Manoli Katakis 
Anti-truck advocates sipping delivered cortados in their 400 square-foot Bay Area apartment have done a lot of shouting at the sky recently about the unrelenting demand for pickup trucks in a time where climate change is being blamed as to why the West Coast is engulfed in flames. With American pickup trucks being the poster villains of this global phenomenon (instead of, say: ships, planes, factories, or volcanos), the truck is therefore the root of all evil. Yet they are some of the most essential automobiles on the market. And we can look no further than a massive spike in RV and camping trailer sales since COVID-19 lockdowns have limited lawful recreational activities. People are now choosing to take their adventures into their own hands, and the updates to the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 could not arrive at a better time to make towing and adventuring easier than ever.
The RV Industry Association cites that more than 46 million Americans are planning to take an RV trip in the next year. Towable RVs (camping trailers) make up about 90 percent of those sales. That’s a lot of what will likely be first-timers towing thousands of pounds of weight behind them all over main freeways and thoroughfares of the United States. To alleviate this, the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 will have the following new technology features:
Trailer Length Indicator: When enabled and driving forward with the turn signal activated, the center console screen displays a red overlay that’s twice the length of the compatible trailer, and shows when other vehicles are present, making lane-change maneuvers safer.
Jack-Knife Alert: This new feature tracks the position of the compatible trailer in relation to the vehicle. If the front of the trailer approaches the rear of the vehicle, an alert is displayed when there may be a potential jack-knife situation.
Rear Trailer View updates and Trailer-Angle Indicator: Rear Trailer View has been enhanced to include guidelines that assist when backing a trailer into place. The Trailer-Angle Indicator to show the relationship between the truck and compatible trailer. Rear Trailer View requires the customer-installed available GM auxiliary accessory camera. This is nicknamed the “Invisible Trailer”.
Rear Side View updates: Rear Side View already provides a split view of the left and right sides of the truck and compatible trailer that is automatically biased based on the trailer’s angle. In the 2021 GMC Sierra, drivers will have access to this view while driving in reverse, making it easier to see surrounding vehicles and objects while positioning a trailer.
Cargo Bed View enhancements: New Cargo Bed Zoom View and Bed Hitch Guidance are now available, which can be helpful for aligning and hooking up a gooseneck/fifth-wheel trailer.
Select trailering features require a conventional-hitched box or camping trailer and additional setup may be required. Customers can see their dealers for full details.
The 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 will also offer the MultiPro Trailgate on SLE and Elevation trims to go with AT4 and Denali, while new colors are in store. They are: Ebony Twilight Metallic, Cayenne Red Tintcoat, Brownstone Metallic, and Hunter Metallic (Denali only). The 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 also gets Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires that can wrap around 20-inch wheels, plus an off-road high-clearance step.
As MC&T reported earlier, the 3.0L Duramax LM2 diesel engine sees a huge price cut for the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The option has been reduced by $1,500, placing it at $995 MSRP above the 5.3L L84 V8. The Duramax used to be the same price as the 6.2L L87 V8 engine, but GM’s latest pricing strategy has the diesel wedging itself between the two small blocks.
