Question on silverado seats and bed

[Realism]

I am looking at picking up a 2020 silverado 1500. I want the Crew Cab (without the under seat storage) So I can flip the seats up and put my tool packouts in the back, and then put the I dont care if it gets stolen items in the bed. (Might get a shell if I cant find one that has it on it). But finding leather seats has been a pain.

Would replacing the seats with leather be difficulty or too costly? I have heard about katzskins, and would do those if it was not too expensive, (like i figure $2-3k for a full replacement of mid leather).

Also, is there any real benefit to a short box, vs standard, vs long bed? Aside from the obvious of being able to put more stuff in the back.
I dont have a fifth wheel, but I plan on buying a standard camp trailer sometime in next 5 years maybe, nothing too big. I pretty much would only use my bed for some materials, nothing over 6 feet really, maybe some 8 foot 2x4 buts thats it. Throw camping gear in the back.
Ive heard that you get a smoother ride with longer beds, but the trade off of parking and driving doesnt feel like it would be worth it

 

[Mooseman]

I have a 2021 Sierra Crew Cab with the regular box. Yes you can fit more stuff in the back and I find towing to be more stable with the longer wheel base. My gripes with it is that it has the turning radius of a school bus and parking it is a real PITA. It's real long. I either have to park far from the door at the mall where there are less cars and just drive straight into the spot or I have to back in everywhere. Parking garages are a hoot.

Whether you get the short or regular box, find one with the Mutliflex tailgate. It looks like a gimmick but I use mine all the time. Just climbing into the bed is so much easier! And when carrying longer stuff you can use that lip as a retainer. I've also used the upper tailgate open for when carrying longer stuff like pipes, which works with the hard tonneau cover on mine. I also love that extra reach into the bed.

And if you can, look at the 3.0L diesel. I have it and it's a great engine. It sips fuel so it makes up for the higher fuel prices and DEF use. I'm at 60k km and haven't had a single issue, except for a crank no start that was fixed with a PCM update. Just be aware that a higher mileage unit (>150k miles) may need to have its oil pump belt replaced, which requires dropping the trans.

 

[Realism]

Multi flex. Never heard of thst so would probably end being an after market thing I buy.
I would go diesel but most of my driving is all in town, so the mpg is going to suck hard.
5.3L is about what I’m left looking at.
I’m going to miss my 4.2L vortec in my voy. But funilly enough. I’m going to get better gas mileage with a 5.3.

Turning radius sucks I’m the voy, so I’m expecting it to be the same with the Silverado.

I’m basically down to one of two vehicles at the moment.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/e50fa79d-bf76-4f72-a937-7a78962ffe10?aff=share_other

It’s cheaper and leather. I want leather but can replace cloth with leather if need be. 115k is higher than I would like for something I plan on keeping for 20 years.

Going to go look at this one tomorrow. https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/22dc20a8-f839-4edc-967e-4407670832d7?aff=share_other
Lower miles and it has a shell and runner boards.
The shell is a big sell for me cuz I’d like to keep my tools in the back covered and unstolen.
Judging by the accident it lists. Hit an animal. I assume it was a highway that love tapped a deer. I’ll go see if it was just panel damage or if the frame got tweaked. I’m figuring if deer then it’s probably just panel. Unless it was moose. But then again moose would have been a total loss of vehicle. Chevy is good but it ain’t walking away from a moose.

What are your thoughts between the two vehicles.

 

[Mooseman]

Multi flex. Never heard of thst so would probably end being an after market thing I buy.

It's a factory option so it has to come with it.

I would go diesel but most of my driving is all in town, so the mpg is going to suck hard.

Here's a couple of pics of my MPGs (switched to US). The lower one is lifetime MPG average including city, hwy, towing a 7000# RV trailer. The higher one is just driving back and forth to work and city driving. No gasser can touch this. And yes, I did get a best of 37 MPG!



I can't comment on the prices however, one thing I would be concerned about is the 8 speed tranny in them. They are absolute GARBAGE! Nothing but problems. I have driven one behind the 5.3 (the dealership's parts delivery truck) and every time I drive it, it gets worse. When stopping it feels like the brakes are warped as it downshifts and sometimes misses shifts. At least once a week, one comes in with a blown tranny. I wouldn't trust them.

 

[Mooseman]

And if possible, you should get it tuned to turn off AFM/DFM, auto stop/start and tune the tranny to last a little longer but tuning on these newer ECMs is pricey as they have to be unlocked.

 

[Realism]

It's a factory option so it has to come with it.

Here's a couple of pics of my MPGs (switched to US). The lower one is lifetime MPG average including city, hwy, towing a 7000# RV trailer. The higher one is just driving back and forth to work and city driving. No gasser can touch this. And yes, I did get a best of 37 MPG!

View attachment 113065View attachment 113066

I can't comment on the prices however, one thing I would be concerned about is the 8 speed tranny in them. They are absolute GARBAGE! Nothing but problems. I have driven one behind the 5.3 (the dealership's parts delivery truck) and every time I drive it, it gets worse. When stopping it feels like the brakes are warped as it downshifts and sometimes misses shifts. At least once a week, one comes in with a blown tranny. I wouldn't trust them.

I would like a 10 but I’ve only seen 3 under $35k. And those were trail bosses.
I’m not a fan of that factory lift. Plus I’d like to park in only one parking spot

 

[Realism]

I went and test drove the white one. You can tell it hit something, didnt find any bondo spots or major panel gabs, but you can still tell. and some rust spots and paint chips that were spot tapped horribly. It drives okay. It seems a little noisy when the tires are moving, not sure if that is normal with these. Does yours have noise while driving at low speed? Im used to my envoy being silent as an assassin with an end link pop lol
The sound is interesting because its not the sound you would hear from let say a wheel bearing on its way out. It tracks straight, but it does say it has uneven brake wear, indicator says 74% on fronts and 92% on year. There is a Judder when slowing down at city speeds, with the uneven brake wear I wonder if a rotor is out or something else is going on. I did look to see if the brake controller was on, but I did not see any indication that it was on. Everything is so fancy and electronic now, I am not sure if the judder was caused by a setting that was on or not.

Gas mileage sucks or I assume it spent most of its life towing loads, cuz it was saying an average of 13mpg but I was seeing about 18 when I was driving it around. I cant complain much though, the voy only gets 15-21 and I average 17.5. I did another look per your recommendation for diesel, but what I found is above my price range. Trying to keep it below $35k.
Def going to see if the dealership will take off the asking price given possible brake issue and the fact I am positive these are the OG tires, cuz they down to the nubbins.

Other than the above mechanical issues, I might be able to live with it. I did put my reader on it and pulled up old modules and such. There were disruptions in the ECM and i think the ECBM at one point.

Might have a mechanic look at the braking system, but either way I am thinking of asking like $4k off their asking price. There were some codes that came up on the scanner that makes one wonder.
It is 3 pending codes. U0146 Lost comm with gateway A, U0101 Lost comm with TCM, U0100 Lost Comm with ECM/pcm A
history shows C1599 and C1512 in power steering module, a telamatics code, and previous Uo100s such as lost com with power steering module, restraints module, transfer case control module,, those are all in the Brake control module..
I assume the history is going to be the accident that happened and them replacing parts or testing stuff.

 

[Mooseman]

Does yours have noise while driving at low speed?

Nope.

but it does say it has uneven brake wear, indicator says 74% on fronts and 92% on year.

Mine's like that and is perfectly normal for most vehicles. Fronts always wear more than rears.

There is a Judder when slowing down at city speeds,

That would be the tranny. Before hitting the brake, throw into neutral and start braking to confirm.

It seems a little noisy when the tires are moving, not sure if that is normal with these.

Maybe the type of tires? The knobby off-road tires are more noisy. The Wranglers are awful.

It is 3 pending codes. U0146 Lost comm with gateway A, U0101 Lost comm with TCM, U0100 Lost Comm with ECM/pcm A

I'd be very leery of lost comms codes, especially if pending. They might have been cleared without being fixed and just waiting to pop back up. The historical ones could have been from the infamous broken ground wire to the frame, which is conveniently located right behind the front wheel to get blasted by all the water and salt.

Personally, I would pass unless you can get it inspected BEFORE buying.

 

[Realism]

Nope.


Mine's like that and is perfectly normal for most vehicles. Fronts always wear more than rears.


That would be the tranny. Before hitting the brake, throw into neutral and start braking to confirm.


Maybe the type of tires? The knobby off-road tires are more noisy. The Wranglers are awful.


I'd be very leery of lost comms codes, especially if pending. They might have been cleared without being fixed and just waiting to pop back up. The historical ones could have been from the infamous broken ground wire to the frame, which is conveniently located right behind the front wheel to get blasted by all the water and salt.

Personally, I would pass unless you can get it inspected BEFORE buying.

I didn’t try putting it into neutral. Good thought through. I’m def having it scheduled for a pre purchase inspection.
Normally I would consider the transmission as a possibility for the shudder, but the fact it happened as soon as I press on the brake, when under 45 mph it starts… I’m inclined to think braking or wheel system as opposed to tranny. It just has too much of that grabby feel. Like you quickly press and release break a few times a second. Hub could be out.

The noise sounds more metallic than off road tire noise. Granted the tires on it are knobby and they are shot to shirt, I think it’s connected to the shudder. My envoy had a rubbing sound at low speeds until I replaced the front rotors.


Yeah. I don’t give history much prevalence but when I see those sitting in pending, it does make one wonder. The dealership that has it has an excellent reputation among the valley, so I can’t see them intentionally covering anything up. Plus they have had it for 8 months without it selling.
I can imagine someone test driving it and going nope.

While I would like to continue holding out and looking, I know I’m fighting an unknown wire time. My Voy is pissed she is getting replaced and acting up like the scorned woman she is. Blower relay went in and out today, I replaced it under warranty part but noticed my battery indicator is under 14 instead of usually over 14 a smidge.
I’m wondering if the blower motor is going to tighten down and is pulling more amps than what it should be.

Lol. I’ve replaced more things on that suv in the last two months since I started looking for a new vehicle than I have had to in the last 3 years

 

[TollKeeper]

I would not touch ANYTHING gasoline powered from GM newer than 2017. Lots of issues with every single engine. Lifters, Valve Train, Transmission... No thing out of the general with a GAS powered engine I would even consider looking at.

The BabyMax, some call it a MiniMax, is a all around fantastic engine, and literally, the only thing I would buy from GM (except for the TurboMax 2.7, dont know much about these engines).

If you are stuck on buying a GM Gasser, make sure you get what ever warranty you can, you will use it, A LOT.

 

[Realism]

Nope.


Mine's like that and is perfectly normal for most vehicles. Fronts always wear more than rears.


That would be the tranny. Before hitting the brake, throw into neutral and start braking to confirm.


Maybe the type of tires? The knobby off-road tires are more noisy. The Wranglers are awful.


I'd be very leery of lost comms codes, especially if pending. They might have been cleared without being fixed and just waiting to pop back up. The historical ones could have been from the infamous broken ground wire to the frame, which is conveniently located right behind the front wheel to get blasted by all the water and salt.

Personally, I would pass unless you can get it inspected BEFORE buying.

Hey Mooseman,
Have you ever had difficulty finding diesel pumps or had someone accidently put regular gas in it. I found a few 10 speeds, two are Sierra SLE around 110k miles (170k km), gas, and a silverado Diesel 3.0L 96k miles (154k km). It is priced like $5k higher.
I have some trepidation cuz I dont like the thought of black smoke coming out my exhaust, call me a tree hugging hippy if you want, but I am very self conscious about things like that. Zero problems tossing screaming wood into my fireplace though

But seriously I am on the fence. Also I hear that GM manufactures the Sierra to have better suspension, so now I am wondering if Sierra is better than Silverado in terms of durability . . . and smoother ride. Man do I like the smooth ride and not hearing anything

 

[Mooseman]

Have you ever had difficulty finding diesel pumps or had someone accidently put regular gas in it.

Nope. I actually find it rare that any gas station doesn't have diesel. Costco Canada is one of them but I hear some in the US does sell it. And yes, there have been a couple that have come through the dealership that has had gas put in the diesel tank and that does get expensive to fix. Also heard of people putting DEF in the diesel, which is even worse. I have an extra cap that says "diesel" as a reminder and also keeps dirt out.

I have some trepidation cuz I dont like the thought of black smoke coming out my exhaust, call me a tree hugging hippy if you want, but I am very self conscious about things like that. Zero problems tossing screaming wood into my fireplace though

I have NEVER seen any smoke. Modern diesels are cleaner than just about anything with all the pollution controls in them. Anytime I smell anything is on cold winter mornings when I remote start it with no wind there is an acrid smell in the air but no smoke. There can also be a smell if you're stopped at a light while you're in regen and it's burning off the soot but it's at such a high temperature, there is no smoke.

However, that is the one caveat. After the warranty is over, these systems can be expensive to fix and the ECU will force you to get it fixed when it throws a code and will tell you that you have so many miles before your speed is reduced. Eventually it will refuse to even start. In the case of this particular engine, it was built with these systems built in rather than added on like on the older design Duramax and is very reliable. Only thing I have ever seen was either owner error (gas or DEF in the tank) or a cracked DEF tank because the owner overfilled it during winter and froze (I don't completely fill mine during winter).

The 10 speed, no matter the engine you get with it, is way better than the garbage 8 speed before it. Just change the fluid and filter regularly and ditch the thermostat that keeps it running hot. I have changed my fluid at 50k km and put a bypass that allows the fluid to go to the cooler 100% of the time.

Another thing if getting an older one is the oil pump belt that needs to be replaced at 200k miles, which requires dropping the tranny. $$$$.

Mind you, my 2021 is at just under 61k km so it's still a baby but I've been working it towing our 7000# RV trailer on a regular basis without any issues. Still loving the mileage.

 

[Realism]

Did they ever fix the 8 speed issue with the new generation? Post 2020. I know I hear that 2019 was terrible and that previous years were pretty bad at times for the 8, but something about switch trans fluid helped

Im having a hell of a time finding 10 speeds

 

[Mooseman]

Kinda. I used a 2022 at the dealership and it was always weird shifting down. Made it feel like the brakes were warped unless I shifted into N. Last I saw it it had over 100k km and was still working ok. Probably changing the fluid might help with longevity.