When it comes to special-edition trucks, not all of them are truly ‘special’. At least, not when it comes to features or value for money. An example of this is the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Carhartt Edition. Although it does bring two Detroit icons together, it’s not necessarily a worthwhile purchase. And similarly, to the F-150 Harley-Davidson, it’s possible to replicate the Carhartt Edition with a normal Silverado 2500HD. It might just save you some money, too.

The Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Carhartt Edition

First shown as a SEMA concept in 2016, the production Silverado 2500HD Carhartt Edition was revealed as a 2021 model trim. This, interestingly, wasn’t the first time Chevrolet collaborated with a clothing maker on a truck. The automaker had worked with North Face on a special-edition Avalanche—and just like that truck, the Carhartt Edition doesn’t bring a whole lot to the table.

It’s based on the Z71-equipped Silverado 2500HD LTZ crew cab. The only exterior color choice is Mosaic Black Metallic, with Carhartt-gold pinstripes. Several other exterior trim pieces become body-colored: front and rear bumpers, tow hooks, the tailgate bowtie emblem, and the hood vent detailing. The doors, tailgate, and soft roll-up bed cover also feature the Carhartt logo.

The Carhartt logo is also embroidered on the truck’s headrests. The seats themselves are two-tone, Jet Black and Carhartt Brown leather, with unique stitching. In addition, the all-weather floor liners feature the Carhartt logo.

Equipping our Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD

Essentially, the only differences between the Silverado 2500HD Carhartt Edition and a normal Z71 Silverado 2500HD LTZ are cosmetic. Mechanically, they’re identical. This makes outfitting our pseudo-Carhartt Silverado a fairly straightforward process.

The Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ with the 6.6-liter V8 starts at $54,895. Adding the full Z71 off-road and protection package adds $2,480. In addition to the Rancho twin-tube off-road suspension, this adds skid plates, hill descent control, a spray-in bed liner, and all-weather floor liners. From there, the only Chevrolet options we need to add are chrome recovery hooks and a soft rollup bed cover.

Unfortunately, Chevrolet doesn’t offer the Silverado 2500HD with two-tone leather. However, it is still possible to get Carhartt material inside the truck. Carhartt sells model-specific seat covers, made of the company’s water-repellant brown fabric. They do cover up the leather but add additional protection and seat pockets. They also have a 3-year warranty.

And adding seat covers means getting more Carhartt material inside than the actual Carhartt Edition.

Price and feature comparison

With the full Z71 package, our Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD comes in at $57,375. The chrome recovery hooks and soft rollup bed cover add $200 and $329, respectively, bringing the total to $57,904. The Carhartt seat covers vary depending on the exact seating arrangement, but the most expensive rear seat covers cost $317. Altogether, our pseudo-Carhartt Silverado 2500HD comes in at $58,538.

Pricing for the official Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD hasn’t been revealed yet. However, Top Speed estimates the retail price to be approximately $60,000-$70,000. Our pseudo-Carhartt Silverado is significantly cheaper. And the rough price difference would be the same if we chose the 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8.

The only things our homebrewed Carhartt Silverado doesn’t have are black recovery hooks, black bowtie emblems, and Carhartt leather. But the first two are minor trim pieces. And as for the leather, the official Carhartt Silverado actually has less Carhartt material. Plus, the seat covers will keep the leather seats looking better for longer.

Also, although Silverados aren’t the most-stolen truck around, thieves tend to notice special-edition trucks. Our homebrew Carhartt Silverado may just fly under the radar, and save you money, too.