Jump to content

High Desert Bed System Removal

DJ Pepe

By DJ Pepe
in Modifications & Accessories

 Share

Recommended Posts

Daryl Davis Enthusiast

Daryl Davis

Posted
Posted

Yes you are correct. That is why I was hoping to trade because most aftermarket covers didn’t require the stock bed caps to be removed. The tailgate cap is also removed for the install of the High Desert package. All three pieces run approx. 

$150 each to purchase new from Chevrolet. Thank you for the input.

  • Like 1
JimCost2014 Senior Enthusiast

JimCost2014

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, Daryl Davis said:

Yes you are correct. That is why I was hoping to trade because most aftermarket covers didn’t require the stock bed caps to be removed. The tailgate cap is also removed for the install of the High Desert package. All three pieces run approx. 

$150 each to purchase new from Chevrolet. Thank you for the input.

Think they are (Factory caps) a one and done deal. At least by the looks of this video, I know his are trashed, but they do not come off easy.

 

 

 

Daryl Davis Enthusiast

Daryl Davis

Posted
Posted

It appears that this system was never meant to be removed. It took a little less than a day to remove it, and I disassembled a lot of extra stuff that probably wasn’t needed, but I was trying not to break anything and had no idea where the main anchor points were. 
I will try to explain what I found out the best I can.

First I removed the four 10mm bolts in the floor of the bed. Then moved to the three 10mm bolts  in what I will call the front bulk head of the bed, right behind the cab. This attaches the front seal plate. With a lot of work with a nylon knife in the front corners to separate the sealant and easy prying with long vinyl coated pry bars this front seal can off.

I then moved to the inner plastic bed sides. Removed the four tie down locations and all the plastic retainers, I think there were eight per side. The tailgate seal inside the bed will need to be removed from the bed sides, held on with plastic retainers. Then the plastic inner bed sides can be removed, be carful on the drivers side not to damage the lights.

after that there are five plastic retainers at the bottom of the front bulk head that need to be removed and then this front plastic piece can be removed. 
I then moved to the outside of the bed. The trim right below the toolbox on both sides needs to be removed and there are three torx head screws below that on each side that need to be remove. Inside the grab handle that you use to climb in the bed there are two torx screws to remove. On the outside of this save piece there is a small black trim piece that needs taken off and there is one more screw under that. Then the tail lights need to be removed and straight up about 3 inches from the back of the top of the bed rail the is one 10mm bolt that needs to be removed. Through the tail light holes is also th best place to unplug all the electrical connections for the liner.

Now let’s move to the front and what I will call the roll bar, even though it doesn’t serve that purpose. The outer plastic on the roll bar or light bar support needs to be removed, it’s about eight small torx screws on the inside and one very important one one the top. There are also two plastic retainers in between this rail and the back of the cab that are a whole lotta fun. Disconnect all the lighting plugs and remove the outer and inner plastic covers and you are lift with a stamped metal support. In the very front upper corner of the bed is a 10mm bolt to remove, long handle ratchet wrench works well. Then inside the stamped metal support at the very back, inside, where it meets the bed rail is another 10mm bolt to remove. Back outside the bed close to the front is one Torx screw through a bracket that mounts it to the bed rail. This needs to be removed.

Back inside the bed, in the front, you need to look up high on the bed side and behind the water drainage system there is a 13mm bolt that goes into the front stake pocket, this needs to be removed, of corse on both sides of the bed. The roll bar/light bar thingy can then be removed.

To the back. Inside the raise up divider there are two Torx screws on both sides, that little extra storage area in the corner, that need removed. After this the the bottom of the bed liner will slide out.

After that there are six 10mm bolts that need removed, both sides, that go through the floor of the bed.

In the back stake  pocket behind the drainage system, again up high and hard to get to or see, is another 13mm bolt that needs removed. Bothe sides. 
Outside the bed, inside the tool box is one small Torx screw that holds the latch for the locking mechanism needs removed.

After this the whole side assembly will come out. I know I’m old, but this thing is awkward and heavy. 
There is a bracket left on the top of the bed rail that is held on with two more 10mm bolts.

the removal of the stuff on the tailgate is pretty straightforward it all came off easy. Just a lot of screws and bolts.

On my truck the third brake light on the cab was inoperable because it’s not visible behind the light bar. To fix this simple remove the two Torx screws and remove the third brake light and plug in the connector. Then open the hood to access the fuse box and install a 10 amp fuse in slot 38 and the third brake light and cargo light come back into normal operation.

Im sorry if there are errors. I did not proof read this. I hope it helps you out. Like I said it took a little less than a day, about 6 hours and I took apart a lot more than necessary because I was flying blind. I hope this makes it an easier process for the next person. Sorry no pictures. I was going to video it and became frustrated trying to do both and put the phone down and went to work.

  • 8 months later...
JonnyH New Member

JonnyH

Posted
Posted

I just bought a 2017 LTZ with High Desert package. I will be removing it. Hopefully no issues. It is fine condition, I just want my tonneau cover and Ladder/Kayak racks on it. Will sell it as is ... I will post pictures as I  do it as I see there are plenty of others trying to do the same.

  • 4 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
danhvac New Member

danhvac

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hey guys I have the entire system with pictures up for sale off a 2017 high desert. I'm in Laporte Indiana. 219-801-4592

Edited by danhvac

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Deadwood
      primary drive belt tensioner

      By Deadwood · Posted

      I bought belts and pulleys for my '20 L5P at Rock Auto a couple years ago. I have used them for many years, and almost always save significant money, especially when I buy maintenance stuff ahead of time.   They carry many OEM parts, which is all I use unless an aftermarket is shown to be same/superior, or if it is an insignificant part or unavailable OEM part anywhere else. RA is usually lower priced, often by a bunch, but parts are sometimes unavailable or out of stock, and I do shop around and sometimes find better prices at other sites.   Be aware that you pay shipping, and if you buy multiple items and they are coming from different warehouses, the shipping can kill the advantage. Planning ahead is best if possible.   If you have a transmission service in the near future, check out their OEM (AC Delco ULV) fluid, usually MUCH less than anywhere else.
    • Deadwood
      10L1000 anyone with High Mileage ? I hate Damocles....

      By Deadwood · Posted

      New member here, very long time occasional guest. Saw this thread, thought it would be a good time to contribute someting. It is only my experience and not a claim that everyone will have the same.   I bought my '20 3500 L5P new and have put 99.9% (literally) of it's current ~400k miles on it myself, with over 50% of that towing loads between 4k to 15k, and to me this truck has been nothing short of amazing. For the first 235k I had zero issues, and from there until 321k I replaced a NOx sensor, two failing glow plugs, and three of the notorious injector connectors. I believe this truck is in part, a testament to good luck, but also good care and following a decent maintenance schedule (I also keep meticulous records.) As a result, it looks as good as a well cared for 70k rig, up and down, inside and out.   At some point before that 321k mile mark I began to get a little spooked about the 10L1000, especially the valve body. Word of mouth about potential issues prompted me to jump on the net to sift through all the noise and determine what all the fuss was about. I routinely take long trips, coast-to-coast and points in between, so roadside breakdowns can be '...a thousand miles from nowhere' and a bit of a challenge, and though I had no issues, my guard was up and activated.   And then I stumbled across a chance to salvage some parts off a new 2025 that had been wrecked in transport. I grabbed a few wear items (alternator, pulleys, etc.) and on a whim asked what the ten speeder would cost me. It was cheap...really cheap. I knew some changes had been made in the '24+ version 10L and were supposedly not compatible, but I called service/parts at my local Chevy dealer and asked why and they didn't know. A call to a well known aftermarket transmission outfit revealed it was very likely it would be fine, but to them not 100% sure.   Because it was cheap (really cheap) and I was spooked, I took the chance. Had it installed by a local shop and it worked like a champ, shifted just like the original. At it's first service at 37k, I had the shop put in a Next Gen valve body kit, which after some initial hiccups and rough shifts, smoothed out though with somewhat firmer shifting.   All that said, I have a very serious concern about my newer transmission as just two weeks ago it suddenly began to exhibit a strong reluctance to engage forward or reverse. It was a bit past due anyway so I took it in for service. The reason it was sticking was due to 'glitter' in the fluid clogging the filter...not good folks, often indicates a converter giving out. We ended up going ahead with the new filter and fluid, first to see if it would move and shift, and then if so buy me a little time. It did, and I've driven it over a thousand miles and it is shifting smooth, no noises or slipping. Regardless, it looks like a third gearbox is in my future so I can resume taking long trips with some confidence. In the very short term, my curiosity will have me examining the fluid to check how much glitter has reappeared.   An earlier poster had alleged, in the context of 10L100 failures, that it is another example of how we seasoned citizens somehow descend into hysteria, lose control of our senses, and react irrationally after brief encounters with the idiocy of the internet infosphere. Let me say (and I have used and abused said internet since it's infancy) there is no segment of the populace that has a corner on over-reaction to digital garbage. Just as my offering of experience in this arena is purely anecdotal and should not be considered gospel or all-encompassing, I believe it is still worthwhile information to consider, along with other relevant anecdotal experiences about things like complex transmissions, especially when balanced with other sources.   So to answer the original question, yes I got high miles out of my first 10L, trouble free for 321,000. Now I really wonder how much longer it would have went. Did I 'overreact' to the internet ghouls by replacing a 'good' one with a 'bad' one? Maybe. Who knows, the thing might have taken a puke a 100 miles later. So I'll just fix it again, then move on and start thinking about all the other stuff that will eventually wear out. It still has the original brakes (they're at ~60%), original injectors/pump, turbo, water pump, etc....pretty much original everything. Knock on wood.
    • swathdiver
      6 Speed vs 8 Speed

      By swathdiver · Posted

      At peak temperature.  They get to cool down and warm up more, especially those with the external cooler.  I have three GMT900s and one of them has over 225K on its original transmission.  Fluid gets changed about every 36K miles, all of it.     It's not the bean counters, it was the government.  They had to meet CAFE standards and other government requirements.   To get around that, we tune them and modify them to our liking.
    • GMCustomerService
      Will not stay in Reverse

      By GMCustomerService · Posted

      Our customers' safety isn't something we take lightly. To ensure you get the proper assistance for your truck's repairs, please fill out the form at https://s.chevy.com/support-request with all pertinent details including your username.
    • GMCustomerService
      2026 Z71 Forward and Rear Park Assist help

      By GMCustomerService · Posted

      We appreciate you sharing your experience with your truck. To ensure we get you the proper assistance, please fill out the form at https://s.chevy.com/support-request with all pertinent details including your username.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...