The 2024 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD is a commanding vehicle with bold features. Everywhere you look, you see innovative and exciting details that make the 3500 HD a truck worth talking about. There is one feature that I feel deserves some extra attention, and that is the unparalleled Durabed. Debuted in 2019, the Durabed was slated to beat out all other truck beds and so far its been doing a pretty stupendous job.
A truck bed might not seem like the headliner that I am making it out to be, but that’s what’s different about the Durabed. The Durabed somehow steals the spotlight, proving it is more than just a detail. It is a major selling point that increases the Silverado’s overall value and practicality, whether for the job site or for weekend adventures.
Durability of the Durabed
The Durabed most likely gets its name from the increase in durability that the bed’s makeover gave it. Thanks to new and upgraded materials, the Durabed is stronger than any bed that has come before it. The Durabed is made of high-strength roll-formed steel, which involves literally rolling the material back onto itself to reinforce and strengthen it. Steel is fed through a series of rollers that form it into the shape required. Multiple layers of steel get squashed together into a single thick layer, and the rolling process itself adds additional strength.
This process is ideal for the automotive industry because it produces quality and consistent parts that have a high strength-to-weight ratio. Chevy also improved the material strength of the bed floor as well, increasing its megapascal rating. Megapascal is a pressure measurement which indicates how much pressure a material can handle. In layman’s terms, that means that the Durabed won’t bend under pressure. At the time when Ford was advertising the benefits of the F-150’s more lightweight aluminum bed, Chevy doubled down on steel, quite literally, and its well known durability.
Cargo Space
When the Durabed was first introduced in 2019 it offered a whopping 73 cu.ft. of cargo volume for the standard bed, and 89 cu.ft. of cargo volume for the long bed. This is an impressive amount of room which blew most other truck beds out of the water. Even now, with a little bit less volume, the bed still offers impressive space.
The 2024 Silverado’s Durabed is spacious, providing plenty of hauling options for work or for fun. The standard bed provides 69.6 cu.ft of cargo volume, while the long bed bumps it up to 83.5 cu.ft. of space. Even though these specs aren’t quite what previous editions were, the Durabed doesn’t disappoint, coming in above most of its competitors.
Practicality
Owning a truck seems to automatically enroll you into the “friend with a truck” club. In this club, you are the designated mover and, hauler and must be able to transport goods for friends with ease. I didn’t make the rules–I just follow them, and in following them I have learnt that if you don’t have a Durabed, you should probably have plenty of bungee cords.
Transporting goods means securing them properly in the bed of the truck, and that means either having a system or getting creative. If you have never been forced to sort through a mess of assorted bungees in hopes of devising a plan to safely secure cargo, you may not realize how great having twelve tie-downs in your truck bed is. Furthermore, these tie-downs are tough. Each tie-down can handle up to 500-pounds without snapping or bending, expanding your hauling possibilities. Nine additional tie-downs can be added for those heavy-duty jobs, totaling twenty-one tie-downs in all.
The tie-downs can also be reconfigured, offering a better arrangement for securing items. At varying heights there is greater flexibility, especially with the additional tie-down accessories. With so many tie-down points at your disposal, you can toss the bungees and say hello to convenience.
For the worker on the go, an available 120-volt outlet can be added to the Durabed. Charge tools, run lights, or use it for recreational activities. The addition of the outlet is perfect for camping, hiking, etc. offering a way to blow up an air mattress, run a small appliance, and so on. Whoever said that life was all about work, anyways?
Another multi-use add-on for the Durabed is bed lighting and perimeter lighting. Lighting can be added to the hitch area to make connecting a trailer easier in the dark. Cab mounted lights and angled pillar lamps are also added to improve visibility, whether you are working late or out exploring the great unknown.
Finally, the Durabed includes an integrated side step. This corner step is large enough for bulky work boots, and thanks to its location, it can be accessed even when a trailer is connected. The step is hidden away in its design, maintaining the aesthetic of the truck.
The Multi-Flex Tailgate Chaser
While not technically part of the Durabed, the Multi-Flex Tailgate is an addition that was introduced shortly after the Durabed’s introduction, and rounds out its functionality. It’s one of those features you might think is an unnecessary splurge, but once you have it, you will wonder how you lived without it. With six distinct functions, the Multi-Flex Tailgate is one of the most versatile tailgates out there.
The first function, which is the most obvious, is as a traditional tailgate opening in line with the bed or fully closed for cargo security. This is no ordinary tailgate, however. Within the tailgate is a load-stop, which can be folded-up to keep extra long cargo from sliding out, enhancing the Durabed’s practicality.
From there, Chevy users can find a smaller, inner gate. The inner gate can be folded flat, behaving like a mobile workbench. That same inner gate houses a load-stop as well, which can be used to expand the cargo space. Materials that extend beyond the tailgate will have extra security with this load-stop, keeping things in place.
That same inner gate also folds down, creating a cutout in the tailgate. This cutout makes it easier to load and unload cargo without having to climb into the truck bed. The final feature also improves accessibility, with the inner gate folding down while the tailgate is open to provide a large step. This heavy-duty step can hold 375 pounds and makes it simple to get to cargo, as well as to climb in and out of the truck bed if you need to.
The Multi-Flex Tailgate elevates the tailgate game, taking what once was functional and making it multi-functional. Combining the practicality of the Durabed with the functionality of the Multi-Flex Tailgate puts the 2024 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD on a level of its own.
The Durabed Continues to Prevail
The Durabed entered the scene unmatched, setting a new standard for practicality. Other manufacturers quickly followed suit, trying to match and even surpass the Durabed’s functionality. However even with their attempts, the Durabed remains a unique feature that further identifies the 2024 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD as the truck to beat in features and form. The Silverado has many other fantastic features, but the Durabed is one that changes a simple truck bed to a multi-use tool for cargo.
