2019 GMC Serria 1500 AT4 feedback

[Fullkontact]

Has or does anyone have one of these with all the options and bells and whistles like the surround camera system and review camera, plus the off road select mode and has anyone experienced the automatic locking rear diff that GM claims works great? I’m looking to possibly buying one of these and they seem like great trucks. I’m getting tired of my taco and would like to go full size again. They have a pretty price point and that’s my hesitation. Do you think they would make a good off-road Overland vehicle? I’m looking at the 6.2 liter as well. Any feed back on this vehicle would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Todd n Natalie]

I can't comment on the Sierra but, I'm curious as to why you've grown tired of the Tacoma?

 

[Fullkontact]

I can't comment on the Sierra but, I'm curious as to why you've grown tired of the Tacoma?

Well after having full trucks for years almost two years ago I decided to try something different. So I purchased a brand new stock TRD Off-road Tacoma and loved it at first. It was hard to get used to the smaller cab size and smaller bed for sure but I adapted. I love the off-road capabilities of the Tacoma and the tighter turns I could make with much better maneuverability. The endless amount of mods I could do to the truck and the Tacomaworld forum was fantastic. Still is. However about a month ago a can of spray paint exploded and misted my truck all over the outside and after taking it to the body shop and had it all removed I had a full size rental Silverado. Man this truck got up and went. My kids had room in the back seat (they are teenagers and still growing), the dogs like the ride better again and well the seats were that much more comfortable. It killed the lag that Tacoma’s have off the starting line and the horsepower was way better for hauling my trailer. Having this rental just made me miss my older full size trucks. Now that I’ve been back in the Tacoma all I can think about is the spaciousness and power of a full size.

Now some of the trails I ride the full size Sierra wouldn’t be practical I do t think but I only really hit those trails twice a year and I can find other that would be more suited towards a full size truck. Everything I can find for the taco just doesn’t beat the comfort of a full size truck.

Hope that sums it up for ya. What do you drive?

Hopefully someone can give feedback on the Sierra AT4 for me as well. I think it would make a great expedition truck.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

I get that. With two kids and a dog and a trailer to tow myself, I was looking for space and towing capability. So went with a f-150 super crew with the 5.0 V8, 3:73's, and a tow package. Owned it two year so far and it's been good. Owned a few older Silverado's and Sierra's before. But, the last Sierra I owned wasn't family friendly, haha....





Now the kids are getting older and I am debating a midsize for the next truck as I won't require as much room in the back.

 

[XJLI]

The G80 rear locker (which is the same as it's been for years) works great in my experience.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Ditto on the G80. My BIL has the 6.2 and loves it. He claims great MPG and it gets up and goes.

 

[1stDeuce]

The G80 works well in high range, as it takes a bit of wheel speed to engage... If you're rock crawling, it's not likely to come into play, but the traction control does a really good job of managing that. I suppose if you're rock crawling with your $60k AT4, you probably brought the wrong truck anyway.

I drove a standard 2019 1500 Crew a few weeks ago. It had bigger tires and a slight leveling kit. Drove really nice, good power, comfort, etc. It was a 5.3L at 5000' and was still plenty snappy.
It made me realize that my '06 is getting left behind in terms of creature comforts. (It didn't help that it smelled really nice inside, while the new car smell is certainly gone from my '06... Replaced by dog, mud, and dust...)

What I was unimpressed with is how "style" has over-ridden function. The hood bulges high for nor reason other to make it look tough. The belt line is high, along with the box sides. Probably again a style thing, as Hummer used to say the high belt line made you feel safe. The back of the roof also slopes down considerably, at least on the crew cab. All of this combines to make visibiltiy pretty poor in every direction. It would take some time to be comfortable with it on any "trail". It just felt huge to me compared to my '06 CCSB 3/4 ton.

 

[knoxswift]

Well after having full trucks for years almost two years ago I decided to try something different. So I purchased a brand new stock TRD Off-road Tacoma and loved it at first. It was hard to get used to the smaller cab size and smaller bed for sure but I adapted. I love the off-road capabilities of the Tacoma and the tighter turns I could make with much better maneuverability. The endless amount of mods I could do to the truck and the Tacomaworld forum was fantastic. Still is. However about a month ago a can of spray paint exploded and misted my truck all over the outside and after taking it to the body shop and had it all removed I had a full size rental Silverado. Man this truck got up and went. My kids had room in the back seat (they are teenagers and still growing), the dogs like the ride better again and well the seats were that much more comfortable. It killed the lag that Tacoma’s have off the starting line and the horsepower was way better for hauling my trailer. Having this rental just made me miss my older full size trucks. Now that I’ve been back in the Tacoma all I can think about is the spaciousness and power of a full size.

Now some of the trails I ride the full size Sierra wouldn’t be practical I do t think but I only really hit those trails twice a year and I can find other that would be more suited towards a full size truck. Everything I can find for the taco just doesn’t beat the comfort of a full size truck.

Hope that sums it up for ya. What do you drive?

Hopefully someone can give feedback on the Sierra AT4 for me as well. I think it would make a great expedition truck.

This is a really old post, but did you ever buy the AT4? I'm considering going from my 11 Year old Tacoma to the GMC...

 

[character zero]

Well after having full trucks for years almost two years ago I decided to try something different. So I purchased a brand new stock TRD Off-road Tacoma and loved it at first. It was hard to get used to the smaller cab size and smaller bed for sure but I adapted. I love the off-road capabilities of the Tacoma and the tighter turns I could make with much better maneuverability. The endless amount of mods I could do to the truck and the Tacomaworld forum was fantastic. Still is. However about a month ago a can of spray paint exploded and misted my truck all over the outside and after taking it to the body shop and had it all removed I had a full size rental Silverado. Man this truck got up and went. My kids had room in the back seat (they are teenagers and still growing), the dogs like the ride better again and well the seats were that much more comfortable. It killed the lag that Tacoma’s have off the starting line and the horsepower was way better for hauling my trailer. Having this rental just made me miss my older full size trucks. Now that I’ve been back in the Tacoma all I can think about is the spaciousness and power of a full size.

Now some of the trails I ride the full size Sierra wouldn’t be practical I do t think but I only really hit those trails twice a year and I can find other that would be more suited towards a full size truck. Everything I can find for the taco just doesn’t beat the comfort of a full size truck.

Hope that sums it up for ya. What do you drive?

Hopefully someone can give feedback on the Sierra AT4 for me as well. I think it would make a great expedition truck.

This is a really old post, but did you ever buy the AT4? I'm considering going from my 11 Year old Tacoma to the GMC...

Full size family meant I needed to full size my vehicle - picked up an AT4 to replace my beloved 2005 Tundra. I opted for the 3.0l deisel, crew cab, standard bed (with the standard bed being hard to find). I love my Tundra but will put it up for sale. My family is no longer into camping and prefer the cabin route, so this one won't get "built" quite as much as my Tundra was. The "baby" duramax has enough get up and go and is efficient and quiet. This is my first full size since a 92 Bronco and it fits my 12 & 14yo boys and dog much better in the back seats.
Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[character zero]

And a couple thoughts on the AT4 as an off road rig vs. some of the competition:
1. It just isn't built like a TRD Pro Tundra or Raptor off the lot. Rancho suspension vs. Kings or other brands...the choice to use a 2" block under the leafs in the back is laughable to me. Of course, $2-4k if you want a King/UCA style solution, so nothing money cannot solve!
2. GMC>Chevy for the interior finish. The AT4 is like an off-road appointed Denali.
3. The camera system is BANANAS, really cool. Get the Tech package.
4. Interior storage is massive, I forgot how nice a full size is.
5. Forums for domestic trucks are useless, I suppose the Toyo forums have a more refined/nuanced end user lol, everyone just asks how to fit 35s and gets upset if you say anything about spacer lifts being a joke.
6. Duratracs from the factory is nice, but I'll be moving to a less aggro tire.

I think that's all i have for now.

 

[SoTxAg06]

And a couple thoughts on the AT4 as an off road rig vs. some of the competition:
1. It just isn't built like a TRD Pro Tundra or Raptor off the lot. Rancho suspension vs. Kings or other brands...the choice to use a 2" block under the leafs in the back is laughable to me. Of course, $2-4k if you want a King/UCA style solution, so nothing money cannot solve!
2. GMC>Chevy for the interior finish. The AT4 is like an off-road appointed Denali.
3. The camera system is BANANAS, really cool. Get the Tech package.
4. Interior storage is massive, I forgot how nice a full size is.
5. Forums for domestic trucks are useless, I suppose the Toyo forums have a more refined/nuanced end user lol, everyone just asks how to fit 35s and gets upset if you say anything about spacer lifts being a joke.
6. Duratracs from the factory is nice, but I'll be moving to a less aggro tire.

I think that's all i have for now.

I have a 2019 Chevy Z71 (non-trail boss). These comments are spot on. The Facebook pages for the 2019+ Chevy/GMC trucks have some useful information, but there is a lot of junk to wade through. A couple of thoughts after owning mine for a little over a year.

1. The stock front springs/rebranded rancho shocks leave a lot to be desired. I fixed this by switching to a eibach pro kit suspension. It included new front springs and struts, and rear shocks. I may upgrade to Icon or Kings down the road, but this was a good jumping in point.

2. The Chevy fenders make it pretty easy to fit bigger tires, but you have to have the correct rim setup. GMC fenders are more squared off, so it’s not a easy. My truck came stock with a 275/60R20 (33”). I’m switching out to 17” rims as I like more sidewall off road.

3. I’m pretty impressed with the gas mileage the 5.3 and 8spd is capable of. Best average was over 23 mpg on the highway.

4. The interior room is nice compared to the older body styles. So is the addition of rear AC vents.

5. The bed size is live able, but I wish it was a 6.5’ bed sometimes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jacklink]

Hi! Currently driving a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with very limited mods. I love the Jeep very much but have found myself looking at full size pickups lately. Not sure if I'll go the route of 3/4 ton with something like a FWC or Scout OR if i'd just stick with 1/2 ton and pull a trailer or use roof top tent.

The Sierra AT4 with 3.0 Duramax has caught my eye. Likely will be doing a good amount of travel between the midwest and California in the coming years and the fuel efficiency is appealing. I also tow a 17 foot fishing boat and maybe a camper in future.

Anyway, I am not super well versed with all the upgrades that folks do. Curious what is so bad about the stock front springs/rebranded rancho shocks. What is a scenario where they would let me down?

Also, what is the issue with the spacer lifts? Is it that the lift is cosmetic and not functional? (again, i don't really know much about these things...really just curious). I don't see a ton of GM forums out there...especially compared to Toyota focused forums.

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated!

 

[knoxswift]

And a couple thoughts on the AT4 as an off road rig vs. some of the competition:
1. It just isn't built like a TRD Pro Tundra or Raptor off the lot. Rancho suspension vs. Kings or other brands...the choice to use a 2" block under the leafs in the back is laughable to me. Of course, $2-4k if you want a King/UCA style solution, so nothing money cannot solve!
2. GMC>Chevy for the interior finish. The AT4 is like an off-road appointed Denali.
3. The camera system is BANANAS, really cool. Get the Tech package.
4. Interior storage is massive, I forgot how nice a full size is.
5. Forums for domestic trucks are useless, I suppose the Toyo forums have a more refined/nuanced end user lol, everyone just asks how to fit 35s and gets upset if you say anything about spacer lifts being a joke.
6. Duratracs from the factory is nice, but I'll be moving to a less aggro tire.

I think that's all i have for now.

Thanks for all the information!

I've decided to go GMC AT4 Duramax!
I had to order it because I wanted the 6 Foot Standard bed, but hopefully it will show up before December.
As I've gotten older I'm doing more overland trips than really hard core 4 Wheeling. I'm very torn about getting rid of my beloved 11 year old Tacoma which was completely built out for hard core off road and been to Alaska 3 times...
But...as one gets older we take less risks and I see myself being more on road than off. I think the AT4 was a great mix of the 2 and as you mentioned if I need to upgrade the aftermarket is there.

 

[D45]

Old post.......wow

I'm not impressed with either the AT4 or Trailboss.......solely because of the price tag

What makes them so special? Nothing to me

 

[character zero]

Old post.......wow

I'm not impressed with either the AT4 or Trailboss.......solely because of the price tag

What makes them so special? Nothing to me

Special? Small block diesel wasn't available in Toyota, so I bought one in another brand.
Standard bed with a Crew Cab wasn't available in Toyota, so I bought something else.
Technology (360* cams, accident avoidance, ACC) was lacking in Toyota, so I bought something else.

MSRP is just a game, I got mine for for much much less.

@D45 , I hope you find something that makes you feel special.

@knoxswift - congrats on the purchase. Standard bed is definitely the way to go! Yeah, I hear ya - it was hard seeing my built Tundra thunder off into the sunset, but these newer trucks have so much more to offer in terms of upgrades if you want them - and yeah, maybe I am just an old man now, but I appreciate the little things (heated/cooled seats?!).

@Jacklink - sounds like a good fit for what you'd like to accomplish. My issue with a rear block spacer lift is that it is all aesthetic and not functional, can increase axle wrap, etc. I intend on swapping it out with a Deaver add-a-leaf mini-pack to get a progressive suspension with minimal lift (easier to load bikes and level). The front lift is all in the shocks/struts IIRC, but many people add spacers to get to 4" lift up front, which again is strictly aesthetic and compromises CV angles. Stock equipment is just fine, it won't let you down unless you're after a super firm ride. I'll likely swap some out after putting 50k on these, I'm in no rush.

I just swapped stock Duratracs in 18" for some aftermarket wheels and Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT, took a little hit in the MPG but ride quality and noise is so much better! I know I'm at risk of being skewered for running 20" wheels but again, this tool is for a different job than the last build.

@SoTxAg06 - some very legit points. Also worth mentioning the Chevy version seems to be easier to get the 3.73 gears than the GMC. +1 on the interior room comment - so much space for people and gear that it isn't even funny.