Silverado Trail Boss 30k Mile Review

[z1boss]

Well guys, I finally broke 30,000 miles yesterday.  It has been an amazing experience so far and I am very blessed to own this truck.

 

Background:

I special ordered my LT Trail Boss back in May 2018 and picked it up in September 2018.  I have almost every option that you can order on it except the sunroof (would have delayed my production at the time).  My truck was built the very first week of production (7/09/2018) and is one of only a small handful of Red Silverados, if not the only one, to receive the Gideon/Dark Atmosphere leather interior as that color was changed to not an option for Red Silverados on the second week of production.  Within the first week or two of receiving it, I installed a custom Electronic Cutout System for my exhaust, Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ 33.5x12.5R20 mud tires, an Undercover Ultra Flex tonneau cover, and vinyl wrapped the scoop portion of my hood.  Later on, I installed some cosmetic hood vents.  Then, about two weeks ago, I installed the Trail Boss / AT4 specific ReadyLift +2” lift kit, giving me a total of 4” inches of lift.  This allowed me to run 35x12.5s and I am loving the new taller stance of my truck more and more every day.

 

Review:

I have driven my Trail Boss all over the place, in a wide variety of conditions and never had any major issues.  From -15 degree weather to over 100 degrees, this truck has performed excellent.  The only two problems I have ever had (which are resolved) was a Bluetooth sync issue very early on for a few months and a random, once-in-a-blue-moon appearance of the ESC light only to have it go away at next start up.  Both of these issues have been long gone now and I couldn’t be happier with the truck.  If I had to make a list of my favorite options, it would be the Trail Boss trim level, Safety Package I, and Convenience Package II.  In my opinion, the Trail Boss trim gives this Silverado a unique look and a tough image.  The blacked-out appearance along with the “Trail Boss” name just emphasizes that this is one bad truck (in a good way).  The Safety Package I has saved my skin so many times and in my opinion it is a must have.  The Rear Cross Traffic Alert gives you advanced warning of vehicles/pedestrians that may cross your path as you reverse, and the Side Blind Spot detectors are a huge plus in giving you peace of mind when making a lane change.  Furthermore, the Convenience Package II adds some nice creature comforts that I can’t really live without.  The Bose stereo w/ subwoofer hits loud and crystal clear.  The rear sliding window provides nice airflow in the summer months and the garage door HomeLink buttons are a nice touch.  The one thing that I do not have because it was not available in 2019 on the Trail Boss is the 6.2 L.  This is now an option for 2020 Trail Boss trims, and I am kind of upset that it wasn’t offered in 2019.  I would not trade in my truck over this, but I really wanted the bigger motor.  That being said, the 5.3 L in this new gen T1 truck is much quicker and more responsive than the 2018 and prior trucks.  It may have to do with the weigh savings this new gen truck has, in addition to the new Dynamic Fuel Management system, which is seamless and unnoticeable.  Whatever the reason, this truck has a lot of pep, even in 5.3 L form.  Overall, I am very happy with this truck and the way it has performed, and I look forward to another 30,000 miles.  Any questions just ask.

 

Disclaimer: No one pressured me to write this review, nor did GM have any contact with me about it.  This is my honest opinion on how I feel about the truck and I hope this review helps anyone thinking about buying one to make the right decision for them.

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by z1boss

[SamDSJR]

Good to hear there is a first-week production truck out there running good. That's one of my biggest fears with buying this first model year truck for the first time in my life. My 2019 was made in 3/19, so hoping they got most of the bugs out. Glad things are going well for you!

[mistaare]

Just curious, with the lift and MT's, what kind of mpg are you getting? 

 

Hood vents look sick (in a good way)!!

 

great looking truck 

[z1boss]

1 minute ago, mistaare said:

Just curious, with the lift and MT's, what kind of mpg are you getting? 

 

Hood vents look sick (in a good way)!!

 

great looking truck 

Thanks!!  With the lift, my speedo is currently off but between 11.5 and 14 city.  Highway is around 16-18.  Once corrected, I assume that the city will be around 13-15.  I'm not noticing the need to fill up more frequently and my drive has remained the same so I think it's just the incorrect odometer showing a decline in city mpg when the average is calculated.

[tinbad]

Nice review and very nice truck! 

Did you also get the GM performance upgrade?

I custom ordered mine and checked off every box, including CAI/exhaust and sunroof. The only thing I didn’t order is the off road appearance package which I thought was just silly looking for something not functional.

 

I already placed my order when they announced the 6.2 and considered cancelling and waiting for the 20s but glad I didn’t since the first TBs with the 6.2 aren’t set to arrive until next year. For being built in may, mine has had some (mostly minor) gremlins and it seems your early build truck had less issues. Maybe it’s because mine is built in Mexico (which unfortunately I had no control over when ordering).

 

Enjoy the Beautiful truck and hopefully it stays as trouble free as it has been so far!

[z1boss]

Thank you!  I did not get the performance package because I installed an electric cutout instead since I wanted a very loud truck with the option to push a button and make it stock quiet for trips.  As for the quality, mine was built in Indiana but I believe the first few thousand trucks were subject to extra attention and inspections since they wanted a perfect launch.  Thanks for the kind words and I wish you the best with your truck as well!

[Radchad]

Nice truck!!!  How much horsepower did you gain with the hood vents?  I heard as much as 30hp.  

 

[z1boss]

10 minutes ago, Radchad said:

Nice truck!!!  How much horsepower did you gain with the hood vents?  I heard as much as 30hp.  

 

Thanks!!  I think it's closer to a 35 hp increase

[Radchad]

34 minutes ago, z1boss said:

Thanks!!  I think it's closer to a 35 hp increase

Just messing man. Very nice ride.

[Dunn]

TB its just a Silverado with 2''  spacer lift with rancho shocks isn it?

[z1boss]

2 minutes ago, Dunn said:

TB its just a Silverado with 2''  spacer lift with rancho shocks isn it?

Its more than that.  The 2 inch lift is achieved through a whole different strut assembly along with different CVs, longer shocks that are Rancho, etc.  More information can be found on the Chevrolet website.

[Dunn]

yeah I seen it, almost bought TB and then almost just got kit but decided to go different route

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[AD80]

Good to hear your suspension is still holding up after 30k with those heavy tires. I put heavy tires And a level on my x31 (non at4) and I drive a lot of poorly maintained gravel roads with washboards and potholes. Have under 1k miles so far and hope it holds up in the long run.

[mistaare]

4 hours ago, AD80 said:

Good to hear your suspension is still holding up after 30k with those heavy tires. I put heavy tires And a level on my x31 (non at4) and I drive a lot of poorly maintained gravel roads with washboards and potholes. Have under 1k miles so far and hope it holds up in the long run.

Pictures?

 

[hotrodz37]

How is the 8 speed transmission? Did you get the fluid replaced with the new Mobil they recommend? How are the seats? Did they break in nicely? Only two things I am concerned about with the 2019. About to pull the trigger on one.

 

Thanks!