Silverado's door openings are large, making getting in and out easier, and the door handles are big and easy to grab. Extended cabs come standard with four doors, though the rear doors only open about 90 degrees. Optional puddle lamps mounted beneath the big side mirrors light the ground along the sides of the truck, handy in the woods and in the city. Mirrors are also available with redundant turn signal indicators, warning drivers alongside or in your blind spot, that you are moving over. Heavy-duty models have running lights on the roof, tailgate, and leading and trailing edges of bulging rear fenders. They add visibility for improved safety. Plus, they look neat.
Silverado's bed features built-in tie-down brackets near the four corners. Indentations stamped into the inner bed walls can hold boards to form bulkhead dividers or a second floor for two-tier loading. The Silverado's load floor is 31.6 inches above the ground on 2WD models, 33.7 on 4WD. That's relatively low, and low is good when loading heavy cargo. Short-box beds are 78.7 inches long; long boxes are 97.6 inches long. Fleetside boxes are 64.8 inches wide (at the floor); Sportside boxes measure 49.1 inches wide. All measure 50 inches wide between the wheel housings.
A PRO-TEC composite box is available for Silverado 1500 Extended Cab Short Box models. PRO-TEC is a nearly indestructible material that's lighter and stronger than steel. It never rusts and it resists dents. PRO-TEC tailgates can support a lot more weight than steel tailgates. Next Page