Going racing can be an incredible experience but what’s even better is being able to take your best buds along for the ride. This 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 6500 might be the perfect tool for just such a job. In fact, it can haul your car along with your buddies at the same time. Could this be one of the most comprehensive toy haulers ever?
The 6500 platform is a good basis with which to work. This particular example comes with a 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8 that makes 350 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque. It transmits that power to the ground via an Allison gearbox, a two-speed transfer case, and four-wheel drive.
That’s great because the 6500 has a gross vehicle weight rating of up to 22,900 pounds. It can handle a gross combined weight rating of up to 30,000 pounds. Having the right drivetrain makes all the difference here. Both the Duramax and the Allison components are well-known for reliability. The chassis should have no trouble either and the beefy Michelin tires are clearly top quality. If one or two should go flat, there are not one but two spares in the back of this truck.
The cabin might be the least exciting part of this truck and even it has some very attractive features. That includes cloth upholstery, a small but touch-sensitive infotainment system, automatic climate control, automatic headlights, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat.
While there are a few blemishes here or there, the cabin looks great considering that this truck has over 50,000 miles on the odometer. Other options make this truck more practical like factory-installed cruise control, wide wing mirrors, and a dual-camera backup monitor.
The camper section demonstrates what one can do in a very limited footprint. It houses three beds, a breakfast-nook-style corner with seating and a table, and a bathroom including a shower and a sink. A microwave and refrigerator ensure that occupants can keep their food cool and warm it up on demand. One of the bunk beds even has an integrated TV at its foot. Another bed is a king-sized mattress.
Throughout the camper, you’ll find extra storage spaces too. Above the kitchenette area, beneath the seating in the breakfast nook, and under the lower bunks is more storage. In fact, there are storage spaces on the camper’s outside as well. Back inside you’ll find several power outlets and even a thermostat to keep the temperature comfortable for you and your buddies.
Now for maybe the most important part of this whole thing, the rear deck. According to the auction listing it’s rated to haul 3,500 pounds which is more than enough to handle most race cars that’ll fit on its 14×8 pad. For example, a bone-stock Mazda Miata MX-5 RF Club weighs just 2,454 pounds. How does one get a car up onto it? Why that’s the job of the seven-foot tuck-under loading ramps.
So let’s recap a little here. This truck can haul four people, all of their things, provide a place to sleep for at least three of them, and hold a race car (or really any car) on the back of it. That’s a killer combination and one that many of us can probably think of a way to use.
[Mercedes’ Note: I don’t want to be a downer, but I see a lot of problems with this rig, and all of them involve that rear deck. The deck itself doesn’t lower or raise and sits pretty high off of the ground. Look at that ramp photo up there, I’m doubtful that you’re getting a Miata up that and you’re definitely not getting a low racecar up it. I think you would want much longer ramps, but will the truck have storage for them? This rig seems limited to just high-clearance off-road vehicles that don’t weigh a lot.
The listing states that the truck has a lift kit and it also has chunky tires, which suggests some sort of off-roading ability. But that rear deck is just going to drag on everything if you did anything other than perfectly flat ground. I dig the looks, but I’m feeling this is more form over function.]
With all of this knowledge, we’re passing the question off to you. What would you pay for this three-in-one rig? The bidding on Cars&Bids was pretty hot and heavy toward the end of the auction but nobody would go above $57,000. At that price, it failed to meet the reserve and the seller is still looking for a buyer.
That reserve could have something to do with a lien that is currently on the truck or perhaps the seller just wants to be sure they get a specific figure for it. Regardless, we thought it was worth highlighting this very weird, very capable three-in-one pickup that looks ready for a serious part at LeMons.
seems like a highly specific use scenario. Just the camper shell with a trailer seems sooooooo much better.
If I wanted to bring friends to the track, I’d want to be able to bring a second car. I wonder what their reserve, I feel like you could get a much more serious rig the closer you get to 100k.
Whatever you do, don’t rear end this sucker. I’ve seen that movie, it don’t end well.
I dig the camper, but IMO it makes much more sense to have the camper on a more reasonably sized truck that can tow the vehicle (that can now weigh more than 3,500lbs) on its own preferably enclosed trailer.
My experience of “going racing” was driving the car to a track and mostly sleeping in a tent in the pits, and one nightmarish night of sleeping in my MX5’s race seat. I failed to qualify for that event, which meant I could leave early and not spend another night sleeping in the car in near freezing weather.
Anyone that buys this will get a one-of-a-kind beast that no one else rally wants. Once the new owner swings the rear end into something with their favorite of-road vehicle on it, they won’t want it either.
The race car weekend is super easy with a normal enclosed trailer and air mattresses.
the camper section is really cool! but the ramp is just … why??? just tow a trailer!
Won’t that ramp exceed the size of the truck and act as a sail? Poor design or story
In concept it’s not that different from a toter home or an enclosed transporter. My problem is the execution, that platform way out behind the axle seems suspect from a structural and handling standpoint, plus the lift and the load angle seem to restrict this to off road buggies. Being auctioned with a lien is the icing on the fail cake. I could build a better rig out of a crew cab moving van
Once again, autotopian delivers. This truck also caught my eye on cars and bids and Mercedes, per usual, did a fantastic job summing up what was bugging me; the form over function – it’s too high for most race cars and too bulky + rear deck overhang negating fire roads and rock crawling. It’s a cool execution for what it is, but doesn’t seem to offer much advantages as a typical toy hauler with camper setup. Still awesome it exists though and with enough miles that it seemed to actually be used.
I mean you could just cut up an old school bus and do the same thing for less than half and have a better rear deck.
IMHO, this is designed to haul off-road rigs, such as a four-seater quad, an early two-door Wrangler, a bunch of snowmobiles or other things that can handle being out in the weather. Also, the interior is set up for a family, which suggests outdoorsy in-the-woods types of activities.
Were I to design a similar vehicle for hauling a racing car, I wouldn’t lift the darned thing or install knobby tires. I’d build cubic yards of storage for fuel, spare parts, a compressor, tools and so on.
I should have watched the video first — it was envisioned as a Baja chase vehicle. That explains the lift and knobby tires, but not the lack of storage for the many things a race team needs.
Racing? I’d rather kit-out a cargo trailer.
This would be perfect for a small rock crawling rig and basically nothing else.
Also, having the audacity to put a vehicle up for auction with a lein and a reserve is comical, almost as much as Doug’n’Bids accepting that.
Agreed.
On a personal note I’d rather have my vehicle stored inside, and if the vehicle isn’t particularly tall you could have a full size bed over the vehicle, which would clear up more space in the RV for other things.
Mercedes is right. No way in h-e-double hockey sticks is any road race car getting up those ramps. I don’t think I’d be comfortable with my racecar being cantilevered behind this rig either. Looks more suitable for a trip to the sticks with a couple friends and an ATV than a race weekend. You might get the car on there, but you’ll still need another trailer to haul the tools, pit bike, spare parts, grill, ex-ups, etc, etc, etc.