2017 GMC Canyon Denali

[Tennpenn83]

Hi all. This thread will serve as a journal of my truck to date, and will be updated as I go along with future modifications. Plans can change, and I don't quite know what direction I want to go just yet.

Purchased in December of 2023 with less than 40k miles. Very clean, low mileage (for the year) and fully optioned. This truck came with an installed BakFlip tonneau cover, bed lighting (GM option), and a bracket for an UnderCover swingcase toolbox, although the toolbox itself was missing. The central touchscreen was working but not well, but otherwise a very good example.

On New Year's Day, before I had even had the car for 2 weeks, I was rescuing my son who had driven my other car and broke an axle. He still claims it wasn't his fault..

First thing to do was to get new hardware for the tonneau cover and to purchase the UnderCover swingcase toolbox. If I never owned one, I am not sure I would buy it, but since the brackets were already there and removing them would leave unsightly holes in the bed of the truck, I opted to buy the new one. One thing I didn't like, however, was that the kit uses self-tapping screws, which I have never been a fan of. I ended up purchasing additional bolts, nuts and washers to mount the box more securely.

Next up I mounted some M.A.P.S. panels from Valhalla Off-Road Research, as well as bed tie-downs and hard mounting a fire extinguisher in the bed. A cheap Craftsman shovel sits on the passenger side, and a Fiskars axe and hatchet sit on the driver side behind the swingbox, which is spaced out about 1/4 inch from the panel to make room for the axe and hatchet on QuickFist mounts. More will be added to these panels in the near future. Ideas still coming. A Craftsman tool kit sits permanently in the bed.

The touchscreen issue was addressed by purchasing a Phoenix Automotive 12.1" screen 6-core android unit. Factory-ish look and much more capability.

Going on, I decided to venture into communications, so I got my GMRS license and call sign, as well as a Rago mount for a future antennae. I purchased a Midland Ghost antennae and a Midland MXT575 50watt GMRS radio, it is on the passenger side on a mount made by Desert Does It, who also make seat jackers which I installed at the same time. The passenger side mount also holds several items, such as a mini fire extinguisher, knife, flashlight, etc. The driver side matches and holds a holster and knife. There is still plenty of room for more things to be mounted.

I installed a Viofo A229 Pro front and rear dash camera and a custom mini wiring harness from Gen5DIY.com to split power from the rearview mirror to a USB Type-C to power them. The wiring is almost all hidden.

I wanted to add lights to the front, so Rough Country brackets for Colorado/Canyon and a 30" Black series curved single-row light bar sit under the grill. Morimoto 2banger HXB amber wide flood lights are on Rago ditch light brackets. To tie in all the current and future plans for electrical items, I purchased a 8+2 switch controller from Stech.

Other things that I have done so far that deserve mention are Lock'er Down console vault, GMC mudflaps, GM tailgate spoiler, shift knob from a 2020 GMC Terrain, front air dam removal, stubby antennae, AVS Aeroskin II hood protector, WeatherTech in-channel window visors. There may be some things that I have forgotten, but this is the majority of it. This thread will be updated as I move forward.

This weekend my family and I are taking a trip to Oxford Ranch Campground just south of Llano, TX for watching the eclipse. Hope to see some of you guys around!

(This post will be updated with pictures as soon as I get back online)

 

[Tennpenn83]

Haven't posted any updates for a bit, might as well start one tonight. I don't know if anyone sees this, but I'll keep it going for myself, and for possible Canyon owners to get ideas.

Since April, the truck has had a few more upgrades, some at the suggestion of local OB members at our monthly meetup. One of these suggestions was to relocate the Midland MXT575 radio base station to a less-obvious place within the truck and just have the handheld mic available for use as it contains the screen for channel, etc. This was a good suggestion, and it really cleaned up the front of the cabin. I had to customize it a bit by installing an RJ45 port into the custom switch panel I had already installed. I will add a picture of this later on.

Adding to this was installing a more permanent mount for the cellphone holder and radio mic. Bulletpoint Mounting Solutions makes RubiGrid - a very sturdy, modular option that works with the Phoenix touchscreen that I had already installed. Currently I have phone holders for driver & passenger, and a mobile radio mic holder for the GMRS unit.
Bulletpoint Mounting Solution - Chevrolet Colorado & GMC Canyon

Next up was a rear under-seat lockable storage for.. whatever. This was a very simple install and is very sturdy, although I am acutely aware that even the best ideas for security are only a deterrent to theft.
2015-2022 Colorado/Canyon Under Seat Lockable Storage

Finally (for now) the family took a trip to Arizona. While there, I stopped by DV8 Offroad in Chandler, AZ just outside of Phoenix to pick up the front bumper insert that I believe most closely aligns to my needs. This was not a terribly difficult install, but the bumper is quite heavy, and much more so with the added lights and winch. I installed a BadLands Apex 12,000 from Harbor Freight. (I am sure I will see some hate for Harbor Freight but for less than 500 for this, I will test it out). The winch comes with the fairlead, 80' synthetic rope, and a wired/wireless remote combo. Also installed on the bumper insert were a 20" light bar and 3" amber pod lights, also from DV8 Offroad.
2015-2020 GMC Canyon Centric Winch Front Bumper Insert

Next items on the list are probably protection in the form of skid plates and rear bumper. AEV Bison Edition Colorado ZR2's get skid plates front-to-back, to include trans, transfer case, exhaust crossover, fuel tank, etc and get a pretty awesome looking rear steel bumper. All of those, I am told, will fit on any crew cab short bed Colorado and Canyon with 4wd (with transfer case skid plate) and without 4wd (no transfer case skid plate). Obviously, eventually, lift kit and wheels/tires will be on the list, but that might be a bit further down the road.

This rear AEV bumper... there was a one-off Canyon AT4 OverlandX concept that GM debuted a few years ago before the new model Colorado/Canyon twins ever came out. It was basically a one-off GMC Canyon that was the ZR2 equivalent. They used this same AEV Bison ZR2 bumper but added a swing-out spare tire carrier to it. As far as I have looked, this was a concept-only piece that was never actually available for sale. If I have it my way, I will buy the rear bumper and have a shop fabricate the tire carrier, and perhaps add on a bull-bar to the front bumper at the same time.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

I've got a 2014 GMC Sierra. Big fan of these.

 

[Tennpenn83]

RJ45 to GMRS mic and Bulletpoint mounting system