fred711

Does anyone know it the Articulating Power running boards ca be disabled in the extended position on a 2017 Silverado 1500. During the past winter mine stopped opening. three months ago when I took the truck to the dealer to have state inspection completed I had them check out the running boards. The tech lubricated the pivot joints and they worked OK, though slower than normal, until the past week. Now they do not always open all the way out and retract back to the stowed position. I'd just like to extend them and disable them from retracting.

Huskersfan, I gotcha. It's to late to look at mine tonight, but I'll look tomorrow. Unfortunately the parts manager didn't give me the parts diagram which shows the tailgate and associated seals. He was only concerned with trying to find the lock lever trim cap. If you don't have them I'd be glad to scan in the three parts diagrams, and associated part numbers list, as either .jpg files or PDF files, and send them to you as an attachment to your private email address. I'd like to get a copy of Technical Service Bulletin, TSB 18-135, if anyone has one they can copy and post or send to my private email address. I believe the retainers, push in clips, you are referring to are sometimes called Christmas tree clips. At least in the parts list for my Husqvarna lawn tractor that's what they are called. They are used to hold a trim panel in place on each side of the motor. When I change the oil I have to remove one panel and the clips tend to get damaged. So I ordered a half dozen of them and they call them Christmas tree clips. I guess because if you set them with the head on the bottom they do sort of look like a Christmas tree. In the past I always saw them referred to as push in clips or push in retainers. I guess as long as they do the job the name isn't critical. There's a online parts place which is owned by Malouf Chevrolet in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Their online website is www.gmpartsxperts.com. Their phone number is 800-769-6256. I've talked to them in the past, and find them pretty helpful. The name of the guy I spoke with is Keith Diperi. He is pretty sharp. He's the Parts Manager for Malouf Chevrolet, and also the gmpartsxperts.com web site. Might be worth a call unless you haven't already been in contact with them.

Huskersfan, I'm sure you know the v shaped seal is part of the third (rearmost) panel. The whole panel has to be replaced. It's ridiculous, but supposedly Chevrolet/GM is supposed to be replacing, under warranty, all three panels along with all seals and whatever else is included with TS8 18-135. The day I took delivery of my truck the salesman was showing me the features of the easy lift tailgate. Duh it was the third vehicle I had it on. He didn't know how to open the side compartments via the electric lock button. I easily figured it out by myself when I got home. When he had the tail gate down I noticed the rear most panel locking lever on the passenger side was missing the yellow/green trim cab. I think the next day he left the dealership and never passed on the deficiencies I noticed that he was supposed to pass on to the service dept. Two weeks later a woman called to see why I hadn't yet completed the dealer satisfaction survey. She told me the salesman had left. Later that day I received a phone call from the then owner apologizing for the lack of attention to my vehicle. The next morning I was at the dealership and met with the woman who had called and the Parts Manager. The parts manager gave me the complete parts diagrams for the High Desert Package. The trim cap was not shown on the parts diagram. They had to order a whole new panel which was replaced at no cost to me. It took about three weeks to come in. My High Country with the High Desert Package was just under $70,000. The $6995 High Desert Package should have actually cost just about $0.10. From the mid 1980's thru 2001 I had several GMC and Chevrolet pickups without tonneau covers. This High Desert Package makes about as much sense as an uncovered pickup box. Especially after having 5 Chevy pickups with tonneau covers, which never leaked a drop, and two Avalanches, 2011, and 2013 which also never leaked a drop of water. The dealership was sold about 3 months ago and the current owner has no interest whatsoever in even attempting to try to correct the problem. It's what happens when a big time dealer from a large metropolitan area takes over a small town dealership. All they are interested in is sell, sell, sell. To hell with past loyal customers with long standing problems . Come on in we'll appraise your truck, and sit down and work up a deal for a new truck we have in stock. What you say you ordered your 2017. Gee that's too bad. We'll just stick it to you with the depreciation, and make a bundle on your trade in. Minus the High Desert Package I love the truck. If I had elected to just get a tonneau cover I'd be a very happy camper. I ordered my truck with just every option except the kitchen sink and bathroom toilet in place of the back seat. The High Desert Package is worth just about what a toilet expels when one operates the flush handle/button. As everyone can tell I'm not at all pleased with the High Desert Package fiasco. Especially when they say that even after the TSB is completed there is no guarantee the box will remain dry. Isn't a dry pickup box what we unfortunates expected when we elected to purchase a pickup with the High Desert Package? Chevrolet please bring back the Avalanche.

Thirteen or 14 months ago the now deceased Service Manager at the dealership told me the original panels aren't reinforced and therefore sag. They were supposed to be redesigning the panels with steel reinforcements so they wouldn't sag, they would be replaced under warranty. He never mentioned anything about drain holes being enlarged or seals being replaced. Either he did or didn't know about that. It makes no difference as I said previously he passed away from cancer a little over a month ago. With the selling and change of the dealership and change in Service Dept. people no one their knows about the problem. My High Desert was the only one the former dealer sold.

Yeah they came up with that BS about it not intended to be waterproof after it hit the market and unfortunate buyers like us immediately encountered the leaking problem. As soon as my truck came in the salesman was showing it to me. Right away I noticed one of the yellow/green trim covers on the end of the locking lever on the rearmost panel was missing. He didn't even know how the electric locks on the side storage boxes worked. I figured it out by myself after I got the truck home. Right after I took delivery the salesman left the dealership and never told anyone about several problems that needed to be corrected on my truck. About two weeks went by and a woman from the dealership called and asked why I hadn't yet completed the dealership satisfaction questionnaire which had been emailed to me. I told her because nothing had been done about the problems with the truck. That's when she told me the salesman had left, and they knew noting about the problems. The owner of the dealership called me and apologized for the lack of attention. The next day I went to the dealership and the parts man looked it over to be able to order the necessary parts. They had to order and replace the rear most panel to include the trim cover. Also when I first got it home I was checking everything out and found the side storage compartments weren't locking. Back to the dealer. They shimmed it with flat washers so they would lock. After I got home I replaced their washers with stainless steel washers and readjusted the compartment lids myself. I've had no problems with them since then. I had a 2011 and a 2013 Avalanche which had key lock side compartments and never had a problem with them, closing, locking or unlocking. The dealership didn't know how the compartment electric locks worked. It's common sense and I had figured them out by myself after I got it home my first day of ownership. There is absolutely nothing in the owners manual about operating the top three panels or the locking side compartments. The Avalanche owners manuals were very specific about removing, stowing, and reinstalling the panels, and operating the stowage compartments. Prior to leaving the Mexican assembly plant it was certainly not given a final inspection for completeness or operability. So much for quality control, or complete lack thereof. My truck as ordered was a little under $70,000, but I certainly didn't receive a nearly $70,000 vehicle. In my lifetime I've owned a total of 22 vehicles. Every one has been a GM vehicle. Three Pontiacs and 19 Chevrolets. I've certainly exhibited brand loyalty, but with this High Desert Package fiasco GM has told me to bend over and spread my checks so they could stick it to me. So much for loyalty to a loyal customer. It wouldn't be so bad if they at least showed some concern over the leaking, but instead they are saying gee you bought a vehicle with a piece of crap package. Gosh that's too bad. To top it off the dealership was recently sold and at least 85% of the former staff left so there is no one in the service dept. even slightly familiar with my problem. Unfortunately the service manager who was working with me passed away from cancer several weeks before the dealership changed hands. A month ago a salesman called me to see how things were going. I gave him a real earful. He didn't offer any resolution. However, he did offer to sell me a 2018 to replace my 2017. Problem is they only had a few work trucks and several LT models in stock. Nothing anywhere near my fully loaded 2017 High Country. Sorry for getting so wound up, but I'm venting my frustration with this piece of crap High Desert Package. I feel it is the most ill conceived package I've ever encountered on a GM vehicle.

Huskersfan, the thing that pisses me off the most is that Cheverolet/GM took our $6995 to purchase this useless package and knowing it is useless absolutely refuse to do anything to correct or remedy the leaking problem. Apparently they couldn't incorporate the same leak proof technology of the Avalanche in this useless High Desert package. It's bad enough they screwed me when I ordered my 2017 High Country with this useless High Desert package, but it's a greater insult to absolutely refuse to do anything to remedy the leak problem.

Joe, First I apologize to everyone for not proof reading the title of my post. It says HIgh Desert Package severe leaking proplen. I obviously meant High Desert Package severe leaking problem. I had a 2011 and a 2013 Avalanche. The 2011 was purchased from the dealer stock. I ordered the 2013 which was the Black Diamond Edition I loaded with just about every option available. I loved both of them and was extremely disappointed when Chevrolet discontinued them. I never had one drop of water leak into either Avalanche. In mid 2016 when I saw the first pictures of the Silverado with the High Desert Package I was really excited. The package was originally supposed to be available at the start of the 2017 model year in September of 2016. However, it didn't finally become available until late January 2017. I ordered mine February 23, 2017 and took delivery April 20, 2017. Right from the beginning I had problems. The top side storage boxes didn't close properly. One of the rear panel locking levers had the yellow trim cover missing. I only had it a couple of days, and after a rain storm I opened the tailgate to find a lot of water inside the box. The system they used for the tailgate to close against the rear most panel is ridiculous. It leaks after every rain or snow storm. The tailgate should close under the rear panel not up against it. The dealer kept it overnight a year ago and performed all kinds of leakage tests while an engineer from Chevrolet was there to observe. I've been told several times that new panels are being designed, and the ones in my truck will be replaced at no cost to me when they are available. However, the service manager told me there would be a disclaimer that the High Desert System wasn't intended to be water tight. Nice to know after I had tied up $6995 for the Package based on my ownership of two Avalanche's. Unfortunately the service manager, who was very familiar with the problem, passed away last week after a short battle with cancer. I have little or no hope Chevrolet will correct the problem. Especially after the length of time which has passed with no action on their part. I've told the dealer several times that if I could afford it I would remove the High Desert parts from the box, install bed rail protectors, a bed liner, led lighting package, a tailgate protector, tailgate top protector, and a tonneau cover. I've had 5 other Silverado's, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2015, with tonneau covers, and never had a leak with any of them. And it didn't cost me $6995 for the tonneau covers. My Silverado is the High Country model with a 6.2L engine. I love everything about the truck except the High Desert Package leakage fiasco.

Does anyone else have a 2017 Silverado 1500 with the High Desert package which leaks like a sieve? It's impossible to keep anything in the box as it will be soaked and ruined. Supposedly Chevrolet/GM is aware of this, but a year and a half since I've taken delivery of my truck they have done absolutely nothing to correct the problem. I owned both a 2011 and 2013 Avalanche and never had a bit of a leak into the box. I've also had a2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2015 Silverado 1500's with tonneau covers which also never leaked.