First Road Trip in Truck

ToeJam · May 6, 2003

Took my first road trip in my new rig this weekend. Absolutely amazed how well the truck handled. Averaged 15 mpg in the 600 miles (95% highway, about 75 mph), which included two mountain passes. Truck was very quiet and stable, especially with the 20-30 mph cross winds coming back yesterday. I wasn't being blown around the highway half as much as any other car or truck on the road.

The XM radio also rules. I think it only cut out twice (for never more than a few seconds) during the entire trip (only when we were right up against very tall trees our a mountain). Well worth the $10 a month.

The quadra steer is awesome for freeway lane changes. I zipped right around all the jerks going slow in the left lane. Its crazy how well the system controls body roll.

My only complaint is GM really needs to do some work in its transmission shifting logic. A couple of times going over the mountains, the truck couldn't maintain the speed (cruise control). Instead of just staying in 3rd gear it shifted in and out of 3rd and 4th over and over and over....

wonderl33t · May 6, 2003

Sounds like a nice ride...

As far as the shifting, that is the case when you are going up and down hills and stuff. Just shift down to 3rd to prevent overdrive and you'll be fine. Your MPG might also have been higher for your trip if you would have just set it to 3rd.

Tucson_02Silverado · May 10, 2003

It's been 10 months since I bought my truck, just fininshed my first road trip with it. Started with 11300 on the odometer. 2200+ miles from Tucson to San Francisco and back. At 80MPH averaged the EPA 19MPG, on the return trip did 70MPH and averaged 21MPG. Going to SF I used I10, I210, US101, the return was US101, CA152, I5, CA158, I40, US95, AZ72, I10. So the return was probably a little flatter due to I5. This is the first vehicle I've owned with antilock brakes. It was slightly unnerving with cruise control on down grades. To maintain the set speed, it seemed like opposite corner brakes were being applied. At first I thought it was just the high winds or the giant vortex created by those large windmills (for those who don't know, CA lines all the major canyon passes with power generating windmills). For up grades with cruise control and OD, I've learned long ago that you have to be at 70-80+MPH or the tranny will constantly hunt. So I didn't experience problems with it on and going up grade and stayed in OD and CC on 99% on the up grade because traffic permitted.

No drivability problems. Seemed slightly more peppy at sea level. Anyways a lot of straight line tire squawking in CA and back in Tucson at 2400' only if making a turn from stop

Slept a few of nights at a beach campground. Carpet liner on the shell roof is a definitely worth option for not being dripped on all night. A double-size air mattress fits between the bed wheel wells with very little effort. Barn doors or the dutch door set up on an Astro van would be of great conveince, but I don't do this that often and would probably move up to a 4 sleeper "toy hauler" trailer anyways if I did.

One night testament, that if you can sleep on your side and are 5'8" or under, the extended cab back seat is kinda comfy for what ended up to be a 6 hour "nap" (I had a very comfortable pillow though).

One last little item especially if you don't smoke in your truck. The dash ash tray, pull out slightly, place one loop of a plastic grocery bag around, shut the ash tray. Holds an in cab trash bag in perfect spot to throw all those StarBurst wrappers and the like. And it doesn't really imped on the passenger's "space"