Observations From A Long, Hard Weekend

[Razorback]

Just finished a grueling two day stint with the new AV and I have the following comments. First a little background: The job was to deliver an unassembled garden shed from Dallas to Arkansas then get the yard ready to install the new shed. Now the observations:

1) The AV is very comfortable and quiet and a joy to drive for the six hours each way.

2) The passager side electric seat controls are very durable- as tested by my 11 year old passenger for the entire trip both directions. He was able to span the range from "really comfortable" to "ouch, this hurts".

3) Average highway milage of 16.5 mpg all highway with 1,000 miles on engine.

4) The autodimming driver mirror works off of the interior rearview mirror, so when it is blocked (by the boxed up shed), the outside mirror does not dim. I didn't realize how quickly I got spoiled to the autodim.

5) There are no decent tiedowns for use above the bed level. The handholds in the back are O.K., but nothing in front. I had to strap the box down and the only ties were in the bed. To tighten the rope required squeezing the water channels.

6) There are really a lot of us out on the road. I saw dozens on my trip. On one trip to a landfill in small-town Arkansas, a red AV just like mine pulled in right behind me. For such a niche vehicle, Chevy seems to have hit the right cord.

7) Driver's reactions are fun. A Cad Escalade driver was riding my rear quarter and I saw him moving his hands explaining to his wife how the midgate lowers.

Sorry for length, but there's a lot to say after spending such quality time with the vehicle. I have an appointment with the Zaino rep tomorrow to clean up the mess I created this weekend.

 

[jstrickl]

Great first experience! Zaino will be good to make it shine again.

Jamie

 

[half-breed]

Depending on how high your load is you can strap things to the plastic opening right behind the doors. Works great to taller items like bushes that tend to catch a lot of wind. Watch the gutters/water channels, they break easily.

 

[NJAV]

I have never driven anything else that gives you the ability to haul so much stuff and still stuff 5 grown adults into it......by far the most comfortable commuter/hauler by far....

 

[bmontini]

Depending on how high your load is you can strap things to the plastic opening right behind the doors. Works great to taller items like bushes that tend to catch a lot of wind. Watch the gutters/water channels, they break easily.

Hmmm... not seeing this... Pics or other descriptions?? I just can't visualize it...

Thanks...

 

[wrchism]

Hmmm... not seeing this... Pics or other descriptions?? ?I just can't visualize it...

Thanks...

Triangular openings in sail panels . . . though a tight strap might mess up the plastic on a long milage trip like yours.

 

[Razorback]

Thanks for the comments.

No pictures yet, but the thing is still totally stock. A few more days catching up on the all the posts on this site and my future list will be going to the second page.

Some suggested mods (maybe they're out there but I haven't seen them yet):
1) Tie-downs above the bed. It seems with all that plastic, there should be some place to run an eye-bolt.
2) Insulation on one of the side bins to keep ice colder longer.

Another observation: The console drink holder can come out leaving access to a pretty large area.

Have Zaino in hand, but have to wait till I can dedicate 4-5 hours to do the task right.

 

[brmiller]

As for tie-downs for stuff above box-level (side storage boxes, sails, and above) I actually used the rear roof-rack. I should have taken pictures, but I had the bed full of furniture laid down flat, and then a set of mattresses on top of the stuff. The mattresses were essentially above the level where the bed covers would have been, except that the covers were off. I used tie-downs to the upper hooks in the bed for the left-right dimension, and a tie-down from the roofrack front-back across the top of the mattresses down the back side, and down to the trailer hitch. I only used one tie-down, but I could have used two. A double mattress just barely fits between the rear sails. Well, it scrunches a bit, but it was tight.

I could have put the bed covers on to cover my load and set the mattress on top, but there was no need--the mattress acted as bed covers, and I had no wind in the bed (midgate also down) as I drove up I-5 @ 65mph.

If I was going to do this more often, I would see if Thule made some hooks to attach to the factory rack rails at the rear as a better attachment then the somewhat lamely-shaped factory crossbars. But it worked.

All if you have a rack, of course.

Brendan