Why not a Hummer?

[maxingout]

I am surprised by the lack of H1 Hummers posting on the Expedition Portal. H1s are awesome trucks that do expeditions around the world every day in Afganistan, Iraq, and dozens of countries around the world. I cannot imagine a more capable expeditionary vehicle - but you don't have to ask me - ask the Marines, Army, Air Force, and every other service member who spends months living out of one each year.

The differences in capability between a civilian H1 and the military Humvee is negligible. It's mainly creature comforts.

People who bash Hummers have never done an expedition in one.
People who bash Land Rover 110s have never done an expedition in one.
The same can be said for Nissans, Toyotas, Mitsubishis, Jeeps, etc.

Every vehicle is a compromise, and you select your particular compromises based on your financial resources, experience, and the area of the world where you are wheeling. Some vehicles are suited for rock climbing, some for narrow trails, and most can be driven as an expeditionary vehicle around the world depending on which compromises you select and are comfortable with.

If Bagnold could drive Model T Fords on expeditions in the Libyan and Egyptian sands, then it does not make sense to bash any 4x4 vehicle.

I do not understand vehicle bashing. I have owned 5 Land Rover 110s, 1 Land Rover 130, 1 Toyota FJ40, 1 full size Toyota Land Cruiser, 1 Volkswagen Combi, and 1 H1 Hummer. All of them make great expeditionary vehicles that I would be happy to drive around the world. I could write pages of reasons why each of these vehicles would be my first choice for a world expedition.

It's not the vehicle. It's the way you outfit it and drive it on your trip around the world.

 

[TreeTopFlyer]

Ah...the Congo. No, I don't think these trucks would do well in the dense jungles...or fair well with the local authorities who would most likely "liberate" it from us. Like I said, different strengths and weanesses.

Went through the whole thread...what an adventure! Probably much more fun.to look back on than go through at the time

Yah, pretty sure they'd get nationalized. :ylsmoke: I like to use his truck as a touchstone for reality for want vs. need. Hell there is a guy on here that overlands on a BMW bike and then there is EcoRoamer LOL. My truck is a pig, heavy and lots of room. But all that is not really needed when you see someone do a whole month in the jungle in a small 75 series. But I'm a gear whore and carry more crap than I need at all times just cause I can. Hence the reason I had a sidewall let loose last weekend coming back from the beach. But it's comfortable and gets the job done for where I go. Anyways, continue on.

 

[MADE4THIS]

just because H1 ownwers dont come on here and post pictures and advertise, it doesn't mean we dont do it. here we go.

life begins when road conditions are the worst . or none at all

sorry we dont have ARB bumpers and 35 inch tires or 9k winch

WE LOVE OUR TRUCKS and ur coments BAD OR GOOD (we dont care any ways ) only puts smile on our faces

enjoy your ride.

 

[JamesDowning]

I know there have been a lot of comments that the H1s are too wide etc for trails.

I've never been on Black Bear, but from what I understand, it's very narrow.

I happened upon this picture... These guys seem to be doing just fine. I was sure impressed to see them on this trail.

To be honest, when I can afford an H1, I'll be tempted.

I get egged about every 6 months, and I have plenty of key scratches...I consider them a badge of honor

:Wow1: Is that a common occurrence for Hummer owners? ...darn tree hugger activists. The only scratches my truck has are from trees...

 

[Token]

IMHO just about any of the Hummer line was very well suited for ExPo with very few mods.. Can't really tell you much about the H1 or H2, but of the folks I know that wheel them, all of them love the trucks as long as you use it as they were intended and don't try and turn them into hard core rock crawlers.. They can do it, but you're much better off with a mildly built Jeep..

The H3 falls into the same boat.. It's great if you don't go way beyond it's limits off road..

H3 Pros
Can fit 35's with NO LIFT
Pretty comfy
Rear E-locker in the Adventure Models. (In the front as well on 09 and 10 year)
4:1 transfer case on the Adventure Model.
Owners manual states that oil changes are at 9000 miles (yes NINE)
Fully boxed frame (not c channel)
Great approach, departure and breakover angles. (ONLY OEM vehicle in the states that beats those numbers is the Jeep Wrangler)

H3 Cons
7.5" cast aluminum front diff (might as well be made out of glass)
14 or 16mm tie rods (year dependant)
As big as you think it is, there is not a lot of cargo space in the rear
Rear seats do not fold flat
Not a lot of aftermarket support and it's getting less every day
Even less factory support.
Rear Axle is Spring Under (loose about 6 inches of clearance under the axle)
Front CV Driveshaft is crap (a nice double cardon shaft is a nice upgrade)
Front diff bushing on crossmember is crap (there's a fix, but it's to long to discuss here)
Problems with altitude sickness above 12,000ft.. (can fix it by taking the gas cap off for a bit when the engine light comes on.)
Stupid LOW POWER MODE when things go wrong in the fuel delivery system..

All that said, my Jeep friends love their rides and complain about them a lot more than I do the H3.. And when you hear me complain about the H3 it's right after getting back from wheeling and I've broke something. I beat the living crap out of the thing too.. I know I can't be the only person here that's been to the top of Holy Cross in CO, but I'm pretty damn sure I'm the only person that has ever taken, not just an H3, but any Hummer up there.. I'd venture to guess there haven't been a lot of IFS rigs that make it up there.. It did cost me a front ring and pinion though..

 

[Chas Stricker]

I drove my first H1 in Germany when they replaced our 141jeeps. Width was a "training" issue and we had cute little rods on the corners so we could know where they were. Also some of the ham-fisted drivers would spin the tires and then hit the brake. This did snap a few axles with the brake being inboard. Great trucks. In 96 I talked a local guy into the world of Hummers and he bought one. He loved that truck until his too-early passing. I looked hard at buying one when I bought my last truck and thought I needed to go a little more practicle....for me. With any vehicle there are limitations, the trick is to learn how to pick the one that works best for your own needs.

PS. I too may receive a few "interesting" looks.

Chas

 

[alfio]

fyi, I freely condone Hummer bashing when you are talking about the 75% of hummer owners that drive them to the mall and back. :smiley_drive:

i think that number might be higher than 75% (esp in big cities) and it is directly related to the negative attitude lots of folks (rightfully) have towards hummers (here's 5000+ pics of it on one site: http://www.fuh2.com/submissions.php).

i say rightfully because H2s (and anything that came after them) are largely decorative, my SUV is bigger than yours and really not a whole lot more than that. now, it is also true that this is largely a problem of consumption for the sake of consumption (and ultimately one of education: do i really need a terribly designed bazooka to open my can of soup? hmmm?). in other countries, overlanding merits aside, hummers (H1s esp.) are also either seen as symbols of US militarism (which, regardless of your own take, is something to be taken into consideration if you ever plan on going beyond the US). this little clip from top gear illustrates: http://www.streetfire.net/video/top-gear-hummer-h1-h2_181453.htm

why not a hummer? i don't know for you, this is obviously all very subjective, but for me the design misses the mark. too big and too heavy without offering all that much in exchange.

 

[07H3]

it says in the hummer h1 add it can cary 5000 lb. in fact it can tow 18 wheeller and push a 35 passenger tour bus. on low range its very powerful.

i think any of this are way more than 10.000 lb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiDZdZCAnWI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mw07z7gM_8

i do love the hummer h1. and any other 4x4

Touareg V10 TDI tows a 747. Not really impressed by towing an 18 wheeler. Don't get me wrong I like all Hummers and drive a H3.

 

[Humvette]

If a bare bones H1 with air conditioning was $45,000 there would be a ton of them here. I'd buy one. Allthough a 1 ton truck is about the max width I can reasonably use.

We'd make every excuse in the world why they're suitable for our needs, and move on to "What seats are you putting in yours?". They're just too expensive for anyone to try.

I've seen a couple H1's used as work trucks at outdoor campground/cabin resorts. He said it was the rust free, tough body that sold him. His employee's drove Ford F350's.

The H2 is just too heavy and weak.

Well i got my 2001 H1 2yrs ago for $42k with 42k miles soo...

I am building mine for expo

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/53613-Humvette-and-Fat-Elvis-Update

I had a F350 that was stolen that i use for light expo/camping (no offroading)
I am replacing it with a F250 tomorrow.

The H1's turn soo much better than Most if not all Full size rigs. Plus you have to know how to turn them. You turn them with the rock sliders hehe... The front tires are just there to tell the rock sliders what to do LOL...

H1's parts are not that expensive. The driveline is out of a late 90's GM 1 ton. The seals and stuff are easy and cheap.

I have put 18k miles on my H1 in 2 years. That included 3 round trips to Co from Houston. The are not the most comfortable, but you can make them that way pretty easy. My new F250 is much more comfortable, but it does not have 24" of ground clearance. If it did it would be much more uncomfortable than the Hummer. I get about 11 city and 13 mpg hwy. I have a lot of parts at the house i will be throughing on the Hummer so watch my thread for updates. Full storage or water, fuel and ... secrets hehe. You try that in another vehicle with 42's. People are amazed to see it on the trail. People like the H1's its the H2's that destroyed the image if you ask me.

I believe they are enthusiast vehicles like the Defenders or the G wagons.

I have offroaded with H3's and they are great. 35's with a leveling kit, factory lockers and v8 in the 2008 Alpha

I wish people would research stuff before firing off their mouth

IME the little H3 can be quite capable with a suspension kit, lockers, and better tires. Plenty of room in those fenders for bigger tires. Not a bad ride at all, give or take all that chrome.

 

[Humvette]

RonB,
I am pretty sure there was only ~7500 built. Check out the Lynch Hummer site. :Wow1:

I am also surprised your curb weight is 6610? What did you take off LOL. I thought for the longest time the lightest hummer was the single cab at ~7100ish??? Speaking of which i want to weigh my hummer.

15mpg is possible. I have never gotten it, but you have the 2.73 gears and i am at 2.56's for now hehe...

The curb wt varies from yr to yr (they gained a bit of weight almost every year as more crap was added). My '97's curb is 6610. The gvwr of nearly all civy hummers (h1's after GM bought the name) is 10,300. The fleet trucks (border patrol etc...) and the '06 Alpha's were 12,100 gvw.

One thing I forgot to mention above was that less than 12000 of these were made over 14 yrs of production. Like I said, a bit more maintenance than the typical truck you find at the dealership, and probably closer to a tractor than a truck, but really stable and extremely capable and fun to drive. I read once that hummers aren't great at anything, but they are good at everything.

Ron

 

[Ron B]

Just checked Lynch's site and there were 11,818 civi hummers cranked out between '92 and '06 (no '05's). I don't think this number includes the few thousand k-series/12,100 lb trucks. There are thought to be about 7500 to 8000 left on the roads here in the US after so many have been bought by foreign collectors and accounting for ones that have been wrecked.

As far as the curb weights...I just quoted the curb for my truck, 97.5 open top at 6610 lbs. I chose the open top because I wanted a "lighter" hummer for wheeling -- lower center of gravity etc... I can't find the stats on the '1992 2door, but the '1993 2 door's curb is 5800 lbs (which makes it's payload 4500 lbs). If I had it to do all over again, I think I'd get a '94 to '96 2 door extended cab with the na 6.5.

Can't wait to see more pics of your truck. Mines in the shop now for some fab work...so I will be missing it for about 3 weeks.

rb

 

[REDROVER]

its amazing how boring this domestic truck section is. everyone is trying to bring the other trucks down and talk ..... may be you guys can go look at some Toyota or Nissan or Mitsubishi or any other section and learn not to talk crap and bring other 4x4s down.

just go over the topics and read, guys with some old silverado or dodge truck talk **** about mighty H1 isnt it funny? or they put one new set of tires and they come post on expedition portal.



get over it man ppl go overlanding with 4x4 Mitsubishi van.

 

[Humvette]

Yeah i will be taking my Hummer out of commision for 5-6 months but doing tons of work on it f/r locker with 3.08's if the money works out (just got married 2 months ago, so this should be a good test LOL)

RonB,
I will be selling my stock halfshafts super cheap if you are interested. I got all 12k stuff :ylsmoke:

I love all trucks and love the building process. Hopefully in 2012 i will be much more active in getting out on the trails

 

[Ron B]

thanks for the heads up on the halfshafts -- I have a lot of spares.

I was thinking of going with 12k shafts a few years ago but Mike Sabarese mentioned that having a larger u-joint gave them a bit less articulation and with my suspension I was going a few inches past stock, so...

I passed. I have been lucky so far as far as halfshaft breakage, broken two. One was faulty and the other I was being just plain stupid! It was too cold to change and it wasn't flopping around so I just drove 80 miles home (slow). No brake on that wheel was weird but ok. I don't think I will ever go bigger than 39.5's but it I do I will definitely upgrade.

Make sure you get the little doohickie that will pull the gear out of the hub...you may be able to change the 10.3 to 12.1 gears without opening the whole portal up.

 

[Humvette]

RonB,
Please explain this tool you speak of? I was just going to pull the shaft (LOL) out and then open the hatch cover and slide it out that way. I am going to do some PM's on the truck and then take it out of service for 5 months to get down to the nitty gritty

Do you know when the AMG Homecoming is? AMG 20yr Aniversary? I just have to go to that
M