GMC’s carbon fiber composite box, dubbed CarbonPro, is a modern marvel. It’s the first of its kind and raises the bar when it comes to pickup truck bed durability. Not only did GMC pair the bed with various neat features, but the material itself also offers a host of benefits, one of which is eliminating the necessity for a spray-in bed liner.
That’s right, the CarbonPro’s rugged surface completely eliminates the need for a bed liner, and units of the Sierra equipped with the carbon fiber bed will not offer a bed liner package. Not needing a bed liner means owners won’t have to deal with the hassle or the added weight a bedliner brings, without sacrificing dent, scratch, and corrosion resistance typically delivered by a bedliner. What’s more, the surface of the CarbonPro bed features a rough grain for additional foot grip, while also being nonabrasive.
Besides the benefit of not needing a bedliner, another benefit of a GMC Sierra equipped with the CarbonPro box is an increased payload rating. Since the carbon fiber composite bed eliminates about 60 pounds from the vehicle’s mass, it gives CarbonPro-equipped trucks an increase in payload capacity – as much as 59 pounds higher compared to the Sierra’s standard roll-formed steel bed. Couple that weight savings with not needing a bed liner, and the benefits of the CarbonPro box make themselves apparent.
Another benefit of the CarbonPro box that we already mentioned involve the pre-cut indentations at the front of the bed for hauling bikes and motorcycles.
Customers who wish to get their hands on GMC’s newfangled CarbonPro box in the very near future will have to opt for the GMC Sierra CarbonPro Edition, which is a special, limited-run model for the 2019 Sierra AT4 1500 and 2019 Sierra Denali 1500.
Pricing for the CarbonPro models has yet to be announced as of this writing. However, GMC will expand availability of the CarbonPro box for the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, which means that the box will become available as a free-flow option – rather than as part of special edition – on the AT4 and Denali models.
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Comments
How much weight does the spray on bedliner ad?
I read that spray on liners add 7 pounds per square foot. One manufacturer says on average it adds 90 lbs. I have heard other claims of 500 lbs but I doubt that is true.
Surprised it has taken so long for a better idea for bed protection. Trucks usually ride better with a little weight in the bed. The over the rail bed liners were terrible idea. Ruined paint on fenders.
Bed protection is a tough thing no pun intended.
The steel with the liners has always been an issues as they still rust if you do not remove them once in a while. The spray in liners still dent.
Plastic tends to warp and still damages.
This new Molded Carbon is the way of the future on many items. We will see it in use in many areas like mirrors and other bolt on parts. GM and others have been investing in it and the beds are just the first use of the material.
The Cure time for non molded carbon is where all the cost is. Autoclave time is expensive. Carbon itself is cheap so if this works the door is wide open to possibilities.
I disagree on your last point, as autoclave is only one solution. RTM and other molding potentials exist, with 1 minute cycle times. The issue is the amount of energy it takes to to make carbon. The raw material is prohibitively expensive, and most “grades” that exist are fit for aerospace. Until an automotive company steps up and orders an extreme amount of “automotive grade” cf, the cost will always be extremely high.
The cost of the materials are higher than plastics and fiberglass. But if you compare it to other materials that are as strong the prices are much closer as high strength steels are not cheap.
$5 a pound for the raw materials is the goal of the auto industry. While the cost is a little higher on the material it is cheap in the big picture. Now combine it with the labor cost and time cost of baking it that is where the sky high prices come in.
The SAE magazine covers much of this progress and much more is to come.
https://www.mvpind.com/announcements/carbon-fiber-prices-drop-impact-automotive-industry-huge/
We will see the use in the more expensive models first and it will move down. I expect GM to use more in the Cadillac line and Corvette first. Or like in this case a Denali.
If you can mold it and bond it with no make layering labor and the cost of the autoclave time that slows production you can absorb the additional cost of the material.
The bottom line is this will be a more common material used as they are now finding ways to reduce the cost from where the high end carbon was.
The material in the bed here is not aerospace quality. You will not see an airplane made of this material. But for vehicle body panels it is fine.
The GMC panels are not layered sheets but mostly cut threads molded. It may not cut weight as much as aerospace quality but it still cuts weight. In today’s market they are cutting bolts shorter to save weight. the 50 odd pounds here is big.
We will see more and it will get cheaper in the auto industry,
Those indents for bikes, while not a big thing by any means, is still pretty cool/neat.
Looks like a good application. I’d like to put in a good word for Toyota’s molded bedliner: The one in my son’s 2005 Tacoma looks great after nearly 15 years of common use: no fading, no gouging, no scratches or other damage and it feel rock solid underfoot. I was always surprised that othes never adapted this technology for their truck beds.
So lets see in 2002 my Silverado was optioned with a PROTEC bed, whatever type of plastic the bedsides were made of like the sportsides in that time but this was a fleet side and composite materials inside. NO Bed liner needed was an 850 msrp add on and dropped during the 2003 model year.
So this is nothing new, should have kept it back in the day!
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/08/when-gm-couldnt-think-outside-the-box-remembering-pro-tec/
The Tacoma was a used truck when I I went to look at it with him and remember thinking that I knew they had composite beds and expected, sun fading, maybe some warping and loading damage… Nope. Looks like not much will phase it… Including dropping on a heavy toolbox. ;^}
The plastic beds had quality issues as well cost problems back in the day.
The Toyota works but the GMC will be stronger.
You also will want to note repairs will be easier as it is similar to Corvette repairs. Next the metal quarter panels can just be unbolted and bolted on. Ford’s are much more difficult to repair.
There is a lot of potential here.
I ordered a refreshed Sierra Denali (NOT the ultimate) presently in January only to be told the Carbon Fiber bed is not available at this time. What is going on with General Motors? I am going to wait for this accessory, but it is very frustrating to have to wait longer than I have already. I ordered the 2022-year limited edition with this bed only to be told this week that this model is no longer being produced at all. Now I have to make myself be patient all over again after ordering the newest model.