Hello From the Boston Area

[B^2]

Hello,

Been posting over on the Colorado Fans and Expedition Portal forums for a little and decided to check this place out. Right now I have a stock 2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 Crew Cab with the longer bed. It's the midnight edition which is basically just black wheels/tires, spray in bed liner and some other non performance items. Currently, I'm researching a RTT with either a bed rack or a ARE CX HD cap with the RTT. The truck is my weekend fun vehicle from skiing in the winter to mtn biking in the non winter months. Thinking about checking out the Overland Expo in NC this fall.

Cheers,
Will

 

[Chadlyb]

Hello,

Been posting over on the Colorado Fans and Expedition Portal forums for a little and decided to check this place out. Right now I have a stock 2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 Crew Cab with the longer bed. It's the midnight edition which is basically just black wheels/tires, spray in bed liner and some other non performance items. Currently, I'm researching a RTT with either a bed rack or a ARE CX HD cap with the RTT. The truck is my weekend fun vehicle from skiing in the winter to mtn biking in the non winter months. Thinking about checking out the Overland Expo in NC this fall.

Cheers,
Will

Hello Will and welcome to the OB crew. .great looking rig and look forward to seeing your build and adventures.

 

[Out_and_Back_Again]

Will,

Is your rig a Gas or Diesel? Are you only using it as a vehicle to get to the slopes/trails with or do you have plans to use it on the trails (backcountry off-road stuff)? I'm just curious is the Z71 is sufficient for the kinds of things I want to do off-road. Any performance upgrades you are looking into?

 

[B^2]

Will,

Is your rig a Gas or Diesel? Are you only using it as a vehicle to get to the slopes/trails with or do you have plans to use it on the trails (backcountry off-road stuff)? I'm just curious is the Z71 is sufficient for the kinds of things I want to do off-road. Any performance upgrades you are looking into?

My rig is gas. The diesel is cool but the price markup would take years to pay off the difference in gas mileage. Also the diesel version only has 700lbs more towing capacity. 7k vs 7.7k If you go with the ZR2 you cant get the long bed and your towing capacity drops down to 5,000lbs. For me, carrying skis is important so I prefer the longer bed. I'm willing to concede the offroad performance because for the time being the ZR1 suits my needs better than the ZR2 can.

I'd like to do some light off road stuff but so far I've only used it to get to the slopes/trails. Plans are a full set of skid plates, remove the front air damn, hitch mounted spare (most likely wilco offroad) and maybe a bed rack for a future RTT. I'll also pick up some odds and ends like a first aid kit, some recovery gear, and maybe a radio for travelling off the grid. I've looked into a cap vs a bed rack for a RTT but the caps top out at like 500lbs weight and with a big four person CVT tent plus my wife and I, thats a no go. I may get the Voodoo rack that allows me to use my tonneau cover that way I can keep my stuff dry/secure during ski season.

Given that the truck will still be driven mostly on the road, I'm not really interested in a big lift right now. It's also new enough (14k miles) that I'm not ready for the Eibach kit. I like the look a lot with the "midnight edition" package so the goal is to focus on little things here and there. Planning to hit the Overland Expo in NC in November to get some ideas and see some tents in person.

 

[Out_and_Back_Again]

My rig is gas. The diesel is cool but the price markup would take years to pay off the difference in gas mileage. Also the diesel version only has 700lbs more towing capacity. 7k vs 7.7k If you go with the ZR2 you cant get the long bed and your towing capacity drops down to 5,000lbs. For me, carrying skis is important so I prefer the longer bed. I'm willing to concede the offroad performance because for the time being the ZR1 suits my needs better than the ZR2 can.

I'd like to do some light off road stuff but so far I've only used it to get to the slopes/trails. Plans are a full set of skid plates, remove the front air damn, hitch mounted spare (most likely wilco offroad) and maybe a bed rack for a future RTT. I'll also pick up some odds and ends like a first aid kit, some recovery gear, and maybe a radio for travelling off the grid. I've looked into a cap vs a bed rack for a RTT but the caps top out at like 500lbs weight and with a big four person CVT tent plus my wife and I, thats a no go. I may get the Voodoo rack that allows me to use my tonneau cover that way I can keep my stuff dry/secure during ski season.

Given that the truck will still be driven mostly on the road, I'm not really interested in a big lift right now. It's also new enough (14k miles) that I'm not ready for the Eibach kit. I like the look a lot with the "midnight edition" package so the goal is to focus on little things here and there. Planning to hit the Overland Expo in NC in November to get some ideas and see some tents in person.

That is about what I'm looking for. Just shopping around right now. I like the Colorado style the best. I would like the long bed so the dog can be in the bed while we travel. Like you I don't want to do anything extreme, but I already take our min-van as far off-road as I can for camping, and the Outback goes deer hunting with me. So I need something more capable for those activities

 

[B^2]

That is about what I'm looking for. Just shopping around right now. I like the Colorado style the best. I would like the long bed so the dog can be in the bed while we travel. Like you I don't want to do anything extreme, but I already take our min-van as far off-road as I can for camping, and the Outback goes deer hunting with me. So I need something more capable for those activities

I haven't looked into it yet but the big advantage of the ZR2 for some is the front and rear lockers it has. As far as I'm aware of, no other stock/factory midsize truck on the market has that right now. I've yet to need them but I may look into it down the road. If you're looking at mid size trucks, keep an eye out on the new ford ranger as it might have some bells and whistles to be competitive with the Colorado and the Tacoma.

 

[Out_and_Back_Again]

I haven't looked into it yet but the big advantage of the ZR2 for some is the front and rear lockers it has. As far as I'm aware of, no other stock/factory midsize truck on the market has that right now. I've yet to need them but I may look into it down the road. If you're looking at mid size trucks, keep an eye out on the new ford ranger as it might have some bells and whistles to be competitive with the Colorado and the Tacoma.

I did know about the lockers, but I think it would be cheaper to install them aftermarket if needed. I don't think I would ever need a front locker. I don't like that the unique shocks on the ZR2 hang so low below the axle, I don't know that anyone has had problems with that it just seems like a bad location for an off-road vehicle. Also I'm sure replacing those shocks down the road won't be cheap, where-as most regular rear shocks are pretty cheap (even "performance" shocks).