And while the skid plates are there to protect the underside, there are some hills that have too steep a breakover to clear.
At Bundy Hill, there are loads of narrow and steep trails with trees at the edges that we didn’t dare take the Chevy down for fear of getting wedged somewhere or scraping something. Worth noting, though, is that the Trail Boss has limits off road. Of course, had we become stuck from being overambitious, they would have been handy for getting hauled out of deep muck.
And as a bonus, the tow hooks made for a great spot to attach the mandatory antenna flag for visibility. In fact, we never had to use four-wheel-drive low, and only once could we feel the automatic locking differential activate. The tires were also welcome, providing great traction in the muddy parts. The suspension provided great body control over big dips and ruts, keeping us from smacking the ceiling or bottoming out the suspension. The Trail Boss’s upgrades only get it up to Green along with the ability to comfortably cruise the main service roads. Above that, the “Black,” “Red,” and “Border” trails recommend even more off-road equipment, the ability to traverse extremely steep hills and large boulders are required, and roll over and body damage are possible, potentially even probable. The second-lowest “Blue” trail recommends at least 31-inch tires, a winch, locking or limited-slip diffentials. The lowest level is “Green,” which the park describes as being acceptable for stock vehicles with good ground clearance. Bundy Hill has five levels of trails, besides the fairly wide-open dirt service roads between areas. Usually more modified, too.ĭigging out the park map further showed that I might not have picked the ideal tool for the job. Anything much bigger was a lot older and a lot more beat up. I could see why, since most of the vehicles that were actually wandering the park were bikes, ATVs, side-by-sides and Jeeps. They also seemed a bit skeptical of the truck’s size for actually going down trails. They said I would likely get stuck in such a large and heavy truck. We had a decent amount of rain the days leading up to my drive, and the people at the gate specifically warned me to stay away from large water puddles. Every path from access roads to hardcore trails are dirt, and on the day I went, it was overcast and wet. We took our example, an LT Trail Boss, out to Bundy Hill off-road park in Jerome, Mich., where each Trail Boss-specific component came in handy. The list of changes are certainly less extreme than what you would find on the Colorado ZR2, F-150 Raptor, or Ram 2500 Power Wagon, but they still make the Trail Boss a solid off-roader.
On the rear fenders are “Trail Boss” decals. And for a bit of visual flair, the trucks get a black grille, bumpers, and vivid red tow hooks. On either trim level, you can opt for 33-inch all-terrain tires on 20-inch wheels if you prefer. Additionally, they get skid plates, hill descent control an automatic locking rear differential and 32-inch mud-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels. The Trail Boss trims come standard with off-road tuned suspension complete with Rancho shocks and a 2-inch lift over the regular Z71. The result is a stylish full-size truck that can be a solid off-pavement companion at the cost of on-road performance. Each looks tougher in their own way, but both get the same extra off-road credibility thanks to suspension and tire upgrades. One of the more mildly modified examples is the 2020 Chevy Silverado Trail Boss, available in lightly equipped Custom or pricier LT Trail Boss versions. Since the introduction of the Raptor, most pickup trucks have sprouted more rugged variations with varying levels of off-road-ready equipment. The hot trend in the pickup truck world is the off-road special.