Neighbors Duramax folds

[Bob Horrell]

My neighbor has a new Duramax. He went to get hay the other day and loaded 16 bales - 4 laying down in the bed, 4 on each side hanging on the bed rails, and then 4 on top in the middle. This is a very common way to haul hay. I have even hauled 8 on each side hanging on the rails before. He gets home and unloads and notices that on one side the sheetmetal skin on the outside of the box is warped. It looks like a washboard. The metal on that bed is THIN. I told him that is what he gets for not buying a real ranch truck.

He took it to the dealer and they said they would fix it. They bondoed it and it still has a wave in it. It looks like cr@p. He complained about how it looked and they said that was all they would do. He is now looking for a new bed. I told him he is wasting his time, he should be looking for a real truck.

He bought the truck because we go get hay together sometimes out at a ranchers field. We help each other load and then head home. He had a Chevy 454 and was tired of me beating him up the hill on the way home. I usually haul 100+ bales on my trailer and 16 on the flatbed of the truck. Total gross weight about 24,000lbs. He hauls a little less and grosses about 20,000lbs. He still can't come close to keeping up with me in the new Duramax. Empty it is pretty fast, but with a load going up a hill, it just doesn't have the b@lls.

 

[Alan Reagan]

Cheby boys are gonna want the VIN on that one. I agree the sheet metal is thin. The two Chebys I have owned rusted through behind the wheels and I live in the South (no salt). Skimpy body work is a trade mark of those trucks. Bow tie? Not exactly the hard working emblem I want on mine.

 

[jman]

I have a neighbor with a duramax and he crawls up on the bed rails to latch his gooseneck hitch. The metal is so thin that it looks like you took a hammer and pounded on them. This is just from his knees!! He's not a real big guy either. I would at least put some aftermarket rails on to cover the dents if it were me. At least it would hide the cheap sheet metal on part of the truck.

 

[JoeyD]

That is a common problem with the HD's. There is a TSB about bed cracking when a box or rack is used. There is no way he should have to live with a quarter panel looking like that.



Now about that VIN #, you guys would cry up a storm if that was posted on the GM site, a GM guy towing 24k out ran a Dodge towing 20k.

 

[JIM S.]

Now about that VIN #, you guys would cry up a storm if that was posted on the GM site, a GM guy towing 24k out ran a Dodge towing 20k.

JDE... maybe we would... but after all the hype... we expect the duramax to slice bread and butter it!

Jim

 

[Hale on wheels]

Jdecampo,



Doesn't chevy offer a bed option that is fiberglass or some kind of hard plastic? I thought I remember seeing that a while back. Is that supposed to be as strong or stronger than the sheet metal beds, or was I smoking something I shouldn't have been when I thought I read about that option?

 

[Alan Reagan]

OK, Random pee test, right here. It's probably that same stuff they built the Fiero out of as well as that other car they advertise where the idiot swings out on the rope and flies into the side of the car. I haven't seen where Cheb is doing that but I don't doubt it. Bad thing is, the Fiero looked like hell after a couple of years. You couldn't ding the stuff but it faded unevenly.

 

[Straight6Jeff]

What is disgusting is that any manufacturer can get away with offering beds like that. I remember reading the threads on the Chevy site about the beds and tearing and the corner braces. If I remeber correctly, GM would only perform the fix if the rails were already torn. No preventative actions to be taken.



"Sorry sir, your bed still looks good on your $40k truck. We cannot put the braces in place until the bed folds and reduces the value of your truck by 5k, because now it looks like a p. o. s. "



Someone at the corporate manufacturers (gm, dodge, ford) needs a huge kick in the jimmi.

 

[JoeyD]

I agree that the manufacturer should be reponsible in fixing it, they should have built it better and that is the real problem.



GM is making a ABS plastic bed of some kind, but it is the inside of the bed that will be plastic and the outside will be metal. The Dooley has plastic quarters on it as well as the step side. I don't know which is better as they both have advantages.



Jeff, Your right any company can do it and they do. The 2nd gen rams had the worst front crash rating at 5mph into an unmovable object. They were over $8,000. Not that GM or Ford were great as they were in the $4,000 range, but less than half. Now the 3rd gen rams are the best in that dept.

 

[JakeGMCHD]

jdecampo,

Actually GM does offer the whole bed made out of a RIM Plastic. It is called the Protec Bed option which lists for $850. It is only offered on 1500 Ext. Cab SWB with Z71 option. It is said to be 50lbs lighter. They are also using it on the Avalanche.

 

[_MACKIN]

The dually rear outer skin both sides is what is referred to as a composite material by GM it is a bolt on full piece skin... . Tailgate is steel as is head piece and inner well.....

I'm a fan... It's lighter and flexable... . No dents and less paint chips.....



On the 2500 quite surprised a couple bales of hay wrinkled the lower quarter ..... I frequently walk on my bed rails to get to the nose of bed when stuff inhibits my path... . The bed rail itself is very rigid... ...



MAC

 

[PZicha]

Mackin I had a look at your pics , nice lookin Chevy . I have to ask the diamond plate metal on your tail gate (great idea) where can a guy get that and those rims who makes those and how much... email me please -- email address removed -- Sorry guys if I took this off the topic... ... ..... Pete

 

[Tomscreek]

Well, I don't think the metal is much thicker on our Dodges. I'd hate to really use and abuse my truck bed like I have on older trucks, think it would crumple in to time.