Buick Rendezvous Accessories and Modifications

Karen_S · July 2001

What accessories and/or modifications have you added to your Rendezvous?

KarenS
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john325 · July 2001

I've ordered the tow hitch, and have already picked up the GM bike rack; I'm still waiting for the tow hitch to arrive. I know buzzbo has already received his. I'm hoping to have ours before our end-of-the-month Yosemite trip. - I'm not planning on towing anything, just lugging bikes around without scratching up the RDV.

John B.

fedlawman · July 2001

Anyone know anything about roof top luggage carriers? I'm thinking about one of those bullet shaped ones for my RDV.

I'm wondering if there are aftermarket ones that mount to the existing cross bars or do I need to get something from GM?

BTW, just what are those cross bars for? Are they universal to most aftermarket attachments for luggage carriers, bike racks, etc?

john325 · July 2001

Brian,

Bullet-shaped??? - - You're working too hard Brian. Seriously, have you considered one of the cloth/fabric type carriers. The plus-side is once you get to your destination, you can unpack and fold-up/pack-away the fabric carrier.

The downside for this type is that it rests directly on the roof, rather than on the croossbars. It just occurred to me that I believe you have the sunroof - - would that prevent you from using the fabric-type carrier that rests on the roof-top?

We've used the cloth-fabric carrier in the past & will probably continue to use it w/ the RDV; you can really fit quite a bit in them. Just an idea...

John B.

fedlawman · July 2001

Sorry, Freudian slip.

John, I don't think I've ever seen a fabric one before...I can't picture it.

The one I'm thinking of is hard plastic and shaped aerodynamically. It mounts on the cross bars and rides above the roof. It kind of looks like a Kayak, and rather sporty, in a "I'm a renaissance man" sort of way.

BTW, you're right about the sunroof. The owners manual says that the front cross bar must be in the rear most position in order to open the sunroof. I don't know yet how that will effect accessories. As often as I will carry stuff on top, it's no big deal.

I will admit that it was a surprise when I took delivery yesterday because I never knew that the roof slid back ON TOP OF the roof (a la Honda CRX). I don't know why they did it that way as there is more than enough head room for a "normal" sunroof.

mmeehan · July 2001

Now that you mention it, it is kind of strange to have the sunroof glass go back on top of the roof. I never noticed that (I guess because I'm always driving the RDV and not looking at it from the outside). It may limit what kind of luggage carrier we who have sunroofs can install. I did notice that the sunroof seemed rather narrow (from front to back) and was wondering why it wasn't larger. Maybe because of the fact that it goes back outside on to the roof.

habitant · July 2001

habitant · July 2001

G M in their Buick Rendez Vous accessory catalog have both the rigid and the
fabric luggage carriers.Apparently the soft one can be fixed to your roof rack,
openes from two sides and can be locked. The part number 12497827

fedlawman · July 2001

Thanks for the info. I'll go check out the Buick model. I think I'll go to REI and ask them if they have any advice. Maybe Yakima makes something?

lance_w · July 2001

I don't know if anyone knows the answer to this or not, but it's worth a try...

I'll be upgrading the stereo in my RDV very soon and I was wondering if the Metra wiring harness from a 93+ Firebird (standard GM) will fit the RDV's? I haven't seen anyone advertising a harness that will fit anything above a 2000 so I'm just wondering if there will be any issues...?

john325 · July 2001

Brian: the one you're speaking of sounds cool; I'm sure I've seen something like that on the road.

Habitant: the fabric carrier that attaches to the rack sounds pretty good; the one I've used in the past just sits on the roof and can be strapped to the roof rack or whatever. I'll have to look into the GM/RDV catalog for the one you spoke about. - - I like the fact that the fabric ones can be folded up and put away, saving lots of space.

fedlawman · July 2001

John, that's a good point about folding it and putting it away. Storage space is prime real estate in our garage and I'm not sure where I would keep a big plastic behemoth!

Fortunately it's not an urgent requirement. I can take my time and fully investigate my options. The fabric is sounding better.

john325 · July 2001

Just got a call from my dealer that the tow hitch arrived. I guess it took about 3-4 weeks. I'll have it installed next week. With that and the bike rack that I purchased, we'll be all ready for our Yosemite trip.

fedlawman · July 2001

I think you made the right choice. I think I was reading the RX300 forum where owners were complaining that the roof-top racks generated a lot of noise (several people mentioned the cross tubes being especially noisy). It is also hard to reach up there.

john325 · July 2001

See Post #5 at Rendezvous Problems & Solutions before adding GM bike rack.

john325 · July 2001

The above link I posted is not connecting properly. So, hopefully this will work. Try clicking this link & reading posts #3-7 before buying GM bike rack.

Rendezvous Problems & Solutions

rem933 · August 2001

I went out and purchased rubber mats for the RDV.
I bought the Weathertech mats from MacNeil. They are high quality and should do a great job protecting the carpets.
The front mats fit perfectly. The center mats (I have captain chairs) fit a number of different vehicles and require some trimming to fit correctly. They have grooves along which the edges to trim along, and is quite easy with a utility knife.
Currently, a cargo mat is not available for RDV's with a third seat. The front and center mats are the same as the ones used in the Aztek. With the third seat option, the cargo mats they have will not fit. Apperantly the seats don't fold down low and flat enough for the Aztek mats to fit. The folks there said that they still haven't tried them in a RDV without the third seat, so they may have one that works. They also said they weren't going to be making custom mat until the sales numbers go up. They may have gotten stung by the Aztek.
Although they are not in the catalog, they found small mats that fit the third seat.
-Rich

luvmypup · August 2001

Rich, thanks for the info....I'm still a little
puzzled....I will not have the 3rd seat in my
vehicle and my 2nd row will be out as well - it's uncertain wether the Aztek mat will fit is that correct? I know it will not go all the way to the front seats obviously.
Any ideas then what to use between the cargo mat and up to front seats...? I'm sure I'll just have to make do with a "mix & match" of mats...
The Weathertech mats do look attractive and I am considering them.

rem933 · September 2001

They weren't sure if the Aztek mats would fit without the 3rd seat. When they saw me pull up in the RDV, someone ran out to ask if I had the 3rd seat. no luck.

They do have a wide variety of mats, and VERY helpful, so they might be able to help.

cwjacobsen · September 2001

Can't answer your question but do know that the Rendezvous is a half foot longer that the Aztek. So if the half foot is mostly longer cargo space, perhaps the Aztek product might not be a perfect fit.

CWJ

tavanw · November 2001

Has anyone found a cargo liner for a third row seat RDV? I'd like to get one. Thanks.

wlo98 · January 2002

Does anybody know where to get a stone/bug hood deflector for the Rendezvous yet ?

I tried all my local stores and dealers and they said no.

Thanks.

jwsmith · January 2002

Got our Dash Mat today (smoke) and it had all the cut outs for HUD, security, and auto lights. Looks great! It was ordered through Cabela's site.

flyinuke · January 2002

LOOKING FOR A WAY TO BOOST HORSEPOWER ANYONE KNOW OF ANY CHIPS FOR THE TRUCK. I WOULD EVEN CONSIDER A TURBO / SUPERCHARGER. THANX

venetta · January 2002

Well, finally got the digital camera working...

Here are the photos of the wood dash we put into our brand new RDV. We love the look of the wood dash. I was skeptical of the "synthetic" look, but it's beautiful. We still haven't put all 24 pieces in, but I am happy with the results so far. Let me know what everyone thinks!

kenym · January 2002

Venetta I think it looks great. It looks complete to me what else is there to install?
Ken

venetta · January 2002

Ken, the kit also came with side door trim pieces, but my husband really likes the silver/gray trim that's there already. The other 2 pieces are the pieces that cover the cell phone holder and ashtray in the front console. We are undecided on those pieces at this point. I didn't want the wood dash to be overwelming so I think we like it better with those pieces off.

fedlawman · January 2002

Thanks for posting your photos. I am still undecided on wood trim for my RDV as I can't tell from photos how "tacked on" the flat pieces really look. I think I need to see it in person before I take the plunge.

BTW, What about the silver trim piece along the glove box door? Did your kit come with that piece too? How well do these parts cover the original pieces since they are somewhat three dimensional?

kenym · January 2002

Venetta would you mind if I posted the picture of your wood dash kit on my web page? Thanks
Ken

venetta · January 2002

Ken, feel free to post my pictures on your webpage.

Brian,
As for the "tacked on" look, you have to be real careful at the kind of kit you buy. A lot of the flat kits do not have a molded edge like ours came with which gives it the "factory" look. The kit did come with the side trim pieces, but we have decided (for now) to keep those pieces off. My husband really likes that trim and doesn't want to cover it up. We did cover the front trim piece on the dash and when I get a moment, I will post that photo. This is the only piece that doesn't look 100%. You can see a little bit of the trim on top of the trim piece since the wood piece didn't actually wrap into the dash. Besides this piece, everything else looks factory installed in my opinion. If you are not sure, I would definitely see one in person before you take the plunge. Good Luck!

fedlawman · January 2002

Thanks venetta. The fit of the trim piece into the dash is exactly what I was wondering about. I'll wait for your photo of it since that is going to be a decider for me.

venetta · January 2002

Brian, Here are more photos of the wood dash, I tried to take them so you could see the finish of the edge of the trim. You'll see on the trim piece above the glove box that you can see a little of the 'factory' trim, but to be honest you don't even notice it after a while and I like the Rendezvous embossed into the trim piece. We have had several people comment at how much they like the "factory wood dash" :-)

Here is a picture of my "baby":

dorene1 · January 2002

I'm thrilled with your excellent results! I went to autodash.com, and became confused with all the options and products - could you please tell me which set and company you used? Thanks!!

fedlawman · January 2002

The pictures are very helpful and show me exactly what I wanted to see.

I appreciate your taking the effort to help.

Brian

venetta · January 2002

Dorene1,
I purchased the kit from autodash.com. It is a Woodview 24 piece basic flat/molded dash kit for $193.00. Woodview is the manufacturer of the kit and I was recommended this particular kit by the customer service reps at autodash.com. They are very helpful and will advise you on the best kit for your color/car. I went with the Woodview kit because it was highly recommended and the edges are molded and not laser filled which means the ends are finished have more of an "factory" look.
Good Luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

cwjacobsen · February 2002

Thanks for your efforts. I'm sure they helped a lot of people, not just Dorene and Brian F.

CWJ

john332 · February 2002

Has anyone found Mud Guards that will fit the Rendezvous?

netnerd · February 2002

Hi,

Here's a link to a company where you can buy running boards for your Rendezvous:

Running Boards

Douglas

netnerd · February 2002

The link I just posted to the Running Boards takes you to a page with a bunch of "Affiliate Companies" at the bottom (Mats For Less, Spoilers For Less, etc.). I looked a little bit through them and the Mats for Less one has floor mats for the Rondy.

There's also a RDV hitch at Hitches For Less.

theot · February 2002

Hi all,

I just got a '02 Rendezvous and I love it! I have a question about the 3rd row speakers though. If I seat in the third row, the only thing I can hear is noise from these speakers. Are they subwoofers?

It is VERY annoying for the third row passengers. Can they be changed with full frequency speakers? Do I have to rewire them?
I wonder if there is a frequency filter at the radio which would mean that I have to rewire them.

Thank you for any input,
Theo.

netnerd · February 2002

Hi, Theo. Welcome to the list. I just joined yesterday myself even though I bought my Rondy in October.

From a couple messages I have read on some of the other discussion boards here, the third row speakers are subwoofers or at least very woofy. Someone else pointed out that their child who sits in the third row can't hear any words, just bass.

I assume you could replace them with regular speakers, but I'm not sure if they're specifically wired as subwoofers. Probably.

I'd check with Buick to be sure.

theot · February 2002

I checked the archives, titles and text, for "speaker" and nothing new came up. I'll ask the dealer and see what he has to say.

Theo.

fedlawman · February 2002

If the rear audio panel is turned on, only the front row speakers play. Both the middle speakers and third row subwoofers are deactivated.

I would hesitate to replace the subwoofers with full frequency speakers as I'm sure there is a crossover somewhere in the line.

If you were to install full range speakers in the third row and wire them with the second row speakers, you would change the impedence and possibly damage the amplifier.

virtualguy · March 2002

Looks Fab, Does anyone know of a good NAV System which works for the RDV.

BTW: I finally bought the RDV, 3 days old Yaaa hooo smooth ride.

netnerd · March 2002

If you find a good Navigation/GPS system post it here. I have thought about using a laptop with a GPS device hooked up (also gives you full use of computer w/possibility of wireless internet and a DVD player). I've also seen GPS devices that hook up to Palm Pilots or just stand alone types at Best Buy.

elattrache · March 2002

I know that you can obtain running boards from boards4less.com for the RDV, however, has anybody installed these puppies. If so, was it difficult, and what color? I assume that black would be the obvious choice so that it would match the black fascia that surrounds the bottom of the vehicle. Also, is there anybody else who sells running boards for the RDV?

netnerd · March 2002

Haven't seen running boards anywhere else.

lswaidz · March 2002

Hey guys, just wanted to chime in about the questions you've had about the stereo's in the cars...

About a month after I got my RDV I completely gutted the stock system... here's what I came acorss...

First of all, it is stock GM... the amp is the SAME type they use in the "Monsoon" systems in the Firebird/Camaro, Regal, Sunfire... the front tweeters are plastic... classic GM... the first mid/woofers are paper as well as the rear seat full ranges. The rear subs many of you have been complaining about, are, in fact, the finest speakers I've seen to date in a GM vehicle. They are made by Pioneer for GM. The speakers are crossed-over, like all the others, in the amplifier, so there would be no way to replace them with full range speakers. Your only option would be to remove them, which isn't difficult, but it requires some patience to work with the back panels which can be damaged easily. I replaced all my speakers with Infinity Kappa series 6 1/2" multi-elements... I'm using a set of Kappa Perfect components up front... I've rewired everything, and I've installed amps under the captains chairs in the 2nd row. I also upgraded my deck and added and in-dash 6-disc changer under it, similar to what came w/ the vehicle stock.

The only draw back to all of this is I've lost the capability to use onstar 2-way. They can still detect when my air bags go off and unlock my vehicle remotely, however, chances if either of those situations occured, I would not by conscience or inside of the vehicle to use the 2-way function anyway. My 2nd row audio still works (I had to modify that one myself, kinda diffficult) and my steering wheel controls still work thanks to a little adaptor I picked up...

Let me know if you have any questions...

~Lance

netnerd · April 2002

Hi,

This may have been posted before, but the GM Canada site has an Accessories Selector webpage:

http://www.gmcanada.com/english/vehicles/buick/rendezvous/rend_accessories.html

When the page loads, click on "Accessories Selector" in the middle of the page and you can see the different accessories as they would appear on a Rendezvous.

jk27 · June 2002

Anybody seen any that fit the Rendezvous? Thanks in advance.

wws2 · July 2002

Has anyone investigated installing a HUD into a RDV which was not factory-equipped with it?
(Or better yet, actually performed the retrofit?) Is enough wiring already in place that one
could simply replace the dash panel, plug in the projector and have it work? Or are there
other extra black boxes needed?

I do know that technically, the windshield should be replaced with a HUD version. Obviously
would try to make do without that complication...

Buick Rendezvous Accessories and Modifications

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