(Words and photos by Darr Hawthorne) – When I purchased a new pickup, I thought there’d be room for everything, cameras, suitcase, ice chest, etc. Well, in the end of 2019 a brand-new GMC Canyon 3.6 liter, 2-wheel drive, crew cab with a short bed landed in my garage. It was the perfect color and trim package, with a towing capacity up to 7,000 pounds, this rig was especially attractive with that kind of real towing power. Even with my previously owned 2002 GMC Sierra ½ ton, I never hesitated to tow, so switching to a V6 with an advertised 308 horsepower and more towing capacity was perfect, especially when California Gasoline prices are usually over $3 bucks a gallon. The new truck towed my latest project back from Phoenix to Los Angeles, a ’56 Chevy Sedan Delivery sleeper.
I do enjoy road trips and long walks on the beach, so with drag racing being a major casualty of the Summer Virus of 2020, it was the perfect setting for my first long haul in the Canyon to Boise for the Nightfire Nationals at Firebird towing a small trailer. Since Bonneville Speedweek was in the same timeframe, I was going for my third trip to the majestic Utah salt flats.
Towing what is effectively my golf cart, a 900-pound 2002 GEM E-825 Electric car with 3,800 miles would slow me down enough to avoid those small-town Nevada Speed Traps, three years ago that cost me $287 for 68 mph in a 40 zone. On this trip, the big problem was when the seats were folded down in the factory “cargo” position, the GM engineering sucked. Stuff just piled up on the seat backs and was easily viewable from the street through the side windows. That meant my camera case and other valuables were a lot less secure than had been hoped.
On the down leg of the trip, one of my sons flew into Salt Lake City before Bonneville. We talked about the new security and visibility concerns, he suggested Goose-Gear.com, a company that makes sturdy wood-based solutions for vehicle storage, one that he’d installed on his Toyota 4 Runner. While Goose-Gear manufactures and sells truck-based camping kitchens, icebox and drawer modules, sleeper decks and storage primarily for Jeeps, Ram Trucks, Toyotas and others. Checking their website, they did make a 100% bolt-in rear seat delete for the second-generation GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado (2015-2021).
The Goose-Gear delete system replaces one or both of the rear seats in a crew cab with a sturdy, Linex-coated platform with two locking doors to access the storage area below the plate. Three configurations are offered: 100% by removing both rear seats, 40% by removing the passenger side jump seat and the 60% version by removing the larger driver’s side rear seat.
I opted for the driver’s side 60% rear seat delete, which took about 45 minutes to remove the seat and fully install the Goose-Gear platform. The platform is cut on a huge CNC router table, cranking out dozens of precise pieces from sheet fed, dense Baltic birch plywood. The final cut and prepped surface is taken to a local Linex dealer to spray, they book time to coat these pieces every week. In the final assembly those pieces are connected by slotted square aluminum extrusion and all the necessary nuts, bolts and washers you’ll need to install it.
The Goose-Gear rear seat delete system mounts into existing, threaded seat mounting holes without additional drilling. The tools needed are a socket set, Torx sockets, a couple of open-end wrenches and 4mm Allen wrench.
Following the detailed instructions, we first removed the passenger side seat and seat belt assembly. Again, it took two of us about 45 minutes from start to finish and the finished install solved all the problems with the factory seats. The two locking cabinets now provided a secure place for storing most of my camera gear, some tools and a fire extinguisher, it also retains the recessed factory storage location for tools to change a spare tire.
All the rear seat OEM USB connections are still accessible, but the driver’s seat is no longer fully reclinable while there is very little restriction of seat adjustment for a comfortable drive.
We did find one part lacking in the whole Goose-Gear system for Canyons and Colorado’s. With the driver’s side rear crew cab door open, some of what we could lock into the flush platform cabinets was exposed on the side, a cover for this area is not offered for these GM Second Gen trucks. So, we’ll built a cover piece in our shop, for added security.
The price of the 60% rear seat delete platform system is under $500 and can be ordered from one of their many nationwide dealers. However, orders are running four to six weeks for delivery with COVID-19 virus thrown into the mix. The Goose-Gear rear seat delete is a perfect way to add more, secured capacity to your vehicle, without the cost of a full bed cover, if you can give up the additional seating capacity, I highly recommend this unit.
The Goose-Gear rear seat delete is also available in a 100% platform by removing both of the rear seats in a Canyon or Colorado crew cab. It is also available for many other crew cab pickups as well.
Source: http://Goose-Gear.com
