Another JR

On 2021 3500hd it consistently sets automatically when selecting park if the incline/decline is above a certain angle.

I’m all confused again …

Thanks everyone and especially Newdude for taking the time to explain the story in detail. I am now much more confident about what I’m ordering.

I went to order some PF63 oil filters from an on line GM parts source, and the blue PF63 oil filters seem to be getting phased out. They show the new part number as 19363567, which is a black colored AC Delco Silver product apparently marked PF63A. Some sites show a part number 12693541, which is a black colored AC Delco Ultragard Gold filter marked UPF63R. I assume the UPF63R is the better one, but I’d be happy if I could just get blue PF63 filters I’ve been using. Can anyone explain what is going on with the filter part number changes and any actual design changes? Any other advice on buying OEM filters right now? Thanks

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I have some Caig De-Oxit spray I used to clean the pins. I plan to try some food grade silicone plumbing grease applied to the seal with a Q-tip. I will report back with the results. Based on the feel of the connector not quite fully seating, I suspect lubricating the seal as suggested will fix it.

Hi All, I operate my 2021 3500 SLT most of the time with the tailgate off and in a crate because I have a slide-in camper. However, at least once a year, I take the camper off and put the tailgate back on. Recently I installed the tailgate, but had a hard time getting the connector bail to swing to the fully latched position. The connector seems to fully seat, and everything works, but the bail doesn’t swing to fully latched position. It swings almost there but stops and I am afraid to push it any harder. Does anyone have any advice on cleaning or lubrication or anything else I should be doing? i know how to properly operate the connector. During the time the tailgate and connector are off, i have a double plastic bag over the truck connector secured with rubber bands to keep it clean, but it still had some dust in it this time when I blew it out with compressed air. I didn’t want to spray it with anything other than air without doing some research. Thanks.

The wiring from the truck system to the Orion should be the only truck connection to the camper unless you are intending to be able to charge the truck from the camper. To do that with proper control you would want manual switching - not an isolator. Assuming you are not trying reverse charge, the Orion acts as an isolator preventing reverse charging through its input wires so you don’t need or want an additional isolator. You should consider installing larger positive and negative charging wiring from the truck battery to the Orion, and locate the Orion as close to your camper battery as practical. I have an Orion 12/12-30 30 amp charger, and I ran 6 awg wires for the entire run. The engine running detection logic prevents charger cycling at 30 amps with a 30 foot wire run between the truck battery and the charger. You would want 4 awg if you want to take advantage of the Orion XS’ full 50 amp capability.

Have considered installing a DC to DC charger in your camper to replace your isolator?

The thinking is that starting out in a higher gear makes it easier to avoid applying excessive torque when pressing the gas pedal. In a modern 4wd truck with 4 low and a limited slip or locking rear end, I would use 4 low and try to crawl up the ramp. Sometimes if they are too slippery, you have to back up to let the boat have some bouyancy, and then accelerate briskly to get some momentum to help you pull the through the slippery parts.

The recall is for exactly this issue - those drain holes combined with the limited environmental capability of the tailgate electronics card inside the tailgate were a problem. The “safety issue” was the potential for the tailgate to spontaneously open, but all kinds of tailgate misbehavior can occur from water contamination of that control card. There is no real fix yet. The initial recall just disabled the tailgate. Later, when parts became available, they would replace bad parts with new parts of the same bad design. My dealer is going nuts because the few times I let them get their hands on my truck, my tailgate is off due to a slide-in camper installation. They really want to cut my tailgate wires, but I won’t give them the chance. I will let them get their dirty hands on it when a real fix (redesign) is available. My tailgate, which works just fine with sealant plugging the drain holes, will remain safe in a dry storage crate until then.

Grommets with the right cement should be perfectly fine.

Do you have the second key fob? If so, wrap the one you have been using in foil or take it to 100 feet or more away from the truck. Drive the truck with the other fob for a few days to see if it still happens. If it appears to be caused by the fob, maybe the button is stuck on (I think it’s the unlock button that lowers the windows if you hold it down). I have had that happen a couple of times on other cars due to the button getting pressed by something in my pocket. More often the panic alarm has been pressed. I try to carry only the fob in that pocket now.

My truck is probably one of the most babied and best maintained out of all the individual trucks discussed here. Premium fluids used, very short fluid change intervals, indoor storage, waxed regularly, low amount of towing with easy loads, minimal off-road use, and most driving done empty or with an 1800 lbs (40% of payload rating) popup Four Wheel Camper in the bed. It’s driven to full warmup every week during non-use periods. All maintenance was performed by a roughly 60 year old mechanical engineer specializing in aircraft propulsion systems that has all the correct tools. You will not find a single maintenance record on Carfax for my truck other than the first oil change done at 300 miles due to my discovery of a dented filter from the factory or shipping. I have full personal records with receipts for fluids and filters. Anyone would be lucky to buy my truck used. Someone refusing to look at my truck due to lack of Carfax records would be missing out on a great truck. I’m not selling, though. My son will get it whenever I am done with it.

4 low is really nice on steep boat ramps.

I have no direct experience, but everything I have seen indicates Silverado and Sierra bed geometry is identical.