Take a Drive in a 2021 Chevy Silverado LT Crew 4 WD

Duncanville is a midsize community located in the southern part of Dallas County. For the past 40 years, the Duncanville Lions Club has sponsored the local July 4^th parade.

For over three decades, the ladies of the Old Chisolm Trail Daughters of the American Revolution have participated in the patriotic parade. This year’s float emphasized the important role of Molly Pitcher in the Revolutionary War.

For the last few years, the ladies have asked me to provide a vehicle to drive and pull their float in the parade. This year I chose the 2021 Chevy Silverado Truck for that honor.

The Silverado had a beautiful satin steel metallic exterior with an interior crew cab in Gideon, a very dark color.

Photo: Ian La Vigne

The theme of the parade this year was “Home of the Brave,” taken from a phrase in “The Star Spangled Banner.” The ladies carefully decorated the outside of the Silverado (using non-stick tape) with banners and flags, while wrapping the sides, front, and back with red, white and blue streamers.

The very best feature of the truck was the helpful Multi Flex Tailgate, which is available in all Silverado models. The tailgate allows for easy access into the bed of the truck, making it easier to load people and cargo. The new design boasts six different functions, all designed to help improve loading and unloading, whether it’s for work or for fun, like participating in a parade.

Another smart feature is the corner step rear bumper which assisted the ladies in loading their historic display. Their realistic looking cardboard cannon and fort were securely loaded into the pickup bed.

Photo: Ian La Vigne

The cargo bed was made of a near indestructible material including rail protection. The EZ Lift, power lock, and release tailgate assured that, once everything and everyone was loaded, all was secure.

The parade started at 9 a.m., but it was already getting hot. Of course I hardly noticed the discomfort outside, as I had already positioned the ten-way power seat into perfect position. I had even adjusted the lumbar and leather wrapped steering wheel with radio controls to make sure everything was set perfectly.

The dual zone climate control cabin was quite comfortable and the power windows allowed me to lean out on occasion to speak words of encouragement to the ladies. They were walking (or sometimes running to catch up) beside the truck, carrying American, Texas, and NSDAR flags. I also yelled greetings to the large crowd that had gathered along the parade route, but was careful not to let too much hot air inside the cabin.

The 8-inch diagonal HD touchscreen with voice recognition offered Bluetooth, as audio streaming provided wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Sirius Radio allowed me to connect to a radio station that was playing patriotic music.

Photo: Ian La Vigne

I had turned it up earlier so this beautiful music might encourage the laboring ladies. They were already starting to sweat by the time they finished their lavish decorations.

The Chevy Infotainment center kept me appraised of things like the outside temperature and afternoon weather forecast. I’m sure they must have been encouraged with soaring spirits when I announced the current temperature had not quite reached a hundred degrees.

I really liked the sliding glass rear power window, as it allowed me to pass bottles of water back to the truck bed without having to get out in the sun. The HD rear camera kept me appraised of how the loading was going.

Silverado is powered by the Duramax 3-liter turbo diesel with 10- speed automatic with a combined 24 mpg city/highway. I was quite comfortable inside the cabin, with its leather appointed front outboard seats. Total Vehicle Price for the Silverado is $55,585.

Warranty: 3-year/36,000-mile Bumper to Bumper. 5 year/

100,000-mile powertrain Limited Warranty. Roadside Assistance and Courtesy Transportation.

The entire parade took about two hours, and my Silverado handled the route with ease. I nodded graciously at several shouts from the crowd saying “I sure like your truck!” When I drove back to our unloading area, the ladies seemed to be a little tired. I noticed several were red-faced and quite sweaty now.

After they finished unloading, and removing all the decorations from the truck’s body, my wife jumped in the cab to announce we had won the grand prize, the President’s Award. I smiled, and assured her that I was glad to be of help. That is when things got nasty.

She assured me I had been little to no help, sitting in comfort in the air-conditioned cab while they worked outside. It was only because I got this great truck for them to use, she said, that kept me from being labeled a Tory and promptly dispatched. For a moment there, I was sure I could smell hot tar burning, and thought I glimpsed some floating feathers.

Durhl Caussey writes a car column read around the world. He may be reached at this paper or [email protected].