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  • CHEVY 1500

    BACK TO CHEVY

    CHEVY 1500

    The Chevy 1500 is a versatile option for those looking for a dependable daily driver that can also handle light-duty work. Looking to take that versatility to the next level? Big Dog Builds can bring your dream Chevy to life with tailored, expert customisations from the American truck specialists.

    Big Dog Builds Rating System
    • Manufacturer
    • Big Dog Builds
    build type

    Build Type

    Weekend warrior

    Towing

    7/10

    Looks

    8/10

    Interior

    8/10

    Driveline / Performance

    7/10

    Off Road Capability

    5/10

    Modification Ability

    8/10

    Towing Class

    NIL

    Light

    Heavy

    build type

    Build Type

    Weekend warrior

    Towing

    8/10

    Looks

    10/10

    Interior

    8/10

    Driveline / Performance

    9/10

    Off Road Capability

    6/10

    Modification Ability

    8/10

    Towing Class

    NIL

    Light

    Heavy

    CHEVY 1500 BUILDS
    Everyone tells you that if you want to tour properly you need a 2500. Rod built his Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ to the same spec, and this is the walkaround. 

Tim from Big Dog Builds, one of our build designers, takes you front to back: a full chrome delete with everything colour coded to the truck, a 3 inch lift on 35s, a GVM upgrade done before the truck was registered so the towing capacity stays where it should be, the under seat battery system we brought down from the 2500 builds by popular demand, and the UHF setup Rod runs. If you have been going back and forth between a 1500 and a 2500, this is what the 1500 looks like fully built.

โœ… What you'll see:
ยท How Rod specced a 1500 to the same standard as our 2500 builds
ยท The full chrome delete, and how far the colour coding is taken across the truck
ยท The 3 inch lift, the wheel and tyre package, and how the remote reservoir shocks are dialled in
ยท Why the GVM upgrade was done before registration, and what that protects
ยท The under seat battery system, brought down from the 2500 builds by popular demand
ยท The UHF setup, and the two channel trick for running the highway and a convoy at the same time

โœ… How it's set up:
ยท Full chrome delete on the LTZ: tinted tail lights, the bowtie removed, indicators and headlights done in house and kept to the one colour
ยท Big Dog Builds number plate bracket, already set up for the day Rod wants to add a winch
ยท The colour work goes through the paint shops we use, and the whole truck is held to one theme rather than a mix of finishes
ยท The front bar is colour coded to the truck in Rod's red with a black hoop, and the LightForce lights sit in the base. The colour coding on it is our work
ยท 3 inch BDS Fox kit brought in direct from the States, running 35s
ยท Remote reservoir shocks with eight compression settings, one being the softest and eight the firmest, plus rebound adjustment, so you set how quickly the shock recovers and not just how it absorbs the hit
ยท Nitto Ridge Grapplers on Method 305 wheels. Tim's read is roughly 70 percent on road and 30 percent off road, with enough tread left to keep you out of the soft stuff
ยท Colour coded flares with kickback mud flaps for protection while towing, and a bit more offset with it
ยท Hard rolling tonneau cover to keep the tub dust free on the long interstate runs
ยท Red and grey Anderson plugs at the rear: grey to charge the caravan while you drive, red for solar. Extra Anderson plugs added on the passenger side for fridges and USB-C charging
ยท Under seat battery system: a 200Ah battery, a 50A DC-DC charger and a 2000W inverter, enough for the coffee machine, the fridge and the kids' devices
ยท Back feed charger built into it. Leave the doors open all day at a show, flatten the main battery, and it will feed back and give you the jump you need
ยท UHF radio running two channels at once: channel 40 for the highway and channel 12 for the convoy, so you can hear the truckies and still talk to your mates
ยท On the stage two list: a Big Dog Builds roof rack, Starlink, solar that can feed back into the under seat battery, and somewhere to hang the MAXTRAX and the shovel

โœ… Doing the GVM upgrade before registration:
ยท The GVM upgrade on this truck went on before it was registered, and that timing is the whole reason the build works
ยท Tim's explanation is that doing it after registration behaves like a seesaw: what you add to the GVM comes back off your towing capacity
ยท Done before registration, the LTZ keeps its rated towing capacity, which is the point on a truck that is going to tow
ยท That is why Tim steers every customer he takes through it toward doing the upgrade before the truck goes on the books

โœ… Australia wide, and still deciding:
ยท Wherever the truck is, we can bring it to the Big Dog Builds facility. Down the road, cross country, or across to Tasmania
ยท Still deciding between a 1500, a 2500 and a 3500? The Buyer Kit walks through the platforms and the setups that suit each one

CHAPTERS
0:00 โ€” Everyone says you need a 2500
0:49 โ€” Full chrome delete and colour coding
1:49 โ€” Chevy 1500 suspension, wheels and 35s
3:02 โ€” Out back: flares, mud flaps and tonneau
4:16 โ€” Towing seesaw, then the under seat 200Ah system
5:24 โ€” UHF comms and what a stage two adds

๐Ÿ‘‰ Free 2026 Buyer Kit: https://start.bigdogbuilds.com/buyer-kit/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=legacy_backfill&utm_content=_OHzIg4y85g

๐Ÿ“ž Call us: 1300 325 979
โœ‰ info@bigdogbuilds.com

#ChevySilverado #Silverado1500 #ChevyTrucks #GVMUpgrade #ChromeDelete #BigDogBuilds #AmericanTrucks #4x4Australia #TruckBuild #TouringSetup #UnderSeatBattery #AussieTrucks

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    Chevy 1500 Gets The 2500's Under Seat Battery System
    YouTube Video UEwwYmFlRDROVWFkNWJyeVdmck1RbjVVVUE4bzN0VVRqbS44Mjc5REFBRUE2MTdFRDU0
    Everyone says a lifted sport truck ruins the daily. This Chevy Silverado 1500 ZR2 on a 3.5-inch kit and 35s is the one that argues back.

โœ… What you'll see:
ยท Why a 3.5-inch kit only lifts a ZR2 an inch and a half over factory
ยท The straight answer on ZR2 versus an HD truck once there is a van on the back
ยท What 35s actually sound like around town, at speed, and once the tread wears down
ยท The bumper spacer and mud flap trim it took to turn 35s without cutting the metal bumper
ยท How adjustable shocks plus rear load assist let one truck do the school run and Fraser Island

โœ… Build highlights:
ยท BDS 3.5-inch suspension kit with Fox 2.5 adjustable shocks front and rear
ยท Boss Air Australia airbag load assist over the factory leaf pack
ยท ZR2 front bumper spacer kit to clear the 35s without trimming the metal bumper
ยท Fuel Covert 17 inch satin black wheels
ยท Yokohama Geolandar G003 35x12.5R17 mud terrains
ยท Apex quick inflate and deflate valves for airing down
ยท Sterling Grey with blacked out Chevy badging and tinted taillights

โœ… Compliance:
ยท Engineered and certified under the NB1/NB2 code so the truck is legal loaded, not just legal empty
ยท Load rating (GVM) upgrade paths available, matched to the build and the state the truck is registered in
ยท Pre-registration and post-registration builds, interstate vehicles brought up and sent home again

CHAPTERS
0:00 โ€” Does a lift ruin the daily?
0:58 โ€” ZR2 front end straight off the floor
1:58 โ€” 3.5-inch lift on 35s explained
2:32 โ€” ZR2 vs HD: which one tows better
3:23 โ€” The lift kit and adjustable shocks
4:07 โ€” 35x12.5R17 mud terrains on the road
5:37 โ€” Rear airbag load assist
6:21 โ€” Dialling the ride, daily and loaded
8:13 โ€” Interstate builds and the LTZ option

๐Ÿ‘‰ Free 2026 Buyer Kit: https://start.bigdogbuilds.com/buyer-kit/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=bdb2607_yt8_silver_zr2&utm_content=O1c_-n9pdio

๐Ÿ“ž Call us: 1300 325 979
๐ŸŒ https://www.bigdogbuilds.com

Follow Big Dog Builds:
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Subscribe for more American truck builds โ€” Australia's specialist American truck workshop.

#ChevySilverado #SilveradoZR2 #ZR2 #Chevy1500 #AmericanTrucks #TruckBuild #LiftedTrucks #35s #MudTerrain #DailyDriver #BigDogBuilds #TrucksAustralia #TruckMods #Queensland
    You Dont Need a Chevy 2500
    YouTube Video UEwwYmFlRDROVWFkNWJyeVdmck1RbjVVVUE4bzN0VVRqbS5DMkU4NTY1QUFGQTYwMDE3
    Not everyone needs a 2500 HD โ€” and this jet-black Chevy Silverado 1500 ZR2 is the proof. Over $75K spent, pre-registration GVM upgrade done, 35s legal in every state, and a 4.2 tonne tow rating baked in before it even hits the road. This is the smart 1500 build.

We walk you through every single part of this interstate customer's ZR2 โ€” from the BDS 3.5" suspension kit and KMC/IMS load-rated wheels wrapped in 35ร—12.5ร—18 Nitto Ridge Grapplers, to the 200Ah lithium underseat battery, 200W RedArc solar, ARB twin compressor, and the brand-new V2 roof rack. We even throw it on the scales before it leaves the workshop.

What you'll see in this video
โœ… Pre-registration GVM upgrade to 4.2t โ€” what it means, what it costs you in payload (spoiler: 1,353 kg left)
โœ… BDS 3.5" lift on a factory ZR2 โ€” why it's only 1.5" taller than stock and why that matters for legality
โœ… KMC/IMS load-rated wheels + 35ร—12.5ร—18 Nitto Ridge Grapplers โ€” legal in every Australian state
โœ… 200Ah custom lithium underseat battery + 2000W inverter + RedArc BCDC Alpha R โ€” full RedVision app walkthrough
โœ… V2 roof rack with 50" light bar, 200W solar, Starlink mount โ€” same rack now on the GMSV HD show trucks
โœ… ARB brushless twin compressor, electric side steps, airbags, Anderson plugs โ€” the full touring kit
โœ… Live weighbridge result: 2,847 kg kerb weight โ€” and what that means against the 4.2t GVM
โœ… 1500 vs 2500 HD โ€” the honest answer on when the ZR2 is the right call and when to step up

Build highlights
โœ… Suspension: BDS 3.5" lift kit (net 1.5" above factory ZR2 ride height)
โœ… Wheels: KMC/IMS โ€” 1,270 kg+ load rated
โœ… Tyres: 35ร—12.5ร—18 Nitto Ridge Grappler โ€” 1,800 kg per tyre rating
โœ… GVM: Pre-registration upgrade to 4.2t (factory ZR2 GVM: 3,300 kg)
โœ… 12V/Power: 200Ah custom lithium, RedArc BCDC Alpha R charger, 2000W inverter, RedVision app
โœ… Solar: 200W panel on V2 roof rack
โœ… Compressor: ARB brushless twin compressor
โœ… Roof rack: V2 stainless/aluminium combo โ€” 50" light bar, Starlink mount, powder coat texture black
โœ… Steps: Excel series electric side steps
โœ… Connectivity: Starlink with Gorilla mount, Switch-Pro control panel
โœ… Airbags: Rear airbags with Schrader valves (Air IQ upgrade available)
โœ… ADAS: Full reprogram of all sensors and cameras post-build

Safety & setup notes
โœ… Pre-registration GVM upgrade is the only legal path to 35" tyres on a 1500 in every Australian state
โœ… ZR2 tow rating is 4.2t max (LTZ can achieve 4.5t) โ€” if you're towing at or near GVM, consider stepping to HD
โœ… Payload after build: approx. 1,353 kg โ€” account for ball weight, passengers, and gear
โœ… ADAS sensors and cameras fully recalibrated post-fitment โ€” critical after any suspension or bar modification
โœ… No rooftop tent on cab โ€” not load-rated; use a tub rack for that setup
โœ… Airbags: manual inflation via Schrader valves standard; Air IQ app upgrade available

Not sure if the 1500, 2500, or HD truck is right for your tow setup? Download the Big Dog Builds Buyer's Kit โ€” it covers GVM, GCM, payload, tow ratings and the exact questions to ask before you buy.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Free Buyer's Kit: https://start.bigdogbuilds.com/buyer-kit/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=legacy_backfill&utm_content=-VR-0-VHumU  |  ๐Ÿ“ž 1300 325 979  |  ๐Ÿ“ฉ info@bigdogbuilds.com


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If this ZR2 build is your thing, smash subscribe โ€” we drop a new American Truck Down Under build every week.

#ChevySilveradoZR2 #BigDogBuilds #AmericanTruckDownUnder #GVMUpgrade #SilveradoZR2 #ChevyZR2Australia #BDSSuspension #NittoRidgeGrappler #RedArc #35sLegal
    $75K Chevy ZR2: The Smart Build You Don't Need a 2500 For
    YouTube Video UEwwYmFlRDROVWFkNWJyeVdmck1RbjVVVUE4bzN0VVRqbS5DQ0MyQ0Y4Mzg0M0VGOEYw
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info@bigdogbuilds.com


+61 7 3487 1351


7 Alta Road, Caboolture, QLD, 4510, AUSTRALIA

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