How to Transform a Chevy Silverado Into a Motel in One Afternoon! (Video)

Going overland with a rack and tent.

Andre’s one star hotel, fully assembled in an afternoon. He’s a bit tired.
(Images: TFLtruck)

We converted our Chevy Silverado Trail Boss into a bit of an overlander

Our new-ish Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss is now a “one star hotel according to Andre. Another way of stating it; our Trail Boss is becoming an overland vehicle. It wasn’t that hard, to be honest. We procured a few items that allowed us to make the transformation in one afternoon.

With input from our fans, we opted to switch from the old Land Rover LR3 to the Trail Boss as a chase vehicle in our “No pavement needed” series.

In our experience, overlanding can be as simple as a bike and a sleeping bag – or a $2.5-million dollar extreme off-road RV. Either works. At the end of the day, people who are serious about getting off the grid and exploring the wilds of the world will find a compromise. So far, our project Jeep Gladiator and project Ford F-120 Super Tremor have been well outfitted. Both are extremely capable off-road and both can carry humans off the grid for an extended time.

Now it’s time for our Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss to gain some overland goodies too.

Step 1: Thuley XSporter Pro 500XTB

The most time consuming part of this project was building and attaching the Thuley XSporter Pro 500XTB. It is an adjustable frame that allows for items to sit above the bed. Truth be told, Andre was a bit out of his depth and needed some of our crew to help out.

While Roman and Tommy are in the video, credit for the hard work goes to Andre, Alex and Kase.

Step 2: Roof Nest

Unlike the frame, the Roof Nest was a breeze and it’s usable in moments. It’s one of the nicest roof top tents we’ve used.

Check out the whole build!

Nathan Adlen
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.