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sheath

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Everything posted by sheath

  1. Couple of things I forgot to put in the above post: Pros: * Headlights - The halogen headlights are surprisingly great. I like Halogen and HID, but struggle with LED because of the harshness. Was really impressed with low and high beam operation. Felt comfortable up to 65mph with low beams on a dark road. * Adding Apps - So far I've only added Pandora. I did it while waiting at a road construction stop. Had it downloaded, installed and was listening to music by the time the guy flipped the sign from Stop to Slow. * Setting up Android Auto - I'm a luddite by choice. That said, when I have to or want to use it, I'm tech savvy enough to know good from bad. The interface over Bluetooth was easy. Cons: * The + and - transmission shift buttons don't work in normal Drive mode. Since the transmission won't downshift to help control speed in normal drive mode on steep descents, it would be nice to use the shifter buttons. ETA: Update 4/29/2022 w fuel mileage info at 3221 miles.
  2. Picked up the truck at the Chevy dealer in Murray, UT, and drove back to Roseburg, OR. Had a lot of time to get acquainted with the basic functions of the truck. Thought I'd share in case it is helpful to someone else. There was a good stretch of I-80, and the rest was mostly two-lane roads through Nevada, and Oregon. Pretty lonely, and beautiful country. Highest summit I remember was in Oregon at just over 6,100' elevation. Had good weather all the way to the west side of the Cascades, where it was raining pretty good. Mostly traveled at or slightly under the speed limit, and used cruise control as much as possible. There is a stretch of I-80 with a speed limit of 80mph. I never went over 75mph, because my wallet is directly attached to the gas pedal. Pretty sure that wallet was made in Israel since it starts screaming at even the smallest expenditures. Very annoying on the ears, but good on the bank account. Fuel mileage from Murray, UT to Winnemucca was just over 14mpg. Fuel mileage jumped up to 15.6mpg between Winnemucca and Roseburg. I think that is due to the major decrease in elevation, and also speed limits in Oregon are very conservative at 65mph, and 55mph. Out of the dealership the rear tires were inflated to 80psi, and the ride was terrible, very skatey, and disconnected from minor inputs. At Winnemucca the rear tire pressure was dropped down to about 62psi cold. That made a huge difference in ride comfort, and also how the steering reacted. The truck stopped wandering around, and reacted better to small steering wheel inputs. It also tracked straight for longer periods without needing correction input from the steering wheel. TPMS showed in the green with the rear at 62psi and front tires at dealer set 60psi. So I may drop the rear tires down to 60 when running empty. That is all the Objective input I have. Subjectively speaking here are my likes and dislikes. This is in direct comparison to the truck it replaced (an '07 Dodge Ram Laramie with the 5.9L Cummins that is loaded). On a side note; After driving this Chevy, it is amazing how good that Dodge is. Either it was ahead of its time, or the Chevy isn't much improved. That was the single biggest surprise of the whole trip. Pros: * Smooth connected ride - once the rear tire pressure was reduced. This truck has the Snow Plow/Camper special package with the heavy front springs. I expected a harsh ride at both front and rear. Pleasantly surprised that is not the case. * Quiet - most of the wind noise seems to come from around the B pillar. The engine is barely audible at cruise, and not more intrusive at higher rpms than the giant fan on the Cummins. Overall it's a wash in sound level with the Dodge, and to me that is a win for the Chevy. I was really concerned about loud engine at higher RPM, since I'll be pulling a big 5th wheel through mountain passes. * Sun Roof ventilation - I love to put the Sun Roof in vent mode, and open the rear sliding window. It gets a nice fresh breeze without a lot of noise. The Chevy wins over the Dodge on this, because of the volume of air flow, which can be adjusted with how far open the slider is kept. The Vent position on the Chevy also increased air flow through the vents, so I can manipulate the airflow in the cab better. * Rear fold down headrests - Thank you Chevrolet! So nice to have pretty much the whole view out the rear window. On the Dodge, I removed the rear headrests. Win to Chevy * Seat Comfort - I'm 5'10" with a 32" inseam. When driving long distance I like to have a more "kitchen chair" attitude. So I raise the seat all the way up to get a more 90* angle at the knees. The 10 way power seat adjustment allowed me to get an even weight distribution across the full length of my upper legs. The seat back, and lumbar adjustment allowed a very comfortable weight distribution. The seat cushions are also firm, which I like. Overall, I hardly needed to move around to maintain comfort. I give this a tie with the Dodge, but only because I recently upgraded the lower seat cushion and cover for the Dodge. The stock lower seat cushion on the Dodge is poor when brand new and breaks down quickly. * Cubbie Holes - Chevy has these everywhere, and that is a win over the Dodge. I have a hunting dog, so the truck is always full of "dog related" stuff. The additional cubbies (especially in the rear doors) is a big help in keeping that stuff organized and handy. * Mirror functionality - I like the view of the upper mirror better than the Dodge. The Chevy mirror is taller (yes the dodge can be flipped up, but when flipped it is not a wide a viewing area). The big let down on the Chevy is the lower spotting mirrors. Even when manipulated for maximum height, the view is very low. It's going to be very interesting when I start pulling the 5th wheel. Because of this I give the overall edge to the Dodge. * Hood style - I really like the sharp edges of the Chevy hood because they allow me to figure out where the actual "corners" of the truck are. I wish the raised strip (in front of the black plastic decor piece) was moved in about 2" on each side. that would align it correctly with the steering wheel. As is, I tend to drive this truck to the left side of the lane, because my mind is using that strip to "position" the truck. It's something I'll have to train myself to readjust. That said, it is a freaking huge truck, and makes the Dodge feel like a mid-size in comparison. So overall the Dodge hood is hugely better in ability to view and "place" the truck. Win to the Dodge * Coast distance - When letting off the gas the Chevy seems to coast for ever with a very slow reduction of speed. For hyper-milers this is really cool. The Dodge has a PacBrake exhaust brake that stays on pretty much all the time, unless I want to coast, and even when the EB is off, it doesn't coast as far. So Win to the Chevy here. * Wiper function - I'm not an "auto wiper" kind of guy, so having a switch to manipulate makes me happy. What I really like is how well the intermittent function, and wash function work. there is a broad range of intermittent function that is intuitive for me. The low and high speed also "fits" my likes. Chevy was also smart enough to have the lights come on when the wipers are active. In some states it a requirement to have the lights on when it's raining. It's like my twin was the engineer who designed it. The Dodge is good, but the Chevy inches away, and with turning on the headlights automatically is a big improvement. Win to the Chevy * Dead pedal - I have the rubber mats, so not sure how this would be with carpeted mats. For me its positioned perfectly and is huge so I can move my leg around with it still usable. Big help for worn out knees. Chevy wins this. Cons: * Cruise Control - Does not downshift the transmission when speed increases. That is a huge fail to me. The Dodge will downshift when speed is between 3-5mph faster than set. It is also aggressive when hitting resume. I would accelerate softer to regain speed. Win goes to Dodge * Turning radius - Terrible turning radius along with the size of the truck, and difficulty in knowing exactly where each "corner of the truck" is. Dodge feels like a car in comparison. Each corner of the Dodge is easy to see, and with a 140" wheel base (versus the 158" for Chevy) and solid front axle it is a huge difference. Off road getting into the places I go to hunt and fish is going to be tough. I'm actually a bit worried there. *Sun Roof Operation - The Dodge has a single rocker with a button in the middle. A single press of the switch is all that is needed to move the glass into any position. The Chevy uses two separate switches, and requires manipulating both to change from vent to slide, and vice-versa. Toyota is the same way. Whom ever supplies these Sun Roofs to GM, Toyota, etc. Need to have their engineer go use the Dodge Sun Roof. *Display screen - The programming of the DIC was done by someone who has no plans to use it. Fuel information is split apart with maintenance screens in between. That whole thing needs to be rethought with input from people who will actually use it. * Center Console Cabinet - The console itself is nice, but the lift out tray is funky. The Dodge has a two part lid. The top opens to a shallow compartment, and below that is another latch that opens the bottom section. Much easier to use on a daily basis. * Rear floor use - The Dodge has a tray which folds under the seat bottom. When unfolded it makes a completely flat floor. That tray is also split 60/40 like the bench. Chevy was designed for carrying people, not stuff in the back. For me that "stuff" is my dogs. So I'll need to fabricate something to get a flat floor like the Dodge has. * Throttle and Brake ergonomics - Both the throttle and the brake pedal feel long and spungey, like a Glock trigger. Neither inspire confidence. Since the truck is so big and hard to predict, I'd like a more direct confidence feeling with both brake and throttle input. Parking lots and off road situations are where I'll struggle. Mirror Defrost - Only functions with rear defroster. Should be a separate button. Overall I'm very happy with the purchase. I like the looks (reminds me of a mid '60s Chevy). The ride is much better than expected for its load capacity, the engine is reasonably quiet even at high rpm/load, the fuel mileage is reasonable. To me this new Chevy is not a "better" truck than the old Dodge it replaced (imo Chevy should make their design engineers drive Dodges), but it fits my specific needs better for capacity and fuel type. That said, if Dodge could build a commercial grade gasoline engine like Chevy and Ford have done, I'd have happily bought another Dodge. Had I been looking for another diesel, Dodge would have been the choice. It will be another month before I pull the 5th wheel. I'll add a post after that trip with my thoughts. Larry H. Miller Chevrolet Murray to Pilot Travel Center - Google Maps.pdf
  3. To close out my input on order time to delivery time. Just picked up my truck. * Initial discussion to get order started - October 3rd. * Order placed into system -December 2nd * Truck built - early February * Truck arrived at Larry H. Miller in Murray, UT - February 25th It shipped straight from production to the rail yard, and then to dealership, arriving a bit earlier than expected. It did not come with heated seat/steering wheel or with the Bedside Storage Box option that we had ordered in December. 3500HD LT CC/SB 4x4 Cherry Red Tint Coat/Gideon-Very Dark Atmosphere 6.6 Gas engine Options: Convenience Package Bedside storage boxes (not available) Gooseneck 5th wheel package Power Sunroof Leather package Convenience Package II Auxiliary Trailer Camera Front Bucket Seats with Center Console Trailering Mirrors -Heated Power-Adjustable, Auto Dimming w/Turn Indicators Interior Convenience Package Snow Plow Prep/Camper Package Dual Alternator & Batteries Multiflex tailgate Bedview Camera Black Molded Splash guards Autotrac 2 Speed Transfer Case High Idle Switch Upfitter Switch Kit Engine Block Heater Trailer TPMS In November we could have placed the order, but the Gooseneck hitch option was restricted, and I wanted the OEM setup. In order to get the next slot in December (which by then had released the restriction on the Gooseneck option), we had to eliminate the Roof Marker Light Option. Dealer didn't know Bedside Storage Boxes would not be delivered until trucks showed up on their lot. Overall, I'm very happy with how things turned out. The exclusion of the bedside storage boxes turned out for the best, as my plans changed between the time of order and the truck showed up. The dealership was awesome to work with. From order through delivery, the Sales Person, General Sales Manager and Finance Manager were really great.
  4. AGM is still a Lead Acid battery with a specific gravity of approximately 1.265@80*F. So voltages are the same (float of about 13.2V - 13.8V). As long as your stock charging system is working correctly and properly maintained, it will charge the AGM battery just fine. AGM has come a long way over the years, and is a solid choice. Just make sure to get a battery which meets the requirements of your truck (CCA & Reserve Capacity).
  5. AGM and Flooded cell are both the same chemical reaction, with resultant sulfation issues. Might be worth your time to looking into using a Battery Conditioner on a regular basis to help with the sulfation issue. You may even be able to get some additional life from your current battery. Here is an article which discusses and provides some suggestions to look at. Battery desulfator Instead of leaving the charger plugged in constantly, you could always setup a schedule to run a conditioning cycle. That's not as effective in the long run as keeping the battery in daily maintenance mode, because the battery is still sulfating. Even in the best scenario not all of the sulfate deposit will be kicked off the plates and reabsorbed in the electrolyte. But that may fit your "lifestyle" better, which means it has a better chance for success based on your willingness to participate in a consistent fashion. Hope this helps.
  6. Good info from redwngr: redwngr's code order code explanation
  7. Really dig good people sharing cool stuff! Thanks to you both.
  8. Have you tried adjusting the striker bolts (item 4) and/or latches? I don't have my truck yet to confirm this, but normally the striker bolt & latch can be manipulated to adjust the flush lines. If not, stop by a local body shop (or your local dealership if they have their own body shop), they'll know how to do it. Hope this helps you out.
  9. I had 35" S/T Maxx on a Rubicon 4 door. They were really great on and off road. They were really abused in the rocks at low pressures, and still rolled right down the road. Wind noise was much louder than tires. But a 4,000 lbs Jeep is no HD truck... lol That said, if they're in stock and the Falkens aren't, I would buy them. Test run before heading up to the Rubicon trail.
  10. Have the Falken Wild Peak AT3/W on the Ram & very happy with their performance. Winters in Utah can be pretty challenging with the heavy Cummins up front, but these tires have done really well. They are confidence inspiring off road, and when towing heavy. 25,000 miles later they are still quiet with even wear, on only two rotations. Should be even better with the lighter gas engine. Also considering the Cooper Discovery ST-Maxx, which is slightly over 34" tall on a 295/70/18. Had real good luck with those tires on a Rubicon where they were definitely abused off road.
  11. @Robo9831 You did a very clean job on cutting out, and installing the switch stack. I like where you have this installed for a couple of reasons: * Easy to see which switches are activated * Easy to manipulate the switch while keeping your averted vision on the road ahead. I was not excited to see the OEM location, so this is a nice alternative. Will look forward to see how you end up making all your connections. Nice work!
  12. I was thinking the same thing, except I haven't seen one that works with the stock front bumper. I'm installing a front hitch (when/if the truck actually shows up... lol), so I may do something customer with aluminum sheet across the hitch arms under the stock plastic cover. Front "hidden" hitch unit On my Rubicon I went with aluminum skid plates, and beat the heck out of them on boulder strewn trails. I was amazed how well they held up, even though they had some serious battle scars. They were a lot lighter, which keeps the payload up. I can weld aluminum but never needed to, and since this truck won't see near the abuse, I'm thinking they will outlast me... lol If you find something you like, please post up what you get. I'm also looking at a rear dif skid plate. I think the rear diff and front cross member will take the most abuse on this truck for where I go.
  13. Gayle put a couple of good videos in this thread: https://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/255292-2022-3500-roof-beacon-wiring/ The second video Gayle linked deals with what you are looking to do. The guy pulls down the rear of the headliner to figure out where the beacon light goes. He starts with the B pillar trim, and works around to the back to get great access. Really looking forward to what you think,. Seriously considering going with the same unit. I'm pulling a big 5th wheel around the country, and this would be beneficial in case of an accident.
  14. Yes, @Mad Max I'd be interested in reading what you decide, and how it works out for you as well.
  15. Incredibly helpful! Thank you for finding this video and posting it. Was really happy to see they include a negative wire as well as positive. I run a Ham radio, and ground loops are a freakin' nightmare. Blows me away that GM didn't make the third brake light unit serviceable without pulling the wing. Two external screws in the light assembly would save a boat load of time. I think the LT I ordered has incandescent bulbs, so I will probably upgrade to a quality LED at the same time. Also the way that wing seals with wiring running out through the seal bugs me. Wonder how that doesn't create a water leak that is going right into the cab. Thanks again Gayle.
  16. I think it is important to be very supportive of diesel heads as they go through withdrawals while their trucks are in getting DPF replacements, Calibration updates, etc. It's got to be tough when their trucks can pass anything but a repair shop. (totally kidding around) My thought is, that extra $10K difference in price bought me a lot of time at Harry's House of Hookers, and the resultant need to visit Paul's Penicillin Palace. Short of the burning sensation when urinating, I'm in a constant state of euphoria thanks to buying a gasser. Come to think of it, I probably should have just bought a Prius.
  17. 2000 HP - for when you really need to "get out of town quick". I'm surprised we aren't seeing more tuners hit the market. This truck can tow full loads on 87 Octane gas. Got to think there's another 20HP on 93 Octane with the right tune. That Godzilla has huge cooling jackets, no wonder they needed to fill the block.
  18. Might be worth stopping at an America's Tire, Discount Tire, or other major tire shop which carries Goodyear. Good article from Tire rack concerning both bulges and indents. They suggest if the side wall bulges to have it replaced. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=32 Good luck
  19. The order is for an LT, with a bunch of options.
  20. Good point! I think this is why Dodge started with a 2500 chassis for the Power Wagon. I wanted the double cab, but couldn't get it with a sunroof.
  21. You make a good point about size. And yes, I'd be pretty stoked with your truck too. While they definitely are not a Jeep, they are pretty competent. I don't expect it to be as capable as my current Ram, but I do expect to get it off road. Similar to what the TFL guys did, but a few worse rocky sections. The Ram weighs in at a lofty 8K lbs. It's been twisted up pretty good on some rocky/rutty trails getting back into fishing/hunting areas in the Rocky Mountains, and high desert. It has a rear LSD and open front dif'. Before taking it into the back-country I went to a local OHV park to see how it would do (please pardon the Dodge pictures, just using for comparison sake). The Cummins is a struggle with all the weight. To counter that I use 4 wheel drive sooner, added Timbrens up front, and 34" tall tires. I can tread pretty lightly with the tire pressure dropped into the mid 50/40 psi range (F/R). Timbrens up front and airbags in the rear limit flex, but help with off camber steadiness. The Chevy will be lighter. The front end will be much lighter with the L8T. Stock tire size is not that much smaller, and I can go to a 34" tall tire if necessary. The Dodge tows fine with these tires in a 17", so should be as good or better towing with the 18" rims. The downside to the Chevy is wheelbase (mostly) and width. The ram is 140" WB, which is really short for a quad cab truck, it's also pretty narrow. I can pull the mirrors in, and get through some pretty tight Jeep trails. I don't expect that with the Chevy, but I do expect to do forest service and decent 2-track along with some limited rocky trails. With the Dodge I don't feel the need to carry a winch. With the Chevy I expect to need it. One area I totally screwed up is the color. Should have ordered white, because it will get trail stripes. I'll get it coated with something to help stave it off, but the inevitable first scratches are going to be a gut buster.
  22. i read on one of the GM sites GM moved the approximate time frame for activating the heated seats/steering wheel to Q3 '22 from their original goal of Q2 '22. Saw a news report earlier this week that the global chip shortage will drag out longer than forecasted. "Bird in the hand..." comes to mind. lol
  23. Have any of you setup your HDs for dual purpose towing/overlanding? Would be very interested to see what you've done on your rigs. Great thread on the 1500 sub-forum on setting up their rigs for overlanding: Overlanding and camping Mod thread Got some great ideas from this thread, and also what I've already done with the '07 Ram, and a JKUR (4 door Wrangler Rubicon). For the 3500 CCSB on order, I'll be pulling a 5th wheel around the country as a "base camp" using a Reese Goose Box to keep the bed clear, and setting the truck up for more localized camping (up to a week). Will need to look into a more "all terrain" tire that still maintains the load rating. But no plans to lift the truck because of the 5th wheel. So probably just air bags to keep things level when pulling the 5th wheel. Since I always travel with a dog or two, the back seat area of the Dodge is setup with a thick pad for their comfort. There is a cutout in the pad to fit an electric cooler for sodas & sandwiches (for my comfort). Underneath the platform is a tire plug kit, air compressor, tire deflation tools, jumper cables, battery jumper pack, assorted dog leashes, etc. I'll make something similar for the Chevy. The height is set so the rear windows can be down without worry of the dogs falling out when getting bounced around on the trail. Two Springtail M-Pac seat back Molle panels, that are really handy are covering the seat backs. Currently there is a small quick grab first aid kit attached. These will go in the Chevy as well. (please pardon the "Dodgy" and "Jeep-ish" pictures. lol). The Puma 12V compressor will be mounted in the bed. This is great for inflating large tires to high pressure (picture of it mounted in the Jeep). Also have a Dometic Fridge/Freezer. It is sectioned so that part of it holds frozen goods (Ice Cream mostly), and fridge temp goods (beer). This was mounted in the Jeep as well, and it works awesome, so will keep this in the truck bed when exploring. It swallows more groceries than you'd think. For communications there is some redundancy: For emergency and staying in touch with family/friends an InReach PLB. This is a subscription based satellite personal location Beacon. It sends my location info to a web site every two minutes, and includes unlimited text. Family/friends can either look at a password protected website with a Google map overlay to see where I am, or send a text. For voice comms a dual band Ham Radio (Icom 5100) that can be setup as a repeater to work with a hand talkie when out hiking works really well. two dual band Baofeng "hand-talkies" are kept "handy". Also carry a couple of Motorola FRS radios. Mostly to help parents with lost kids, or kids with lost parents. For "CB" a Cobra C75 WXST is used. Mostly when traveling in groups who don't have Ham, but it works pretty well for limited range communications on the road. When the Jeep was sold, I kept the Warn 9000 winch. The Chevy will get a front 1,000 lbs hitch, and the winch will get mounted on a hitch plate, so that it can be used on the front or rear of the truck. Also kept all the support gear, so that will go in the truck as well. Most will fit in the Chevy optional side boxes. If I stick the truck worse than a doubled lead will handle, I deserve to be stuck there with a shovel, and an MRE... lol Will need to figure out some type of portable cap, like a Besttop Supertop that can be stowed in the 5th wheel while traveling to the next "base camp" (aka RV park). Looking forward to see what you are doing!
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