Would you mind doing a review of the Chevy Avalanche? I never considered it a viable truck for me before because of the short bed, but your comment that about hauling plywood and 12 foot lumber has me intrigued. I still have about 2 years worth of beating on my old Ford Ranger to go, but I always like to have some "next truck research" in progress.
(edit: truck goals for me are: hauling building and landscaping materials, eventually delivering finished furniture/cabinets, towing, and being able to get kids/friends in the back seat once in awhile but not all that frequently [i.e. back seat needs to be usable, but need not be as comfy/roomy as a minivan])
AVALANCHE REVIEW…
First off, here’s a good source for just learning about the Avalanche (Avy) basics:
Chevy Site
I bought my Avy new in 2003. I consider it the Swiss army knife of trucks, mainly because of its “midgate”. Chevy has updated the body and interior dash in recent years, but I believe the new ones are very similar to mine in functionality. I do like the new body style and considered trading mine in a couple years ago (a new Avy is the ONLY truck I would replace it with!), but I couldn’t justify trading in a vehicle with 36K on it. The looks of the first generation Avy with it’s half-cladded body (plastic panels) was a bit controversial, but it certainly protects the truck from door dings, and I hate those. So I decided to keep the old girl and it probably will be mine for another 5 or 6 years yet. I must say, it is really holding up well with 7 years of age. I’ve had some minor issues with it over the years, but it was all covered under warranty, so no big deal.
This is a full size truck based on a Suburban chassis. It seats 5 people. I won’t go into details about all the interior cabin features or powertrain; any dealer or the website can show you that. I will focus on why this makes a good work truck for me.
First day home from the dealer:
Standard features I really like:
- Midgate - The midgate is directly behind the 2nd seat and folds down forward much like a tailgate. For tall items extending from the bed into the cabin area, the rear glass can also be removed and the Avy has a stowage spot for it to keep it safe. The midgate is the single most important reason why I bought this truck. It allows you to haul 4x8 sheets of plywood inside where it is dry. With the backseat flipped forward, it creates a “shelf” to rest 12’ lumber (in moderation) extending all the way up to the dash, and keep it totally out of the weather too. I keep a blanket handy to protect the seat with the lumber resting on the edge of it. The only improvement they could make to the midgate is making it a split design. Since the midgate spans the entire width, the full back seat must be flipped down to open it. It would be much better if the midgate matched the 60/40 split of the rear seat. That way you could carry 2 people in the back seat and also some 8’ sticks of lumber (or skiis?) extending from the bed alongside them.
- Saddlebag Storage - These are lockable storage compartments on each side of the bed. This is an extremely handy feature since the access doors are on the exterior of the vehicle. I keep tiedown straps, blankets, and towing accessories (hitches) in one side, and emergency equipment (tools, jack, jumper cables) in the other.
- Hard bed cover - the Avy has a 3-panel system so you can take any number of panels off when needed. I always wanted to build a storage rack that allowed you to stack the rear and middle panel on top of the front panel when needed, but never got around to it. I actually very seldom remove the bed covers so it is not a top priority.
- Steps built into rear corners to climb into bed - Small feature, but still pretty handy. The Avy tailgate it really high off the ground so these steps make it a little easier to climb up with the tailgate down.
Some owner installed accessories:
- Bedslide - See earlier posts
- Power tailgate lock - I don’t know if the new Avy’s have this yet, but aftermarket kits are available to add a power lock to the tailgate. I’ve read about people that have tied the saddlebag lids into the keyless entry system as well, and that’s also a great idea.
- Filler panel forward of midgate - This is a simple panel that fills the “trough” that is formed in the cargo floor when the rear seat is filled down. It makes it much better to carry dogs back there since their feet don’t fall in the seat hinge area.
Thanks.
, but I will probably make it happen - eventually.
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