2015 GMC Canyon

[deadly99]

Parts are coming in. Almost time for a day or two in the shop.

Icon upper control arms
An extra leaf spring for the rear, adds 1.25 inch of lift
Arb compressor that will get mounted under the hood (air ups quickly..yehaa)
A spare tire mount for the bed
Storage boxes for the bed
A few other bells and whistles.

All told it will have 4.25 inches of lift (3 suspension and 1.25 in body). I think this will be a nice compromise of gaining ground clearance versus raising the center of gravity. Quite excited to get the coilovers installed.

Registered for the Sonora Rally in April. Hoping to hit Moab for a few days on the drive back. Looking forward to this trip, lots to do to the truck to get it ready. It will be nice to cross a couple of borders and wheel in some new types of terrain. The dunes the rally will provide will be a new experience for me, as will the canyons in Utah.

Been chatting with the local A.R.E. cap guy. Cap and Bushwacker flares or custom bumpers....budget wont allow for both this year, sadly. Thinking cap and flares first....

Winter is quickly approaching...had a great first year of exploring the backcountry with the truck.

30, 000 km on the odo

 

[calicamper]

Deadly I've been watching your build. Very curious about the Canyon. Drove the Colorado and was impressed very similar take to what you have described. Quiet and very solid. I like the size also. I think your suspension upgrades probably are the biggest improvement in looks. Guessing it transforms it on the trail also. Very curious about Icon. Will be interesting to hear your thoughts about the Icon gear. Thanks for sharing.

I've been waiting to see what the little 2.8 Diesel is like. This could be my first ever GM product. But I have some time to plan my sales pitch to the Finance manager. Thinking a flatbed fwc on the 4dr diesel canyon would be an interesting escape pod.

 

[deadly99]

Will keep you posted.

Good luck with your "financial manager"

 

[purdytj]

I just read your whole thread.
1. Love the truck. Very clean and appropriately lifted. Everything you've done makes it look better than stock.
2. Love Canadians You are all so nice and take good care of the great outdoors. We love heading up to BC.

 

[moabian]

I'm surprised I didn't see this thread before today. I just traded my highly-modified '13 Rubicon in on a 2016 Canyon Crewcab SLT. I ordered the Canyon in early August and took delivery Oct. 14. So far, I'm VERY happy with it. I got tired of the noisy, rough-riding Rubicon. Maybe it's an age thing. Within a couple of days, I had the Canyon's low-hanging air dam off and some BFG KO2's on. I went with the factory size since I haven't figured out if I want to lift or level it yet.

I'm waiting for Snugtop to build their shells for the short bed. They originally told me their shells would be available this month...now they are saying December. In the meantime, I've put a BakFlip tri-fold tonneau cover on it. I looked at the A.R.E. shells but didn't like what I saw. I have a friend who just bought a new Silverado and put an A.R.E. shell on it. She returned the shell because of poor design around the curved spoiler on the tailgate and numerous leaks. I've had a couple of Snugtop Super Sport shells and they were top-notch. I also installed a Bedrug and a couple of Swingcases behind the wheelwells.

Your RTT setup is very nice. If I weren't putting a shell on it, I'd probably go that route. I'll continue to pitch the STT (standard terrestrial tent) when necessary.

I like your light bar mounting. I have a 30" Rigid E-2 series light bar (came off the Jeep) that I'd like to mount on the front but haven't figured out how to do it yet. I don't like any of the few bull bars that are currently available. I may have a friend who built some things for my Jeep custom build a mounting bar for the front that attaches to the frame near the tow hooks and puts the bottom of the Rigid light level with the bottom of the grille. I've also been looking at the Rigid grille replacement that includes a light, but I'm not sure I want to "modify" the original grille shell as the website states is necessary. I tried to contact them to see what modifications are necessary, but they ignored my request.

Your custom sliders look good. I just ordered some of N-Fab's textured rock sliders. I assume there won't be any problem with the parking brake cable that runs alongside the frame. I noticed that yesterday when I was trying to see how steps or sliders would mount.

I've had refrigerators mounted in every vehicle I've owned for the past 15 years. I had the Genesis Off-Road dual battery setup in the Jeep but didn't want to mess with the electrical system in the Canyon, so I am powering the ARB 63-qt fridge with an Odyssey battery in an Arkpak 730 after reading about it on this forum.

I think I also read that you are mounting an ARB compressor. I almost did that in my Jeep but went instead with the portable Viair 450P. It now lives behind the driver's seat in the Canyon.

I had originally planned to buy a '16 Tacoma, but the more I saw of it, the less I liked it. The exterior looks like something out of a kid's toybox and the "improved" interior isn't even in the same class with the Canyon. The Canyon is significantly quieter inside, more comfortable with a better driving position, has more modern features, and is smoother riding. It also has substantially more horsepower. I loved my '08 Tundra Limited, but I wasn't enough of a Toyota loyalist to buy what I felt was an inferior product. Besides, Toyota's current ad campaign seems to imply that you don't belong in a Tacoma if you are over 25...and I passed that landmark when Nixon was president.

 

[Big50]

Great build! How did the Yakima bedrock setup work for you? Is it sturdy enough to handle the RTT?

Also, I thought you had to have a cage for the Sonora Rally...is there a class that doesn't require one? I can't seem to find much info on the site other than complying with Score rules.

 

[calicamper]

Moabian funny you mention the tacoma demographics / target audience. Thats been in the back of my mind given I can see the Accountant going down that path. That and as you pointed out the Canyon has the big boy interior with power lumbar for the wife. Very curious to see how you guys like them and set them up over time. I have a couple yrs before I need to make a decision.

 

[deadly99]

The "Safari" class does not require a cage. It is a non timed class. Speaking with the lads organizing it, you leave after the others classes and run 1/2 to 2/3 of the route. This should put you into the bivouac around the same time as the other classes. Seems like a unique way to experience roadbook navigation, drive terrain I otherwise wouldnt get a chance to, see if its something I enjoy enough to take the plunge ($) for a race vehicle, etc

The bedrock worked really well. I didnt hold back and had moved issues (well one issue I ended up drilling holes in the rods and sticking bolts through them to prevent shifting). I'll snap a pick next time I'm in the shop.

Great build! How did the Yakima bedrock setup work for you? Is it sturdy enough to handle the RTT?

Also, I thought you had to have a cage for the Sonora Rally...is there a class that doesn't require one? I can't seem to find much info on the site other than complying with Score rules.

 

[deadly99]

I used the Rough Country led brackets. No issues.

Enjoy your truck, I'm loving mine.

I'm surprised I didn't see this thread before today. I just traded my highly-modified '13 Rubicon in on a 2016 Canyon Crewcab SLT. I ordered the Canyon in early August and took delivery Oct. 14. So far, I'm VERY happy with it. I got tired of the noisy, rough-riding Rubicon. Maybe it's an age thing. Within a couple of days, I had the Canyon's low-hanging air dam off and some BFG KO2's on. I went with the factory size since I haven't figured out if I want to lift or level it yet.

I'm waiting for Snugtop to build their shells for the short bed. They originally told me their shells would be available this month...now they are saying December. In the meantime, I've put a BakFlip tri-fold tonneau cover on it. I looked at the A.R.E. shells but didn't like what I saw. I have a friend who just bought a new Silverado and put an A.R.E. shell on it. She returned the shell because of poor design around the curved spoiler on the tailgate and numerous leaks. I've had a couple of Snugtop Super Sport shells and they were top-notch. I also installed a Bedrug and a couple of Swingcases behind the wheelwells.

Your RTT setup is very nice. If I weren't putting a shell on it, I'd probably go that route. I'll continue to pitch the STT (standard terrestrial tent) when necessary.

I like your light bar mounting. I have a 30" Rigid E-2 series light bar (came off the Jeep) that I'd like to mount on the front but haven't figured out how to do it yet. I don't like any of the few bull bars that are currently available. I may have a friend who built some things for my Jeep custom build a mounting bar for the front that attaches to the frame near the tow hooks and puts the bottom of the Rigid light level with the bottom of the grille. I've also been looking at the Rigid grille replacement that includes a light, but I'm not sure I want to "modify" the original grille shell as the website states is necessary. I tried to contact them to see what modifications are necessary, but they ignored my request.

Your custom sliders look good. I just ordered some of N-Fab's textured rock sliders. I assume there won't be any problem with the parking brake cable that runs alongside the frame. I noticed that yesterday when I was trying to see how steps or sliders would mount.

I've had refrigerators mounted in every vehicle I've owned for the past 15 years. I had the Genesis Off-Road dual battery setup in the Jeep but didn't want to mess with the electrical system in the Canyon, so I am powering the ARB 63-qt fridge with an Odyssey battery in an Arkpak 730 after reading about it on this forum.

I think I also read that you are mounting an ARB compressor. I almost did that in my Jeep but went instead with the portable Viair 450P. It now lives behind the driver's seat in the Canyon.

I had originally planned to buy a '16 Tacoma, but the more I saw of it, the less I liked it. The exterior looks like something out of a kid's toybox and the "improved" interior isn't even in the same class with the Canyon. The Canyon is significantly quieter inside, more comfortable with a better driving position, has more modern features, and is smoother riding. It also has substantially more horsepower. I loved my '08 Tundra Limited, but I wasn't enough of a Toyota loyalist to buy what I felt was an inferior product. Besides, Toyota's current ad campaign seems to imply that you don't belong in a Tacoma if you are over 25...and I passed that landmark when Nixon was president.

 

[deadly99]

The truck is fast, not sports car fast but it feels as fast as the v8 full size trucks (if not faster). WOT has been teasing with a supercharger...they showed 440hp on the dyno. Looking forward to this coming to market.

I suspect some new stuff will become available after Sema this week. Still no bumpers available unless you go custom.

 

[deadly99]

Question, our local guy sells Ranch caps. He used to be a Leer dealer. He says the Ranch brand is as good if not better than Leer. The price is very attractive. I dont see many folks using the Ranch brand...anyone have any input?

 

[deadly99]

Added a 7 inch tablet. I use an app called Gaia for loading track files and maps. Works pretty slick. Can also watch movies or listen to tunes with the audio coming out of the trucks speakers

 

[Bojak]

What kind of mount did u use for the Samsung?

 

[purdytj]

Question, our local guy sells Ranch caps. He used to be a Leer dealer. He says the Ranch brand is as good if not better than Leer. The price is very attractive. I dont see many folks using the Ranch brand...anyone have any input?

I've had Leer, Snug Top, and now Arrow. The Leer is superior in quality and fit in my opinion.

 

[deadly99]

Just a cheap one from BestBuy. Has a window suction mount, came with a disc w adhesive. Stuck the disc on the "roof" of the cubby in front of the gear shifter. Works quite well. Unsuction the mount with the lever and the disc is out of sight.

I also use a Garmin 60 mounted to a ram ball, which is attached to the passenger oh **** handle.

What kind of mount did u use for the Samsung?