All the Pickup Truck News: Overlanding for Cheap, Sierra and Silverado 1500 Updates, a Wish List for Tundra

It was a busy week in the PickupTrucks.com world: Updates to GM’s 2020 GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 twins were announced, and Nissan showed a pickup truck that serves as a roadmap for a more affordable overlanding vehicle. There was also a giant recall that will affect the three most popular varieties of Ram trucks.

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Updated Powertrain Availability and Towing Tech for 2020 Silverado 1500

Changes to the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado were announced, closely following GM’s announcement of changes to the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The big news here is expanded availability for the large 6.2-liter V-8, which will now be offered up and down the entire Trail Boss and RST trim lineups. On the RST, however, it only will be paired with four-wheel-drive models. The 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder Duramax diesel is scheduled to make its debut on the 2020 Silverado 1500, after originally being slated for 2019.

Chevrolet will also trickle down some additional trailering technology from its heavy-duty models, including a trailering camera system with 15 different views (including one that makes the trailer seem to disappear) and the ability to control different trailer functions on your smartphone though the myChevrolet app. Find more details via the link below.

Ford F-150’s Aluminum Body Repairs Dip in Cost

One of the big fears when Ford switched over the F-150 to all-aluminum body panels was that it would become much more expensive to repair the truck when it got damaged. Ford had to retrain and provide new tools to its dealerships, and those factors were expected to drive up repair costs. Fast forward a few years and it appears this isn’t the case, as a study by the Highway Data Loss Institute shows. HDLI reports that collision claims for aluminum-bodied F-150s are about 7 percent less than the previous generation of steel-bodied trucks. See the full story below for more details.

Mercedes-Benz Metris Recall

Approximately 9,500 model-year 2016-17 Mercedes-Benz Metris work vans are being recalled to replace aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing. The bolts may corrode and fracture; they will be replaced with steel bolts. This only applies to Metris vans sold or registered in certain states, so check out the recall below to see if your van needs to be fixed.

Jeep Gladiator’s Short Bed Still Usable

We’ve covered the Gladiator’s performance and off-road chops ad nauseum, but Cars.com reviewer Fred Meier took on the new 2020 Jeep pickup from a different angle and examined how useful the bed is. The Gladiator’s 5-foot all-steel bed is a short one, but Meier found that what it lacks in length, it makes up for in flexibility and helpful features for carrying longer items. The three-position tailgate facilitates much of this and, hey, you can still fit a pair of dirt bikes in the bed. Though with the Gladiator’s on-trail proficiency, I’m not sure why you’d need to.

GMC Prices Carbon-Fiber Bed Option

GMC’s carbon-fiber beds are cool and provide some clear benefits over their steel counterparts, like weighing less and not requiring a bedliner. But the CarbonPro bed will cost you. Since it’s not offered as a stand-alone option, the package that includes it adds about $14,000 to the price of a Sierra 1500 AT4 or Denali. You do get a lot of other content with the bed on both trucks, so it may be worth the added cost for some truck buyers. Check out the story below for more details on all the things that come with the CarbonPro Edition.

How to Fix the Toyota Tundra

The Toyota Tundra is in desperate need of an update, much more than the slight refresh it’s getting for 2020. We came up with five things we’d like to see on the next-generation Tundra to make it competitive with other half-ton trucks. I have a soft spot for the Tundra: I love the giant backseat in the CrewMax and the TRD exhaust note – but sentiment won’t save this aging truck. It needs a full redesign.

Small Refresh for the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500

The Sierra 1500 gets a few updates for 2020, including expanded availability of the 10-speed automatic transmission to 5.3-liter V-8 models (it was previously only available with the larger 6.2-liter V-8). CarbonPro Edition trucks will be offered with the 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder Duramax diesel engine. Other changes include the addition of new towing technology, a safety update and styling updates for the CarbonPro trucks.

Ram Trucks Recall

This is a doozy, affecting Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 trucks from 2015-2017 and 2018 model year trucks built before April 1, 2018, equipped with the power locking tailgate – around 410,000 vehicles in total. It appears that the tailgate actuator limiter tab might break, which would cause the tailgate to unlatch and open while driving. Not good. Check the link below for more details on how to get your truck fixed.

Light Updates for 2020 Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma refresh for 2020 includes much needed technology updates and some styling tweaks. All trim levels get distinct grilles now and tweaked or new wheel designs. The more exciting changes are in the cabin, where the multimedia system will (finally) offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and the base model gets a larger screen. To see the changes for yourself, head over to PickupTrucks.com and watch our video on the 2020 Tacoma.

Nissan Frontier as a Budget Overlander

For those looking to take up overlanding as a hobby, one of the biggest hurdles is cost. To get a rig and perform the necessary modifications can push costs sky high, depending on what you want to add. Nissan took a different route, displaying a $40,000-ish, overlanding-ready version of its Frontier mid-size truck during the Overland Expo West. It started with an SV Midnight Edition, then added on a long set of modifications including a 3-inch lift kit, bumpers, skid plates, rock sliders, rooftop tent, a winch and much more.

Pick up on everything PickupTrucks.com has covered since May 16 below:

• 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Gives You More Powertrain, Towing Options
• Report: Aluminum Ford F-150 Collisions Cheaper to Repair Than Steel Predecessor
• 2016-2017 Mercedes-Benz Metris: Recall Alert
• 2020 Jeep Gladiator Makes the Most of Its Bed Size
• GMC Sierra’s Carbon Fiber Bed Comes With High Price Tag, Many Features
• 5 Fixes for the Next-Generation Toyota Tundra
• 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Gets Expanded 10-Speed Availability, New Tech
• 2015-2018 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500: Recall Alert
• See What’s Changed on the 2020 Toyota Tacoma
• Nissan’s Blueprint for a $40,000-ish Overlanding Nissan Frontier

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