rjgvt

I live in Vermont, 4WD gets used quite frequently during the year.

My 2024 AT4HD came with OEM BFG KO3's, probably a little different than the ones from a tire shop. I like them for mid-April to mid-October. I run a studded snow tire on GM wheels for the other 6 months. I just swapped them over today. I'd replace the KO3's with another set when the time comes.

If you have the 5th wheel option on your truck, the gooseneck tow rating and pin weight should be on the sticker.

I like the tow mirrors on my 25 AT4HD. It took me a bit to get them set up, especially the bottom part. When I had 1/2 ton trucks, I always put a convex mirror in the top outside part of the mirror so I could see cars driving next to the rear corner or next to me up to the door handles. With the current mirrors, I set the convex bottom part the same way. As far as blind spots, I just take my time before turning right on red, etc. I drive strictly by the mirrors before changing lanes, etc.

By the time you get an axle, bed, etc. Maybe it’s best to just buy a dually if you want one.

What options were listed on the window sticker? Sounds like they installed an aftermarket fifth wheel setup and not the factory fifth wheel/gooseneck option. Not so easy to install the factory option after the truck is built. The dealer list of options doesn’t look right. The X31 Off-Road Package isn’t usually listed separately on an AT4HD. I could be wrong. i would talk to the dealer before calling your lawyer. It’s kind of on you to make sure the truck that you are buying has what you want before plunking down $90k.

The cheapest GMC Pro model has LED headlights. I get it that some like Chevrolet trucks over GMC but this is not the first thread I’ve seen about wanting to replace the halogen headlights.

Buy what you like, life is to short. If you get a Ram and don’t like it, go back to what suits your needs and wants!

You’re crazy! Just kidding. Is there a reason for the 3500HD over the 2500HD? I have a cap on mine and it sits about 1k pounds over curb weight with 2 of us in the truck. With 60psi in front and rear, it rides pretty good. I’m retired and it’s my only vehicle. It doesn’t keep me from going where ever. Truck will be 2 years old next week and have just under 26k miles. Your trailer tongue weight should be between 10% to 15%, 650 lbs to 975 lbs. Well within the specs of a 2500HD. My tongue weight is rated at 1600 lbs and max towing at 16k lbs for a bumper pull. Registration here is by GVWR. If I had max towing package or a 3500, it would cost me more. Diesel here is more than gas plus DEF costs.

That little narrow slot in my truck is supposed to be a place to put the key fob to start the truck if the key fob battery is weak. There are other locations for different model trucks. There was a recall to replace the trailer module on my truck a while back for the integrated trailer brake controller operation. I wouldn't know if it worked or not. Hopefully it works when I connect to a trailer with electric brakes.

If I trade my truck in after 5 years or so, I’d do the same thing with a new truck. I like to get rid of a truck before it starts showing its age in a state that spreads salt all winter. Temps got into the 20’s today so I went through the car wash. Hopefully the winter wheels/tires would still fit a newer 2500HD. Current wheels have been the same size since 2011. My luck they would change it. My last truck was a 2018 GMC 1500 with 18” wheels. I had winter tires on 17” wheels, same size as my spare. I didn’t know at the time that the 17” wheels would not have fit 2019 1500 trucks and later. I kept that truck 5.5 years. If my cap fits my next truck model, I’ll order Sterling Metallic. If not, I like the Coastal Dune color and start over. I think the flat area that I mounted my cell phone to looks like the area where the newer 1500’s have the stupid console shifter. I hope GM never puts that shifter in the 2500’s. My column shifter doesn’t block my dash screen like others have complained about. Maybe it has to do with my height, seat position, etc. I think the brake controller on my truck is in a good location. I’d like to get a dump trailer with electric brakes this year. Not having to reach across the dash might seem like a plus.

I don't think my truck runs rough with the plow prep package. During summer I was running 55psi front and rear. For winter, I put in 60psi to account for dropping temps. Tire pressures usually stay 56psi or above. With myself and my GF, my trucks weighs about 1000 pounds over curb weight. If I towed anything heavier than my boat, I'd bump my pressures up to 60 front and 70 rear. My truck doesn't have the grill shutters. My cousin in PA has a 2024 Chevy LT 2500HD without the plow prep package and has no shutters. You're lucky that you could get the upfitter option. I have a diagram and procedure on how to take the dash panels off and took them off one day looking for a place to put a GM 12v socket and retainer that I got from the dealer. There was no place to mount it like on the trucks without the full console. It cost less than $20 and I'm not sure where I put it, it's in my house somewhere. Then I decided to mount a 12v socket on the bottom of the dash. After getting the wires through the feedthrough, I'm sure I could install the upfitter option myself if the switches were mounted by GM. I currently have my cell mount in the flat area ahead of the electric trailer brake controller. The upfitter switches on the new trucks take up part of the flat area. I'd probably cut the RAM mount base to fit if I had that option. Auxbeam makes various switch controllers that would probably be easier than the upfitter option install. I'd prefer the factory look of the upfitter.

The HD truck box at 6’ 10” is already way better than the half ton 6.5’ bed. Any longer and it won’t fit in my detached pole barn type garage. My 1/2 ton double cab trucks with a 6.5’ bed had room to walk around front and back in the garage. The AT4HD just fits with no room to walk around, have to open the garage door to get around in the garage. I ordered my truck with the plow prep/camper package and 5th wheel/gooseneck option. I figured when I get rid of this truck, someone might want to plow or tow a 5th wheel. Dealer added the aux battery option because of the plow package and I left it on the order. The aux battery supplies 12v to the 7 way trailer connections. It also powers the lights in the cap that I wired to the 7 way trailer connection in the bed. I’d get the aux battery again along with the other options. I added a 12v socket to my truck since GM decided to eliminate it for my truck. I wired it to the aux battery and it’s hot all of the time. I have a Garmin satellite communicator that I carry hunting as I’m by myself in the woods. I charge it at the end of the day with the 12v socket. I’d order the aux battery again. The upfitter option wasn’t available for my truck but it is on the newer trucks. I’m going to get that option on my next truck. When I had my last 1/2 ton truck, I had all of the stuff I normally carry and took some firewood to camp for the fire pit. I had 2 jet sleds loaded, a smaller plastic container loaded plus the back of the truck. I’m pretty sure I was overloaded. My current truck has over 2k pounds left in the payload for stuff. I don’t need an HD truck for my daily driver but I like it! My truck is like a Denali without the chrome and came with black wheels and KO3’s.

I order my caps with side windows that open out, it makes it easier to get to stuff in the bed of the truck. I keep a small fold up stool to get some stuff easier, one on each side. I added LED lights to the inside roof of the cap. Also cut some boards for 2nd tier loading for just in case. With the MultiPro tailgate, it's possible to load 8' lumber, etc. No offense to Chevy owners but I like the looks of the GMC's better. Not sure if there is a price difference when comparing similar models. I added the Weigh Safe hitch that I recently got yesterday and removed the other hitches. It's the red box on the right. I keep a bunch of stuff in my truck as I travel back and forth to my camp and out of state. I like having tools and stuff. The piece of plywood is for having a flat surface for gas cans, water jugs, etc. It slides out to cover the tailgate when breasting out a turkey.

The cap is made by ARE. It’s the 6th ARE cap I’ve had on my trucks, all ordered from a local mom and pop business. I get the same model each time. The window in the front of the cap opens inward to clean the windows but I never do it. Going through the car wash takes care of it. It sounds like your running boards are like mine except with some chrome. I got the AT4HD as I liked the lack of chrome. The sterling metallic color was new for 2024 and I only saw a couple in our area when I got mine. Now I see more. There is a new color this year that I like, Coastal Dune. If my cap will fit my next truck, I’ll get sterling metallic. If they change the truck forcing a new cap purchase, I’ll get a different color.

I checked out a truck at a different dealer before ordering my truck that had the high clearance narrow high running boards on an AT4. I thought they were to high and narrow to get in and out of the truck. GF had an issue with them too. They looked like I would be hitting the truck with my hunting boots every time getting in the truck. I remember the first time I checked out an HD truck at my dealer that had no running boards. It was a struggle to get in and out and I'm 6' 2". I didn't have running boards on my 1500's. I ordered a pair of the lower all black running boards and had the service department put them on when they prepped the truck. I've seen other running boards like mine that have chrome on them with black ends and where you step on them.

I just built a Chevy High Country on Chevy’s website. The BFG KO3 is an option on the 20” polished wheels and 20” high gloss black painted wheels but not the other two 20” wheel options. Before I ordered my truck, I saw that the dealers here ordered the AT4HD’s with the KO3’s. I printed out the summary from GMC’s website after building one and made sure I was getting them. They make a good late Spring and early Fall tire for hunting in case the weather sucks before putting on the LT3’s. I’d get them again even if I had to pay extra.

The BFG KO3's were a $0 option when I ordered my truck. Now they are a $295 option. I originally wanted the non-studded LT3's and the local tire shop that I use could get 3 of them in LT275/65R20. That's are there were in the country at the time. I already had the wheels and TPMS sensors. I called the US and Canada 800 number for Nokian Tyres to find out about the availability of the tire that I needed. A guy in Vermont answered the phone. He explained that some of the tires were made in Russia. The LT3's I had on my last 1500 were made in Russia and they could no longer get them from there. They had to revamp a factory somewhere. I asked his opinion on studded vs non-studded. He told me that his whole family ran studded Nokian tires. For my size tires, they had 75 studded ones in stock at the local Nokian warehouse. I had the tire shop send the 3 non-studded tires back and got the studded tires. Local Nokian guy knows the owners of the tire shop. I've known the shop owners for over 30 years. First time with studded tires and have no regrets.

If I remember I’ll see if my tire pressures update on their own. My winter wheels were $1400, snow tires were $1580 at local tire and automotive shop (included mounting, balancing, tax, etc) and the TPMS sensors were $220 at GMC dealer.

I’ve read that the TPMS sensors will learn on their own but I use the Autel just to make sure as part of my routine twice a year. The shop that I got the GM wheels sells a lot of takeoffs as they sell new aftermarket wheels and tires to guys that upgrade. They also sell aftermarket GM style wheels and list them as such. I watched there website as soon as I ordered my truck. They are in southern Vermont and picked them up. I don’t think they ship. Wheels from 2011 to now will fit our trucks.

My winter wheels are GM and the same size and offset as my OEM wheels. 20x8.5J IS47. I bought them at a tire/wheel/off road shop. They were takeoffs and sent out to be powder coated black. The Hakkapeliitta snow tires are the same size as my OEM tires, LT275/65R20. The only difference with the winter wheels are the recess for the center caps are different. They came with Chevy center caps, my GMC center caps won’t fit unless I trim them. I just use the black Chevy center caps. I bought TPMS sensors at the dealer, the same part number that’s in my OEM wheels, 13542523. Parts guy got the part number based on my VIN number. I use an Autel TS508 to learn the sensors when I swap tires/wheels in October and April. The Autel reads the same TPMS part number on my OEM wheels.

I hope I don’t need to use the spare. I have the 4 OEM wheels with the BFG KO3’s in the garage for 6 months while my snow tires/wheels are on. I don’t know if one of the 20” wheels will fit for a spare. Maybe when it’s not in the middle of winter and I can go through the car wash, I’ll see if I can get one on there. The tire width is the same and only .9” larger diameter.

I kept most of the 1500’s for 80k to 100k miles, generally 5 years. The stuff in my current truck came out of my last 1500 truck and then some. I’ve had caps on my trucks and stuff in the bed. The only time the truck is empty is when I first purchase or when trading it in. I’ve used Auto 4wd on each truck. If the transfer case needed service, it was done at the dealer. I’m 65yo, I generally don’t drive aggressively The manual for my truck states that chains can’t be used on 20” wheels.

The 20" wheels on my truck were standard, LT275/65R20. My truck hardly looks gangster as the tires are not low profile. I see very few AT4HD trucks with 18" wheels. The optional 18" wheels come with LT275/70R18 tires which are the same size as my spare. Differences: 20" tire is 0.9" taller. 20" tire sidewall is 7". 18" tire sidewall is 7.6". Not a lot of difference between the two tire sizes available for the AT4HD. @Pryme What size are your wheels/tires? I looked at Chevy's website and built a poverty WT truck with 18" wheels and it did not show what size tires are on the truck.

My current truck has Auto 4wd, along with 2hi, 4hi and 4lo. I use Auto 4wd frequently. After yesterdays freezing rain turned to ice then rain then snow, I used 2hi, 4hi and Auto today over the course of 80 miles picking up my son and family, get them to the airport and then back home. Drove on ice, ice on packed snow, snow and clear roads. The conditions improved from crappy roads to clear roads as I drove south to the airport then back to snowy roads as I got close to home. I was back home before the plow trucks were salting the roads in my town. I live at the bottom of a dead end road. I go up 2 hills to get to the main road. I’m retired, but when I worked, I never missed a day of work due to weather. This is my fourth GMC truck with Auto 4wd, the previous three were 1500’s. I use it when the conditions are variable with snow and semi-clear roads. Some towns here do a better job of plowing/salting than others. In reference to another post, we can run studded tires all year. I hear vehicles running studs during the summer. My guess is that the tires are worn to make it another winter. Several years ago I went to a wildlife management area after hunting season to track deer for fun, hunt coyotes, etc. I only had AT tires on at the time. There was a lot of snow and I got stuck. The plowed snow kept me from getting the driver door open. I managed to move my truck enough to get out and try to shovel. Some locals helped get me out and I had to back down the road to a spot to turn around. They all had studded snow tires. I had snow tires before the next winter.