Silver Bullet ZR2 - Overland Build

NathanPAnderson

New member
Hey guys, I’m new here but I thought I would go ahead and start a thread chronicling my ZR2 overland build. Although I haven’t taken any week/month long trips, I am working on building it up to be minimal, efficient and self-sufficient while traversing the remote areas of the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas and beyond. I am working on making photography a profitable hobby and I need a vehicle that will get me to those areas ripe with scenic views.

So, here’s the day I bought it in November 2017. Brand new and scratch free. That wouldn’t last long at all.

A19A1376-7632-430B-A6DB-64225DD24356.jpeg
 

NathanPAnderson

New member
The Silver Bullet is a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 with the 3.6L V6 gas engine. It comes standard with front and rear Eaton electronic lockers, Multimatic DSSV shocks, 2” lift, wider track, Duratrac tires, flares, spray in bed liner, rock rails, skid plates, high clearance front and rear bumpers, and a host of other features.
 

NathanPAnderson

New member
After a few shake down runs locally to test out the 4WD, I finally got a chance to go with a group to Ouachita National Forest to explore some trails and forest service roads. I was hooked. I fell in love with driving off road. I was engulfed in the overland attitude of driving, eating, talking on the radio, taking pictures and video, navigating obstacles, getting dirty, and enjoying like minded friendship. I knew I didn’t want to stop there and I needed some things to help me rely a bit less on others and be independent while on the trail, for the most part.

At this point it was still lot stock with the exception of tinted windows and some LED headlights bulbs. Oh, and the black bow ties.

D6527932-0D3C-4FFF-ACDA-9A5DBD283B7F.jpeg
 

NathanPAnderson

New member
So naturally I wanted to make the truck a bit more capable although a stock ZR2 is quite the machine. I added a 1” leveling kit, 33” Falken Wildpeak MTs, and few odds and ends that allowed me to go further without returning home or to civilization. That of course meant I needed somewhere to sleep. The cab wasn’t an option like an SUV, I didn’t want a ground tent, and I wasn’t experienced in hammock camping, so I ordered one of these bed tents on Amazon. Picked up a couple 5 gallon jerry cans, an Ozark Trail cooler loaded with hot dogs and Dr Pepper, and hit the road. It was a fantastic trip. 4 days and 3 nights without cell service. Mud everywhere and beautiful scenery everywhere. There was no turning back now from this lifestyle.

C5BCD72B-4B2F-4437-BA73-DE17E8CEA925.jpegD4B1E982-6A78-4F78-99CD-1727C40F17CA.jpeg
 
Last edited:

NathanPAnderson

New member
Added an on board air compressor for a short time before it stopped working (it was a cheap harbor freight compressor) which is now replaced with a CO2 tank. It’s not not having to wait and borrow air from others after they are done. Sucked being the last one to air up.

64AEEC01-C079-4A5B-97AF-7F8A47576913.jpeg
 

NathanPAnderson

New member
I decided the bed tent was way too much hassle and leaked a lot. Removing everything from the bed of the truck and then setting up a tent was terrible. So I dropped some cash on a used Smittybilt Overland RTT. My Dad and I fabbed up some steel bed bars and bolted it right on top of the bed. It was a huge relief from the bed tent. I used that tent for a little over a year before upgrading. I also added a 30” Rough Country Black Series LED bar to the front bumper for night runs which we did often in the Ozarks. The Overland build was really starting to come together.

A28AE961-602F-4E89-8A7F-4BBB848025AC.jpeg

35D7C387-5628-4BF2-909E-D7F339EC33E7.jpeg
 

NathanPAnderson

New member
This trip I realized I needed to make a few upgrades to make sure I was always protecting the important things on the truck. The air box, the engine, transmission, rear diff, and exhaust. Luckily AEV has everything I need for that.

D3DF84B5-B9C2-4B37-8D98-CAF99747C50E.jpeg

6B436B53-1C4D-48AF-BB47-5D4129A473CF.jpeg

30061FF8-530B-4F63-BD50-9C13CA80923F.jpeg

9F79A42F-FEB8-44E8-BA45-939F052F828C.jpeg
 

NathanPAnderson

New member
So first I started adding some skid plates.

589 Fabrication HD Shock Skids for those low hanging shock mounts
AEV Diff Skid
AEV Engine Skid
AEV Exhaust Skid
AEV Diff Cover

78AD017D-35E8-47E2-8616-0D22C8F79E6D.jpeg

0C69BCA7-6432-4DED-AF37-F8FC77C13A8A.jpeg

98F2B380-EC76-4FC1-8F5E-D39A1D390713.jpeg

28321761-11F6-4A67-8824-E2176FCA34BB.jpeg

B3450925-740E-4813-BE76-159FB3EAA4E8.jpeg
 

NathanPAnderson

New member
The bed rack was a bit too low to fit my fridge in the bed under the tent, so we decided to raise them up just a bit. It also allowed me to mount my CO2 tank up front at a better angle. I have a bit more vertical storage space in the bed to allow stacking some things. I‘m really loving this rack setup.

22A9CB31-691D-491A-A009-44BEC0B6A67E.jpeg

0719539F-EA15-4C1F-B4E9-CCBE23A210C6.jpeg

31714260-B225-468D-9BE8-B22B2E717EFD.jpeg
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,538
Messages
2,875,655
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top