"Stormy" 16 Yukon Denali Kings/33’s

[Short_Haul]

Hello all! Starting this thread to document the life and times of our family's newest 4 wheeled addition. Meet "Stormy" a 2016 GMC Yukon Denali, finished in Iridium Metallic, with Cocoa/Dark Atmosphere interior. She sports the full array of options, including Sunroof, rear entertainment, 22" Ultra bright machined aluminum wheels, second row captain's chairs, power retractable side steps, adaptive cruise control, HUD and all power folding everything. Stormy started her life in North Salt Lake, Utah and was owned by a GMC mechanic. He put a loving 56K miles on her before trading in to Jerry Seiner GMC in NSL, Utah.

We acquired her at the end of 2020 after selling our 2014 Toyota 4runner. We tow a Lance travel trailer often, and while the 4runner did ok, it was time for a more capable platform for our daily kid hauling and trailer towing. After nearly 2 months of searching coast to coast we finally found our match. a price was agreed upon and she was shipped out on an enclosed trailer to our door.


The day she arrived:


Initial impressions of the vehicle:
Loved how clean everything was, interior immaculate, paint flawless, engine compartment pristine... felt and smelled like a brand new vehicle! The amount of amenities is staggering. Coming from a Toyota 4runner and Tacoma, this felt like a space shuttle... buttons on top of buttons! Heated everything, power everything, info, volume, change, slide, open, view! It was a bit overwhelming at first... but soon we got used to all the controls and learned what was important. The first drive was impressive. PLENTY of power on hand... put your foot down and that 6.2L goes to WORK! Love that. Shifting is smooth and barely noticeable, however sometimes does a little hunting down in the 1-2 range when in stop and go traffic. Brakes are adequate, but certainly could be improved upon. Ride quality not terrific, but 22" wheels have something to do with that (and the Mag ride shocks, as we would come to find out... Foreshadowing? perhaps...)

Overall we were very pleased with our purchase. More than enough room for the kiddos and all their kit... they loved the rear entertainment system, of course, as well as the sunroof and all the fancy buttons they love to press...

The name: My daughters name all our vehicles... Stormy came to be partly because of her dark exterior (think Dark n Stormy, a good drink at your local bar) and partly due to her size "She's big and gray, like a cloud Dad!" Shortly after the name was coined, she managed to really exemplify her namesake, providing a rainstorm into the interior. More on that in a post below.

Stormy joins our stable alongside a host of other vehicles (I have a bit of a problem... these things follow me home!

Chebby- 1962 Chevy Impala- 6.0L LS, TKO-500 Trans, Ridetech, Wilwood, US mags.
Sweet Pea- 1975 Chevy Cheyenne C20. 87K original miles. Stock. 350/350
Bourbon- 1975 Chevy Suburban Scottsdale C20. 454/400
Trucky- 2008 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4x4 Expedition built. King coilovers, remote res, winch, armor, Rooftop tent etc etc
Trailey- 2015 Lance 2185 Travel Trailer.

 

[Short_Haul]

How she currently sits...

 

[Short_Haul]

Upgrades:
3m clear bra and door edge guards: Previous owner
GM All weather floor mats, 3 rows, in Cocoa. 1/2/2021
Weathertech Cargo liner, Cocoa 2/15/2021
Car seat protection seat covers, seatback cover for behind 2nd row. 2/15/2021
King 2.5 Remote Reservoir Coilovers
Arnott 3066 rear shocks
Xineering OBD/SS magnaride delete 7/27/21
Chevy Silverado 18x9 Wheels 3/11/2021
Toyo Open Country A/T2 285/65/R18 3/11/2021

Plans:
Roof rack. Stock or perhaps custom?
A tad bit more lift for the rear.
Possibly trim front valence for better ground clearance/approach angle.


Gripes:
Needs a wash…

 

[Short_Haul]

How "Stormy got her name"

So life with Stormy was going along smoothly, until about the end of January, approx a month into ownership, when we had our first real rain... Turns out that Stormy wasn't very weatherproof... :facepalm:

My wife went out to take it to work and found a good 1" of standing water on the driver's side floorboard. We had just recently added the GM all weather mats, so it was easy to spot.



This was NOT COOL! I was furious. I was hopeful that the leak had come from above the firewall and had only accumulated on TOP of the floormat, but that was not the case. The entire floorboard was soaked through, with standing water in the floor as far back as the driver's seat.



So after days of investigation (including starting a thread on here, and receiving lots of good tips and help, thank you!) I narrowed it down to the windshield. Turns out it had been replaced at some point (wasn't mentioned by the selling dealership) and there was an obvious failure in the windshield seal.

Long story short, we took Stormy to the nearest dealer Silveira GMC in Healdsburg, CA. They replaced the windshield with a OEM piece, properly sealed, and replaced the entire front carpet, underlay, padding and everything else that was water damaged. Luckily I caught it soon enough that there was no rust or mold present, no wiring was damaged or anything like that. All told the repairs cost $2,000, and the selling dealership picked up the tab in full. While I wasn't thrilled that this happened, I was glad to see they were willing to make it right. At the end of the day, we have a brand new windshield and full carpet.

 

[Short_Haul]

Next up was to change the rolling stock. I come from a background of off roading, vehicle based adventure, and Hot Rodding. Nothing I own can stay stock for very long. While I think the wheels that came on the vehicle look nice, they really just aren't my style. And I never plan to do any serious off roading in this rig, many of our adventures take us to places where a little extra ground clearance and a chunky set of All Terrains can help things out tremendously.

So the 22"s came off...

In their place is a set of 18x9 OEM Chevy Silverado wheels, wrapped in Toyo Open Country AT2's. 285/65/18.

A Suspension Maxx leveling kit rasies the front end approx 2" to level out the stance and help clear the approx 1/2" taller tire setup.




Overall I am very pleased with the look. The silver machined finish matches the bright Denali accents and contrasts the dark exterior very well. It doesn't look too blingy, nor too "Bro" No offense to anyone, but I can't stand the faux-beadlock rims that are so prevalent on the market these days. I was looking for a nearly "Factory tough" look, similar to if GMC offered a Trail Boss or AT-4 option in this generation Yukon. I'm happy with the results.

What I'm not happy with is the Magnetic ride shocks that are leaking profusely.

I know this is common, and have read the threads on here at great length about the delete kits available etc etc. I figured it was a matter of "when" rather than "if"... but I guess I wasn't quite ready for them to be shot so soon. I guess another disappointing fact is that the selling dealership claimed the vehicle had undergone a "Full 138 point inspection" which I received a copy of... and of course the shocks and suspension is checked off as "A-OK". I find it very hard to believe that in the course of 2 months of driving the shocks have decided to puke out that much fluid...

I feel thankful that the dealer was so helpful in getting the water leak repaired, so I almost feel bad complaining to them about these shocks. After all it is a used vehicle, and they are a wear item... but on the other hand... your techs marked them off as A-OK and they're obviously shot... and they ain't cheap! Had the for sale ad read "Needs new $2000 shocks" I would've negotiated the price differently.

We'll see... I may send them an email just on the principle of the matter. For now, I need to decide whether or not to keep the Mag ride or delete and go with a different setup. I really do like the auto-level in the rear, makes towing the trailer a breeze. I know folks have had success with the mag ride sensor delete, but I'm not fully convinced quite yet. more to follow.

 

[Short_Haul]

Here’s a few of our adventures with Storms so far! Been busy the past few months... I feel like the best way to beat the Covid blues is to get out in Nature!


A few camping trips with the Lance under our belt, and a great road trip to Yosemite... Stormy’s doing great in her new role!

 

[Short_Haul]

Saved for more posts

 

[adventurenali92]

Welcome to the forum from socal! Beautiful looking rig! Love the color! These things are awesome when it comes to road trips! I just took my 2006 for a 1,650 mile round trip ride to northern Utah and back, in fact just north of salt lake.
Sorry to hear about the leaking windshield but glad the dealer you bought form resolved it for you! That’s awesome of them to step up and handle it the right way! I agree that the auto leveling option is so nice for towing!

 

[Short_Haul]

Welcome to the forum from socal! Beautiful looking rig! Love the color! These things are awesome when it comes to road trips! I just took my 2006 for a 1,650 mile round trip ride to northern Utah and back, in fact just north of salt lake.
Sorry to hear about the leaking windshield but glad the dealer you bought form resolved it for you! That’s awesome of them to step up and handle it the right way! I agree that the auto leveling option is so nice for towing!

Thanks! Sounds like an awesome trip... that’s definitely an area I really want to explore more, Utah in general.

Long road trips are what these rigs were built for I feel. The cruising comfort, amenities and smooth ride makes a long haul a lot more enjoyable. We are set to drive to Boise ID coming up and I’m actually looking forward to the drive portion of the trip as well as the destination.

 

[adventurenali92]

Thanks! Sounds like an awesome trip... that’s definitely an area I really want to explore more, Utah in general.

Long road trips are what these rigs were built for I feel. The cruising comfort, amenities and smooth ride makes a long haul a lot more enjoyable. We are set to drive to Boise ID coming up and I’m actually looking forward to the drive portion of the trip as well as the destination.

Getting there in these comfy rigs is half the fun! Lol