Ahh yes- can’t kill the engines, but the bodies are competing with the Titanic as to which can collapse from rust first.

"Even the smallest pickup truck has a passenger seat" that hits deep Roman no lie.

When I picture a new truck, this gen Silverado comes to mind. I can't believe this is a 17 year old body style.

The regularest of regular cars that ever car'd in the Midwest.

Kunckleman Chevrolet would have been proud to sell this. 84 months at 7.99% puts a smile on every dealer’s face.

"Son, that truck will be yours one day" As it sinks into the un-mowed grass of the side-yard, half-covered in blue tarp and browning pine needles, for the 3rd straight year

This is a nice philosophy channel that uses vehicles to keep people engaged.

I had a 2008 6.0 2500HD silverado that we used for recycling scrap, and it had been vigorously abused for 12 years before I started. Overloaded on payload, WAY over the rated towing capacity. It just didn't care. For a truck that weighs as much as a bank, it handled incredibly well, and was my favorite to sit in for 8 or 9 hours at a stretch. That truck had 750k miles on it when I met it, and my boss was the second owner. He swears it was the original engine, and the original 4L80e transmission. I admire these trucks so much more for the shear unabated brutality they will take and whatever we did to it, it thanked us and asked for another. Good little road warriors.

There’s two types of 900 owners you see here up in Maine; The blue collar worker that’s had it since new, and the teenager (or a middle aged man-child that punches holes into drywall at the smallest inconvenience) buys said truck to throw hideous replica wheels on it, straight pipe it, and throw a trailer park tune on it. Only to do burnouts in their local RiteAid or Hannaford’s parking lot until the differential blows and they dump it on Facebook.

"My bed is empty and unused" lol Roman.

The microtransaction comment was very accurate tbh, 2000's pickups are like the same era of gaming, we had high tech HD games but before they stuffed them with microtransactions and weekly 30GB updates

"Even the smallest pickup truck has a passenger seat." I didn't expect to laugh and almost shed a tear in the same review.

My Dad still dailies his 07 2500HD 4x4 in power nothing rubber, cloth, and plastic work truck trim interior he bought for $17k after his hydraulics business made it through the first 5 years in the black, he's retired now and the truck is about to rollover 400k. Just rebuilt the T-case, replaced engine accesories, some sensors, and freshened up the valvetrain this winter. The 6.0 vortec is basically an unkillable torque monster and other than the exhaust falling off in the driveway a few weeks after purchase, zero major issues. Still one of the best truck models on the road today.

Your explanation of a sentra owner described my situation perfectly, I was given a 12' sentra in 2016 and decided to keep it until it inevitably has mechanical failures. But but to my short commute and introvert lifestyle it's still alive and has not broken down once

I can't be the only person who thinks the current gen pickups are also REALLY ugly. Like the 2024 Silverado, they took the front end of the Camaro and stretched it vertically in a way that is like a design war crime. And then they redesigned the Colorado, which was pretty good looking, to follow the same theme

I have a Silverado of similar vintage and lesser rust issues. Would I ever try to daily a truck like that? No, fuel is expensive. Would I ever want to be without a truck like that? No, it's like having access to a joker at all times. Always there to help when a storm hits or to haul away garage and attic flotsam, or haul a myriad of stuff for that matter, a true friend. Mine has a cap and a sleeping bag so it doubles as a ready made camp site. I have noticed that it graces you with instant cred with all people. Men and women alike perceive you as a serious doer, honorable and capable. I love my Silverado and all it's warts, except the gas mileage maybe.

I worked for a Chevy dealer through the entire lifespan of this model. I remember when the next generation came out, and feeling a small sense of dread.. knowing that trucks would never be trucks again.

When I was still in the military, in 2017, my dad gifted me his worn down 2003 Silverado 1500, it is the previous generation to this one, but the same configuration, the extended cab, (backseat but smaller than a crew) standard box (6 1/2 feet). I was a mechanic in the military, and he knew that I would get a lot more years out of it than him, and he needed a crew cab for his business (a hunting and fishing lodge where he guides people on different kinds of hunts). He ended up with a 2016 Ram 1500, crew cab 4x4 with the 3.6V6, which stood out to me as the opposite of a vanity choice, to get a base model without the Hemi. He got it because it was an incredible price, and was capable enough to do what he needed it to. The Silverado meant something to me already, as I had learned to drive mostly in it, and it had moved our whole family from South Dakota, to Colorado, and then Manitoba. By the time he gifted it to me, it had 178000 miles, several different check-engine codes, a couple leaking gaskets, and the brakes/suspension were worn out. I put a bunch of weekends worth of work into it at the MWR on-post auto shop, and after about $2000 in parts, I had a really nicely operating truck with some "upgrades" that 20-year-old me really liked. Stuff that 27 year-old me still enjoys but would have maybe done differently. Since then I got married, got out of the military, moved several times, and just recently we had our first baby. I have owned several different primary vehicles in that time, but the truck has always been there, it's helped multiple friends move, it's moved our entire house with a cargo trailer several times, and it has the most comfortable seats of anything I've ever driven. I think during that time, I've had different eras of my attachment styles with other people, there have been times when I loved the truck for its ability to allow me to do things independently, carrying home building materials for countless home projects or other vehicle projects. There have also been times when I loved the truck because of its ability to help me help others, building friendships in the 5 different places I've lived since owning it. To me, a family man who buys a crew cab short bed, is trying to be everything to everyone, it's a vehicle that can do anything you would ask of any vehicle, from a practical standpoint, it's a family car, and it carries stuff for your projects or hauls the trailer you may or may not have, its the vehicular expression of a protector-provider. A lifted crew-cab with tinted taillights, a loud muffler and a locally hated sticker is the vehicular representation of self-sufficiency and independence above all else, that you don't need anyone for anything. I also think there is still such a thing as an honest pickup, base models exist, and a crew cab can make sense in several business use cases.

the 08 Silverado is one of the best trucks made in the past 20 years. this exact year is a goat amongst truck guys. the engine and trans are incredibly reliable the truck is simple no frills. once I sell my current ship box I'll be looking for one of these

Holy shit it’s my old truck. I’ve waited so long for this day.

Aww, I was expecting a Rinaldi n' Klein commercial in the beginning cause it would fit the truck.

This episode is a friendly reminder that Regular and Roman are the literary cream of the crop, especially when it comes to youtubers

I like it when these get uploaded a little earlier like this. As a European I have time to watch them before work when i have the evening shift.

11:18 Pilots have been having this conversation for decades and it has informed the design philosophies of entire manufacturers

2006 is what i consider the last traditional, as 2007+ started the cylinder deactivation shenanigans that always is the first major thing to break.

"these American evangelions" as per usual, Roman doesn't miss. I'm a classic Honda guy at heart but I've always had a soft spot for this gen Silverado . Simplistic non aggressive styling, ubiquitous, basic and affordable. Sadly like the generation before it it I also like we're watching these disintegrate in front of us like the infinity war meme and I don't see people dropping big bucks to save them like they are for OBS style trucks. It's that awkward age where it's too new to be classic and too old to register as still new and be looked after well.

I've got one of these. WT trim, long bed, with OVER 250k! Bought it for a work truck, Though the fenders and cab corners are rotting out, this truck runs like a brand new vehicle. 5 out of 5. Will buy again (after this finishes returning to the Earth.)

Pickup trucks became the bestselling vehicles in the US because for a long chunk of time, they were $5000 cheaper than any normal vehicle or SUV or sports car. That’s it. Not complicated.

My 2011 Silverado 1500 has 487k on it. I bought it new in November of 2010. It has never let me down and I ask a lot of it. Plowing with a bed full of sand all winter.

Nice to hear you do a closing song. Some really pretty harmonies in there.

Roman one thing that You've underestimated is the attachment of a craftsman to its tools and if such an "old" truck (as a tool) will at the end of the day help to provide the food on the table and get the job done it will be respected. As one's beloved hammer, held with love and beaten to death at the same time😂

Just drove one of these 1k miles in 2 days to haul a 1500lb sheet metal brake and goddamn I’d do it again. Comfy, reliable, moderately quite and the 5.3 is no slouch. GMT900 is best truck

You don't need a libral arts degree, just watch RCR.

My mom had one of these when I was a little kid. It started burning oil, so we traded it on a 2013 Ford F150. That truck made over 100,000 miles to and from St. Louis for oncology appointments and never left us in a bad spot. We still have that truck to this day.

Oh man, I wish you guys got one of these with the 4.3 Vortec. The slowest and most compromised GM truck; don't get me wrong, I adored mine. It couldn't tow or go up a hill with any sense of urgency, but that 8ft bed...man, that made the whole truck worth it.

Drove my f150 to see Cody finish the story

Oh you car guys with feels. I lived in the land where every family had a big American SUV, and I used mine hard: building materials, family hauler, towing. When we moved to a major city, the kids being more grown, not needing car seats, I replaced the big SUV with a small Japanese pickup truck, perfect blend of my country past and my present urban conditions. I really thought I was past the family hauler stage of my life. But one truly stupid accident later, we found ourselves needing to replace the pickup truck. My wife started singing the Roman’s “Get a Sequoia” song from the Land Cruiser video.

As a single cab chevy s10 owner. The section about how trucks are avoidant made me cry as I just got out of a relationship. And that section showed me how I felt when I didnt even know. Thank you...

02-06 are the best Silverados for reliability if you want something in the last 20 years.

My 2006 GMC Yukon will crawl trails, do everything a truck will do. And do way more than a modern truck CAN do. 8,000 pound haul weight, she hauls my trailers, can tow other cars. You name it, and never given me any issues.

I really miss how good my life was back in pre-Sept of 08

When I was a year old when these came out my uncle was a sales man at a Chevrolet dealer where he sold his first 2007 Silverado 1500 LT Z71 to my uncle who still has it to this day with no rust or dents. It has a 5.3l Vortec v8 with 4wd and the basic LT1 package stuff you could get with no BOSE audio but the basic simple stereo to at least listen to with a perfect priced Silverado that you'll enjoy. That damn thing has been through everything by off roading in the rough parts of Mexico to having to go through some snow and ice of the Plains of America. That thing is just invincible that it already has 350k miles today.

I always love RCR videos, I just had a reminder pop up on my phone to look up attachment styles, all because I watched this video last night, and was reminded of that psychological concept ….. from a video about cars. Keep being excellent. You guys are in the top tier of KZfaq creators.

Roman - you are all the way ON with this one! Each choice and nuance of this video is Peak Roman. From the writing to the delivery to the editing, right down to the music-and-title-bars (Thank you!) -- you're right in the pocket. You've found your sweet spot, without going too far in any one direction. It's a perfect mix. You're confident, deliberate and cruising-at-altitude. This is like Race To The Bottom in a tuxedo. Here, sir, is your Grey Poupon. THANK YOU.

I have an 07 silverado classic. It has been a damn good truck. K series. Pre afm 5.3 backed by a 4L65 and an np transfer case. Built in Georgia.

If you want to buy a Tundra or a Titan in single cab with an 8 ft. bed you have to specialy order it with a huge upcharge and up to a one year wait. That's why those trucks in that configuration are so rare and ask high prices used.

Great video! Always nice to see a Roman video!

I have a single cab long bed WT 1500, Base model of base models, interiors fucked? dont matter, Torque converter clutch doesnt work? doesnt matter, Idle misfire? Death wobble? 2000lb industrial equipment in the bed? not a singular fuck to be found, 4.8L/LS 4l60E these shitboxes are the fucking GOAT. they have phenomenal road manners, and it actually gets better with load in my experience.

I own an 08. Absolutely love it. It's not the best at anything but it's good enough. Passenger room? Enough for my wife and child. Tow Capacity? Hauls my trailer when I need it to. Bed Space? Fits mostly what I need it to. Fuel economy? It's okay. 4 wheel drive? It's no trail runner but I have yet to get stuck in the snow.

hard and fast intro with a slow calm exit. love the videos

I live for these long form musings of Roman. About a year ago I thanked you for your content as it distracted me from the reality of being by my young wife's bed side. She has had a lot of struggles and the rest of her life has changed from the realities of the past. I'm so grateful to have her still here. Daily struggles be damned.

Man that last section that ended with “the smallest pickup has 2 seats” really hit close to him, phenomenal writing as usual!

Love your work Roman! Keep up the long/longer form content. 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻

Monday's are always a highlight but when it's a new race to the bottom I get even more excited. Great video.

Silverados are some of the best vehicles ever made. There are so many options you can do whatever you want right from the factory and with the aftermarket anything is possible and even somewhat affordable. You can have a slammed to the floor 2wd single cab, a lifted 4wd short box, and a crew cab long box towing rig ALL the "same" truck but completely different beasts, great at what they are made for and not out of place.

This series is the best thing to happen to RCR in years, keep up the great work Roman!

I love your videos, Roman. You always give some great insights that help give me new perspective in my life. Thank you.

I have a 2007 GMC Sierra. 2wd, the 4.8. it's great! My dad bought it and I got it when he couldn't drive anymore. With snow tires I don't worry too much and I'm in Minnesota. Never thought of philosophically 😅😅

I think a Silverado might be more of a secure attachment (when it has a V8). The rest of the car will crumble around it, but the engine can always be swapped into a new chassis when that day comes

I have a 2010 GMC Sierra SLE with the same engine as this Silverado. It was an old paving company's truck and the frame and underside of the cab are caked in asphalt. It has rubber floors, no power anything except the windows (which don't work right because the paving company fudged with the wiring), and is two wheel drive with 210,000 miles and I love it more than any other vehicle I've owned and want to drive it til the wheels fall off, put new ones on, and keep on driving. It's just an honest, no frills, no nonsense former work truck that just works. Aside from a finicky TPMS that really doesn't like cold, for the three thousand miles I've driven it it's been a faithful companion, and feels like it's always ready, ready to take me wherever I need to go. I think the GMT900s are good looking trucks, especially when slammed on bags with a trick paint job.

I had the equivalent Sierra but it was a 2009. I had it for 10 years. It didn't have that bad of body rust, only on the bed fenders, and the frame had surface rust. The thing never had a ton of power but it did everything I needed it to and it didn't have the active fuel management since it was the 4.8 so no real worries about failed lifters/bent push rods. I used it for decent truck duty things like hauling almost everything you could imagine. I towed various different things with it. My fuel economy wasn't as good as this one since I live in a hilly area. I only got 19mpg where it was flat on a trip, otherwise 13. Only thing I didn't like about it was the 4 speed transmission. I felt like it needed a few more gears. I loved the manual 4wd transfer lever. I miss that a lot. I only got rid of it because I needed a crew cab since car seats meant I had to sit on top of the dashboard when they were in the back seat. Seriously, car seats are insanely big. How does a person have a functional front seat in any smallish car with these things if my truck was too small? As much as I like my current truck, I miss not having a truck payment...

My dad has an 07 Silverado. It has like 300k miles, the body is rusting apart, and half the gaskets on the engine leak oil. Still runs though. It could probably get another 15 years out of it if it had an engine rebuild, but that would cost twice what the truck is worth.

I always love Nick's videos. These road to the bottom videos have been all great!

I bought a 2008 Sierra 4x4 that lived the better part of 365,000 miles in DelMarVa working for a steel contractor and managed to survive rust free and fairly decent. It has never let me down. I can’t help but love this thing. Well maintained but kinda clapped out. I’m restoring it. I can’t help but love this thing. I’m keeping it forever. It’s all the truck I’ll ever need, or want. It takes care of me and I take care of it.

If a pickup is avoidant, a wagon is secure. For many people, the wagon is just as practical but the owner of the wagon doesn't concern themselves with appearing "masculine."

Always enjoy your reluctant positivity, Roman.

I have that exact model, same color, year, engine etc, mind you no rust and it's honestly been a rock solid TRUCK, it's basic and gets the job done, exactly what I wanted. I have a car for comfort and style, I don't need a truck for that. It's towed my racecar from Quebec to Ohio and back 4 times without even a hiccup....it just works and does truck things. I've owned it for 8 years and I've replaced the starter and a couple pulleys, simplicity at it's finest.

the way you explained attachment styles really hit me. you explained each one and I was like “hold on a minute am I *all* of these?”

Nothing constructive to add, just that I’m loving this series 💙

While I have not liked romans car reviews in the past, generally, this was legit AF. You found your voice so to speak. No pun intended. Anyway, super good. Seriously. That was funny and informative, which is all I could ever ask for in a video. Tl;Dr - Nice.

backup camers are very important as you really cannont see out of most of modern cars properly. Hyundai/Kia blindspot cameras don't hurt most drivers either

Came here to watch a video about my work truck but ended up questioning my own attachment style and in my feels. "Even the smallest pickup truck has a passenger seat" hit hardd. Excellent video.

Love the new calm format for the giveaway ads

As someone with a Psych degree and a gearhead the "Automotive Attachment Styles" segment was pretty spot on.

12:47 onwards is why I value RCR's commentary so much

Got an 11 lt trim package clothe seats ext cab z71 5.3 6 speed auto. Bought it with 100k miles in 18 for 19k. It's currently sitting at 243k miles and the bed is shot from rust but the frame and cab is imacculant. Been the best truck ive ever owned original engine and trans and wouldn't be afraid to pack my bags and take it from coast to coast tomorrow.

I miss those older generation of trucks. They were relativity easy to diagnose, repair, had a abundant of quality OEM or aftermarket parts and they just worked.

My buddies wife has written off two toyota Highlanders because, "the little mirror light wasn't on, there wasn't anyone there".

You're an artist, Nick, I love this series. o7

Great video as always 👍

"Eagle Scout badge for masculinity" has gotta be one of the all-time RCR turns of phrase. From the intro alone, I'm starting to enjoy Roman's reviews more and more.

Get in the Raptor Shinji!

The garage I work at has a 2011 base Silverado single cab for a shop truck it’s well used but can load up the bed with a shit ton of drive train parts and wheels no problem in the corners or highway, I know that doesn’t sound like a heavy load but for this underpowered truck with 180,000 miles she gets the job done.

I still think this is one of the best looking trucks ever built.

Love this series!

Fantastic job Nick 👏🏼

GMT 900 was the beginning of the end for GM trucks. No more manual option, no more die hard 4L80 optional, cylinder deactivation lifter failures, valley cover bolts loose. However Iron block engines without AFM were ok, last generation of the legendary 3/4 ton suburban and the gas 1 ton pickups had beefy diesel parts without the extra stress of the weight of diesel and all had no nonsense interiors

I thought this was one of the best RCR videos. Well done.

Great stuff once again Roman. I'm with you on the Rivian. A co-worker had one, and when we took it to get lunch, I was thinking "I'd feel terrible if I got into this with muddy shoes." It's like a Lexus you have to climb up into.

I actually own a RWD 2008 GMC Sierra with a 5.3, it's bad on gas (it's my only car and I have to use it as a commuter), it's hard to park, can be hard to see out of, and is bigger than it needs to be.... and I don't think I'll ever sell it. It has all the power and torque it could ever need, it's simple and reliable, but drives surprisingly well, is fairly comfortable, and is honestly not that bad to be in as far as NVH is concerned. It's simplicity also means I can fix it easily, it's nice to work on, and I think I'll keep it for as long as I have room for it. It's a good truck, and it doesn't try to be anything more than it is. It's just damn good.

ABS, traction control and A/C are the modern luxuries I crave in any vehicle these days to make it a special treat to drive, and hey, with a crew cab, your not passenger limited, rather, you have a massive amount of carrying capacity, without having to suffer towing a trailer.

"Give me the sincerity of a poorly thought out Tinder profile over the polished construction of a serial dater's Hinge account" Unexpected Roman bars.

Great review Roman! really felt and understood the meaning with your words when describing the truck as something you'd keep and not lease.

I would argue this is secure attachment style. This is the half ton version of the 7.3 powerstroke. Reliable, nothing fancy, just gets the job done. Ive owned my 07.5 for 8 years now and no complaints. Also the extended cab, that would be the only complaint. The backseat is not spacious, I wonder if Roman has ever been in a crew cab

"...where the less the car has to distract you with, the more engrossing it is to operate." This sentiment is something a friend of mine mentioned in a way about our projects. He and I are working on turning old Ford F600s (think like the old GM bus but Ford grain or welding trucks) into oversized pickup trucks. It's a bit silly as they won't exactly be practical when finished. It mainly stems from something I've wanted to do since I was 15. I grew up on a farm driving trucks all the time and fell in love with the concept of turning a medium duty into a big pickup, sort of as a counter to the everyday lifted, big tire, small house priced "super trucks" you see all over. All that aside, I was teaching my friend how to drive our 10 speed diesel one day and afterward he commented that to him, you don't so much drive an F600, you operate it. You feel it. These are bare bones '70s and '80s, manual transmission, "heavy" duty work trucks. They're a chore to drive but a fun one at that, which is why we both like them, for the very reason you mentioned at 11:07.

I loved the look of that generation of Silverados (I had a 2009)…but they’re rusting at an alarming rate here in Canada. All of the wheel wells are rotted out. Typical GM quality…I guess.

I had one of these in the same configuration, just work truck white. I ran service for an oilfield company. I put 100k on it in a year. Best darned truck i ever drove. It was a company truck. Never gave me any issues. Only needed a pair of tires once and i think brakes other than the obvious standard maintenance. I worked it hard too hauling and whatnot on backroads/lease roads and in the snow/salt.

great episode, definitely one of my all time favorites

I completely agree with you Nick and your analysis, one of the last trucks free of pretensions and stereotypes, a good, honest truck in a usable size, built for work and getting the job done. Yes, it's just a half ton, but sometimes that's all people need, and the extended cab provides more lockable, dry storage in the truck without sacrificing usability in the bed.

My little Ford Ranger has never made me feel more called out in my entire life. Fantastic video as always guys :)