2024 Gmc Sierra 2500 4wd Crew Cab Standard Bed Denali Ultimate on 2040-cars

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2019 GMC Sierra carbon fiber bed: How it's made

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The redesigned 2019 GMC Sierra has some pretty nifty features, and the one that has had the most attention is the MultiPro flipping and folding tailgate. But the Sierra also features the first-of-its-kind carbon fiber truck bed. It's interesting, of course, for its capabilities, such as being 62 pounds lighter than the all-steel box. It even adds more cargo volume since the material can be assembled and shaped differently from steel. As it turns out, the assembly process is cool, too, which we learned when GMC invited us to see the beds being made. Every GMC carbon fiber bed starts out as perfectly flat sheets of thermoplastic carbon fiber. The sheets consist of a mix of fibers and resins, a bit like the molded carbon fiber parts Lamborghini uses. The sheets are manufactured by Japanese company Teijin, which collaborated with GMC to develop the bed. They're all delivered to Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) in Fort Wayne, Ind., for construction into the actual bed. The company, a subsidiary of Teijin, makes a wide variety of composite and plastic parts for the car industry, including body panels for the C7 Chevy Corvette. The rectangular sheets are cut to shape and stacked up at a giant stamping press. Robots pick up sheets and slide them onto a conveyor that goes into a large oven. The heat softens the parts so they can be stamped. The large primary bed parts such as the base are stamped by CSP's enormous 3,600-ton press, and the smaller ones go through a 1,000-ton press. Each press can do different parts using different stamping dies, and CSP switches between dies to produce different batches of parts. After stamping, the parts roll out mostly ready for assembly, but there are rough edges that are trimmed off by water-jet cutters. These cutting machines also create holes for fasteners and for parts such as tie-down hooks and lights. The stamping process also provides the carbon fiber bed with a unique Easter egg. On the bottom of the base of the bed, there are two words: "Connors Way." This is a tribute to Tim Connors, who was the chief engineer of manufacturing at GM and a strong proponent of the carbon fiber bed. He was tragically killed in a motorcycle crash a few years ago. The words were added to honor him, and they were fortunately approved for production. There are some components to the bed that aren't stamped from the flat sheets of material.

GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X: Can you sleep in it?

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The recently introduced GMC Sierra AT4X is an impressive combination of off-roading and luxury. But can you sleep in it? Pickups are great for towing campers or as a platform upon which to build out overlanding rigs, but from the factory they usually aren’t as useful as SUVs to sleep in, considering half of the length of the vehicle is taken up by the bed. Let's see how the AT4X fares. Space The biggest thing to consider when it comes to camping in your car is whether or not there is enough space in it for you and possibly a partner to lay down comfortably. This is tough when it comes to pickup trucks, which are hampered by the fact that half (or more) of the length of the vehicle is taken up by the bed of the truck. Some trucks have added features like lie-flat seats that make sleeping in them a bit easier, though itÂ’s still not a perfect solution. Unfortunately the AT4X is not one of those trucks. While the seats do lay back quite a good amount, I wasnÂ’t able to get comfortable enough to rely on them for a good nightÂ’s rest. To the rear we go. If youÂ’re vertically challenged, you may be in luck, especially if you donÂ’t sleep stretched out. The Sierra 1500 is a wide truck, almost 7 feet wide in fact. The rear bench measures 56 inches in width, which isnÂ’t a great option for most adults unless you really like sleeping in the fetal position. ItÂ’ll do in a pinch but I wouldnÂ’t expect to get a great night's sleep again and again.  Below the bench, which folds up and out of the way, is a relatively flat floor which can offer a bit more length. At 63” it still isnÂ’t enough for me to lie down with the doors closed, but it is much less cramped than spending the night on the bench. The subtle bump in the middle of the floor, which is much less severe than the ridges in the bed, can easily be remedied by an inflatable sleeping pad like the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT, or, even better, a cheap air mattress from Walmart. The Bed The bed of the AT4X seems like the most logical place to sleep. After all, it is named the bed for a reason right? If you have an inflatable mattress, then sure, but due to the ridges on the floor, a simple sleeping pad and sleeping bag will not be enough here. Additionally, the length of the bed leaves something to be desired.

GMC Sierra AT4X reportedly on the way, nameplate could be GMC's ZR2

In 2016, GM filed an application with Mexico's Institute of Industrial Property to reserve the name AT4X, and in 2019, the automaker made the same request to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Seeing that GMC's current AT4 trim replaces the former All Terrain trim used on the last-gen Sierra pickup, there have been suspicions ever since those trademark filings that GM would use the AT4X name to replace GMC's former All Terrain X trim. GM Authority reports that this is precisely what's going to happen, citing "sources familiar with the matter." The outlet even gleaned an equipment group number: 4SG for AT4X, whereas AT4 is equipment group 4SB.  The surmise is that GMC is again developing its versions of Chevrolet's dirt-clobbering pickups that wear the ZR2 name. Spy shooters caught the GMC Canyon earlier this month trotting around on Multimatic's DSSV dampers and a set of 33-inch tires like its Colorado ZR2 sibling. The Canyon already offers an AT4 trim, it's thought this beefier setup will roll into the lineup as an AT4X.  Stepping up to the half-ton league, at the end of last month Chevy released a teaser for the Silverado ZR2, which had been caught in prototype guise (pictured at top) around Detroit on at least two occasions. We've mused that the production Silverado ZR2 could take some hardcore off-roader cues from the factory-upgraded Silverado ZR2 race truck like a lifted stance, long-travel front suspension, four-leaf springs instead of three-leaf, electronic locking front and rear differentials, and a wider track. One of the production prototypes was caught on 33-inch tires, but we wouldn't be shocked to see 35-inchers on the spec sheet. That size would match the race truck and the rubber fitted to the cross-town rivals Ford Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX. A GMC Sierra AT4X would be the plusher, pricier, chrome-ier version of the ZR2. The aforementioned Multimatic shocks could also be on the docket. We'd expect the GMC Sierra AT4X to bow with the heavily updated 2022 pickup, whenever that arrives. Events around the world of late delayed the pickup, its launch now thought to happen late next year or in early 2023. Related Video: