Photos of mid-sized vehicles - Post Here
- Thread starter CityBoyAtl
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02rangeredge
Adventurer
I saw a video of one of these, snorkel and all on the duramax extended cab bison, with a utility bed and I won't lie-I'm not sure I've ever listed for something so muchI went to Overland West '19 this past weekend in my '19 Extended Cab Diesel ZR2 Bison, with my Xventure XV-2 in tow. I was amazed in how many folks walked up to me to talk about my rig and trailer setup and how much they liked it, some didn't know it was a Bison until they started chatting with me. Quite a few folks said this was the first time they saw one.
One amazing thing that happened is a guy walked up to me and asked if he could look at my truck. In chatting with him, he asked me if my name was Seth (which it is) turns out I graduated with this guy, Phillip back in 1999 at Florida State University, we had the same major Management Information Systems. Phillip and I talked for a good two hours, and he came again the next night and had a beer and we talked some more. He wants to get a Bison, but he's well over six feet and he can get comfortable in the front seat. He even rented a ZR2 for over two weeks last year and was hoping the Bison had new seats.
The first day I took 4 advanced driving classes, which I highly recommend. Since I was driving I didn't get to take pics of my truck, but over the boulders, the Camel Trophy Teachers wanted to see what the ZR2s (there were 4 of them in the class) could do, and they felt more comfortable pushing my Bison because of all the skid plates and me saying let's go for it. At one point over the articulation course, I was told my passenger rear wheel was over two feet in the air, everyone came up to me afterwards and asked if I **** my pants. Honestly I didn't even know it happened, the instructor was teaching me left foot braking so every movement was so smooth, with no drama felt. Learned that the exhaust brake, hill descent, and off-road mode work in reverse in the failed hill climb class, even without any of those enabled while in 4-low the truck has an awesome pace reversing down a hill. On the cross-axle course, my Bison in off-road mode was the only vehicle able to move out of the rollers in, AWD, 4 high and 4 low. Speaking of off-road mode, my truck was the only one able to get through all of the different courses in two-wheel drive with "off-road" mode enabled. This impressed many of the instructors, some didn't believe so I had to let them take my truck and see for themselves.
Supposedly some AEV employees tried talking to me while I was in the class (they were over the fence) and I snubbed them. Honestly I don't remember that, plus I have a thing for red beards, so I never would avoided that guy. Anyway when I went to the AEV booth the next day, I stayed for over an hour and talked to that guy and another who gave me a lot of details on the 35" tire kit they are preparing and some other things coming out for the Bison. I specifically asked if GM employees could get a discount on the AEV parts, since their employees are eligible for supplier discounts on GM Products and was told not a chance.
I was amazed at all of the ZR2's and Z71s at Overland Expo. One that sticks in my mind was a white ZR2 that I only saw from the rear, that had the rear bumper completely removed, but did have the tow bar. It looked really cool. Unfortunately I was in the middle of a Compass/Map class and couldn't get away for a closer look.
I decided to skip my classes on Sunday and start packing up because later that day the temps were supposed to drop and rain in the afternoon and snow that night, that along with the crazy winds and storms going across central US, including northern Texas, I decided I should leave a day early, in case I need to pull over due to weather and spend an extra night out on the road. That's when two guys walked up and told me they were from Outside Magazine and would like to feature me and my truck in the best rigs of Overland West 2019.
https://www.outsideonline.com/2396994/overland-expo-2019-rigs
Anyway, Overland Expo West 2019 was great, the Bison earned a lot of respect and we both had a great time.
Explorerinil
Observer
Awesome set up and great review. What’s your opinion of the diesel? Getting good mpg, plenty of power?I went to Overland West '19 this past weekend in my '19 Extended Cab Diesel ZR2 Bison, with my Xventure XV-2 in tow. I was amazed in how many folks walked up to me to talk about my rig and trailer setup and how much they liked it, some didn't know it was a Bison until they started chatting with me. Quite a few folks said this was the first time they saw one.
One amazing thing that happened is a guy walked up to me and asked if he could look at my truck. In chatting with him, he asked me if my name was Seth (which it is) turns out I graduated with this guy, Phillip back in 1999 at Florida State University, we had the same major Management Information Systems. Phillip and I talked for a good two hours, and he came again the next night and had a beer and we talked some more. He wants to get a Bison, but he's well over six feet and he can get comfortable in the front seat. He even rented a ZR2 for over two weeks last year and was hoping the Bison had new seats.
The first day I took 4 advanced driving classes, which I highly recommend. Since I was driving I didn't get to take pics of my truck, but over the boulders, the Camel Trophy Teachers wanted to see what the ZR2s (there were 4 of them in the class) could do, and they felt more comfortable pushing my Bison because of all the skid plates and me saying let's go for it. At one point over the articulation course, I was told my passenger rear wheel was over two feet in the air, everyone came up to me afterwards and asked if I **** my pants. Honestly I didn't even know it happened, the instructor was teaching me left foot braking so every movement was so smooth, with no drama felt. Learned that the exhaust brake, hill descent, and off-road mode work in reverse in the failed hill climb class, even without any of those enabled while in 4-low the truck has an awesome pace reversing down a hill. On the cross-axle course, my Bison in off-road mode was the only vehicle able to move out of the rollers in, AWD, 4 high and 4 low. Speaking of off-road mode, my truck was the only one able to get through all of the different courses in two-wheel drive with "off-road" mode enabled. This impressed many of the instructors, some didn't believe so I had to let them take my truck and see for themselves.
Supposedly some AEV employees tried talking to me while I was in the class (they were over the fence) and I snubbed them. Honestly I don't remember that, plus I have a thing for red beards, so I never would avoided that guy. Anyway when I went to the AEV booth the next day, I stayed for over an hour and talked to that guy and another who gave me a lot of details on the 35" tire kit they are preparing and some other things coming out for the Bison. I specifically asked if GM employees could get a discount on the AEV parts, since their employees are eligible for supplier discounts on GM Products and was told not a chance.
I was amazed at all of the ZR2's and Z71s at Overland Expo. One that sticks in my mind was a white ZR2 that I only saw from the rear, that had the rear bumper completely removed, but did have the tow bar. It looked really cool. Unfortunately I was in the middle of a Compass/Map class and couldn't get away for a closer look.
I decided to skip my classes on Sunday and start packing up because later that day the temps were supposed to drop and rain in the afternoon and snow that night, that along with the crazy winds and storms going across central US, including northern Texas, I decided I should leave a day early, in case I need to pull over due to weather and spend an extra night out on the road. That's when two guys walked up and told me they were from Outside Magazine and would like to feature me and my truck in the best rigs of Overland West 2019.
https://www.outsideonline.com/2396994/overland-expo-2019-rigs
Anyway, Overland Expo West 2019 was great, the Bison earned a lot of respect and we both had a great time.
Andrew_S
Observer
^^Great work on the Zr2, such a great looking and capable truck.
Such a nice set-up! Actually miss my colorado quite a bit, it's such a good platform imo.
emulous74
Well-known member
Thank you, I had a 2018 ZR2 gas V6 prior to the Diesel Bison, same setup on both of them, I'm averaging about 6 mpg better with the diesel than the gas, both city and highway, as well as towing an XVenture XV-2 trailer. There is definitely enough power around town and on the highway. Heading out to Expo West (towing the trailer) was a bit of a struggle when I reached elevations on I-40, I had to floor it several time to maintain speed and there was no way it was going to increase speed during those times. When I headed out to Expo East (towing the trailer) last year with the gas V6, I didn't have have the same struggle going up in the mountains on the Interstate. But all in all, the diesel wasn't dangerous, it just didn't have an excess oomph. Because it was working so hard, I had to refill the DEF 4 times within 2100 miles on this last trip, that was a bit of a shocker and disappointment for me. Sure I can delete the emissions through a software tune, but I'm not ready to do that just yet. This is the first diesel I've owned that uses DEF, so I'm still getting used to it. I personally think the diesel suits the ZR2 much better in that it's not as manic as the gas V6 and the transmission programming is much better on the diesel in that it doesn't force itself into the highest gear possible at every moment. The diesel downshifts a lot faster at the appropriate time than the gas version. If I had to replace the diesel, I would get another diesel.
Lost Roadie
Active member
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DT75FLH
Adventurer
better pic
The trailer weighs 2100 loaded for a trip with 347lbs of tongue weight. it has 18 gal water inside and 7 gal outside....i loved it and went out 2 weekends in a row in utah....on my 3rd trip out, this happened. ..im not happy with chevy its been at the shop for 6 weeks at dealer while they decide if its my fault. ..unbelievable. ..i have not posted any pics yet as i have been patient with customer assistance. ...i hit a dip in the road at about 25 mph...again this is the 3rd trip with this trailer and i have over 1k miles off road with the trailer... the frame at this spot is three and 1/2 in tall and you can see the Factory cutouts which makes it a unique weak spot.
I also have not had the recall done yet and the side airbags did not deploy showing that I was not driving at crazy off road speeds with the trailer.... I was on Smokey Mountain Road which is a Scenic byway in the Grand staircase-escalante National monument in Utah, then up smoky hollow road.. there is also no damage whatsoever to the undercarriage or anywhere else on the truck..I've been without the truck for 6 weeks now... making insurance and truck payments on it the trucks one-year-old with 11,000 miles on it...chevy sent an investigator out last fri (5weeks later). and we weighed the trailer along with the items i had in the back
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Explorerinil
Observer
Wow! That’s not good at all, I was thinking about downsizing to a zr2 for my next vehicle, but with that pic I definitely won’t consider that truck anymore.
Explorerinil
Observer
I’m taking a guess here, really weak frame? I’ve never seen that before.
DT75FLH
Adventurer
yes, I found another pic of a zr2 bent at the same spot towing a heavier trailer 4400lb iirc. but the truck is rated for a 5k lb trailer....the other 2 trucks were also crew cab short beds...i have not seen one bent that is the ext cab, or the cclb...
regardless, I wont trust the truck again, even if they put a new frame in....from my research, these high-strength steel, hydroform frames cannot be repaired. it must be replaced... which limits trying to reinforce it in that area without voiding my factory warranty...
my trips usually invole being 50 to 100 miles out in the backcountry, i wont take the stress of worring about the truck while im out. ive already replaced the truck, just waiting to see how bad i have to fight GM.... they want me to turn it into my insurance so I have an insurance claim....yeah, no thanks.
Up until this point, and my last 2 off road trips I loved the truck... having both lockers, size of the truck and I could get up to 18 to 19 miles per gallon on the freeway Towing that off-road trailer I was pretty happy with it... the weekend prior to bending the frame I was on a trip in Utah and had about a hundred yards section of snow on a Mountain Road that took both Lockers in 4lo to get through. It was fun.
