GM makes beds optional on pickups...sort of

Not everyone who buys a pickup actually needs one.

That’s not a reference to all of those fashionable folks who only use their beds to carry sunshine, but the ones that don’t use the beds at all.

That’s because they swap them out to turn their pickups into campers, ambulances, and a wide variety of commercial vehicles.

Automakers offer “box delete” options from the factory to create chassis cab versions for just this reason, but often just for the heavy duty versions.

That’s not the case at General Motors, anymore. (No doubt to the chagrin of companies that resell discarded “takeoff” truck beds.)

After launching chassis cab versions of the midsize Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon earlier this year, GM is now adding the option to its full-size Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 lineups for fleet and retail customers.

It’s available on regular cab models in both 2WD and 4WD configurations with GM’s 5.3-liter V8 and eliminates the rear bumper and spare tire carrier, while adding the springs and front stabilizer bar from the 1500s’ max trailering package.

Hitting CTRL-ALT-DEL on the bed drops the price of a comparably equipped Silverado 1500 by $575 to a $29,155 entry point, which is $4,320 less than the lowest-priced Silverado 2500 chassis cab, which is more truck than a lot of customers need, even without the bed.

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