I was never a General Motors guy, till I stumbled upon this 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE. I bought it in 2018, for $11,000. Had 51,000 miles.
It has been utterly reliable, gets 21mpg on the highway, and rides like a luxury vehicle.
Around town, 15-17mpg.
In auto 4WD, 14mpg.
Just turned 97K, and I'm likely to stay in it for another 75K.
She's developed the dreaded rocker rust, and I have an appointment in the spring to have them both replaced.
"... And miles to go before I sleep".
I'm not a GM guy either, but for that price I wouldn't have been able to put money down on it fast enough. I've been kicking myself for not buying a truck in the 15-18 timeframe. Almost had a pretty low mile CPO 2011 F-150 (XLT, Crew Cab, 4x4, V8, Towing Package) for $22-24k in 2015. Same spec/age CPO F-150 truck when I finally got a truck in 2020 was $35-37k around here (though the local Ford dealer is a good bit higher because they think everyone has that contractor/GS/SES money).Originally Posted by CSW
Last edited by ragnar_d; 12-17-2023 at 12:39 PM.
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur."
Disclaimer: I have previously worked in the firearms industry as an engineer. Thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine alone and not those of my prior employers.
Other than the diamondback and the Extang Encore, are there any bed covers for our trucks that give you the option to open just the front portion? I've currently got a tri-fold, and I'm getting tired of having to move a bunch of stuff to get to a bunch of other stuff because wherever I put the stuff I want it is inevitably behind the stuff I don't want...until I rearrange my stuff. I'm thinking a butterfly style cover would be more betterer.
I don't have, or want, a truck top tent so bonus if it's strong enough I can sleep on in decent weather.
Anyone with experience with either, or both, of the above options is welcome to chime in as well and would be appreciated.
Sorta around sometimes for some of your shitty mod needs.
Finally got my claim approved and appointment with the body shop Jan 25th. Parts ordered. They say they can do it in one day (ish) assuming nothing emerges when they open it up. Estimate was $4,200, so I'll get my (fixed) truck back, and can put in a further claim for diminishment of value, whatever that turns out to be. I'm not expecting that will cover the drop in value, to be honest, but it's better than nothing.
I'm planning to keep the truck; any loss we take we will only realize if we sell it. I only have 36k on it and it runs like a top. Even though SWMBO approved me looking for options, there's nothing really I'd like to replace it with. I just like driving it. The Hemi and 33 gallon tank are big pluses.
Oh and even though we sold the travel trailer, I plan to insert a hitch in the receiver after it's fixed; might slow down any future rear-end collisions a bit. Plus if I get hit again, I don't really care too much at this point.
We always joke about this, but a few years ago some young guy ran into mine. I had just finished getting several things tweaked (new struts, new cover, yada) and I was pissed that my truck was going to be screwed up. Got out and the kid's Civic looked like an open tuna can, and I am pretty sure my reciever wasn't even scratched. We exchanged info, and I had a shop check to make sure I wasn't overlooking anything, and when the adjuster called me I think he was a little stunned that I wasn't going to claim anything...
What do you think of this for a little bit of added protection back there? I’m 5’6” and could use the step anyway.
https://www.weathertech.com/bumpstep/
That looks like a nice product, but is plastic. It would be better if you backed it into something in your garage, but not stop a car from hitting your truck.
I have a front receiver that I have wanted this for, might be nice in the rear also?
I have also seen people with ball mounts like this in place without the ball attached. Just yesterday I noticed a guy with something like this with the ball attached, but flipped around so it was under the bumper where it would be handy, but not bang your shins:
Agree with you on plastic. Hmmm.
Will either use my normal hitch w ball, or I like this skid plate option also. Maybe this.
CURT 31007 Trailer Hitch Skid Plate for 2-Inch Receiver https://a.co/d/0lhTEXt
I had just noticed the Curt option yesterday. One of those things that if it were $30 I would have clicked, but the ball mount I need to get my boat into the storage unit has a bit of the same shape, I admitted to myself I would end up with it staying in there most of the time.
Reference the armor doo-dads for receiver hitches, keep in mind they are safer for your vehicle and less safe for occupants. Plenty of research out there from various regulatory and insurance entities if you care to look. Basically all say the same: Less damage to the car, especially at low speeds, but transmits the force directly to the frame creating a much sharper pulse of energy to the occupants (same amount of energy applied over shorter period of time) increasing risk of injury in moderate to severe crashes.
Roll your dice, take your chances.
Sorta around sometimes for some of your shitty mod needs.
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