2022 Colorado ZR2 Bison

[richard310]

So I finally did a thing and came home with a new truck to replace the dead Crapterra. A brand spankin new 2022 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison with only 11 miles on the clock. I figured, why not? It comes with a good package out of the box thanks mostly to AEV: Front metal bumper, rear bumper, sliders (albeit a set of White Knuckles would be stronger), and their hot stamped boron skids. Best part: It's all under warranty. I was deterred by the upcoming next gen Colorado offering of an inline-4 turbo, and which also included the Ford Ranger. The new Tacos are everywhere and also overpriced and underpowered for what you get. This truck really fit the bill of what I felt was the best offering on the market for a midsize truck. Time will tell.

Our current plans are to keep it's utility but also have a very simple light adventure rig. Stay tuned!

 

[Dave]

 

[Tim R.]

Super happy for you @richard310. Long time coming but you earned it.

Now there is no excuse to not have what you need at camp....

 

[richard310]

Super happy for you @richard310. Long time coming but you earned it.

Now there is no excuse to not have what you need at camp....

Thanks Tim, it's definitely been a long time coming. Now it's figuring out how we want to set this thing up but first we gotta hit the dirt to stretch its new shiny legs.

 

[richard310]

Just placed an order for an AluCab Explorer Canopy Topper. There's a 10-12 week lead time as it's considered a "special order" item, so hopefully it'll be here and installed before DRV this coming year. Along with the topper, I'll have a set of 1250mm bars, and security rear window mesh installed. I'm looking forward to getting the topper on to get the camping & recovery gear setup sorted out.

Other items on order:
- ARB 12V Single Compressor
- ARB switch coupling panel
- 589Fab rear shock skids
- 589Fab underhood compressor mount
- CCE underhood electrical panel mount
- Blue Sea 6-circuit fuse block

I'll not only be moving the CVT tent to the Bison from the Crapterra, but also moving my old Kenwood 2m radio setup too. I'll have to figure out where to mount the radio cleanly and also a temporary antenna mounting until the topper gets in. Not sure if I'll move the CB at all.. we'll see.

Until later, when the parts come in!

 

[richard310]

I ended up moving the Kenwood 2M radio and antenna over from the Xterra. I mounted the transceiver on the side of the center console in the driverside footwell to keep it relatively hidden and somewhat out of the way. I'm not 100% set on this location... After this latest trip, I had, on occasion while reaching in the back to the cab, inadvertently turned on/off the radio with my knee.. I'll have to figure something out as I don't want it on the top of the dash.

I also installed the ARB single compressor + 589 Fab mount underneath the power steering reservoir, with the coupling remote mounted on the opposite side of the engine bay. I ran into issues with ARB's JIC-04 3m reinforced air hose, as the swivel sections are both leaking. After a day of trials and frustration, I ended up removing that hose and swapped it out with a heavy duty rubber air line with press-on clamped air fittings. What are the chances of both swivel joints leaking on a $50 air line, right out of the box?

Took the wife and the new truck up the I-395 to Mammoth Lakes for a few days this week after their snow storm to help break in the truck and rack up some mileage. Snow, dirt and a bit of mud, plus some pin striping that made this a momentous trip for the truck and I, while the wife just cringed while the pin striping occured... The truck did great. I'm pretty impressed with the stock DSSV suspension on the ZR2, both on road and off. It's not the greatest but for an OE suspension, it handled washboards and loose off-camber sections with ease. The Duratracs did fairly well in the snow/ice and dirt too, with no need to air down at all. So far so good with this Bison in our stable!

 

[richard310]

Some pics of the ARB compressor setup:

The 589Fab compressor mount was used for the single ARB compressor, which places the compressor underneath the power steering reservoir. There is a ton of room underneath for a double as well if the need to upgrade is required. The remote coupling was mounted to a CCE Auxiliary Plate in conjunction with the ARB Coupling Switch plate to keep the switch and coupling protected under the hood. I had to hack up the CCE plate to fit the ARB plate, but made for a better look in the end.

Excuse the mud and dirt. I'm finding out that having a white truck is more problematic when trying to keep things clean lol.

 

[Tim R.]

Some pics of the ARB compressor setup:

View attachment 61421

The 589Fab compressor mount was used for the single ARB compressor, which places the compressor underneath the power steering reservoir. There is a ton of room underneath for a double as well if the need to upgrade is required. The remote coupling was mounted to a CCE Auxiliary Plate in conjunction with the ARB Coupling Switch plate to keep the switch and coupling protected under the hood. I had to hack up the CCE plate to fit the ARB plate, but made for a better look in the end.

View attachment 61419

View attachment 61420

Excuse the mud and dirt. I'm finding out that having a white truck is more problematic when trying to keep things clean lol.

Looks great bud. I love white vehicles! Best color IMO.

 

[richard310]

Installed the 589Fab shock skids this morning. Easy peezy and gives a better peace of mind of not smashing the absurdly low and exposed rear lower shock mounts on rocks.

If necessary, their rear shock relocation kit might be on the radar to increase ground clearance and eliminate these low hanging snags. In the meantime, these little skids will have to do.

 

[richard310]

Been busy as of recent so haven't had time to take decent photos.

Courtesy of TinyRigCo, the Alucab Explorer Canopy finally came in. Well worth the wait time, although I'll say communications with TinyRig was pretty terrible and spotty during the wait. Wasn't their fault but simple regular updates would keep a customer at ease when a good chunk of change has already exchanged hands.

I upgraded my old 2m Kenwood TM271 to the Yaesu FTM 6000R. It's nice to have dual band and get some extra juice out of transmissions with the 50w unit. So far so good with a budget dual band radio. I mounted the transceiver under the rear seat, and mounted the head unit just in front of the center console armrest. Keeps it accessible but out of sight than on the dash. I'll be adding an aux speaker since it's barely audible at its current location as I'm having to turn the volume to max to hear it.

Had to get that spare tire from out under the bed, so I got 589Fab's bed tire carrier, and also got their hilift bed mount. Some drilling and riveting required but a simple enough job to get them secured on the bed. About an hour's work to get both in place. I have yet to do a shakedown with the tire in this configuration so I'm not 100% on it as it may need to sit flat up against the rear wall to prevent the wobbly...

All that's left is to get the old tent and ARB awning moved over from the Xterra and it'll be camp ready. I've also been trying to wear down these Duratracs so I can upgrade to 33's, which will require AEVs fender mod kit to eliminate rubbing. Been considering 35's and the full fender mod kit lately, but once I'm ready to toss these tires I'll make a decision.

Until the next update!

 

[richard310]

Been busy with work and haven't had much time to update here, but nothing has changed with the truck since then.

I've been able to hit a good amount of dirt trails en route to local work sites, which has been nice, but I've felt the limitations of the current suspension setup, including dented sliders, and dented/scraped skid plates. At 15k mileage now since new, I think it's time to change things up.

The DSSV's are well mannered on road and work decent on relatively green trails and definitely are a great shock for the main populace, but once the going gets tough the shocks start to show their limits. In the bed, with the AluCab Explorer canopy weighing in at about 125lbs, the rear end is surprisingly feeling the constant weight and needs some help. The rear leafs seem to be a bit wonky too after the trail run last week including the home depot runs on the past 8 months of hauling home renovation materials and tools. The right side is getting droopy and I don't want to go back to OEM replacements since I'll run back into the same issues.

In comes the decision to make an upgrade at all four corners with Radflo OE length Coilovers on 600lb springs, and Radflo rear piggybacks with Deaver +2 Standard leaf packs rated for 0-250lbs of constant weight in the bed. I dont haul a lot, even on camping trips and figure these will work just fine for our use. It'll be about 3-4 weeks of wait time, but I'm sure it'll be worth the wait.

There is also the issue of ground clearance and ride with the small 30.5" tires, so I'll be getting the AEV 33" Clearance kit on the next go around. This kit from AEV shaves the fenders a bit with paper templates and covers them up cleanly with some paneling. IMO, this should've been done from the factory to come stock with at least 33s or the ability to slap them on without modification. Either way, I'll have 33s once the wheel well modifications are done.

In the mean time here are some gratuitous truck pics I took on some work adventures:

 

[richard310]

Ran some trails up in NV while working up there for a few weeks. Wasn't able to hit as many as I would've liked but squeezed in a few.
Mormon Wells Road, just north of Vegas slithers up from I-95 at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge towards Mormon Pass and out to I-93. This one we hit late as it was an easy one. We drive out on Gas Peak Road but had to turn arpund as the road was blocked off at the outskirts of Vegas. Both roads are very scenic with some very cool things to see along the way including fossils and Joshua Trees. No big horn sheep although the Rangers told us they saw two the previous day.

On the way home, we hit Bird Spring Pass just on the southwest side of Vegas. This was a simple easy trail that turned into some terrible washboard and whoops as we got closer to I-15. Overall, it was a scenic trail with Vegas in our rear view as the sun set.

Truck is working out great, although with all the rocky trails I've been on thus far, things have began to rattle about in the interor. Around the steering column and wheel, something has come loose so I'll need to go in and take a look as it drives me crazy when I'm on the dirt. Another dash panel has loosened and rattles on occassion. Other than that, I'm still waiting on the Radflos. The Deaver springs are sitting in the garage waiting to get installed. Now I'm looking at Timbren Active bumpstops front and rear, to help the harsh bottoming out too so those might all get installed together once the Radflos get in. I'm hoping for a huge dynamic change in ride, including the upgrade to 33s which I'm still a bit far from judging by tire tread.

I've decided to axe the RTT and not redeploy it to the Bison. We've got a Overlandish V2 tent to try out next week so we'll see how this behemoth works out on a small upcoming trip, weather/rain included!

 

[WashingtonTaco]

These type tents are great for base camping. We bought two small Gazelles for the company, deploying it daily might get old.

 

[Dave]

These type tents are great for base camping. We bought two small Gazelles for the company, deploying it daily might get old.

I prefer a base camp style versus the RTT life because I can set camp and explore versus needing to pack up to explore.

Ground level entry (ladders suck) and the shelter (any brand hub tent) is multipurpose - bedroom, bathroom, even a hangout if inclement weather hits. Set up and tear down is about as easy as it gets.

Way more functional than any RTT I’ve ever had.

 

[richard310]

During our past Winter trip, my wife and I took some dirt roads up to San Francisco to visit my brother and nephew, and we got some hands on time with the Overlandish Tent. It was a 3-day, 3 night, 3 site camping trip.

Boy oh boy is it a handful to pack out and pack in every night and every morning. Even though it was a 3 different sites in 3 nights, average time was about an hour to deploy camp, and another hour to pack up, and i was exhausted every time. This included cots, sleeping bags, and the kitchen. Definitely a Basecamp style like the upcoming DRV event which we're looking forward to, but I'm highly debating a small tent or dare even going a smaller lighter RTT again for these quick short trips. There's just something about quick pop up and leaving sleeping accommodations in the RTT....

I will say we were VERY comfortable in the Overlandish tent, and it kept us quite warm, especially when we ran the propane lantern inside before going to sleep. There is plenty of room for both of our short statures, including our cots and table if needed. SO much room, like enough to put up a study, couch and television...

We do wish the windows were easier to deploy and were also larger to let more light in. Lots of velcro where I would have preferred zippers though. No need for those clear plastic windows; it shouldve just been the weather cover and the mesh like every other tent... its a hassle too fudge between the mess and clear window.
The dark fabric does reduce a lot of light, especially in the early morning. We slept in after the sunrise as there wasn't much light coming through the fabric so it was kind of nice if we needed some extra Z's in the AM.

Overall, we're both on the fence with this tent. Given the packed size, the effort to deploy, the gargantuan interior we only use a third of, and the amount of effort to pack and squeeze back into the bag, we'd only utilize this strictly as a Basecamp for a one site multi-night tent. If I had to absolutely use this in the same circumstances as our last trip, I'd be somewhat okay to deploy it... I'd need a few beers after though that's for sure.

 

[richard310]

Here's just a few more gratuitous truck shots from the trip.

The torrential downpour once we hit San Francisco area cleaned up all the mud i had accumulated in 3 days. I was a quite heartbroken..

but the views on the way to Laurel Lakes were absolutely amazing. Too bad we couldn't make it to the actual lake.

At least it meant less dirt/mud on the driveway when I wash it back at home lol.

 

[richard310]

Seeing some limitations on the stock DSSV suspension with all the dirt I've seen thus far, I felt it was time to finally upgrade the suspension, just 1-year with 18k miles on with the truck. Even though the 7-year warranty does cover everything from the ground up, tires included! I'm not sure these DSSV's will stand the test of my wife as she's getting tossed around in the cab as we attempt to traverse the dirt. Outside of getting 37's, bucket seats, Han's device and 5pt harness for her, I felt quality suspension would be a better route for the time being.

The OEM DSSV valving is definitely catered more towards asphalt with graded fire roads, but once it starts to get technical, the shocks begin to show their weakness and start struggling, especially being in hours and hours of rutted out, rocky dirt paths. I even start getting tossed around in the cab and have to stop and take a breather before continuing on. Don't get me wrong, these shocks are great for 80% of the general population but just quickly feel substandard after putting it through some mild paces.

In comes the Radflo coilovers. Coming from a Nissan background, I've heard nothing but great things from Radflo, including the support they've provided in the Nissan community. This was quite awhile ago but my opinions are still very high of them even though I've never ran them on the Crapterra. It was time to give them a whirl.

In keeping with the tune of staying mostly stock, I opted for the standard ZR2 length 2.5 Coilovers with remote reservoirs that give me the option of 0-2" of front end lift. The front coilovers would be on 600lb springs with baja valving, and the rears will be on the same baja valving being held up with Deaver's standard ZR2 +2 leaf springs. The Deaver pack will give the ZR2 about an additional 1- 1.25" of rear lift so that'll help even out the truck better with the front end. I've heard that either the Coilovers and/or Deavers make a huge difference so I was excited to finally get something of great quality.

I had some time to finally install the coilovers that sat for about a month, but I didn't have time to install the Deavers, which are still sitting in the garage. I'll wait until I get the Timbren bumpstops in, to get it all installed.

The odd thing is that these coilovers did not come with a coil wrench to adjust the front ride height so I had to order it after. The truck front end currently sits at the max 2" height so once the wrench comes in, its dropping an inch.

I do have some clearance issues on the front sway bar which is extremely close to the 2nd lowest coil. At times I think I hear it rubbing on bad roads so I ordered extended sway bar links and a sway bar relocation bracket which pushes the bar entirely forward about 1/2" or so. Hopefully this will fix the current clearance issue that was not a problem with the stock DSSV suspension. If you look at the Radflo vs DSSV spring length, you can see where it would be a problem.

Passenger Front:

Driver Front:

After having driven it at the 10-click, out of 25, from the softest compression setting at all 4 corners for just 100mi or so on the asphalt, it feels smoother than OEM but I need to really stretch it's legs on some trails to get a better idea of its full potential. Including getting the Deavers and Timbrens installed....

Maybe I'll just throw out the F swaybar and enjoy real IFS... lol.
Until then!

 

[Greg]

Got any gratuitous truck shots for the home page image rotation?

 

[WashingtonTaco]

I love the Radflo's on my GX! I was warned that they would need to be serviced once a year, this was entirely untrue. I have put over 40,000 miles on them and they are still an excellent choice.

 

[WashingtonTaco]

During our past Winter trip, my wife and I took some dirt roads up to San Francisco to visit my brother and nephew, and we got some hands on time with the Overlandish Tent. It was a 3-day, 3 night, 3 site camping trip.

View attachment 63725

Boy oh boy is it a handful to pack out and pack in every night and every morning. Even though it was a 3 different sites in 3 nights, average time was about an hour to deploy camp, and another hour to pack up, and i was exhausted every time. This included cots, sleeping bags, and the kitchen. Definitely a Basecamp style like the upcoming DRV event which we're looking forward to, but I'm highly debating a small tent or dare even going a smaller lighter RTT again for these quick short trips. There's just something about quick pop up and leaving sleeping accommodations in the RTT....

View attachment 63726

I will say we were VERY comfortable in the Overlandish tent, and it kept us quite warm, especially when we ran the propane lantern inside before going to sleep. There is plenty of room for both of our short statures, including our cots and table if needed. SO much room, like enough to put up a study, couch and television...

View attachment 63727

We do wish the windows were easier to deploy and were also larger to let more light in. Lots of velcro where I would have preferred zippers though. No need for those clear plastic windows; it shouldve just been the weather cover and the mesh like every other tent... its a hassle too fudge between the mess and clear window.
The dark fabric does reduce a lot of light, especially in the early morning. We slept in after the sunrise as there wasn't much light coming through the fabric so it was kind of nice if we needed some extra Z's in the AM.

Overall, we're both on the fence with this tent. Given the packed size, the effort to deploy, the gargantuan interior we only use a third of, and the amount of effort to pack and squeeze back into the bag, we'd only utilize this strictly as a Basecamp for a one site multi-night tent. If I had to absolutely use this in the same circumstances as our last trip, I'd be somewhat okay to deploy it... I'd need a few beers after though that's for sure.

I always need a beer when arriving at camp and during set up!