GMC Sierra 2500 Denali Duramax 4WD

Mount Up in a GMC Sierra 2500 Denali Duramax 4WD

How does one separate their work from their play? For some, there’s no question that their work and play have zero crossover at all. For others, the line of separation can be blurred quite a bit. Take for instance, the GMC Sierra 2500 Denali you see before you. While it looks like a purpose-equipped, diesel-powered, full-size off-road vehicle now, it didn’t start out that way. It was originally purchased to be used purely as a tow vehicle for car audio and mobile accessories maker, Scosche. Then something happened, the dirt and the trails came calling.

“THE MODIFIED SUSPENSION CAME IN HANDY FOR THE FULL-SIZED RIG TO HELP KEEP UP WITH THE SMALLER AND MORE NIMBLE TRUCKS ON A RECENT TRIP TO MAMMOTH, WHERE THE TRUCK WAS PUT TO THE TEST THROUGH THE CHALLENGING NARROW, STEEP, AND ROCKY SHELF ROAD OF THE LAUREL LAKES TRAIL.”

For close to 40 years, Oxnard, California– based, Scosche (pronounced skōsh) has improved the commute for audiophiles with their aftermarket audio installation kits. There’s a good chance that if you have ever upgraded the factory head unit or modified your sound system in your vehicle that you have used their products. Through the years, the company has evolved to introduce many consumer technology products. Their many accomplishments include being the first to market a product to interface the iPod with car audio systems back in 2001 and more recently the new “Optimized for Outdoors” collection of rugged products such as portable backup batteries, Bluetooth speakers and cables that were made to withstand the elements.

The company thrives off the mantra of producing products that enhance the driving, work, and traveling experience. So when it came to building their latest project vehicle, Scosche aimed to practice what they preach, with their ‘15 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali 4WD Duramax. Their aim was to create an overland-ready truck that would not only showcase their collection of products at various events throughout the country, but also have the capability to withstand the demands of the same rough terrain that their consumers travel to and through. The upgraded Sierra would also give them the ability to test their products in real world off-road scenarios.

“ON THEIR LONGEST TREK, THE COMPANY HEADED OUT TO MOAB, UTAH, FOR THE EASTER JEEP SAFARI FROM THEIR BASE AT CENTRAL CALIFORNIA.”

Work Meets Play

Initially, the truck was purchased brand-new with the intention of using it simply as transportation to tow their Can-Am Maverick side-by-side, but as the company’s fleet of vehicles grew to include a Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Wrangler and a 34-foot trailer, so did their taste for the off-road life. As it was getting harder to satisfy the off-road bug, they quickly realized that the Sierra would also go under the knife as their latest build. And with that, work just met play.

“The Sierra had the size and power we were seeking in a utility vehicle and great design for a show vehicle,” comments Kelson Downes, digital content and marcom specialist at Scosche Industries. The company turned to Rockstar Performance Garage to help with the modifications; the goal being to create a truck that would grab the attention of event attendees, provide the facilities to travel through trails and camp and also have the ability to tow their recreational toys.

“AN SPOD 8-CIRCUIT SOURCE SE WITH TOUCHSCREEN HELPS TO POWER AND CONTROL THE ACCESSORIES.”

The Upgrades

A set of 20×10 KMC XD Series Rockstar III wheels were added to give the truck some flare, while 40×13.50-20 Mickey Thompson MTZ P3 tires ensure that the large truck has control through various terrain. Additionally, a Power Tank Portable Air Compressor was added for quick tire air pressure adjustments needed for off-road transitions during travel.

Helping the engine breathe a bit better, while adding boosted horsepower and increased acceleration is a K&N AirCharger Air Intake along with a Mishimoto radiator, intercooler and transmission fluid cooler. A Magnaflow exhaust helps with the performance adding a bit of a growl fitting to the full-size truck’s demeanor.

“IF YOU’RE CONTEMPLATING ON BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN WORK AND PLAY YOURSELF, TAKE THIS SIERRA AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IT CAN BE WELL EXECUTED.”

On The Road

Every few weeks, the Sierra makes an appearance at various events throughout the country from industry trade events that are decidedly not off road such as SEMA and CES, to bonafide consumer off-road events such as Overland Expo. On their longest trek, the company headed out to Moab, Utah, for the Easter Jeep Safari from their base at Central California. With their Wrangler and Can-Am X3 in tow, the Sierra made the journey in 13 hours with only one stop, thanks to the added Titan Fuel Tank. A heavy load requires additional stopping power and the Sierra was equipped with R1 Concept Brakes to help slow down the large truck and heavily loaded trailer.

The modified suspension came in handy for the full-sized rig to help keep up with the smaller and more nimble trucks on a recent trip to Mammoth, where the truck was put to the test through the challenging narrow, steep, and rocky shelf road of the Laurel Lakes trail. The front features BDS, 6.5-inch coilover conversion with Fox 2.5 Factory Series with a remote DSC reservoir. The rear suspension has Atlas leaf springs paired with Hellwig air bags for adjustability on the go.

Mounts & Bumps

It’s on trips like this that the company is able to truly test their products to create solutions for their customers. With the rise of drivers turning to their cell phones, or even their iPads and tablets, for navigation, Scosche has made a collection of magnetic mounts that easily attach inside the vehicle at various locations such as on the window, air vent, or on the dash to help keep drivers safe with hands-free viewing of their device. The MagicMount collection was put through the paces with tests through rough and rugged terrain. Even at high-speed, the mounts were able to keep the devices in place.

Since it is a Scoshe build, the truck has been fitted with their latest products that include EFX 12 Audio installation accessories, MagicMount Pro Magnetic Mount, Revolt Dual 12W car charger, PowerUp 700 Portable Car Jumper, BaseClamp Grab Handles, quick release fire exterior mount, and TerraClamp GoPro Mount. To help enhance audio entertainment quality on these long road trips, as well as give a nod to their car audio roots, a Kicker VSS system was installed. Kicker’s VSS is a model specific, ready-for-install audio system upgrade designed for simple installation. No cutting or drilling required, it mounts and plugs directly into factory locations.

“WHILE IT LOOKS LIKE A PURPOSE-EQUIPPED, DIESEL-POWERED, FULL-SIZE OFF-ROAD VEHICLE NOW, IT DIDN’T START OUT THAT WAY.”

A Real Looker

To help protect the show quality of the exterior of the Sierra, a set of Addictive Desert Designs front and rear bumpers were added along with a Royalty Core Grill. For safety and additional lighting during these trips, a set of Spyder Auto projector headlights and LED taillights were added, as well as Bulldog light bars to the upper and lower bumper. An sPOD 8-circuit Source SE with touchscreen helps to power and control the accessories. Naturally, the Scosche logo was embroidered to the updated Roadwire Leather interior making it easily identifiable when viewing the cabin.

Many of the outdoor events the company attends last through the weekend and often take a couple days to travel to. Taking this opportunity to camp out, a CBI Off-Road Fabrication Overland Rack was installed and a CVT Roof Top Tent added on top for staff members to have a place to rest and relax. Future plans call for a roof rack with GG Lighting circular lights and a couple other upgrades to further improve the lighting while supplying the additional opportunity for the storage of supplies.

See You Out There

If you’re contemplating on blurring the lines between work and play yourself, take this Sierra as an example of how it can be well executed. If you don’t think your work has anything to do with your recreation, squint real hard and you might just see a way to make it happen. After all, what’s a life full of work without an equal amount of play?

UPGRADES

2015 Scosche GMC Sierra

PLATFORM: 2015 gmc sierra 2500 denali duramax 4wd

ENGINE: 6.6L V-8 DIESEL

SUSPENSION: BDS 6.5-INCH COILOVER CONVERSION, FOX 2.5 FACTORY SERIES, REMOTE DSC RESERVOIR, ATLAS LEAF SPRINGS, HELLWIG AIR BAGS

WHEELS & TIRES: 20X10 KMC XD SERIES ROCKSTAR III, 40X13.50-20 MICKEY THOMPSON MTZ P3

ACCESSORIES: POWER TANK PORTABLE AIR COMPRESSOR, TITAN FUEL TANK, R1 CONCEPT BRAKES, K&N AIRCHARGER AIR INTAKE, MISHIMOTO RADIATOR, MISHIMOTO INTERCOOLER, AND MISHIMOTO TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLER, MAGNAFLOW EXHAUST, SCOSHE EFX 12 AUDIO INSTALLATION ACCESSORIES, SCOSHE MAGICMOUNT PRO MAGNETIC MOUNT, SCOSHE REVOLT DUAL 12W CAR CHARGER, SCOSHE POWERUP 700 PORTABLE CAR JUMPER, SCOSHE BASECLAMP GRAB HANDLES, SCOSHE QUICK RELEASE FIRE EXTERIOR MOUNT, SCOSHE TERRACLAMP GOPRO MOUNT, KICKER VSS SYSTEM, ADDICTIVE DESERT DESIGNS FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS, ROYALTY CORE GRILL, SPYDER AUTO PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS, SPYDER AUTO LED TAILLIGHTS, BULLDOG LIGHT BARS, SPOD 8-CIRCUIT SOURCE SE, ROADWIRE LEATHER INTERIOR, CVT ROOF TOP TENT, CBI OFF-ROAD FABRICATION OVERLAND RACK