kylevd23
Observer
2011 GMC sierra 2500 HD DENALI Z71 4x4
I am a father of three from cow town Texas (Fort Worth area). I grew up loving the outdoors, my father owned a Toyota Tacoma which he had passed down to me over the years. That same Tacoma and an older Toyota pickup truck took us on many fishing, camping, and beach trips. As I got older, I got into mountain biking and off roading in general, but as the kids came along, and settling down in my 9-5, time didn't permit as much. I still hold onto those memories, and still with young kids, a toddler, and one in the oven, I'm trying to piece back much of my love for the outdoors as possible. So I am taking my time, building my vehicle up, as well as funds, I have one that is about to go to college, so funds are tight, but it's still enjoyable deciding on automotive parts and planning on my next adventure.
So on to the vehicles, I previously had a 1999 Toyota Tacoma, but with the kids outgrowing it, i moved to a 2008 Nissan Titan PRO-4X & R51 Pathfinder, those were all excellent vehicles off road. The reason i got rid of the titan was because of the infamous brake booster problem. After much research and time, i decided it was not worth the risk of my family, i could have replaced the problem, but Nissan never updated their brake booster, so it would have been on going in the future, it was just a matter of time. So I moved on to GMC, my father had owned previous GM vehicles, and with the reliability of the 6.0 over the years, and its overall construction, I had no problem getting into the 2011 GMC sierra 2500 HD. I've done all of the maintenance to it, and it did have some miles on it, but the engine is sound, and not a squeak from it yet.
I have a few plans to do some trips here in Texas, eventually moving east towards AZ, NM, Colorado, all the way up to Oregon in the next few years. My brother just picked up a 2016 GMC sierra all terrain, so we will be going in pairs for recovery purposes.
Below is what I've done to the vehicle so far along with the part numbers if anyone is interested (Sorry for all of the caps below, I jammed my finger, so its been it starting to get painful hitting the shift key
)
INTERIOR
1. HUSKY FLOOR LINERS
EXTERIOR
1. GM CHROME ANGLE EXHAUST TIP 22911703
2. MASTER LOCK TAILGATE LOCK 8253DAT
3. GM LICENSE PLATE BRACKET 25833011
4. WESTIN BULKHEAD BED CAP 72-11168
5. GM BED RAIL PROTECTORS 17802474
6. GM TAILGATE TOP PROTECTOR SPOILER 25844299
7. AUTO VENTSHADE AEROSKIN HOOD PROTECTOR 322029
8. WADE AUTO WINDOW VISOR 72-39405
9. GM OEM RUNNING BOARD STEP BAR 20990096
10. DEE ZEE TAILGATE ASSIST EZ DOWN STRUT SYSTEM 43101
11. The Stubby Antenna (Great for Car washes) X000BCAASF FF703
12. WESTIN HDX GRILLE GUARD LIGHT TAB MOUNT 57-0005
SUSPENSION
1. RANCHO RS5000 STEERING STABILIZER RS5417
2. RANCHO REAR SHOCKS 23315264
3. RANCHO FRONT SHOCKS 23315260
PROTECTION
4. GM OIL PAN SKID PLATE 25871125
5. BLACK TAILLIGHT GUARD WBG80098
6. RANCH HAND SPORT SERIES REAR BUMPER SBC111BLSL
7. GO RHINO BLACK POWDER COATED GRILL GUARD 13269B
COMMUNICATIONS & ELECTRONICS
8. OPT7 HID KIT H11 – LOW BEAM
9. RECON AMBER CAB ROOF LIGHTS 264156AM
10. PILOT AUXILIARY LIGHTS NV-100Z
WHEELS & TIRES
11. GORILLA WHEEL LOCKS 76641
12. BF GOODRICH ALL TERRAIN KO2 275/65R20 LOAD E RANGE
RECOVERY ITEMS
10. GM HIGHWAY EMERGENCY ROAD KIT 12497328
11. GM FIRST AID KIT 88960626
12. POWERBUILT 3 TON ALL IN ONE BOTTLE JACK STAND 640912
13. COBRA CB MOBILE COMPACT 40CH INST. CH 9 19ULTRAIII
14. SMITTYBILT RECOVERY STRAP CC220 2X20
15. COBRA MICRO TALK 35 MILE 22 CHANNEL WALKIE TALKIE CXR925
16. FIRESTIK FIRE FLY 5/8 WAVE 100 WATT TUNABLE TIP CB ANTENNA FL3
17. TOW READY RECEIVER MOUNT 10,000LB SOLID SHANK 63043
18. SMITTYBILT SNATCH STRAP CC120 30 FT
19. SMITTYBILT D RING SHACKLE 3/4IN 13047B
20. SMITTYBILT D RING SHACKLE 1/2IN 13046B
21. ASTATIC SWR/RF TEST METER PDC1
22. 5 GAL NATO JERRY CAN
STORAGE
1. TRACTOR SUPPLY 60 IN. BLACK TOOL CHEST 106418199
DUAL BATTERY SETUP
1. GM BATTERY HOLD DOWN 14005061
2. GM BATTERY HOLD DOWN BOLT 11509853
3. 4 GAUGE BATTERY CABLE
4. SCOSCHE CAR CIRCUIT BREAKER FUSE 200 AMP
5. NVX AUDIO BATTERY ISOLATOR BIR80
6. WIRE LOOM
7. GM POSITIVE SIDE POST BATTERY CABLE 4SX38A
8. BATTERY FROM WALMART SIDE POST
BACK UP CAMERA SET UP (BOTH FROM COPPER_Z71 ON EBAY)
1. GENTEX 657 AUTO DIMMING ONSTAR REAR VIEW MIRROR W/ BUILT IN 3.5” LCD
2. ROSTRA TAILGATE HANDLE BACK UP CAMERA 250-8569
Future plans:
INTERIOR
1. WEATHER TECH FLOOR LINER (HUSKY LINERS HAVE WORN OUT)
2. CUSTOM CB/HAM RADIO MOUNT (GOING TO START WORKING ON MY HAM RADIO LICENSE)
3. CUSTOM GPS MOUNT (HAVE FACTORY NAVIGATION BUT WANT ONE WITH TOPO AND UPDATED MAPS)
4. GM BACK SEAT STORAGE TRAY
EXTERIOR
1. RANCH HAND 3 STEP RUNNING BOARD (WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ROCK SLIDERS, BUT THE WIFE LIKES ACTUAL STEPS, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY MARKETED FOR THIS TRUCK YET, HOPEFULLY BY THE TIME I NEED THEM I MAY FIND A MORE SUITABLE OFF ROAD VEHICLE WITH A SMALLER FOOT PRINT SUCH AS A JEEP)
PERFORMANCE
1. SNORKEL – FOUND A COUPLE OF SETUPS ON PINTREST THAT WERE MANUFACTURED IN AUSTRAILIA, NEED TO SEE IF I CAN LOCATE ANY HERE
PROTECTION/ARMOR
1. RANCH HAND SPORT SERIES WINCH BUMPER, OR POSSIBLY THE WESTIN HDX WINCH GRILL GUARD, I HAVEN'T DECIDED THOROUGHLY YET, THE WESTIN WOULD SAVE ON WEIGHT, BUT THE RANCH HAND WOULD PROVIDE MORE PROTECTION. I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS OUT THERE, BUT I LIKE THE LOOKS OF THE RANCH HAND (I AM FROM FORT WORTH), SO THAT IS WHAT I HAVE CHOSEN SO FAR.
SUSPENSION
1. I HAVE SELECTED A FEW, MOST LIKELY WILL BE DOING A LEVELING KIT BY SUSPENSION MAXX, THEY OFFER DIFFERENTIAL SPACERS IN THEIR KIT WHICH IS A PLUS, A FULL BLOWN 6” LIFT KIT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION, THIS IS MY DAILY DRIVER, I DON'T PLAN ON UPGRADING TIRE SIZES, IT CURRENTLY SITS ON 34” TIRES ALREADY, WITH THE AMOUNT OF GROUND CLEARANCE IT ALREADY HAS, I THINK IT IS SUITABLE ENOUGH TO TRAVERSE THROUGH MOST OF THE PLACES I WILL TAKE IT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. IF FUNDS ALLOW THOUGH, I MAY LOOK INTO THE RANCHO 4” FULL LIFT KIT.
RECOVERY
1. WINCH – I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT SMITTYBILT'S 12,000LB RATED WINCH, I'VE REVIEWED THE WARN WINCHES, BUT IN ALL HONESTY, I CAN'T JUSTIFY THE PRICE DIFFERENCE AT THIS TIME. I ALREADY HAVE PLANS FOR POSSIBLY BUILDING A JEEP IN THE FUTURE IN WHICH CASE, A WARN WINCH WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD INVESTMENT, BUT FOR NOW, I THINK THE SMITTYBILT WILL SERVE ITS PURPOSE IF I NEED TO USE IT
2. OTHER ITEMS WILL BE REVIEWED AS TIME AND RESEARCH ALLOTS.
WHEELS AND TIRES
1. MY MAIN TIRES ARE ALREADY UPGRADED TO BFG AT KO2, I WILL BE UPGRADING MY SPARE TO AN ALL TERAIN AS WELL, AND IT IS CURRENTLY A HIGHWAY TIRE BY BRIDGESTONE.
COMFORT/GEAR
1. ROOF RACK
2. ROOF TOP TENT OR IN BED TENT – I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE ARB ROOF TOP TENT, BUT NAPIER ALSO MAKES A TENT THAT GOES INTO THE BED OF MY TRUCK SPECIFICALLY. IF I GO THIS ROUTE, I CAN UTILIZE THE SPACE ON THE ROOF RACK FOR OTHER GEAR.
LIGHTING
1. I DO WANT SOME ADDITIONAL LIGHT UP FRONT, I AM LEANING TOWARDS THE WIRELESS WARN LIGHTS, OR POSSIBLE LED LIGHT BAR IF I GET A ROOF RACK, JUST DEPENDS, I WANT TO SET UP MY WINCH MOUNT FIRST BEFORE I DECIDE.
Photos of my old Titan, Pathfinder, and Tacoma
Photos of the Sierra build:
Picking it up from the dealer:
Getting new tires put on (Shout out to Ethan at the Discount Tire on Little Road and I-20 in Arlington, TX, he has gotten me great deals on all my sets of tires, I've ran BFG AT's on all of my vehicles, so if you need a deal, you can count on him)
Suspension
Bed Cap & Tool Box
I am a father of three from cow town Texas (Fort Worth area). I grew up loving the outdoors, my father owned a Toyota Tacoma which he had passed down to me over the years. That same Tacoma and an older Toyota pickup truck took us on many fishing, camping, and beach trips. As I got older, I got into mountain biking and off roading in general, but as the kids came along, and settling down in my 9-5, time didn't permit as much. I still hold onto those memories, and still with young kids, a toddler, and one in the oven, I'm trying to piece back much of my love for the outdoors as possible. So I am taking my time, building my vehicle up, as well as funds, I have one that is about to go to college, so funds are tight, but it's still enjoyable deciding on automotive parts and planning on my next adventure.
So on to the vehicles, I previously had a 1999 Toyota Tacoma, but with the kids outgrowing it, i moved to a 2008 Nissan Titan PRO-4X & R51 Pathfinder, those were all excellent vehicles off road. The reason i got rid of the titan was because of the infamous brake booster problem. After much research and time, i decided it was not worth the risk of my family, i could have replaced the problem, but Nissan never updated their brake booster, so it would have been on going in the future, it was just a matter of time. So I moved on to GMC, my father had owned previous GM vehicles, and with the reliability of the 6.0 over the years, and its overall construction, I had no problem getting into the 2011 GMC sierra 2500 HD. I've done all of the maintenance to it, and it did have some miles on it, but the engine is sound, and not a squeak from it yet.
I have a few plans to do some trips here in Texas, eventually moving east towards AZ, NM, Colorado, all the way up to Oregon in the next few years. My brother just picked up a 2016 GMC sierra all terrain, so we will be going in pairs for recovery purposes.
Below is what I've done to the vehicle so far along with the part numbers if anyone is interested (Sorry for all of the caps below, I jammed my finger, so its been it starting to get painful hitting the shift key
)INTERIOR
1. HUSKY FLOOR LINERS
EXTERIOR
1. GM CHROME ANGLE EXHAUST TIP 22911703
2. MASTER LOCK TAILGATE LOCK 8253DAT
3. GM LICENSE PLATE BRACKET 25833011
4. WESTIN BULKHEAD BED CAP 72-11168
5. GM BED RAIL PROTECTORS 17802474
6. GM TAILGATE TOP PROTECTOR SPOILER 25844299
7. AUTO VENTSHADE AEROSKIN HOOD PROTECTOR 322029
8. WADE AUTO WINDOW VISOR 72-39405
9. GM OEM RUNNING BOARD STEP BAR 20990096
10. DEE ZEE TAILGATE ASSIST EZ DOWN STRUT SYSTEM 43101
11. The Stubby Antenna (Great for Car washes) X000BCAASF FF703
12. WESTIN HDX GRILLE GUARD LIGHT TAB MOUNT 57-0005
SUSPENSION
1. RANCHO RS5000 STEERING STABILIZER RS5417
2. RANCHO REAR SHOCKS 23315264
3. RANCHO FRONT SHOCKS 23315260
PROTECTION
4. GM OIL PAN SKID PLATE 25871125
5. BLACK TAILLIGHT GUARD WBG80098
6. RANCH HAND SPORT SERIES REAR BUMPER SBC111BLSL
7. GO RHINO BLACK POWDER COATED GRILL GUARD 13269B
COMMUNICATIONS & ELECTRONICS
8. OPT7 HID KIT H11 – LOW BEAM
9. RECON AMBER CAB ROOF LIGHTS 264156AM
10. PILOT AUXILIARY LIGHTS NV-100Z
WHEELS & TIRES
11. GORILLA WHEEL LOCKS 76641
12. BF GOODRICH ALL TERRAIN KO2 275/65R20 LOAD E RANGE
RECOVERY ITEMS
10. GM HIGHWAY EMERGENCY ROAD KIT 12497328
11. GM FIRST AID KIT 88960626
12. POWERBUILT 3 TON ALL IN ONE BOTTLE JACK STAND 640912
13. COBRA CB MOBILE COMPACT 40CH INST. CH 9 19ULTRAIII
14. SMITTYBILT RECOVERY STRAP CC220 2X20
15. COBRA MICRO TALK 35 MILE 22 CHANNEL WALKIE TALKIE CXR925
16. FIRESTIK FIRE FLY 5/8 WAVE 100 WATT TUNABLE TIP CB ANTENNA FL3
17. TOW READY RECEIVER MOUNT 10,000LB SOLID SHANK 63043
18. SMITTYBILT SNATCH STRAP CC120 30 FT
19. SMITTYBILT D RING SHACKLE 3/4IN 13047B
20. SMITTYBILT D RING SHACKLE 1/2IN 13046B
21. ASTATIC SWR/RF TEST METER PDC1
22. 5 GAL NATO JERRY CAN
STORAGE
1. TRACTOR SUPPLY 60 IN. BLACK TOOL CHEST 106418199
DUAL BATTERY SETUP
1. GM BATTERY HOLD DOWN 14005061
2. GM BATTERY HOLD DOWN BOLT 11509853
3. 4 GAUGE BATTERY CABLE
4. SCOSCHE CAR CIRCUIT BREAKER FUSE 200 AMP
5. NVX AUDIO BATTERY ISOLATOR BIR80
6. WIRE LOOM
7. GM POSITIVE SIDE POST BATTERY CABLE 4SX38A
8. BATTERY FROM WALMART SIDE POST
BACK UP CAMERA SET UP (BOTH FROM COPPER_Z71 ON EBAY)
1. GENTEX 657 AUTO DIMMING ONSTAR REAR VIEW MIRROR W/ BUILT IN 3.5” LCD
2. ROSTRA TAILGATE HANDLE BACK UP CAMERA 250-8569
Future plans:
INTERIOR
1. WEATHER TECH FLOOR LINER (HUSKY LINERS HAVE WORN OUT)
2. CUSTOM CB/HAM RADIO MOUNT (GOING TO START WORKING ON MY HAM RADIO LICENSE)
3. CUSTOM GPS MOUNT (HAVE FACTORY NAVIGATION BUT WANT ONE WITH TOPO AND UPDATED MAPS)
4. GM BACK SEAT STORAGE TRAY
EXTERIOR
1. RANCH HAND 3 STEP RUNNING BOARD (WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ROCK SLIDERS, BUT THE WIFE LIKES ACTUAL STEPS, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY MARKETED FOR THIS TRUCK YET, HOPEFULLY BY THE TIME I NEED THEM I MAY FIND A MORE SUITABLE OFF ROAD VEHICLE WITH A SMALLER FOOT PRINT SUCH AS A JEEP)
PERFORMANCE
1. SNORKEL – FOUND A COUPLE OF SETUPS ON PINTREST THAT WERE MANUFACTURED IN AUSTRAILIA, NEED TO SEE IF I CAN LOCATE ANY HERE
PROTECTION/ARMOR
1. RANCH HAND SPORT SERIES WINCH BUMPER, OR POSSIBLY THE WESTIN HDX WINCH GRILL GUARD, I HAVEN'T DECIDED THOROUGHLY YET, THE WESTIN WOULD SAVE ON WEIGHT, BUT THE RANCH HAND WOULD PROVIDE MORE PROTECTION. I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS OUT THERE, BUT I LIKE THE LOOKS OF THE RANCH HAND (I AM FROM FORT WORTH), SO THAT IS WHAT I HAVE CHOSEN SO FAR.
SUSPENSION
1. I HAVE SELECTED A FEW, MOST LIKELY WILL BE DOING A LEVELING KIT BY SUSPENSION MAXX, THEY OFFER DIFFERENTIAL SPACERS IN THEIR KIT WHICH IS A PLUS, A FULL BLOWN 6” LIFT KIT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION, THIS IS MY DAILY DRIVER, I DON'T PLAN ON UPGRADING TIRE SIZES, IT CURRENTLY SITS ON 34” TIRES ALREADY, WITH THE AMOUNT OF GROUND CLEARANCE IT ALREADY HAS, I THINK IT IS SUITABLE ENOUGH TO TRAVERSE THROUGH MOST OF THE PLACES I WILL TAKE IT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. IF FUNDS ALLOW THOUGH, I MAY LOOK INTO THE RANCHO 4” FULL LIFT KIT.
RECOVERY
1. WINCH – I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT SMITTYBILT'S 12,000LB RATED WINCH, I'VE REVIEWED THE WARN WINCHES, BUT IN ALL HONESTY, I CAN'T JUSTIFY THE PRICE DIFFERENCE AT THIS TIME. I ALREADY HAVE PLANS FOR POSSIBLY BUILDING A JEEP IN THE FUTURE IN WHICH CASE, A WARN WINCH WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD INVESTMENT, BUT FOR NOW, I THINK THE SMITTYBILT WILL SERVE ITS PURPOSE IF I NEED TO USE IT
2. OTHER ITEMS WILL BE REVIEWED AS TIME AND RESEARCH ALLOTS.
WHEELS AND TIRES
1. MY MAIN TIRES ARE ALREADY UPGRADED TO BFG AT KO2, I WILL BE UPGRADING MY SPARE TO AN ALL TERAIN AS WELL, AND IT IS CURRENTLY A HIGHWAY TIRE BY BRIDGESTONE.
COMFORT/GEAR
1. ROOF RACK
2. ROOF TOP TENT OR IN BED TENT – I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE ARB ROOF TOP TENT, BUT NAPIER ALSO MAKES A TENT THAT GOES INTO THE BED OF MY TRUCK SPECIFICALLY. IF I GO THIS ROUTE, I CAN UTILIZE THE SPACE ON THE ROOF RACK FOR OTHER GEAR.
LIGHTING
1. I DO WANT SOME ADDITIONAL LIGHT UP FRONT, I AM LEANING TOWARDS THE WIRELESS WARN LIGHTS, OR POSSIBLE LED LIGHT BAR IF I GET A ROOF RACK, JUST DEPENDS, I WANT TO SET UP MY WINCH MOUNT FIRST BEFORE I DECIDE.
Photos of my old Titan, Pathfinder, and Tacoma
Photos of the Sierra build:
Picking it up from the dealer:
Getting new tires put on (Shout out to Ethan at the Discount Tire on Little Road and I-20 in Arlington, TX, he has gotten me great deals on all my sets of tires, I've ran BFG AT's on all of my vehicles, so if you need a deal, you can count on him)
Suspension
Bed Cap & Tool Box
Last edited:
