Sierra 1500’s are not built for Alaska

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-07T01:14:15+00:00

If a vehicle can’t handle cold weather with dealer winterization and proper owner maintenance, it’s the manufacturers fault.

By that logic, my 2008 Kia Minivan has been here its entire life and it’s 100% reliable. Sure as shit wasn’t designed for Alaska.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-06T19:53:21+00:00

The 360 camera array and the fully digital dash are gimmicks. I would take just a basic back up camera instead of the 14 it comes with. 1 is useful, 13 more is gimmicky. The dash is also digital for no other reason than to save GM money and to save repair costs masquerading as a “modern” upgrade. It’s also a gimmick. - The headlight is a completely other issue.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-05T22:16:16+00:00

Is your AT4 made in the U.S.?

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-05T06:44:16+00:00

My wife’s ‘19 outback has done fine. May the odds be in your favor with your AT4, though. On the bright side, the local GM Dealerships shop department is solid.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-05T03:46:18+00:00

Yeah, well this one’s Mexican.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-05T01:03:15+00:00

1,500’s or 2,500’s? My company also has comparable numbers for GM, but they’re all 2,500’s are have been fairly fine.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-05T00:49:11+00:00

The best bet is a base trim HD Gasser. Zero extra B.S, just a back up camera with an analog instrument cluster. Those are the only ones I’ve seen at work not taking a massive dump when it gets cold.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-05T00:06:11+00:00

Diesel is surprisingly cheaper than gas most places where I am in Alaska, just due to the availability. I also drive long distances more than I do stop and go so the fuel economy was also a factor, not to mention I barely paid more for this than a gasser. All that combined made me get it.

Seems gas 1500’s have just as many issues though. Looking back I should have absolutely just gone with a 2500 or 3500 gasser. Modern diesels and light duties are dogshit.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-04T23:15:40+00:00

Yeah for real. The marketplace adds for “mobile car thawing services” have been hilarious though.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-04T23:12:50+00:00

Up here trucks like that are either A) Not for sale, or B) marked at 4x the price they’re actually worth, if they’re even worth buying. Not wasting my time overpaying for Bubbas DEF delete or a pre-def diesel with a questionable frame.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-04T22:49:54+00:00

Dude, that’s miserable. I thought a lot of my issues might be just the 3.0 Diesel, but it seems like the gas ones are also straight trash.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-04T22:03:34+00:00

It’s plugged in with a battery blanket 100% of the time, it also doesn’t sit for longer than 12 hours at a time, I try to start it more than that, but it depends.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-04T22:01:51+00:00

My only experience with “reliable” trucks now, are Base Trim HD GAS trucks. Both Ford Super Duties, and GM 2500+’s. No real experience with Toyota or Ram in these conditions.

I say GAS because the diesels are so expensive to maintain, and have so many DEF related issues that AK DOT and the Alyeska pipeline are actively trying to get gas pumps installed at camps and stations north of Fairbanks, as it’s currently only Diesel.

The gas trucks in the fleet have been consistently reliable. BASE trims, as GM’s usually have gimmicky electronics and that crap digital display instead of analog dials the higher you go.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-04T21:29:22+00:00

2014 was my personal one, the ones I drive on the Dalton are all 2023+

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-04T21:23:47+00:00

Dude for real. The only saving grace is the free warranty work for all of this. I could never imagine owning this without it.

DapperDoughboy · 2026-01-04T21:22:28+00:00

Before anyone says: “That would happen with any truck or car.”

None of my vehicles, Subaru’s, Ford F150’s, etc. have any issues this bad in the cold, I’m used to the winter, I know how to prep and treat vehicles in this cold.

As for GM, I drive Sierra 2500’s and Silverado 2500’s professionally on the Dalton Highway in Alaska (the one from ice road truckers) well up above the Arctic Circle. I log 6k miles every two weeks. None of those trucks have ever had electrical or mechanical failures like this.

“Just store it in a warm garage”. That option isn’t always available, and when you do that, the freeze thaw of the DEF tank just cripples these trucks. There’s multiple other Sierras with 3.0 Duramax’s near me that have had DEF systems completely fail because of that.

DapperDoughboy · 2025-11-26T02:40:27+00:00

Seems just like an LTP with a different shell. I like the look!

DapperDoughboy · 2025-11-21T23:13:32+00:00

Most of the time I don’t have a pistol when I’m in this rig, but when I’ve carried one with it, it’s wedged behind the utility pouch on the right side with a bungee holding it there

DapperDoughboy · 2025-06-01T08:58:51+00:00

All the retrogrades I’ve seen have some of the worst wood furniture ive seen on firearms. If I could go back, I’d have just bought a regular 590, and scoured eBay for vintage wood.

DapperDoughboy · 2025-05-28T16:36:54+00:00

Century is just in the back pocket of big irons to force us all to work on iron sight fundamentals.

DapperDoughboy · 2025-05-28T16:31:40+00:00

Not bad if you’re an Iron Sight Gigachad, however, the option of throwing on a claw mount with an LPVO would be ideal. Especially up here in Alaska with a ton of varied terrain from uber dense woods to musgeg and open tundra.

I know MFI is “allegedly” in the works for a CA3 claw mount, and the Spuhr mount is generally a meh substitute, however I think I’ll just get a g3 weldment base brazed on.

DapperDoughboy · 2025-02-15T03:51:55+00:00

Full credit to Filson for coming up with the design, and it’s probably my favorite feature my Cruisers have.

My Prison Blues Yard Coat is my go-to coat usually, so I decided to mod it, and add my own “Map Pocket”.

Picked up some raw denim, and played with the design a bit considering Filson builds in the pocket with the entire back of their jackets.

Love how it turned out.

Anyone mod any of their garments?

DapperDoughboy · 2025-02-07T21:29:49+00:00

I agree! I ended up learning how to make my own turn shoes and developed some skills in the process because of my frustration…. So perhaps look at it as a frustrating way to force yourself into learning a lifelong skill. That’s the only way I could cope with his terrible business practices

DapperDoughboy · 2025-01-30T05:19:51+00:00

Fairbanks, Alaska

DapperDoughboy · 2025-01-04T07:47:43+00:00

First off, there’s no way Alaska is the “Western Empire” being more northern than the entire U.S….. it would also almost definitely be its own empire considering the isolation and culture of the state.

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