Hey guys, I'm Jon, I'm in AZ. I was living in WI and wound up buying an 06 GV Premium w/the AWD (single mode). After moving back to AZ I took it offroad on some tough trails to see if the single would be good enough. It is ok on washboard roads, but if you plan on doing anything serious, it will not work.... ÂÂ
....I tried the tough trails again, this time using 4 low, and WOW. It almost climbs trees. I could feel the center diff staying locked, and the cool thing is when one of the fronts lost traction, the ebd kicked in and supplied power to the other wheels to get me out of the ruts. This thing will be a serious contender against a Hummer if they put air lockers front and rear along w/the center lock diff.
Where in AZ and what "tough" trails did you do? I can't see a GV doing anything more than a 2 rated trail (using the standard 1-5 scale) and no way a contender with a Jeep or a Hummer. The 4wd may be good, but the ground clearance with the way the exhaust is laid out keeps it from doing even moderate 3 rated trails.
I did Rattle Snake in my awd 06 gv. I have it lifted with 245/75/16 and RRO rockrails!!!
RATTLESNAKE: Side protection is highly recommended. Yes, it can be done with open diff's, you WILL be spending some time pulling, rock placing, and scratching your head. A mild lift at the very least is recommended. If properly equipped, you should breeze through Rattlesnake in about 30 minutes taking your sweet time. Maybe an hour if your the picture poser type. The "Rock Alley" (I just made up that name for lack of knowing what it's really called) and the "Waterfall" are the hardest obstacles. The Waterfall does have a by-pass. From a rating standpoint 0 to 5, I would rate Rattlesnake a good 3.5.
