Coupla Questions...

[dgoad]

Hi folks,

I test drove a loaded Black (wbh) Z71 (with tan leather) 04 AV today, and have 2 questions, as I have never owned a truck, much less an AV:

(1) The sales guy said not to wax the synthetic hardware because the wax will make it look milky. Does this mean no more trips to the car wash? I don't mind washing and waxing my vehicle, but in the winter it is nice to just hit the carwash to get rid of the salt & crud. It sure beats trying to wash it yourself when it's 35 degrees outside.

(2) I lifted up the bed mat and noticed a fair amount of moisture underneath. Is this normal? If so, does this contribute to rusting?

With the year end sales going on, this one stickers at $41.7K, but they are offering it to me for about $33.5. If I can get them down to $32K and give me a good value for my trade in, I'll probably pull the trigger.

Thanks,

-dave

 

[anramsey]

First of all, congrats on your new AV ..I myself just bought an 04 WBH and I love it.

So far, in my minimal experience, I hit the Touchless carwash once and did Ultra-super-duper-cherry-on-top WITH the clearcoat protectant and it did nothing but make mine look sharper. The plastic on the top/back shined just like it had been coated.

As far as the moisture under the mat, this was something that I about freaked over and didn't purchase the AV when I first saw it. I just washed my truck tonight and looked under the mat and it had no moisture. Something else to think of with that, if you feel the bed of the truck under the mat, its not metal. There is some sort of compound rubber/plastic blend that is our bed and if i'm not mistaken is the same thing on the tailgate.

 

[ygmn]

DO not wax the plastic cladding....cuase the wax will be a PIA to remove....

check out the detailing section under maintenance...plenty of threads on cladding care.....I suggest cleanling like normal and applying protectant....



moisture under bed mat is normal

 

[CraigF]

I don't think the liquid spray-on wax from a drive through car wash will give you the same issues as paste wax. I have been hand washing my Av lately, but once in a while I'll drive through a touchless and haven't noticed any issues....

Craig

 

[r-myers2]

Welcome to the club!

I've had moisture under the bedmat and it's no problem. If you have it on top of the mat, especially under the seams in the bed covers, take it back to the dealer. I had a few drips, and they replaced my #2 and #3 bed covers under warranty. I think some of the dealer's get a little over zealous with the demo of how strong the covers are and jump on them a little too hard. It bends the covers and can cause leaks. Also, if you're like me, and a little on the, shall we say, "heavily ballasted" side, it's probably best to stay off them.

Carwash-type waxing is no problem. Just watch out for the paste wax. Even being very careful, I still have a few spots where I touched the applicator to the cladding, and boy it just doesn't want to come off. Next time, I'll use a little of the blue masking tape to keep the wax off the cladding.

Happy AVing

 

[danlwil]

Pull the trigger.... you'll have no regrets....

You'll find the vehicle very easy to care for although it's HUGE!!!

The body is galvanized so rust is almost non- existent. A bit of moisture IS normal.

Just mod the dickens out of it... you'll love it!

 

[Unionmade]

I think some of the dealer's get a little over zealous with the demo of how strong the covers are and jump on them a little too hard.

I found foot prints on my deck panels after a trip to the dealer, they were looking at my complaint of the sunroof sticking up on the rear anyway I GUARANTEE this dealer will never allow anyone to walk on panels again. Every single person in that dealership knew this will never happen again......at least with mine. I don't walk on their vehicle you better never think about walking on mine!

 

[02-Z66]

i have gone through a couple of automatic carwasher thingy's with no ill affects. most of the time i do opt for the wash and rinse. no wax. if i have that option.
for the moisture under the mat i had it sprayed with Line-X. no more moisture problem.

 

[dgoad]

Thanks for all the replies folks.

Punisher, when you got the Line-X spray, did they just do the bottom, and was there a price break? The local cost around here (St. Louis, MO area) is about $500 for a traditional 1/2 ton pickup box.

Thanks,

-dave

 

[sperry]

I think some of the dealer's get a little over zealous with the demo of how strong the covers are and jump on them a little too hard.

I found foot prints on my deck panels after a trip to the dealer, they were looking at my complaint of the sunroof sticking up on the rear anyway I GUARANTEE this dealer will never allow anyone to walk on panels again. Every single person in that dealership knew this will never happen again......at least with mine. I don't walk on their vehicle you better never think about walking on mine!

I have my 12-year-old grandson up on the covers; he knows enough how to pay attention to the details of cleaning it and he's light enough. I'm too lazy and heavy for the panels and won't even try to push my luck!

 

[AVA_Grandpa]

I've only ever allowed a kid at a fund raiser car wash to stand/walk on the panels. Amazing how a 10-11 year old standing 5 feet up on the covers attracts hose spray from all directions.

Did I mention these kids are probably 80-90 pounds, soaking wet

btw, I've never had any moisture leak in under the covers.

 

[chad2fw]

Go get it! What are ya waitin' for!