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Midgate?

R

rnold76

GUEST
I would like to see the midgate as an option. I would rather see some kind of smart bed to get extra room. Sooner or later the midgate is going to leak water into the interior. I dont think these trucks will be keepers 5 to 10 years down the rode because the rusting floor boards and smelly carpet. Sorry, just my opiion.
 
When I first read the thread on the leaking midgate issue's I got concerned. Then as I read the whole thread I kinda got the impression that it was more of an issue of not properly closing the midgate.
I went out and played with the midgate some. And I did see where, when not taking the care to close it right, it was not quite closed. An extra nudge on the left and right sides would tell if it was closed. And also if you go around and then open the tailgate and close it you can tell. That Bed area, when all closed up is pretty darn sealed. Sure it has drain holes, but you have to really close the tailgate, or, it won't close on you. I have had it fall down on me at least a half dozen times on me. Heck, I lost half my dang tools out of one of my tool boxes because of it one time. And it was my fault. After that incident I make sure to close it and lock it, when I do that it hasn't fallen down once. Last week we had approx 4 3/4 inches of rain in a afternoon. No water at all in the cab, but some under the mat. that was it. No leakage. I feel lucky in that matter with all the panel leakage problems seen here too. But, so far, (knock on wood) no troubles.

If you don't want the midgate, get a Silverado. and get less bed space, less cargo room, and something everyone else has too.
 
lightbg said:
:B:
You can buy a midgate-less Av - it's called a Silverado.....

Jake

Or suburban..... >:D

The midgate is what makes it the avalanche....without it it is just a very shortbed crew cab pickup......
 
Lets face it most people bought the AV for its looks. The midgate was I hope it doesnt give problems down the road thing. If you put anything in the back seat the midagte is junk. If you want more bed room let the tailgate down then use a bed extender, right? I would rather have the piece mind that the cab is going to stay in good shape and not hurt the resale later on. We will all have to deal with green slim growing in the bed area sooner or later. If the bed stays wet and closed up its going to happen. But then you could remove the panels and let it dry out increasing the chance of water leakage at the midgate. If the AV looked like a S10 or Silverado most likely you would not have bought it just to get midgate.
 
rnold76 said:
Lets face it most people bought the AV for its looks. The midgate was I hope it doesnt give problems down the road thing. If you put anything in the back seat the midagte is junk. If you want more bed room let the tailgate down then use a bed extender, right? I would rather have the piece mind that the cab is going to stay in good shape and not hurt the resale later on. We will all have to deal with green slim growing in the bed area sooner or later. If the bed stays wet and closed up its going to happen. But then you could remove the panels and let it dry out increasing the chance of water leakage at the midgate. If the AV looked like a S10 or Silverado most likely you would not have bought it just to get midgate.


Wow, you hit the nail on the head there. You just described me. I have not had any water leaks and I hope I never do. Personally if there was an Av with a no midgate option I would have bought it. The midgate doesn't matter to me either way. I have lowered it twice so far and it was nice that I could do that but if I couldn't do that then I would have found another way to transport the things that I needed to transport.

-Mark
 
I must say I am confused - if you didn't want the midgate, then why not buy a very functional Silverado or GMC truck - heavier frame and no leaking midgate - same engines...

If the "mold" issue really bothers you why not find a shop that will weld the midgate shut, trim and paint - end of worry.
 
rnold76 said:
Lets face it most people bought the AV for its looks. The midgate was I hope it doesnt give problems down the road thing. If you put anything in the back seat the midagte is junk. If you want more bed room let the tailgate down then use a bed extender, right? I would rather have the piece mind that the cab is going to stay in good shape and not hurt the resale later on. We will all have to deal with green slim growing in the bed area sooner or later. If the bed stays wet and closed up its going to happen. But then you could remove the panels and let it dry out increasing the chance of water leakage at the midgate. If the AV looked like a S10 or Silverado most likely you would not have bought it just to get midgate.


rnold76,

O.K. first of all I'm not a heavy poser here, however I visit frequently, and have had my Avalanche since February 2002. After seeing this post, I could not just sit back and read any longer.

Your Quote:
"If the AV looked like a S10 or Silverado most likely you would not have bought it just to get midgate."

You are DEAD wrong! I personally didn't know the Avalanche existed until about this time last year. I was really in the market for a truck, really wanted a Chevy, and did initially go to the dealer to see if there was any hope that Chevy was going to offer a shorter bed Crew Cab full size truck. (Yes similar to the FORD F150 Supercrew) With a wife and two kids, I liked the concept of the Ford, since it was a full size front and back seat, but figured I would just have to sacrifice the bed space. Other factor was that it would actually fit in my garage.

So I show up on the Chevy lot, and discover the Avalanche. WOW! I said. This is perfect. First and foremost, it's a Chevy! Second, it has the front and back full size seat, finally the midgate option enables me not to have to sacrifice like I would have if I had bought the FORD. (....the sacrifice here of course would be from the lack of bed space, not just the fact that it was a FORD).

You could argue that since Chevy does not currently make a full size crew cab truck with the short box without a midgate that would fit in a standard garage that I didn't have much choice.

As many other posts on this site have said.......for, me and my purposes, the Avalance is the ultimate vehicle. To tell me that I would not have bought it if it looked just like the other Silverado's but had a midgate, you are crazy.

No matter what you think of the looks of this truck, it is extremely functional, and If I could afford another, I would buy one for a second car in a heartbeat!

Whew......Just my $.02 ;D

BUCKEYEAV
 
I enjoy the midgate feature and that is REALLY why I bought the AV. I often have all window down and the midgate open to give me the open air feel. When I bought my AV I knew that the 2003 Silverados were going to incorporate the AV's stylling, so if it was the stylling I was after I could have waited for the crew cab and judging by the born on date of your AV you knew this to. When shopping for a new ride I was looking into a number of vehicles: Chevy ext. cab, Chevy crew cab, Tahoe & Jeep Wrangler. I think the Avalanche is a perfect mix of all of the above. I love my AV! :love:
 
As the first post states make it a option! For those of you who want it get it. For those who dont want it delete it. Sooner or later their will be law suits against GM for people killed in an accident from flying objects coming to see you from bed area when the gate is down. The bed area isnt much more usable when the gate is down. I cant get my 4 wheeler in the back like I could my 2001 Ford Supercrew, but I have a trailer no big deal.
 
I agree with what was stated earlier; that the midgate is what makes it an AV. If they were to make it an option, it really wouldn't be much different than the 2003 crew cab.

You said that most people probably bought the AV for the looks. I'm curious, why did you buy yours? I'm not being a smart@$$ either. I ask because you said you had a supercrew before... basicaly the same idea as the AV without the midgate... in terms of size and four doors. If you bought it for the style why didn't you wait for the '03 Silverado crew cab?

The idea of things flying into the passenger compartment from the open midgate durring an accident is a real concern. Maybe mounting one of those bed extenders in the front of the bed would contain small loose items.
 
Bought it for the flexibility - looks were a side benefit! I'd considered crew cab trucks for years - but they were just too darn long for the garage. The Av was the perfect soultion! Yea, it may take GM a couple of years to perfect the sealing of the midgate - but they will. As for us 'early adoptors' with leak problems, that's the price of being first, and from what people have said, GM has been pretty good at fixing them.

As for me, no leaks, no problems - - love the Av - - WITH the midgate!
 
Instead of GM offering the Avalanche without the midgate, it would make more sense from a mass-production point of view to offer the Silverado with cladding and A-sails..... :0:

There aren't enough buyers that would justify a mid-gateless Av...
 
I completely disagree with you on this one. I have been the proud owner of three Silverado extended cab and crew cab pickups and three Suburbans. Both of those vehicle types were 80% solutions to what I really required. I needed a suburban with the utility of a pickup, the AV filled the void and looks was just icing on the cake. It sounds like your AV purchase was motivated by looks and not by utility, but I can guarantee you that my AV has proven to be the ultimate SUV for me.
 
Mine does not leak and has not leaked.....I do not see this as an issue...if it was there are other trucks out there.....

I can see the point but I think due to the design of the midgate it would be hard for them to make it an option....

Lutz is making the Cladding an option..for the masses who do not like the look but like the midgate idea......

Heck cars and trucks with out the midgate leak water.....sunroofs, door seals, window seals, holes in floor boards, trunk seals Windshield seals, AC vents, any cut out in the firwall..... etc etc...I have seen lots of leaks and lots of locations....I have fixed enough of those when I worked at dealership to know....replaced many of carpets in Grand Ams, Fieros, firebirds TA etc etc (ponitac dealership).....

If Gm made the midgate an option I also think they would be slammed by competition saying "see it is a bad idea that is why we did not think of it first"

IMO...

 
I trade trucks nearly every year, since I dont plan on owning one forever I buy trucks I hope will resale good in the short term. Sorry I cant fall in love with a piece of junk iron regardless of who makes it. I liked the styling of the AV, but it was really no different in most ways than the 2000 Z71 SC I had. I have had many chevy, ford,and dodge trucks. I wondered when somebody would make the lines of a pickup cleaner, making the bed seemless to the cab, I liked that idea. Gm now offers a cladless AV, why? A lot of people have looked at my AV and say they like everything but the plastic, its to much. I really enjoyed the 2001 Ford Supercrew I had. It was very nice and did everything I wanted it to do. Would I make changes to it, sure. Nothings perfect. I like change!
 
I am one of the few (if only) members here that really isn't crazy about the look of the Avalanche. I am much more concerned about functionality over looks. I was all set to buy a 1500HD Crew Cab short bed (2002 or 2003, didn't matter) when my Tahoe died. I took a couple for test drives. I then looked at the Avalanche and all the functionality that it supports. I took it for a test drive and was sold. The ride was so much smoother and more comfortable than the truck. I have had the midgate down many times to securely store longer items like ladders, plywood, lumber, etc. I love this feature. I have not had any leaking problems while washing the truck, however, we have not had any significant rain in the last several months either.

It is true that lots of people end up with "options" that they don't need. However, I do agree that midgate is what separates the Avalanche from other vehicles.
 
I wonder how hard it will be to repair an AV that has been wrecked and the midgate area twist out of shape? I hope things like this dont raise my insurance rates.
 
rnold76 said:
As the first post states make it a option! For those of you who want it get it. For those who dont want it delete it. Sooner or later their will be law suits against GM for people killed in an accident from flying objects coming to see you from bed area when the gate is down. The bed area isnt much more usable when the gate is down. I cant get my 4 wheeler in the back like I could my 2001 Ford Supercrew, but I have a trailer no big deal.
Yeah, just like a Suburban, Tahoe, Expedition, ... my ancient Bronco - thats what tie downs are for - I have seen pipe come thruogh the window on pickups.

rnold76 said:
I wonder how hard it will be to repair an AV that has been wrecked and the midgate area twist out of shape? I hope things like this dont raise my insurance rates.
I have followed your posts and thread, again I encourage you to weld it shut, trim and paint it - that will do the trick.

You continue to extoll the virtues of your Ford Supercrew - why did you buy an Avalanche ???

Mine doesn't leak, gets used about once a month for long items [without needing a bed extender] and drives like a charm - since you change each year maybe they will have something that fits your needs in '04 - meanwhile GM is continuing to expand the inclusion of the midgate into othe lines - they must believe that folks want it. ;D
 
rnold76 said:
I trade trucks nearly every year, since I dont plan on owning one forever I buy trucks I hope will resale good in the short term.

So why worry about your concerns if you plan on trading it in a year?
 
rnold76 said:
I'm not worried!!
COOL ;D

From your first post I thought you were worried about rust and soggy carpets and resale after 5 years....

I still want a 60/40 split midgate though...so I can haul that long wood baseboards on one side.....

PEACE!


 
Whew!

What a can o' worms!

Everybody is entitled to their opinions and It's good to see a spirited discussion!

mold76,

You mentioned that "I trade trucks nearly every year, since I dont plan on owning one forever I buy trucks I hope will resale good in the short term. Sorry I cant fall in love with a piece of junk iron regardless of who makes it."

I'm not being a smart A$$but after looking at your sig line I see several mods listed. Why spend all that mod money if you're going to sell it in a year?

Most of us mod our trucks because we are enthusiasts who love vehicles and ususally keep them for a while.

We usually don't get a high percentage of our mod dollars back when we sell, unless we are fortunate enough to find someone who knows what they are looking at and doesn't mind spending hundreds or thousands of dollars over bluebook to get exactly what we have to sell. :B:
 
Baer I plan to sell to someone in the CAFCNA! Makes for a better sell if its moded right?
 
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