H1 Hummer questions, owners visit this thread!

[waterboy222]

I sold my 4 door wrangler becuase it was an absolute DOG with any type of weight, lift, tires, etc on it..

And now that the weather is warming up, I'm missing it like crazy..


Im starting to find myself checking out the big Hummers more and more. I like that its a diesel, the top comes off, is already setup for offroad, LOTS AND LOTS of interior space, etc.. I could go on all day.

But a few questions for the owners (past or present)..

What do I need to be shopping for? I want a vert 4 door that I can tow my boat with. Thats the deal breaker right there. If I cant get the doors and tops off, hook onto the boat and head out, Im not interested.

Have You done ANY towing with yours? Light, heavy, anything?
What kind of fuel MPG can I expect?
Will it run 75mph on the highway?
Whats the options I should look for and the ones I should avoid?
Whats the towing capacity?

Thanks for the insight!

[directory4cars]

i'm new to the site. all the best

[GDog]

I've done a fair bit of off-roading with H1's and they are a wonderful POS. Really, I truly love them but you have to know going in that they take a lot of maintenance to be in top form and if you are ok with that then they are the best. In terms of best years, attributes, and things to watch out for here is a quick run down.

- The turbo diesel is likely the best option for you as you will be towing with it. That said be careful to check the engine block manufacturing date as the earlier years and up until 2001 the 6.4TD had a problem with cracking in cylinder #8. It is an expensive repair and typically requires a new engine.
- The doors don't come off easily as they are power electric
- They can tow but check the rating for what you are looking at towing and don't expect to pass anyone going up hill.
- 75MPH on the highway? On the newer models yes but 65MPH is better. Now I should qualify that; the Alpha models in '06 have a higher top speed due to the Duramax and the Allison trany but if you want to go do serious off-roading they are more fragile

Options to look for
- 1997.5 and up trucks have improved HVAC system ie: they work
- 2003 models have a knock out panel in the passenger side dog house and are much more comfortable. This is easily added to older trucks.
- Eaton E-Locker were a factory option and they are about the best locker you can get for the truck if you want to do real off roading
- Twin fuel tanks started in 1996 (I think) and is a really nice option as the fuel mileage isn't the best ~12 to 15 MPG

These trucks are about as good as it gets for and off road adventure vehicle that can be street drive, tow, and that you can take on a hot date. Sure Jeeps are great to (no knock there) but the are limited in some situation as are Hummers in other.

Best of luck and throw up some photos of the rig and boat when you get it.

[beckertb]

I'll chime in as I've owned a number of H1's

They are maintenance expensive.

Gas motors are an absolute DOG. Unless someone has converted to a big block and you can stomach 5 mpg, stay away.

Pre alpha motor turbo diesels are DOGs. The 6.5 turbo diesel just isn't capable of doing it. It is fine for crawling along a trail, but out on the highway they are struggling just to keep up with traffic.

Either find an 06+ alpha or someone that has converted to the duramax combo. This will pull, tow, drive etc.

The 04+ interior is quite a bit nicer as well.

Good luck

ben

[GDog]

Thanks for the correction: it is a 6.5L not 6.4L

cheers