I'm currently a 2015 RAM1500 owner. I decided I want to go bigger. I have owned 5 trucks, from a '97 F350 to a 2004 GMC 2500 Sierra to a 2007 Tundra to a 2012 F150. I want to back to 3/4 ton. I am retired and split time from Idaho to Montana and drive the 500 miles one way about 15 times a year. So A LOT of 85 mph interstate and then real off pavement driving to Trail heads and such. So need a happy medium between really good fast interstate handling (railing corners next to semis on Homestake and Bozeman Pass) and good offroad ability. My f150 steered like a cruise ship and 1" slop in steering play= SUCKED on the interstates. My RAM handles the interstates amazingly well. Rides almost has nice in the rough as the F150 but I have a few issues now with the 8sp auto tranny and I couldn't make it to a TH last summer because it lacked clearance. I have never lifted my trucks. But I AM considering a small 2-3" lift to fit some larger than stock aggressive off road tires.

I would require the crew cab and may opt for the SB but all my trucks have had at least a 6 1/2' bed before to fit my pontoon boat (for FFishing). Could maybe get away with the SB and have it sticking out a bit lol.

I LOVE the Silverado's styling and have heard the handling is good. I have also heard that in the rough, its ride , well sucks in relation to the RAM and Ford's. Should I opt for some after market kit or suspension, or is the GM offroad package sufficient?

 

I tend to be partial to GM products, but in my opinion, my '04 silverado 1500 crewcab short bed Z71 handles offroad extremely well. Ride quality on gravel/dirt/grass is close to what it does on pavement. That being said, the 2016/2017 1500/2500 Silverados tend to have a very ridged frame and stabilizer bars, so you get more of a bouncy ride. In my opinion, that's somewhat characteristic of a 2500 truck. The 1500 tow max edition can tow 15,000lbs, so basically these trucks are heavy duty and handle heavy duty tasks like a heavy duty truck. So I guess I wouldn't expect you to be able to find a truck that can ride like a Cadilac in mud, a sports car on the freeway and gas mileage like a hybrid, these trucks just don't exist in heavy duty form.

But seeing as how I'm partial to GM products, I'd get a 2500 truck all day long, and if ground clearance is an issue, I'd get a 2" leveling kit. Also keep in mind E rated tires make a hell of a difference in ride and handling, so consider your options along with their tires. You can get 1500 trucks with E rated tires that will handle like a 2500, and a 1500 truck that has P tires and it'll handle like a sedan.

 

My all terrain edition with Rancho shocks does awesome off road the few times I've taken it, and even better on dirt roads. Comes stock with skid plates as well.

It's great on-road as well- I racked up 60,000 highway miles last year.

However, it's a sissy when it comes to clearance, especially with the step bars on the sides (and admittedly, I almost ripped one off last year). If I were to do any crawling I would opt for a lift of sorts