Absolutely agree! Why? I have a 2002 Avalanche Z71 . I got it in 2004 with 16000 miles on it. I presently have over 264000 miles on her. Truck runs flawlessly. Original starter if u can believe it. Replaced the original alternator around 4 years ago. Replaced the original water pump about 6 months ago. Other than wear and tear items, nothing major! Grant u I’m a stickler about proactive maintenance but this is the best vehicle I’ve ever owned!!
My '02 lost its ride quality when the frame rusted away. So I bought a new frame from GM, and rebuilt the entire chassis. While I was at it I restored the body too. Got my new Avalanche ride back. Almost forgot how good it was.
I've owned both a 99 Silverado (until it was stolen) and an 03 Avalanche. The Avalanche has noticeably better ride quality, and tows an 18' car hauler just as well as the Silverado did.
I have a 2013 Escalade EXT and I too love the Mid-Gate, tonneau covers etc. Once in a while while, someone will stop at my house and ask me if I want to sell it, of course, my answer is NO! The official answer for not producing it anymore is that it was becoming too pricey to produce and people were not buying them. Good for us!
I just bought a 2013 black diamond edition Ltz edition on the day before the new year I love it thanks for sharing but unfortunately for us living in north Dakota I need 4x4 especially for winter when I first drove it it did feel alot different from a normal truck like u said it's like an suv or for me a suburban but anyways wow 2002 and still strong on the road that is awesome
The suspension is not coils F&R, it is coils rear and torsion bars front. Also, to preserve ride quality check the bump stops for wear, especially the rear ones. They are made of urethane foam, they twist into sockets by hand on the frame rails without fasteners. The front ones are short and nestled in near the pivot point of the front lower control arms only about 1/4 to 3/8" from contacting the control arm while at rest and are engineered to make contact during normal ride conditions. This is why these trucks will lose ride quality when lifted, because the bump stop is engineered to be part of the ride, and when you crank up the front torsion bars to gain a couple inches of lift then the bump stops never make contact. The front ones don't wear much under normal conditions, just check them visually. The rear bump stops are oblong and look like tapered beehives. If you carry loads you might notice the tips of the beehives are worn away. If so they need to be replaced. The rear bump stops are also engineered to be part of the ride and are a wear item like shock absorbers. They are still available from GM at this time and are also made aftermarket by Dorman.
I got hustled when I recently bought a 2003 V66. Just replaced the water pump, super easy job. But, the magnetic clutch on the A/C easily slides out so I'm facing a new compressor/ $1000. A new climate control blender valve in the dash comes next. I replaced all the lights and plastic lenses, clean plastic and LED illumination front and back can't be beat. Still, with all that, at $4200 I still think it was worth it. Runs strong like bull, super civilized to drive, mad comfortable, very quiet and crazy adaptable. It is definitely a keeper....and I know where the guy who sold it to me lives. We shall....talk.
I you want to make those cargo bed covers look good again use Gtechniq C4. I made a couple vids on my channel about it if you want to see the results, I have an '02 Avalanche myself.
I have an 04 z66 without the carding. Love mine. In the process of doing a 4x4 swap. As far as the bed panels mine are water damaged real bad. The very last one to the midgate had gotten to the point where the lock handles are rusted out and I'm having a hard time finding replacements
@@Eggy17 Honestly you can do it for bare minimum of maybe 1000-1500 if you pull the parts your self from a junkyard and source the wiring harness or repin your existing one. However, mine cost allot more because my truck is cammed and is being procharged(TorqStorm). I feel like it would be pointless to run another 4l60E in my truck so Im running a built 4L80 and running a 4.10 rear end with a duratrac diff carrier
People make fun of them, but everyone who has one loves it. They only stopped making it because the profit margin wasn't as high with so many unique parts. They figured all the customers who bought the Avalanche would move on to the crew cab Silverado. And they were mostly right (except for those of us who kept ours...)
I’m going to buy an ‘02 with 120k miles. Looks really good still but the rockers are rusted out in the rear. Any idea how much it cost to replace them?
If the rockers are rusted out there is probably also bad rust hidden under the mid gate hinge platform of the body and rear floor where it goes under the mid gate, as well as all along the sides. You may think it looks not too bad, and mine did not look too bad either. It just looked like the read ends of the rockers were rusted out. Wait until you start taking it apart and tearing into it. I had to replace all the inner and outer rockers on my '02, and in the process I had to drill out all the spot welds in the mid gate platform and tear it apart to repair a lot of hidden rust damage. The outer rockers were sourced aftermarket, a few hundred bucks. Of the 4 inner rockers 3 were sourced from GM, RR was unavailable so I fabricated that by mirror image of the LR and some creativity with a pickup cab inner, also a few hundred bucks for those. These parts all require welding, and there was a lot of hidden repair all along the sides of the body required before installation. Months of work. The entire interior had to be stripped to a bare body shell. I had to hand fabricate sheet metal parts and do a lot of rust removal and treatment inside there, and it is all hidden until you rip it apart. Then I had to weld it all back together. Then I had to apply sealer treatments. This was a big job. Only cost effective if done DIY. If I took it to a shop they would want 5 figures for the labor on a job like that.
it does very well in snow. As long as you ran halfway decent tires. Avalanches have better weight distribution than a normal half ton truck, and also are a fair amount heavier, so they stay in line better. Very controllable to slide when you do slide. Overall I really like the avalanche in the snow for it being a 2wd
They didnt want it eating into silverado sales. And theyre was a crew cab silverado at that point so it didnt make business sense. But great truck nonetheless i actually have a 2nd gen avalanche.
@@CaptainThirdGen from what I hear, the newer truck are made of cheaper materials and cost 3 times what I paid for my 02. A friend has a 2021 GMC Serria and it's gorgeous but feels cheap🤷🏾♂️.
from my experience, these newer vehicles sure handle 200k+ miles a lot better than cars from the 90s/early 2000s handled 200k+miles. The older cars are CERTAINLY easier and cheaper to fix, but I still believe that quality of newer vehicles has improved greatly in the past 20-30 years
Absolutely agree! Why? I have a 2002 Avalanche Z71 . I got it in 2004 with 16000 miles on it. I presently have over 264000 miles on her. Truck runs flawlessly. Original starter if u can believe it. Replaced the original alternator around 4 years ago. Replaced the original water pump about 6 months ago. Other than wear and tear items, nothing major! Grant u I’m a stickler about proactive maintenance but this is the best vehicle I’ve ever owned!!
The ride quality is something I have not heard mentioned in a long time. Far beyond expectations.
My '02 lost its ride quality when the frame rusted away. So I bought a new frame from GM, and rebuilt the entire chassis. While I was at it I restored the body too. Got my new Avalanche ride back. Almost forgot how good it was.
I've owned both a 99 Silverado (until it was stolen) and an 03 Avalanche. The Avalanche has noticeably better ride quality, and tows an 18' car hauler just as well as the Silverado did.
Love those huge tool boxes in the side of the bed
I was told my 2002 looks like a tennis shoe! But I love it!
I have a 2013 Escalade EXT and I too love the Mid-Gate, tonneau covers etc. Once in a while while, someone will stop at my house and ask me if I want to sell it, of course, my answer is NO! The official answer for not producing it anymore is that it was becoming too pricey to produce and people were not buying them. Good for us!
Just bought my first one today and looking up all the ppl that love me im super happy with my purchase
I've got an 02 Z71 and mine is also a Michigan truck same color. It's probably the most versatile truck I owned for construction.
great trucks
I used to despise avalanches until I got my own and now its till death do us part
Love my 2004. Especially in the summer sunroof open, windows down,back window out midgate down and bed covers off.
I just bought a used 2010 Avalanche and I agree , very smart design. All the nice of a Tahoe and the power off road of a Silverado. Love it.
I agree with you 100% I also love these things and wish GM would bring them back. Thanks for the video
thanks for watching!
I really appreciate this review! I’m currently looking at an 02 loaded Avalanche and an 08 LTz Avalanche… I honestly like the first generation better!
I got a 05 in awesome shape. And I love it !!!!
I just bought a 2013 black diamond edition Ltz edition on the day before the new year I love it thanks for sharing but unfortunately for us living in north Dakota I need 4x4 especially for winter when I first drove it it did feel alot different from a normal truck like u said it's like an suv or for me a suburban but anyways wow 2002 and still strong on the road that is awesome
I love my '02 Avi Z71. Same blue as yours with 151,000 miles
the tool boxes on the sides is another feature that would be nice on other pickups
ram stole the idea but the ram ones arent anywhere near as deep as the avalanche ones
The suspension is not coils F&R, it is coils rear and torsion bars front. Also, to preserve ride quality check the bump stops for wear, especially the rear ones. They are made of urethane foam, they twist into sockets by hand on the frame rails without fasteners. The front ones are short and nestled in near the pivot point of the front lower control arms only about 1/4 to 3/8" from contacting the control arm while at rest and are engineered to make contact during normal ride conditions. This is why these trucks will lose ride quality when lifted, because the bump stop is engineered to be part of the ride, and when you crank up the front torsion bars to gain a couple inches of lift then the bump stops never make contact. The front ones don't wear much under normal conditions, just check them visually. The rear bump stops are oblong and look like tapered beehives. If you carry loads you might notice the tips of the beehives are worn away. If so they need to be replaced. The rear bump stops are also engineered to be part of the ride and are a wear item like shock absorbers. They are still available from GM at this time and are also made aftermarket by Dorman.
I got hustled when I recently bought a 2003 V66. Just replaced the water pump, super easy job. But, the magnetic clutch on the A/C easily slides out so I'm facing a new compressor/ $1000. A new climate control blender valve in the dash comes next. I replaced all the lights and plastic lenses, clean plastic and LED illumination front and back can't be beat. Still, with all that, at $4200 I still think it was worth it. Runs strong like bull, super civilized to drive, mad comfortable, very quiet and crazy adaptable. It is definitely a keeper....and I know where the guy who sold it to me lives. We shall....talk.
I you want to make those cargo bed covers look good again use Gtechniq C4. I made a couple vids on my channel about it if you want to see the results, I have an '02 Avalanche myself.
I love GMT800 platforms, I have Silverados, Yukons, Tahoes, and a Z71 Avalanche
I juts got this same one 307k miles woth thr same issues , that's it....runs great as hell...lol excuse my ebonics...but it's great I love this truck
18 years later, me and big girl... Are still going strong!!!!
this family is at 22 years with this one. Shes still kickin
Wipe New by Rustoleum will turn that light grey plastic into the OG dark grey... I did mine and it looks so good now.
ive tried many similar products on my trailblazer. Most give good results at first, but wear off after a month or two
@@CaptainThirdGen im going on 6 months and it's still dark grey.
That's awesome bro, I've been driving my mom's that she bought used. They do grow on u. I'm hoping she gives it to me. 💚yA mom
I have an 04 z66 without the carding. Love mine. In the process of doing a 4x4 swap. As far as the bed panels mine are water damaged real bad. The very last one to the midgate had gotten to the point where the lock handles are rusted out and I'm having a hard time finding replacements
How much did you pay for the 4x4 swap?
@@Eggy17 Honestly you can do it for bare minimum of maybe 1000-1500 if you pull the parts your self from a junkyard and source the wiring harness or repin your existing one. However, mine cost allot more because my truck is cammed and is being procharged(TorqStorm). I feel like it would be pointless to run another 4l60E in my truck so Im running a built 4L80 and running a 4.10 rear end with a duratrac diff carrier
People make fun of them, but everyone who has one loves it. They only stopped making it because the profit margin wasn't as high with so many unique parts. They figured all the customers who bought the Avalanche would move on to the crew cab Silverado. And they were mostly right (except for those of us who kept ours...)
I'm loving that door panel trim what kind is it and where do I get that from
I love my avalanche!!!
Just bought an 05. Not sure why I hadn’t discovered this sooner. My only regret is that now I am eyeing the 07 or later model. Is it ok to have 2 :)
Got mine in 08 it’s an 02 Ava I’m still rolling!! 209,000v miles on it and still haven’t change my original plugs. Best truck made in my opinion
I’m in the same boat my parents bought it brand gave it to me when I turned 18.
nice
Awesome video
thanks!
How to know the difference between the crew cab , the z71 and the north face?
I’m going to buy an ‘02 with 120k miles. Looks really good still but the rockers are rusted out in the rear. Any idea how much it cost to replace them?
likely about $2k
If the rockers are rusted out there is probably also bad rust hidden under the mid gate hinge platform of the body and rear floor where it goes under the mid gate, as well as all along the sides. You may think it looks not too bad, and mine did not look too bad either. It just looked like the read ends of the rockers were rusted out. Wait until you start taking it apart and tearing into it.
I had to replace all the inner and outer rockers on my '02, and in the process I had to drill out all the spot welds in the mid gate platform and tear it apart to repair a lot of hidden rust damage. The outer rockers were sourced aftermarket, a few hundred bucks. Of the 4 inner rockers 3 were sourced from GM, RR was unavailable so I fabricated that by mirror image of the LR and some creativity with a pickup cab inner, also a few hundred bucks for those. These parts all require welding, and there was a lot of hidden repair all along the sides of the body required before installation. Months of work. The entire interior had to be stripped to a bare body shell. I had to hand fabricate sheet metal parts and do a lot of rust removal and treatment inside there, and it is all hidden until you rip it apart. Then I had to weld it all back together. Then I had to apply sealer treatments. This was a big job. Only cost effective if done DIY. If I took it to a shop they would want 5 figures for the labor on a job like that.
@@onemoremisfit Thanks for the info! I appreciate it. You took on a lot of work with your project but also saved a ton of money. Good job!! 👍🏻
I'm kinda partial to the tool box cooler and the slot for 2x6 on the bed.
They ended it in 2013 due to high production costs combined w/ declining sales. Looking into getting a 1st gen though.
How does it do in the snow not being z71 and not 4X4?? Thanks for ur time.
it does very well in snow. As long as you ran halfway decent tires. Avalanches have better weight distribution than a normal half ton truck, and also are a fair amount heavier, so they stay in line better. Very controllable to slide when you do slide. Overall I really like the avalanche in the snow for it being a 2wd
Dope
Still have it? 👍💪
yep. been in the family since new, not going anywhere
They didnt want it eating into silverado sales. And theyre was a crew cab silverado at that point so it didnt make business sense. But great truck nonetheless i actually have a 2nd gen avalanche.
I'm looking at one but it's got 220k miles. Is it worth buying?
for the right price, sure
Mine is orange… 113k miles
What is the Miles Per gallon you are getting. Good thank you.
depends. highway about 18. city about 10. combined, about 14
Gown is this a 2wd?
@@kirkvilla9781 yes
Ummm since when is a z71 2wd? Z71 is a off-road package for 4wd
this is a Z66
I have one
They stopped making the mid gate due to won't pass accident safety.. anything in the bed of the avalanche will fly through and kill the people inside.
@@anthonye3680 the brand new silverado EV and hummer EV have a similar style midgate system. So that reasoning is flawed
I wouldn't sale my 2002 Avalanche for a new truck. The new trucks are crap.
i wouldnt say that LOL, but i do think they should bring the avalanche back. It truly was the best all around truck solution
@@CaptainThirdGen from what I hear, the newer truck are made of cheaper materials and cost 3 times what I paid for my 02. A friend has a 2021 GMC Serria and it's gorgeous but feels cheap🤷🏾♂️.
from my experience, these newer vehicles sure handle 200k+ miles a lot better than cars from the 90s/early 2000s handled 200k+miles. The older cars are CERTAINLY easier and cheaper to fix, but I still believe that quality of newer vehicles has improved greatly in the past 20-30 years
Beautiful truck. We just bought one same year and Color.
nice, enjoy it!