In Texas, Trucks Enable You to Enjoy What the State Has to Offer


When it comes to US roads, Texas leads the way with more than 300,000 total miles of roads and streets. And that doesn't include desert roads, back country roads, or open roads that capable vehicles, such as the GMC Sierra, are built to handle. In Texas, trucks position you to better experience what the state has to offer.


Paved Roads


Traveling through Texas's paved roads is an easy affair, especially when it's done with the GMC Sierra 1500. The truck has a coil-over shock front suspension instead of the torsion-bar suspension found in other trucks. If Mother Nature supplies a challenge or if uneven roads are encountered, you can rely on the Sierra's StabiliTrak system, which helps to maintain steering control. The system adjusts the engine speed and braking pressure to any wheel when it detects that the truck is not responding to steering inputs.


Other features, such as the Tire Pressure Monitoring System and OnStar, further enhance the trip that the Sierra can provide. The vehicle has sensors at each tire that send a warning signal to the Driver Information Center on the instrument panel, alerting it when a tire's pressure drops too low. Add to this the OnStar system, which provides turn-by-turn navigation and helps you reach emergency assistance should the need arise, and you have everything you need to tackle a journey with peace of mind.


Open Roads


Because they are not often maintained, open roads can be a challenge to traverse. Texas has many desert and back country roads that feature washboarding, rutting, and ditches that are too much for standard vehicles to handle. The Sierra, however, can handle this kind of terrain. Some of the more popular open roads can be found at Big Bend Ranch, Texas's largest state park, which offers 70 miles of unkept dirt roads leading to remote desert landscapes. Park officials recommend that travelers use a high clearance vehicle to trek across these roads. With more than 13 inches of ground clearance in the back and over 7 inches in the front, the Sierra is built to take them on.


Because bad shocks can make a vehicle bounce and slip, especially in the front, the Sierra's Z71 Off-Road Suspension package is ideal. It provides twin-tube shock absorbers, jounce bumpers, and a skid plate to improve the ride on rough roads. In addition, the Eaton locking rear differential helps improve traction in wheel-slip situations--locking both wheels simultaneously. If more power is needed to move across rough terrain, several power train packages are available, including a Vortec 6.2-liter V8 that produces 403 horsepower.




The Sierra's expansive cargo volume (more than 60 cubic feet) accommodates any equipment necessary to tailgate at a Dallas Cowboys game, but if you need to tow a trailer, especially when traveling to one of Texas' many great campgrounds, such as Balmorhea State Park or Bastrop State Park, the Sierra is fully equipped to handle the journey.


Thanks to GMC's MAX Trailering package, the truck can tow up to 10,700 pounds, and to help provide a safe trip, a trailer brake controller is located near the steering wheel that allows you to adjust the braking force. The Sierra also counts with sensors that detect if the trailer is swaying and automatically apply braking pressure to eliminate the rocking. When in Texas, trucks are the way go, and the Sierra offers the features necessary to make any trip possible.