Big Blue: 2005 GMC Yukon Denali

[navin]

[quote="Jake"]
[*]Need to buy a hitch. DJ says he has 37 spares because of course he does, so I'll probably go shopping at DJ's Basement Storage Room Emporium and pick one that looks nice.[/list]

*ahem*... I have DJ's WDH + shank/hitch still. I'm not getting around to using it so if you want it let me know. Same price as I paid DJ, he just needs to order a new side piece for the bars to attach to... I'm sure it'll be easier to get him to order since you live with him

Got my headunit in as well -- w00t. Now to find someone with a garage I can do the install in.

[Jake]

[*]Need to buy a hitch. DJ says he has 37 spares because of course he does, so I'll probably go shopping at DJ's Basement Storage Room Emporium and pick one that looks nice.[/list]

*ahem*... I have DJ's WDH + shank/hitch still. I'm not getting around to using it so if you want it let me know. Same price as I paid DJ, he just needs to order a new side piece for the bars to attach to... I'm sure it'll be easier to get him to order since you live with him

Got my headunit in as well -- w00t. Now to find someone with a garage I can do the install in.

Ugh, the whole WDH thing looks like a pain in the ass. Let me think about it. The truck will tow without it and be okay...

Why do you need a garage for the H/U install? It's supposed to be in the 40s/50s next week, wait til then :wink: I'm waiting on my wiring harness (everything else is here) so I'll be installing mine next week. Figured out the backup camera wiring, as you have to tap in to a wire that only goes +12V when the reverse lights are on. The GMs have one in the fuse box under the steering column, and also a wire in the A-pillar that can be used. Should be "easy enough" save for ripping out a third of the interior trim to run all the wiring.

[JPolen01]

The WDH hitches are not a pain at all. I helped Trevor install one of these when he had his tahoe. The hardest part of the install was drilling the holes in the trailer tongue for the plates that go on the sides where the "sway" bars attach. That took about 20 minutes. The tahoe (with self leveling rear) could not handle the enclosed trailer without the WDH. Once we got that on it was like a new vehicle. If you are going open trailer, you'll probably be fine, but it was scary with the enclosed, car, tires, coolers of beer, and tools.

[navin]

^dis. Come to think of it, possibly not the best idea for you to pick one up yet since you haven't made a trailer purchase. Just search the storage room

I'm trying to get the in-dash in for a road trip this week, womp womp.

[Jake]

Just search the storage room

I don't think we have a trailer hiding in the basement, Navin.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Just search the storage room

I don't think we have a trailer hiding in the basement, Navin.

DJ, that sounds like a challenge.

[Jake]

Mileage: 125,800

When I bought the truck, it had an oil change reminder sticker on the windshield from GMC of Tysons Corner. Carfax indicated it was a one-owner vehicle from Falls Church (aka, right down Route 7) so I figured it may have been serviced there frequently enough. I called this morning and sweet-talked the service manager into sending me the records.

The Denali was sold on June 29, 2005 with 281 miles on the odometer. One owner.

They only sent records going back to 2012 and 99k miles, but I figure that's a good enough start. So, since 99k miles, it's had the following work done:

• ATF flush
  
• Alignment (x2)
  
• Spark plugs & wires
  
• Idler arm, pitman arm
  
• Inner and outer tie rods
  
• Water pump, lower radiator hose, drive belts
  
• Engine air filter
  
• Oil cooler lines
  
• Oil pressure switch
  
• Oil pan & transmission pan gaskets
  
• Wiper blades
  
• Several bulbs
  
• Right front airbag impact sensor
  
• Rear air shocks

There's still a bit of a wiggle in the front end at highway speeds, that comes and goes. I'm wondering what else may be due for replacement down the road. Need to read up on how the front ends of these are put together.

When the weather gets nicer, I'm going to do all the fluids. It could really use fresh brake fluid in particular, the pedal feel is awful (but at least it stops).

[SlimKlim]

New with THREE HUNDRED MILES?

You got the demo bitch. Or at least the preferred coffee and donuts vehicle for the salesman circa 2005.

[Jake]

New with THREE HUNDRED MILES?

You got the demo bitch. Or at least the preferred coffee and donuts vehicle for the salesman circa 2005.

Oh, I'm sure it was "preferred" by a lot of people, it's not a bad place to spend time (or bury the tach at 6k). It may have also come from another dealership and been driven there, given the harder-to-find color. My mom's Crossfire came from Ohio, and we took delivery with like 500 miles on it.

[Jake]

Mileage: 126,200

Took Big Blue up to Seven Springs, PA for a ski trip over the holiday weekend. Had three of us and most of Costco in the back, as well as two pairs of skis and a snowboard. Mileage was so-so, but I was also doing 70-80 mph up the mountains of Pennsylvania for three hours. Was definitely happy with the truck when we all got in to go home after four days on the slopes - everyone had a comfy, heated seat to sink into for the trip home. We got caught in some nasty traffic on I-70 East (like "truck in Park, ignition off" traffic) after a Brinks money truck rear-ended a highway patrol cruiser and a Santa Fe. So, our total drive home took about 4.5 hours and we were comfortable the entire time.

I am really liking this "Barcalounger Express" thing.

Also, my PAC audio interface came in last week and I tried to install the new head unit before the ski trip. Unfortunately, due to poor packaging from Amazon, one of the harness plugs was broken, resulting in a bunch of wires hanging everywhere, with no means to plug them in to the adapter box. I contacted Amazon this morning and they allegedly have another PAC box out for "local express delivery" - should be on my doorstep by 9 PM tonight. All the soldering work has been completed, so this is just a matter of pulling the old stuff out and plugging the new stuff in. I hope.

[Jake]

Finally got the new wiring harness in for my head unit, and caught a break with the weather on Saturday morning to where it was warm enough for the install. I had already pulled everything apart once and soldered the Pioneer harness to the one PAC harness, only then discovering the second PAC harness was broken. So, this was mostly a matter of plugging some things in and making the wiring fit behind the dash.

The Gear

• Pioneer NEX-5000 head unit
  
• PAC RP5-GM11 adapter box & harnesses
  
• Some $18 reverse camera from Amazon

The Old Stuff
The head unit that came with the Denali was the GM "TNR" - for Touchscreen Navigation Radio. It was undoubtedly hot shit in 2005, but it's pretty substandard now. Navigation is DVD-based, and the UI is a pain to navigate. Plus, it's slow. The radio and CD UI could have been designed using WordArt. Not easy to add an iPod interface to the mix, no option for Bluetooth, just old and clunky.

Maps:


Navigating:


Radio (CD looked the same):


The New Hotness
I picked up this Pioneer unit at Sonic Electronix. It's factory refurbished, which I've had 100% luck with in the past, and I saved a ton of money compared to retail on a brand new one. It's still a current model, too.

So, the big deal with this guy is it supports Apple CarPlay. I tried it out and so far am underwhelmed - it's kind of slow and the graphics are not as high-resolution as I'd prefer. However, the standard Pioneer UI is excellent. It has its own mapping (NavTeq, which does maps for most OEMs) and can be updated using a USB flash drive or SD card.

It supports Bluetooth audio, two USB inputs, SD cards, CDs, AM/FM, video input (with HDMI, really), and a "second zone" which the Denali does have.

I ripped out my CD changer, since one disc in the Pioneer unit is proooobably going to be okay. I plan on buying the cubby hole that "lesser" GMT800s got in lieu of the changer and installing my trailer brake controller there, plus leaving the USB and aux input wires in said cubby.

The Denali has "Rear Seat Entertainment" (aka, RSE) which equates to a DVD player on the ceiling with wireless headphones, and controls on the center console for the second/third row to listen to a different source on the head unit than the front seats. So, I can have my iPod going up front, and Rex and DJ can be listening to Pitbull on Hot 99.5 in the second row using headphones. The PAC interface and this Pioneer both support that feature. And, if the whole truck wants to listen to Finding Nemo from that DVD player, the sound can be piped in to the speakers.

So far, the interface has been very user-friendly and easy to work with. I grounded the parking brake wire and found the special menu to futz with, which enables full functionality while moving. The PAC box is really neat, it ties in to the vehicle wiring harness (which the TNR also used) and tells the Pioneer your vehicle speed, if you're in reverse (good when I add the backup camera at a later date), and a few other bits of info. Plus, I didn't have to buy a separate adapter for my steering wheel controls. They worked through the PAC box. Literally solder, plug and play.

Home screen:


CarPlay home screen:


Maps:


Navigating:


Music playing:


Very happy with it so far. I have the backup camera but didn't have time to rip apart the interior to run the wires for it, and figure out mounting. Sometime soon.

[Kaan]

:thumbup: I've been looking for something similar for the new truck... whatever it might be. :twisted:

[Mike]

show me your ass cam NOW.

[SlimKlim]

^ You're gonna get the most scarring PM message ever from his work bathroom.

EDIT: Yeah I wrote "PM message." Mondays are rough.

[Jake]

Other update: my truck is able to do truck-like things now.

I bought and subsequently flipped a 2000 Pontiac Firebird within the last week, which put trailer money in my pocket sooner than I was otherwise expecting. And, my NASA buddy Paul was trying to sell his open trailer. So, within four hours of selling the Firebird, I was the owner of a trailer that I knew nothing about.

I have learned a few things about it so far. It's a 2006 Dively (aka EconoTrailer). 18' closed deck, steel construction. It's got what is basically a pickup truck tool box on the front of it, and Paul threw in a free floor jack and all the straps I need to strap my car down. He gave me wheel straps, but I'm not sure if those will fit through the spokes on the DSII wheels currently on the M3. If they don't, I can use T-hooks that go into the frame rails.





The trailer has electric brakes on both axles and they've been recently serviced. Tires are older so I need to budget for replacements soon, but they're 14x6 so cost is super minimal.

Because of the electric brakes, I needed a brake controller. The Yukon is pre-wired under the dash, so when it arrives, it's a matter of choosing a mounting location and running the cord. I chose a Tekonsha Prodigy P3 (or something like that) controller, and they include the proper Prodigy-to-GMC wiring harness.

I guess I should get the M3 in running order now, hmm.

[ScottyB]

nice looking trailer, man! you could probably give it a cursory roll on coat of POR in a few spots to cut down that rust and just keep on keepin on.

glad to see the whole package is coming together to set you up for an easier time campaigning the M3. it wasn't long ago you were driving the miata to and from every event with everything jammed in there. this must be like arriving in an airliner by comparison.

[navin]

Nice dude -- register the trailer in Maine to get away with no property tax/yearly inspections

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.mainetrailerregistrations.com/">https://www.mainetrailerregistrations.com/</a><!-- m -->

[Jake]

nice looking trailer, man! you could probably give it a cursory roll on coat of POR in a few spots to cut down that rust and just keep on keepin on.

glad to see the whole package is coming together to set you up for an easier time campaigning the M3. it wasn't long ago you were driving the miata to and from every event with everything jammed in there. this must be like arriving in an airliner by comparison.

Yeah, I want to take part of a Saturday and clean things up a bit. Paul also mentioned that because the tool box is originally intended for a pickup truck, it has some mounting holes on the bottom and is thus not watertight. I'd like to figure out how to fix that. He's been using duct tape which clearly is not the ideal solution.

I remember the Miata days well... it was a simpler time, and moving up to the M3 just meant I could bring more crap with me because it had a larger trunk/backseat. I want to do some thinking and figure out logistics as far as bringing tools, spares, and so on. Probably will get a big plastic tote or two for the back of the Yukon. I have a second tool set that I made up from spares, which is in a portable Craftsman case. And then I'll have the spare tire for the trailer and ideally a spare or two for the M3 in the back.

Really, really looking forward to finishing the March VIR weekend and hopping into the huge, heated seat of the Barcalounger Express to head home. A racing seat + 4.5 hour drive home, after a weekend of racing seat, is pretty lousy.

[Jake]

Nice dude -- register the trailer in Maine to get away with no property tax/yearly inspections

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.mainetrailerregistrations.com/">https://www.mainetrailerregistrations.com/</a><!-- m -->

Is that site really legit?

[navin]

Pretty sure it is .. I have a few friends that registered their trailers in Maine... ask Wonger how he did it, I believe I saw maine plates on his. I've just been too lazy to change mine.