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Chevrolet Avalanche

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Comments

  • robbins_robbins_ Member Posts: 37
    Grumpy,
    GM sells one just for the Av. Part number is 12497707 at a suggested retail price of $305.

    Bear
  • avalanche87avalanche87 Member Posts: 3
    My neighbor who works at GM dropped these pics to me. There are some pictures of a lot of Avs with an EXT mixed in.

    http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/avext8/lst?.dir=/Avalanche+Cruise&.view=t
  • timfarntimfarn Member Posts: 289
    Roger: If you can find a dealer that will sell the parts at wholesale, it's a wash with GMPD's low price + shipping. The friend I bought through quoted the wholesale price without prodding. It should be less of a hassle and less chance of shipping damage.

    Speaking of shipping damage, we went to take delivery of the Av and they were working on a dent in the hood, right on one of the contour lines up front. A dent specialist van from Des Moines was there working it out from underneath. Needless to say, the Av is still at the dealer.

    What do you do in this situation? The dent is almost imperceptible, except to the trained eye. The finish on the inside is marred from the tool pressing it out - bare metal that needs sealed. I have an offer to replace the hood when another blue Av comes in. I don't want the body shop to repair the outside finish and lose the factory finish and match. Will another hood from the factory match?

    More shipping damage - the running boards are shipped separately from the truck and were not installed when we arrived. 6 hours later, I have a voicemail that they were damaged in transit and it will be a week before they are replaced.
  • timfarntimfarn Member Posts: 289
    The guy (mid-late 50's retiree?) who took delivery of a white Av earlier in the day showed up at 7:30 PM. He was like a kid with a new toy and had been showing all his buddies the new ride. He was having fun until he left one place with the tailgate down and one hard panel on the gate. The panel did not survive the 60 MPH bounce - it looked like it hit something that almost ripped 4 inches off the end. He was a little sheepish, the wife was not pleased.

    Did all of the idiot lights come on in his truck?
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    the blue truck will not stay perfect forever let me tell you

    Yesterday i was leaving blockbuster and this company was cutting grass. Threw out a rock. Tagged the side of my truck right under the door (av would have had the cladding). Took 3 chunks of paint off. No dent however. I was surprised. Put some touchup paint on it kinda looks like crap but you can only see it upclose

    How big of a dent was in your hood? Id have it replaced if i was you. Your paying 40K (i know thats a high estimate) it should start off perfect.

    Ryan
  • bshefmirebshefmire Member Posts: 39
    Picked mine up last night!
    (2wd Z66, 1500 pewter/graphite, Loaded, even had the rear window tint:)
    Got it home and gave it a bath (best way to really inspect the truck)! Everything looked good! On the drive back to sign the papers, the wife noticed her heated seat didn't heat up. I sure hope this isn't an "omen" but my truck is already in service. The dealer told me he expects a quick fix and should have my truck back today? (1st promise) I'll let you know the outcome.
    I plan on some new rims and tires. Saw a set of Stock Av rims and tires on ebay go for over $500. I'll probably auction mine off too!

    Sure do like my new AV!

    Keep you guys posted!
    Brad in SoCal
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    your in california?

    Why in the heck do you need heated seats???

    That is one option i will never understand. Sure its nice but to me its just plain dumb. My mom has em on her blazer. It gets below zero in the winter on a regualr basis here. By the time you sit down and turn the thing on your butt is warm. The heat then makes you sweat.
  • michgndrmichgndr Member Posts: 160
    Not all of California is warm. Just the crappy parts.

    The mountainous parts have something that looks like winter.
  • bshefmirebshefmire Member Posts: 39
    Yes, we are in California! You ever been to the High Desert at night? brrrrrrrr. (but its a dry cold)
    This was something my wife had to have. (Got to know what you sign up for!)
    I always thought She had a "hot" [non-permissible content removed]!
  • timmyk87timmyk87 Member Posts: 3
    It was a crappy day outside when I took this pic of the hood protector and I said I would post it so here goes. I see the use of Yahoo! for pictures so I jumped on that too. Here is my pic. http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/timmyk87/lst?.dir=/Hood+Protector&.view=t Any questions let me know guys.
  • darkeyedarkeye Member Posts: 36
    Latest pics at end of album.

    http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/youndd/lst?&.dir=/2002+Chevy+Avalanche&.src=ph&.begin=9999&.view=t
  • bshefmirebshefmire Member Posts: 39
    Took Av back 1st night we had it due to Passenger seat not heating. Picked it up they told me seat belt has to be engaged for heating mechanism to work!
    Noticed a 1/2" Scratch on front painted portion of the grill shroud. Pointed it out and asked for it to be fixed. They brought out a guy with rubbbing compound and it did not go away. They assured me the would "shoot" it if I required. We then did a vehicle inspection and told me if I noticed "anything" to let them know and they would fix.
    Very pleased with everything about this truck.
  • timfarntimfarn Member Posts: 289
    Dent shop has the dent fixed, imperceptible; and to be covered by the deflector, anyway. Concession - we'll take a shot at installing a Sub cassette player in the console.

    200 miles already - perfect ride and handling. Leaving the dealership an '82 Camaro blew by on the four lane and his rear window louvers disintegrated - one small piece of plastic hit my windshield. I don't know how the rest of the shrapnel missed.

    Rear storage - Jumper cables, tow rope, cargo tie downs, bungee cords, 6 cell Maglite, air compressor, spotting scope, ropes, and more. I had a milk crate in the rear of the Jimmy and the F150 full of this stuff.
  • rwlyonrwlyon Member Posts: 2
    timfarn:

    Let us know how it goes with the sub cassette player in the console.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    What kinda air compressor do you have? Does it plug into your truck? How big is it (brand and price?)

    Reason i ask is either later next month or early next spring i am taking a trip up to michigan to do some offroading (sand) and i need to air my tires down

    Thanks

    Ryan
  • soozysoozy Member Posts: 2
    I've been following this post for quite a while, and finally decided to buy me one for myself. Picked it up off dealer stock last night - red, graphite leather, 4x4, all options except for the roof rack, which I think I will add later.

    Drove like a dream on the way home - kept on telling myself this was a truck!

    Has anyone had any experience or heard of an LCD screen added to their vehicle? I have a sunroof, and think there's enough room right behind it to install the LCD screen, and the CD holder on the floor console to house a DVD player. Any thoughts?
  • vestal1vestal1 Member Posts: 1
    I have some questions for some of you fans...I am thinking about getting one of these trucks, but have not found any info on if these trucks can be set up to haul a gooseneck trailer? Are they heavy duty enough to handle heavy towing?
    Any help out there?
  • mount1mount1 Member Posts: 22
    The dealers in my area (Orange County, Ca) have upgraded a few of their Avs. One I saw last weekend came with DVD players in the back of each of the front seat headrests. A great option for kids & adults on long travels, camping, etc.

    A great upgrade I saw was new interior trim/dash moldings. All the moldings on the dash, arm rest, door handles, etc. had been replace with a grey/black snake skin colored molding - it looked absolutely great in the pewter-metallic Av.

    Anyway, the dealer had marked up the Av about $7000 for the add-ons which also included new wheels, tube type running boards, etc. but the items were not individually priced.

    Congratulations on your new ride.

    -mount1
  • timfarntimfarn Member Posts: 289
    I picked up a Campbell-Hausfeld 12V. It plugs into the accessory outlet and is nice because the cord and hose store in the end. It also has an on-off switch as opposed to turning on as soon as it's plugged in. $15 - $20 at Walmart.
  • timfarntimfarn Member Posts: 289
    Heavy duty towing platform is standard. The 1500 Av will tow 7,100 - 8300# max and the 2500 (when available) up to 12,000#.

    No mention of gooseneck capabilities - will the sail panels on each side limit the turning radius when centering the hitch over the rear axle?
  • bill210bill210 Member Posts: 3
    if anybody has a avalanche with the roof rack please post a message on if it has wind noise at any speed when the sun roof is open. cant decide to get mine put on yet until i see one with the rack in person or some photos of one. the rack looks good on a tahoe or a suburban but i dont know about the avalanche. might have one for sale if i dont like its looks.
  • dcrislerdcrisler Member Posts: 118
    to believe? The local Friendly(the real name) Chevrolet (dallas TX ) had a red AV advertized for $22k, the fine print showed a sticker of 30k and some change. How are they able to knock 7000 plus off the truck.
  • bshefmirebshefmire Member Posts: 39
    Got to the Dealer and showed them my hard-cover panels with the weather-striping falling off. They took me back to their "row of AV's" and we started looking at panels to "swap". The 1st two we checked had the same problem. Weather-striping completely separating from the panels with the slightest effort.
    Now we all scratched our heads and we're curious if this was "intentional"? Maybe after 3-4 years you "have" to replace the strips? Maybe you want them to easily come off?
    Well, I told them I was not happy and didn't want to keep asking "maybe" questions. I told them to "make a few phone calls and find out". We searched a little longer and came up with a set that seemed "afixed" to the panels.They gave me the panels and off I went.
    PS- My wife complained about the heated passenger seat not heating. They kept my truck for a day and told me "you have to have the seat-belt engaged in order for this the work". Well, it still doesn't work! Be back again tomorrow.

    Updates to follow!

    Brad in SoCal
  • dcrislerdcrisler Member Posts: 118
    to believe? The local Friendly(the real name) Chevrolet (dallas TX ) had a red AV advertized for $22k, the fine print showed a sticker of 30k and some change. How are they able to knock 7000 plus off the truck.
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    off on Av's here in Austin. Maybe that one's a Demonstrator with some miles on it. Not sure if they have any rebate or not. GM is also offering 1k more on some vehicles if you're trading in a Ford truck or Explorer, and another 1k if you have the GM credit that I think is from the Saddle gas tank settlement. A lot of Dealers are including that to balloon the discounts. Then of course there's the really fine print with the disclaimers.
    If you have ALL of these qualifications you can 9k or more off on a Suburban around here.
  • timfarntimfarn Member Posts: 289
    Their red Av may be one they don't have in stock. Or, at $7k off sticker, could it be one of the 90 Avs from the Brickyard 400? If it's there and has the options you want, go for it. Advice - At $30k sticker, it may have the soft cover - the hard panels are one of the best features of this truck.
  • grumpy8grumpy8 Member Posts: 8
    Having digested some earlier verbiage concerning water leaks, while showing off my Av to a buddy, I pulled up the mat in the bed and ....water! Rats! Granted this was following a couple of frog stranglers here in so Fla., and when I took delivery the tailgate had not been completely shut. So I think I would just lift my non-skid (and I mean non-skid) mat and see whats going on there. If you are feeling puny, get some help, you have to be impressed with the heft of that mat. I'll keep you posted. By the way, Bear and Tim thanks for the advice on the cover from gmpartsdirect. $250 when the dust settled. Hasn't arrived yet. Whats up with Chevy not including a trailer ball with the receiver?
  • bowhuntwibowhuntwi Member Posts: 262
    Nobody includes a trailer ball.....too many sizes
  • z71josez71jose Member Posts: 22
    dcrisler.....it's probably true!!!! Was there last weekend and
    were willing to take $6500 of a 2001 Tahoe(Fully loaded)
    and the weekend before that they were going to give me
    a Z71 Avalanche(stickered around 34K) for $29K. They
    were so desperate to make the sale, they told me I can
    drive it home and show it to my wife(I used the excuse I can't
    buy it until I consult with the wife). If it wasn't for my credit
    card debt....I would have bought one of them on the spot.
  • jkoontzjkoontz Member Posts: 3
    Does anyone have the part number for the gray assist steps that match the body cladding?
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    it wa stated at gm-trucks.com and PUTC that the 2500 avs are now out
  • miles2912miles2912 Member Posts: 7
    I am going to use the avalanche to tow a boat. Boat weight is 5500 lbs+ appx 500 lbs for a trailer. Standard AV w/ a 3.73 rear can tow 7300 while the 4.10 can tow 8300. This is according to Chevrolet. Ok.. now I need some real world experience. The 3.73 rear should be able to handle the load. I am figuring that I will have at least 1000 lbs of extras in the truck and gas and water + supplies in the boat. Throw in a few BIG friends that like to fish and I am at or a little over the 7300 lbs. I really don't want to get the 4.10 rear end, because the truck will be used for work and I will drive about 60+ miles a day. I dont' know how much more the mileage will be, but any bit I save will help (more $$$ to blow on the dam boat). Should I just break down and get the 4.10 rear end, or even (gasp) wait for the 3/4 ton to come out and blow even more on a serious work horse. Any advice would be greatly apprecited.

    Thanks,
    Miles
  • mgpoguemgpogue Member Posts: 1
    I live in Sunnyvale, near San Jose, CA. My husband just gave me the go ahead to buy an AV with the Z71 package. I've put feelers out to auto-by tel and carsdirect (they want 33K). A local dealer has 2 indigo's that had 5 and 6 miles total when I test drove them. You could smell the new engine breaking in! The dealer would take 4k off MSRP making it about 34K. Then I hear about So-Cal where AV's are going for 100 over invoice. My husband says with dealer holdback disappearing the longer they're on the lot that he wants to go below invoice. (His goal is to pay no more than 35K total including taxes and destination and whatever other fees..)What do you fellows who already did the dealing recommend? Is my honey being unrealistic? Or, is it time for me to fly to LA and drive it back? I really don't want to haggle, just hand over the check. Thanks for your input, MG
  • dcrislerdcrisler Member Posts: 118
    I keep planning on dropping by Friendly to check out their AV's... We already have 2 my 00' cars... but at that price it is worth test driving. I have to say though I think since I have the Mini_van and sports car type vehicles covered... a nice loaded Z71 AV would round out my vehicle needs. Now if I could just fix my CC bills...
  • chad52chad52 Member Posts: 3
    I finally picked my AV up yesterday. Black Z71 from dealer stock. Anyway, when I was doing the pre-sale inspection, I removed one of the hard panels from the back to check to see if it exhibited the weather stripping problem. I noticed the white "glue" but the stripping seemed to stay attached. So I take it home. This morning, I was showing it off to some co-workers and lo and behold, when I removed the back panel the weather stripping pulled apart. Given it was very humid and that might have played into it, but this would seem to me like a problem a lot of AV owners would be having. Has anybody tried any other type of adhesives to hold the stripping in place?

    Also, does anybody else have a problem with the E-brake hitting their left shin? I wish that they had recessed that brake pedal a bit more. Other than that, it's great!

    Chad
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    Thats not an emergency brake. Its a parking brake just to clarify.

    Also us silverado owners have been complaining about this since 99
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    with the Parking brake.
  • bmahanbmahan Member Posts: 1
    The Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 model is out in force.... The 2500 is soon to follow. For more product information call 1-800-950-CHEV or check Chevrolet.com & media.gm.com/division/chevrolet.
    Also note that Cadillac is coming with an Escalade EXT, which is essentially the same truck with all the Cadillac appointments. Another great web-site is gmbuypower.com/ This site gives you the opportunity to pick & choose your options and such & it can direct you to a dealer in your particular area that took delivery of any GM Product that you're interested in.
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    parking brake handle as I was driving home last night and it must you that have a problem sit closer than I do. (ok, I wasn't actually driving at the time) I'm only 5'9" but I sit quite a way back, so my knee isn't that close to it.
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    im 6'3 have the seat all the way back (in my rado)

    getting in is when i hit my leg on the parking brake
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    The way the console cover opens. GM must think the Driver is the only one that uses it. And did you ever notice the HUGE blind spot created by the A pillar and side mirror? You can lose sight of VW's there. And even Toyota pickups!
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    wow your the first to say that about the A piller/mirror. I thought i was the only one who ever thought about this.

    I have almost hit 2 cars (well not really). I got to the stop sign didnt see them started going through when i finally seen them they were going through. I had plenty of time to stop but it was kinda scary.

    Ryan
  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    Edmunds server must be out in the Pacific Ocean someplace! That's even too early for Pacific time. Oh no...duh, it is jst 2 hrs.
  • grumpy8grumpy8 Member Posts: 8
    miles2912 I went through a similar dilemma wanting my Av to do everything (like also pull a 12,000 lb boat), consider this. You are going to use your Av for driving a lot more than pulling. The Av will pull anything. The question is can it stop your 5500 lb boat and trailer. Do you pull in mountains or on relatively flat terrain with only the boat ramp to contend with? Aux brakes on the trailer make a tremendous difference and are esssential. It sounds like a very high priority with you is gas mileage. I think you will be frustrated with either the 4.10 or the 3/4 ton gas consumption, but if you are dead to pull almost anything, the 3/4 is the way to go.
    mgpogue As supply increases your hubby will become more and more correct. Meanwhile if you are really hot to trot, either send him down to haggle or buy a cheap ticket to LA and have a lovely drive home in your fine new ride!
  • fpmikefpmike Member Posts: 21
    The part #s for the BVE matching side steps are:
    Right: 15718561
    Left: 15718562

    gmpartsdirect.com price: $162.46 each plus shipping
    GM list: $270.77
    GM wholesale: $203.08

    info from gmpartsdirect.com (Flow Chevrolet, a dealer)

    Anybody have the part # for the roof rack, second seat protector, tent etc.?
  • fpmikefpmike Member Posts: 21
    I recently had a tire blow-out while driving on a freeway trip (at midnight, of course). This occurred with 2200 miles on the truck. I replaced the tire with the spare, continued to my destination and went to a local Chevy dealer the next morning. Inspection of the tire by the service manager indicated no road hazard damage and an area which indicated tread separation. Further inspection of the remaining tires revealed a steel wire sticking out of the sidewall of another tire. Approval for warranty replacement of all 4 tires was obtained and I am awaiting the return of my truck with a different lot number of the same tire. I would advise owners to inspect their tires.

    The failed/defective tires in question are: Goodyear Wrangler AT/S P265/70R17 - 113S
    All tires had the same lot number (found on the back sidewall) DOT MK16 BYDR 1901
  • markiiimarkiii Member Posts: 21
    I just looked at mine and found MKT6 BYDR 1001. I double checked all and it is a "T" and not a 1. Also double checked the "9" vs. the "0".

    FPMIKE- Can you check again, mine might be a lot other than yours or the same if similar typo as the T vs. 1.

    Also confirmed prior post of FIRESTONE Wilderness A/T on my spare.

    I'm 6'3 and drive with the seat all the way back and have had similar issues with the parking brake, but while driving....slowly getting used to it. The A pillar hasn't been an issue but my rearview mirror has. I've had to tilt back farther than I'd prefer to maintain a clear line of sight. It looks adjustable but isn't.

    Mark
  • bshefmirebshefmire Member Posts: 39
    I was looking at the GM Techline site and saw this bulletin...

    08-Body and Accessories
    01-08-66-006; Chevrolet Avalanche Cargo Area; 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche

    Anyone with a clue to what this might mean? (weather striping?)

    I also noticed my AV is lower by about 3/4" on the drivers side. Real evident when looking at the front of the vehicle...leans to the driver side! Have yet to follow up on checking my tires regarding the previous post although I have confirmed the spare being Firestone AT.

    Brad
  • hillhoundhillhound Member Posts: 537
    Ever see one? I don't care for lowered trucks but someone posted a photo of one over at pickuptruck.com:


    http://forums.pickuptruck.com/Forum11/HTML/006608.html


    Warning: it's not a pleasant sight!

  • txyank1txyank1 Member Posts: 1,010
    ideal time to check Av's for leaks here in Austin. Today is our sixth consecutive day of rain. And some of it really heavy. Enough already!
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