Fall Cleanup Season: Silverado 1500 for Litchfield County Landscapers and Leaf Crews

In Litchfield County, fall cleanup is a rush. The leaves begin to fall in October, the inquiries start to come in, and you have a few weeks in which to clear every lawn on your list before the first snow falls. In Torrington, Litchfield, Goshen and the hill towns nearby, this involves a large number of oaks, a large number of maples, and a large number of leaves.

The truck that you use for this type of work is important since the requirements placed on a truck during leaf season are different from those in stone and mulch season. For a great deal of the fall cleaning work the Chevy Silverado 1500 is the right choice. The following guide outlines the reasons for this, the points at which it falls short, and how to prepare one. If you would like to see trucks in person then Northwest Hills Chevrolet is located at 2065 East Main Street in Torrington.

Leaves Are a Volume Problem, Not a Weight Problem
The important point regarding leaf harvesting is that dry leaves are bulky yet lightweight; you'll be able to fill the truck bed well before you reach its weight limit.

That changes what you need from a truck:

It's more important to have room for the beds and sideboards than it is to have a high payload; the more leaves you can fit in, the fewer times you'll need to make dumping trips.

The way things are handled is important; during the day the leaf crews back into driveways, turn around on the narrow roads, and park on the lawns.

The cost of fuel is important; since fall cleanup involves a large number of short trips and a lot of idling, a lighter truck is cheaper to operate.

The Silverado 1500 is well suited for this purpose. Trucks designed for heavy use are built to carry thousands of pounds of stone, but with leaves most of that capacity is not used and you have to pay the price and for the fuel.

One Big Exception: Wet Leaves
Dry leaves are light whereas wet and compacted leaves are not. Following a few days of rain a heap of soaked leaves can end up weighing a great deal more than one would expect.

Make sure to watch it. When you stack the wet leaves quite high using tall sideboards, you might find that you're nearer to the truck's payload limit than you realize. And you should bear in mind that the payload covers your crew, your blowers, your fuel cans, and any leaf box or sideboards that you add. If you're uncertain, rather than exceeding the load, make an extra dump run.

Picking the Right Silverado 1500 Setup

Engine
The Silverado 1500 comes with four engines, and for leaf crews the decision generally boils down to two:

• The 2.7-liter TurboMax (which is standard on most of the trims) produces 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque; it has the greatest payload rating in the lineup since it is the lightest engine and can tow up to 9,500 lbs when properly equipped.
• The 5.3L V8 engine produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque and can tow up to 11,400 pounds when properly equipped. It is a good choice if you drive a leaf vacuum trailer or equipment trailer every day.

The 6.2-liter V8 and the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel are also available, but most leaf crews will not require them.

Bed Size
Having a larger bed is better when doing leaf work. The Silverado 1500 is available with a number of bed lengths depending on the type of cab. The longest bed, an 8-foot one, is available on the Regular Cab. When you need seats for a crew of three or more, the Crew Cab equipped with the 6-foot-6 Standard Bed provides more space than the 5-foot-8 Short Bed.

Request that your salesperson show you which bed lengths are available with which cabs since this decision will influence the number of runs you carry each day of the season.

Four-Wheel Drive
Understand that fall lawns are wet and that the driveways in the hill towns are steep. A two-wheel-drive pickup truck with an empty bed has very little weight on the rear wheels and therefore can spin out on wet grass or on a muddy shoulder. Four-wheel drive makes a big difference when working on a job site.

But remember its limitations: four-wheel drive assists in getting started, it doesn't help you to stop. Since wet leaves on the pavement are slippery, leave extra space when driving on the back roads of Litchfield County.

Towing a Leaf Vacuum or Trailer
A number of leaf crews use a leaf vacuum mounted on a trailer or a dump trailer. Here are some tips:

• Check the tongue weight. Leaf loaders put weight on the hitch. Too much tongue weight eats into your truck's payload.
• Use trailer brakes on heavier trailers. They make stopping on hills much safer.
• Know your real rating. The towing numbers above are maximums. Check the stickers on your truck's driver-side door jamb and the owner's manual, or ask the dealer to look up the rating for that exact truck.

The trailer camera views and trailer equipment that are available on the Silverado 1500 make it easier to connect the trailer and to back it up. Find out which ones come with the particular truck you're looking at.

When the 1500 Isn't Enough
I'll be honest with you: although the Silverado 1500 is a good leaf truck, it isn't the correct truck for all landscaping jobs.

If the stone or topsoil that you are hauling in the bed during the spring and summer amounts to one yard, a 1500 will reach or exceed its payload capacity very quickly. And if you intend to plow with a heavy commercial plow in the winter, then you will need a heavy-duty truck.

A Silverado 2500HD would be more suitable for those crews. In some cases, businesses end up owning both a 1500 and an HD truck: using the 1500 for cleaning and maintenance and the HD one for heavy materials. Before making your decision, make sure to go over your entire year's workload, not just the work done in the fall.

Getting Ready for the Season
Before the leaves start dropping in earnest, get your truck ready:

• Check tires. Wet leaves and muddy lawns call for good tread.
• Check the brakes. Fall means hills, loaded trailers, and wet roads.
• Look at the battery. Cold mornings arrive fast in the northwest hills.
• Inspect the hitch and trailer wiring. Fix problems now, not on a busy Saturday.

Why Buy From Northwest Hills Chevrolet
They know the area since Northwest Hills Chevrolet has been providing services in Litchfield County for over 20 years and works with customers from Torrington, Bristol, Terryville, Waterbury and all the towns in between, which is why they know the sort of work trucks have to do in this region.

One that doesn't apply pressure. The dealership states that it avoids aggressive sales techniques and instead concentrates on your actual requirements. In the case of a work truck, this involves matching the cab, the bed, and the engine to the kind of jobs you really do.

There is a wide range of used trucks. This is useful if you want to get a second truck for leaf season. Full service is available on site, with the service department looking after all kinds of work such as oil changes and transmission repairs. Additionally, there is a collision and body shop, which is useful when a work truck gets a dent on a crowded job site.

The Bottom Line
When it comes to carrying out fall cleaning and dealing with leaves, the Silverado 1500 is usually the best option. Since leaves are bulky not heavy, a 1500 with a long bed, four-wheel drive, and the appropriate engine is able to carry out the job at a lower cost both in terms of purchase and running expenses than a heavy-duty truck. Only thing to be aware of is wet loads and the trailer tongue weight.

If you're preparing your crew for the season, visit Northwest Hills Chevrolet, located at 2065 East Main Street in Torrington; take a list with you outlining the things you haul and tow, and they'll be able to assist you in selecting the right truck for the fall and for the rest of the year.