someday have a travel trailer for camping. I'm currently looking at the LT Z71 with the 5.3L EcoTec3 V8. The LT Z71 is the best trim that offers cloth seating. Would that trim and engine package fulfill my needs?

LongrangeLauber · May 12, 2015

Also need to look at the gearing in the axles. That is the biggest factor as far as what the truck is capable of. Also will need the HD towing package in order to keep things cool while towing. Need to know the weight of your future travel trailer in order to figure out the MINIMUM tow rating needed. I would say 3.42's are a must with a travel trailer

nadrojcote · May 12, 2015

You're planning really far ahead!

KMGZ400 · May 12, 2015

1400lbs? You could get a V6 and have no trouble towing it, even towing a small travel trailer. and the z71 gives you no benefit off road except maybe a skid plate... The z71 is bacically a trim package.

Gator Jeaux · May 12, 2015

Also need to look at the gearing in the axles. That is the biggest factor as far as what the truck is capable of. Also will need the HD towing package in order to keep things cool while towing. Need to know the weight of your future travel trailer in order to figure out the MINIMUM tow rating needed. I would say 3.42's are a must with a travel trailer

Thanks for the tip. I noticed the Chevrolet website kept automatically changing the rear axle ratio to 3.08 whenever I clicked on the 5.3L V8. But, now I see I can go ahead and still choose the 3.42 ratio with said engine. I'll definitely keep an eye on that when I look for a used truck.

You're planning really far ahead!

Haha, I like to! I look at every major expense as a long investment. I try to plan things for a short term loss and a long term gain. I don't want to spend a lot of money on a truck now only to find out a few years from now, it can't do what I want it to do. I don't want to be one of those people who gets something just because it looks nice. I want something that'll perform the way I want it to. That way, I can have it for a very long time rather than end up spending even more money to get another truck that can get the job done.

1400lbs? You could get a V6 and have no trouble towing it, even towing a small travel trailer. and the z71 gives you no benefit off road except maybe a skid plate... The z71 is bacically a trim package.

Yeah, the trim, itself, is why I want the Z71. It's the lowest trim that offers fog lights. I reckon I can buy a stock bumper with the fog lights and put that on a lower trim, but I have no idea how the wiring would work for that. I do have a need for fog lights as I have been in very thick fog on a 2-lane road on the side of a mountain (that was fun). But, I also like the look of it. As far as the cosmetics of my truck goes, I want to recreate Ty Dillon's 2014 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet Silverado wrap on my truck. And the Silverado used in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is very interesting. It's basically an LTZ trim without the chrome bumper and detailing on the sides. However, that trim doesn't offer cloth seats (I hate leather seats), which is why I'm going with the LT Z71. It's the only trim to offer fog lights and cloth seating. But, I'm going to have to switch out the headlights to the LTZ-trim headlights, which I can get from 1A Auto. I also need to switch the grill to the LT-trim grill; haven't found that replacement part, yet.

Another question. I'm 5'6". Would I need the adjustable pedals and steering wheel to comfortably drive the truck? That was one reason why I was never too into the newer trucks because they're so big, and I liked how small the classic trucks were like the '59 Apache. But, I started looking at the newer trucks for better fuel economy and safety. And when GM came out with the 2014 Chevy Silverado, I fell in love. And I know comfort is key. The more comfortable I am, the more safely I can operate the vehicle.