Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'review'.
-
Zane & Josh, The Merva Brothers Co-Founders, GM-Trucks.com October 2018 Pickup utility racks have been an option for anyone looking to haul around longer objects for decades. They've gotten the job done when stuff like ladders, wood, and canoes needed moved from one place to another. With the options of bed sizes shrinking over the past few years, a stylish and functional utility rack can add, well , a lot of utility to your full size or midsize truck. Unfortunately, not many racks look as good as they function and take away from the aesthetics of our vehicle. So, when we found a new aluminum utility rack that looked as professional as our truck, we wanted to try it out. In an effort to find a stylish utility rack we're reviewing the Agri-Cover ADARAC Aluminum Series. What is it? Agri-Cover ADARAC Aluminum Series Model Number 4001238 For 2007-2013 Silverado/Sierra 1500 with 6' 6" bed MSRP: $491.30 / $578 MSRP (as of October 2018) Manufacturer Website: https://www.agricover.com/truck-bed-racks/ Installation Time: 1-hour Installation Difficulty: Easy with basic mechanical skills and a helping hand Main Features Rust resistant aluminum construction No drill installation Compact and narrow upright designs Four load dividers included Compatable with Access-Cover bed covers What We Like Modern and stylish brushed aluminum design Thick stamped upright supports are super staunch Modular attachment points and accessories Uprights can be removed or installed with one person 500-lb capacity What We Don’t Like Stamped parts have sharp edges out of the box Can't re-position uprights without tools Rack as a whole can restrict what you put in the bed unless removed Tie-down holes are only barely bigger than a standard hook ADARAC Aluminum Series Unboxing The ADARAC came securely shipped in a long and moderately heavy box. One person can move the packaging around but two would be easier. We started out by unpacking our rack, laying out all of the parts and reading the manual. We found hardware packaging was excellent with no missing parts. The manual was clear and easy to understand. Nothing was scratched or damaged. The stamped aluminum uprights came covered in a protective sheeting/fabric and looking as if they were straight out of the forming machine. We almost cut ourselves on the uprights because no clean up work had been done to remove burrs or sharp edges. A smooth edge would have been a lot better and easier to handle. Once everything was organized and we had familiarized ourselves with the installation manual, we started to get to work. ADARAC Aluminum Series Installation We installed this rack at the same time as our Access-Cover Lorado Roll Up Cover. If you're doing something similar, don't make the same mistake we did and try to install the rack before the cover. It won't work, as the ADARAC blocks the bed-stake holes when installed. The same stake holes you need access to for installing the Lorado, so install your bed cover first. Speaking of...check our our full review of the Access-Cover Lorado here After getting ahead of ourselves, we detoured and installed our cover before coming back to the ADARAC. The first step was to lay down the side rails and secure them to the stake pockets on the bed using compression style fittings. The attachment method is slick, requiring no drilling or cutting. It's also fully reversible and doesn't damage your bed. Best of all, the rails are never going to move. The first step is to drop the compression plates into the stake holds and tighten down the rails with two clamps/bolts per rail. Then we measured the distance between the installed rails on the bed and set the uprights at the same distance on the floor. We used some old shop towels to prevent scratching the pretty aluminum. Next, we attached the crossbars at the measured width making sure to center everything up. We then tightened the assembled front and back racks on the ground before lifting them up to the truck bed. A few bolts and adjustments later... our racks are on the truck. The best part about aluminum racks is that the front and rear sections are light enough for one person to install or remove them without help. The rear upright mounting bolts are in a tight space when installed with a bed cover and we couldn't use a socket wrench to tighten them down. And before we knew it, our Sierra had a new utility rack and bed cover. Total installation time took right around one hour and was easy enough to do with one person but would be quicker with two. ADARAC Aluminum Series Final Thoughts An entire summer has gone by since we first installed our ADARAC Aluminum Series Utility Rack and we've been extremely glad we've had it as a tool on our GMC. We've used the ADARAC to help build a new bathroom, take our canoe to the local lake for a relaxing afternoon, and moved our ladder around to help with projects at home and work. The ADARAC has conquered every task we've thrown at it. It's never bent, felt flimsy, or failed to hold our cargo firmly in place. Basically... exactly what you want from a utility rack. The brushed aluminum finish and sleek stamped uprights also look good too. If the $500 price tag is too much, Agri-Cover offers the standard version of the ADARAC which is constructed with steel instead but uses the same basic design. Or, if you need a little wider load, the ADARAC Aluminum Pro Series is designed for larger objects and capacities. If you're in the market for a good looking, well functioning and indestructible utility rack for your truck, we recommend you look at the Agri-Cover ADARAC Utility Rack. Editor's Note: This product was provided at no cost for the purposes of a review. We only publish our honest opinions and give no consideration for the gratis product. ADARAC Aluminum Series Installation Gallery
-
The Merva Brothers Founders, GM-Trucks.com February 27th, 2019 When you take delivery of a brand new 2019 Silverado, you'll be faced with a few choices beyond which trim level or options you want. You'll also be asked which accessories you want to be installed on your truck before it rolls off the sales floor. Most GM accessories can even be factored into the sale price and financed. So, we're setting off to try out some of these certified accessories that are available for the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado. Our goal is to let you know if they are worth the cash or if you should take a pass. We've always loved the look of a blacked out bowtie and the idea of one that lights up seemed too cool to pass up. So we headed to our local dealership and ordered the 2019+ Illuminated & Blacked out front bowtie. Here's how it went and what we think. What is it? Chevrolet Illuminated Grille Bowtie Emblem in Black Part Number: 84069488 MSRP: $275.00 Manufacturer Website: https://accessories.chevrolet.com/ Main Features Doesn't effect your factory warranty Direct replacement for the standard gold bowtie Same quality as original parts Wiring harness is plug & play and matches factory wiring Here's the bowtie and grille as it came from the factory. Installation The first step to install the illuminated bowtie (or the non-illuminated black bowtie) is to remove the front grille. The grille on our LTZ was easy to take once we understood how it was fastened to the body. The entire process runs around 30 mintues We'll be covering how to remove the grille on the 2019 Silverado in detail soon. A plastic trim removal set makes this process much easier. After a little bit of pulling and careful prying, the entire front grille section comes off. Note the grille can be removed without having to take off any body panels or reach under the vehicle. This is a huge improvement over past Silverado generations, which required more disassembly to access the grille mounting hardware. The grille is a solid unit. Switching it out with another trim level's grille would be easy at this stage. This is also a good time to clean up the grille. To remove the factory bowtie, release four tab clips on the backside of the grille. One is inside of the support post where you will also run the bowtie's wiring harness. We popped out the bowtie and cleaned behind it before installing the new one. It was filthy underneath! The included wiring harness plugs into the driver's side headlight harness. It then snakes through the radiator opening and clips to the bumper. We found it easier to run the wire through the grille and connect it to bowtie, THEN snap the bowtie to the grille afterwards. Attempting to plug the harness into the bowtie after it is mounted on the grille turns out to be extremely difficult. We tested the bowtie to make sure it lit up properly before we attached the grille back onto the truck. Our Impressions Installation of the illuminated bowtie turned out to be pretty easy provided we used the right tools. Our plastic trim kit was invaluable during the process, allowing us to pry and remove pieces without scratching them. The kit also didn't come with instructions, so make sure to ask your dealer for a set of them when you buy it. They can print it out for you. The quality of the bowtie is on par with other factory parts and matches accordingly. The wiring harness looks similar to those already running under the hood giving the final fit a factory feel. So while the look and feel of the product is excellent the actual performance of the illuminated bowtie left us wanting more. We expected an illumination effect with a similar brightness to our DRL lighting. Instead, the bowtie glows a dull white at light. During the day or bright sunlight the illumination effect disappears completely. We do appreciate that the color temperature of the bowtie matches the headlights and DRLs. The MSRP of $275 is steep for the eventual lackluster performance. Excellent build quality, plug and play performance, a factory look, and no warranty interference offset the price to an extent. If you want a quality replacement for your gold bowtie that adds a little more flare to your 2019 Silverado, the Illuminated Black Bowtie could be right for you. If you're looking for a bright centerpiece that stands out with the same intensity as your other lighting, this may not fit your bill.
- 7 replies
-
- 3
-
-
- project trail beast
- trail beast
- (and 6 more)
-
Zane Merva Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com 8/13/18 Last week I traveled to Wyoming for an opportunity to drive the 2019 Silverado in a variety of situations, trim levels and engine/transmission combinations. Chevrolet was finally ready to let third party experts behind the wheel and I was ready to take them up on the offer. Things I Liked About The 2019 Silverado Butter smooth engines A smaller, more responsive driving feel Designed for function and usability above all A chassis ready take a beating Things I didn't Like About The 2019 Silverado Unloaded suspension float on bumpy roads Interior is functional but has a drab design Limited availability for 6.2L Enough trim levels to make a customer dizzy If you’ve been following along with all of our 2019 Silverado news for the last year, feel free to jump ahead. If not, or you need a refresher, check out these prior topics to get primed for our impressions. Here's A Photo Of Every New 2019 Chevy Silverado Trim With Features All-New 2019 Silverado Details: New Diesel Engine, Weight Savings, Steel Bed, 8 Trims, More Space Here's Your 2019 Silverado Trim & Engine Availability Matrix Official 2019 5.3L & 6.2L V8 Engine Specs Are Here The 2019 Chevy Silverado Will Come In These 11 Colors And if you’re not aware that we’ve ordered a new 2019 Silverado as a GM-Trucks.com long term review truck….well, sit down and read up on that too. Birth Announcement: Our 2019 Silverado Has Been Built Our 2019 Silverado Is Locked And Loaded At Event Code 3400 Our Long Term 2019 Silverado LTZ Has A Build Week And we've got a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Order Number We Ordered A 2019 Silverado Today And You Can Too! After I touched down in Jackson Hole and had a moment to literally catch my breath while acclimating to an elevation of 7,000 ft, Chevrolet gave me some lunch and let me have a look around the new models. On display for my arrival was a brand new LT Trail Boss and High Country, along with a frame/suspension mock-up and a body/materials mock-up. At the forefront of Chevy’s talking points to the media was the thoughtful use of high-strength steel and a “truck for every buyer” trim level strategy. It made sense... if the truck backed it all up on the road. The next morning- the real fun began. After a quick breakfast, I jumped into a white RST with a 5.3L engine and 8-speed transmission. My co-pilot from Hagerty took the wheel first and we traveled up Wyoming Route 22. Driving Impressions 5.3L & 8-Speed Heading up 22, aka The Teton Pass Highway, winding back and forth through the mountains, our RST was rock solid and nimble on its feet. GM has put in significant work to decrease noise and vibration, stiffing the new Silverado far beyond the previous model. That translates into more communicative steering, less heft and weight, and a surprising nimbleness on the road. In fact, Chevy has trimmed back up to 450lbs from the new model Silverado, depending on cab choice. That’s significant noticable behind the wheel. Sporty yet comfortable and without harshness. GM engineers were able to soften the spring rate on the new Silverado because of the lighter curb weight. GM’s 8-speed transmission is also smooth, mostly in part to the new and improved 5.3L engine with Dynamic Fuel Management. The pair works well and provides the new Silverado with a tried and true option for owners who need a V8 but don’t want to support the fuel habits of a 6.2L. How does Dynamic Fuel Management Work? See This Infographic In our mix of mountain roads and long straight prairie flat-lands the 5.3L in our RST switched between 17-different cylinder firing modes in an imperceptible fashion. So while horsepower and fuel economy ratings stay largely the same and the 2019 Silverado 5.3L is rated similarly as the 2018 engine with AFM, the entire package is just a little smoother and quieter in the process. In The Rough With A Trail Boss After a few hours behind the wheel of the RST we arrived at our lunch stop. Chevrolet had set up a few ways for us to explore the new Silverado at this location, so we settled in, grabbed a bite to eat and headed toward the mud. The all new Trail Boss models is a factory warrantied 2-inch suspension lift and appearance package. What really matters is that those extra two inches add a lot of capability to an otherwise capable pickup. Chevrolet had setup a small off-road course for us to try out the Trail Boss on. It included a row of logs to traverse, a ditch to descend into, a hill to climb, rocks to cross, and a mud pit to let loose in. The only rule was there was no rule. “Do anything you want, it won’t break”, said the GM engineer next to me as I slammed the skid plate off a boulder. After a half dozen laps an a true honest effort to not give a crap, I’m inclined to agree. After watching a line of other journalists do their worst right after me, I’m also inclined to think that Chevy has baked one heck of a platform together. Solid and ready for a beating. The best part about the Trail Boss is that you can get it in an affordable Custom Trim or in a more mainstream LT trim. From a basic ranch truck with cloth seats to a leather trimmed LT that can take you out on the town, the Trail Boss is a great option for anyone who wants a Silverado that has more attitude. That said, you can’t get the 6.2L in the Trail Boss. It’s a glaring omission to be sure and one that pushed us to buy an LTZ. But not all hope is lost as the all new 3.0L Duramax will be available in the LT Trail Boss later on this model year. Unfortunately, Chevy didn't have a new 3.0L diesel for us to drive yet. Towing 6,000lbs of Quickcrete with a 5.3L Next up I listened to an overview of Chevy’s new advanced towing system and then took some weight for a spin. The brand has baked in a lot of customer-centric features for those who do a lot of trailering. When equipped, the Silverado can track trailer tire pressure and temperature, find wiring faults, alert you if someone disconnects your trailer via app, and keeps a log of fuel economy per trailer. Customers who opt for the trailering camera package get under mirror and cargo bed views, along with a trailer camera to hook up to their rig. Chevrolet had setup a few Silverado with trailers for me to drive. These enclosed trailers had been filled with 6,000lbs of concrete. I know this because I had to look for myself. And I had to look for myself because pulling that much weight in the new Silverado is just no big deal. Such a non-event I absolutely had to confirm there was anything in the trailer at all. Smooth shifts, no gear hunting, and no feeling of being dragged down with all of that small block torque. Driving Impressions - 6.2L & 10-Speed After having some fun getting dirty with a Trail Boss, comparing every single one of the eight 2019 trim levels, and pulling around some concrete, it was time to head back to the ranch. Our ride for the afternoon was a 6.2L LTZ with a 10-speed transmission. At idle, the 5.3L and 6.2L share no difference in vibration or exhaust note. Only when you step on the accelerator does the difference become apparent. Very apparent. Rated at 420-horsepower, the 6.2L is 65-horsepower more stout than the 5.3L. Just like the 5.3L, its rating from the previous generation has not changed. Horsepower and fuel economy are basically the same. Where things really get interesting is with Chevy’s new 10-speed automatic transmission. This new transmission option is clearly a cut above the 8-speed, offering a nearly imperceivable shift and 10 gear ratios ready for anything. Even cruising a mile above sea-level the larger engine simply digs in and provides endless torque at throttle. No downshifts and no delays. This just might be the best engine and transmission combination from General Motors we’ve ever driven. Final “First” Thoughts With just one whirl-wind day behind the wheel, it was hard to experience everything that makes the 2019 Silverado better than its predecessor. The list is just too long. However, the first impression was clear. Chevrolet has used the opportunity of a clean slate to design the most practical, customer oriented, feature rich truck possible. Not flashy, not gimmicky, and not for the short term. While I came away with an overwhelmingly positive impression and incredibly excited for our LTZ to arrive, it’s hard to overlook a few negatives. Mainly, prices of the 2019 Silverado are the highest ever. A fully loaded High Country will get darn near close to $70k. Also, it’s hard to overlook a lack of increased horsepower or fuel economy over the previous model. We’re also pretty jealous of the 2019 Ram’s 12-inch touch screen display. But with all weights factored in, it’s still clear that Chevrolet is bringing to market the most useful truck ever. No discussion. Ford and Ram are going to eat it in 2019. This is just the beginning of our time with the 2019 Silverado! Stay tuned for the full ownership experience as we take delivery of our Northsky Blue Metallic Crew Cab in a few weeks. See Our Full 2019 Silverado First Drive Photo Gallery
- 83 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- review
- 2019 chevy silverado first drive
- (and 7 more)
-
Zane & Josh, The Merva Brothers Founders, GM-Trucks.com November 23rd, 2018 Earlier this year we installed the Agri-Cover LORADO soft roll-up cover on GM-Trucks.com's 2011 GMC Sierra. Bed covers are one of the best utility to value products you can get for a pickup and we were impressed how useful Agri-Cover's premium soft cover solution was on our Sierra. When we took delivery of our brand new 2019 Silverado a few weeks ago, Agri-Cover couldn't wait to let us know they had a premium hard tri-fold cover, the LOMAX, that would be on sale soon and would fit our brand new bed size. Before we knew it, a brand new LOMAX arrived at our garage. After the LORADO earned its keep over the Summer of 2018, we're ready to subject the LOMAX to the Winter of 2019. We installed the Agri-Cover LOMAX Hard Tri-Fold Bed Cover a few days ago and here's how it went and what we think. What is it? Access Cover LOMAX Hard Tri-Fold Cover Model Number: B1020079 for 2019+ Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 1500 w/ 5’ 8” bed MSRP: $1,039 (as of November 2018) Manufacturer Website: https://www.agricover.com/lomax/ Main Features Low profile - sits ½ inch above bed rails Made of extruded lightweight aluminum Weather tight, water shedding design Designed to remove and reinstall easily Competitive Products WeatherTech AlloyCover B Bak BAKFLIP MX4 Extang Solid Fold 2.0 What We Like Extremely lightweight One of the thinnest hard tri-fold covers available Doesn’t interfere with power up/down tailgate Easily removed to haul larger items What We Don’t Like Fully folded, it still takes up ⅓ of the bed (fortunately, it can be removed if needed) The panels had a few sharp edges out of the box Installation diagrams didn’t match our 2019’s bed design Installation The LOMAX arrived via FedEx just a few days after being shipped. Even though it was a larger and moderately heavy shipment it showed up still securely packaged with no dents or damage to the outside box. Inside, all the components were in perfect shape. There were no missing parts and, surprisingly, very few parts. The LOMAX box contains the tri-fold panel assembly, two side mounting rails and eight under-bed clamps to keep everything secure. With two sets of hands we were able to quickly and easily clamp the side rails in place. Each rail required four clamps, which we reversed for a wider grip as detailed in the installation manual. Super simple and easy to do with limited tools. Our manual’s diagrams and instructions relating to the placement of the clamps were not perfect however. The 2019’s under-bed rail has various thicknesses. You want to make all attempts to clamp only on areas where the sheet-metal is two layers thick. The manual instructs you to clamp in the far corners where there is only one layer of steel at the rail top. We decided to move the outermost clamps slightly inward to make sure they were attached in an area of thicker sheet metal. Aligning and tightening the rail clamps was the most difficult part of the LOMAX install and at most took us 30 minutes. By "most difficult", we actually mean really darn easy. You only need a socket wrench. Once the side rails are securely clamped in place and adjusted to look even, we only had to lift the hard Tri-Fold assembly up onto the front rail. A little adjustment and the LOMAX snaps into place with two spring loaded locks. Two security straps attach at the first fold to prevent accidental flyaway. After opening up the hard cover and snapping the rear panel into place, we were done. No more than 35 minutes later with a lot of stopping for photography. The LOMAX is no doubt the easiest to install bed cover we’ve ever put on a truck. Initial Impressions Despite being an up-level LTZ trim, our 2019 Silverado looked unfinished and bare with a uncovered and painted factory bed. The LOMAX Hard Tri-Fold cover ended up being the finishing piece that really completed the super sleek and ultra modern look of our 2019 Silverado. Being a hard cover, the LOMAX has a thinner design then you could get from a roll up cover. It's also more expensive. That said, the easy installation and single unit cover piece also lends to an easy and quick removal process. Need to haul large items and leave your LOMAX at home? No problem, you can remove it and reinstall later by yourself. There’s also no interference with the power up and down tailgate, which surprised us. Looks good, works great, and doesn't mess up key vehicle features? Awesome! Day to day use of the LOMAX seems as if it will be similar to our LORADO roll up cover. The tri-fold design can be operated by one person and secures at the cab front of the bed, just like the LORADO. Unlike the LORADO, the LOMAX has weather stripping to seal the edges of the cover instead of hook and loop fasteners. We're curious to see how weather tight this actually is and how it compares to the LORADO and the Retrax Pro we've used in the past. Winter is just gearing up here in New Hampshire and we can’t wait to see how the LOMAX Hard Tri-Fold Bed Cover stands up. Snow, ice, and abuse are three things we can promise. We'll leave everything else up to chance. Check back in Spring 2019 for an update on both of our Agri-Cover bed covers. Before LOMAX After LOMAX Agri-Cover LOMAX Hard Tri-Fold Cover Detail Photos Editor's Note: This product was provided at no cost for the purposes of a review. We only publish our honest opinions and give no consideration for the gratis product.
- 16 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- tested
- agri-cover
- (and 9 more)
-
I’m shopping lifts for my 2015 Silverado Z71. Yes I know BDS is the best, and everyone loves Zone, and most people hate RC.... but what about Pro Comp? 4wheelparts suggested their 6” Pro Comp with new struts, upgraded shocks, improved ride quality etc (they own pro comp so I’m not surprised). Seems like a good price and 4wheelparts is a reputable installer with their own warranty on labor/workmanship, which is a nice piece of mind. the kit looks good and I have yet to find aNy bad reviews about pro comp on the web...but that’s the problem.. I can’t find ANY reviews about 2014-2018 GM Pro Comp 6” lift. here is a link to the kit I’m considering. Thanks in advance. I’m planning on running 35s https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/pro-comp-6-inch-lift-kit-with-pro-runner-shocks-k1171bps/_/R-DFCW-K1171BPS
