Remember the beautifully upscale, while off-road-ready, Chevrolet Silverado High Desert concept from this year’s SEMA trade show? It featured a concept “cargo management” system which warrants some further discussion.
The cargo management system – and the truck itself – warrants a comparison with the discontinued Chevrolet Avalanche. The bed’s sidewalls are hollow to allow for flip-top storage bins integrated over the rear wheel wells. An adjustable divider which spans the width of the bed can lock into place to keep cargo items separate, and a hard tonneau cover locks into the rails alongside the bed to keep cargo safe from the elements – and from prying hands.
In fact, all of these panels are molded out of hard, durable plastic to match the bed liner itself. All three upper-edges of the bed feature a delicious Pewter-look lip with Oxide Gold and Russet accents, which play-off of the jade-green paint of the concept quite nicely, and continue some of the aesthetic elements found inside the cabin.
The much-loved Chevrolet Avalanche may have been raptured up into pickup truck heaven (located somewhere near Alabama, it is believed), but its flexible, configurable bed storage system lives on in this 2015 Chevrolet Silverado High Desert concept.
Comments
GM needs to make a tri-fold tonneau that is integrated into the bed rails and tailgate to prevent any water from entering the bed. Let it sit flush to the bed rails so you can still have access to the square stake pockets and also fold up entirely so you have access to the full length of the bed. Be able to open and close the tailgate without needing to lift the rear portion of the tonneau. And also be able to open/flip up the front portion (section closest to the cab/front of bed) independently to gain access to the front without needing to fold the entire cover up.
Something like the BakFlip FiberMax tonneau mixed with the Fold-a-Cover G2, except perfect OEM fitment (ie water tight).
Basically a trunk lid for a truck bed.
If GM offered that as even an expensive $1200 option I’d take it. Beats spending $800-1000 on a top end tri-fold tonneau and still having water get in the bed and not having ‘exact’ fitment at the tailgate
Exactly what I’m waiting for