AM General Hummer / Hummer H1
 

so, I searched and found 2 old threads about these beasts. most people don't like it when you resurrect old-ass threads, so I'll start a new one.

my situation is the following: I NEED a tow/work vehicle for occasional use. i have the S for commuting and all the general car duties. the 98 accord is my mom's car, and I can use it, since she lives right next to me. the bike is a fun toy, and it can be relied on for light commuting usage (if it rains, or if it is cold, I do not like to ride).

however, neither of these vehicles are of much use when I need to do work on my house / rental units. for example, I was installing new flooring in one of the units, and needed to transport 2000lb of wood; I bought a 400lb trailer, loaded the flooring onto it, and the accord almost died. it is rated for 1000lb, and I was clearly being a jackass. I also need to transport lumber, doors, windows, etc at times. I NEED a "beast of burden"

i was thinking about getting a $5000 pickup, but then I thought that it would be cool to have a 4x4 machine as a part of that, since I like off-roading too. this would make it a $10,000 pickup. then I thought that a SUV would be better and more comfy, and I could just get a big luggage rack, and tow the trailer, if I need to... AND THEN, I started looking at the H1 wagon. I considered a Grand Cherokee, a Land Cruiser, a Discovery, and the Excursion, but neither appeals to me as much as the H1 does. I would pay about 15k to get something that is not NEARLY as special as the H1.

and why not get the Hummer? it can tow 9000lb, so I can tow cars, bikes, atvs, boats, campers. it can offroad like crazy, and it is STABLE when it goes offroad. I can take 3 passengers with me on the trails, and know that this SUV has the least chance of a roll-over when compared to ANYTHING else - it was designed to be easy to control. i can equip it with a 9'x7' roofrack, so it can carry a lot. I want the wagon, and the wagon has a good amount of room inside, as well. no more sagging accord, when I load 600lb of cement inside.

I was looking at MY 97, as it has most of the desirable engine tweaks, but 97s do not have ABS - this makes the BMT technique work better for offroading. I test drove 2 examples, a 96 and a 99, and both times a had a stupid grin on my face; I was a little kid again! I know that they are not very reliable, but I do not plan on using it THAT much. it will be a pleasure / special use car. it gets 13mpg with its turbo-diesel, so I can drive it and not go completely bankrupt. it can also be upgraded to a Cummins or a Duramax diesel later on, and this should improve dependability. it will cost 20K to do this, I know. i have a dealer buddy, so I can probably get a 97 for 20K, since I could get the 96 for 22k.

this is a stupid choice, yeah. i should just get a Tundra 4dr 4x4, and call it a day... it's just that when I drove the Tundra, I felt like I was driving a big-ass Camry. when I drove the H1, it felt like I was driving a small tank, and was about to invade a small country.

to sum it up, getting a Grand Cherokee, etc would be like buying an Accord, while getting a H1 will be like getting a S2000... if this makes any sense.

any opinions on my irrational plan?

Man, go for it. Those things are only stupid if you DD them, IMO. Too big and too much of a headache. But for your intended purpose? Awesome. I'd do it if I could.

F650

Stick with Ford on this one:

http://www.f650dominator.com/images/f650_angle_big.jpg

i know, right? i'll put 2k miles on it a year MAX.

it will only be used for offroading (sensible trails and sand dunes), towing toys, carrying heavy/big cargo, entertaining myself/friends, serving as a back-up car, and making me happy, as I have always been drooling over them :heart:

i've been inside this one; did not drive it
it is useless off-road. you feel like you are about to deliver some furniture.
the huge F-650 conversions, seem like they were built with the intention of being ridiculous
the H1 LOOKS ridiculous, but this is a side-effect, not the intention

http://www.dc-motors.com/details.htm...1-2l1268841309

http://images.idealer1.com/getimage/148/5396561.jpg

Yea i have an opinion.

You get that ****ing hummer and you rep it.

I've driven two different H1's and honestly they both drove like $hit and despite it being 9 foot wide, the driver's "compartment" is quite small. But who really cares, it does feel like driving a tank and the diesel ones are supposedly unbreakable.

I'd find a used diesel truck (Dodge, Chevy, Ford, pick whatever you like best) and call it a day.

one of my best friends bough himself a used h1 right when he graduated collage as a "gift" to himself. literally, the minute he got home, the transmission went (@30k miles, wtf) and it was something else every month for the next two years. the truck did look bad ass, but it was an absolute disaster. even when it did work right, the ride/"performance" was hideous. it certainly did get a lot of looks where ever we went though, so if attention is what you need - then get one, otherwise, i would stay way clear. the two best days of his life were 1. when his ebay auction ended for the h1 and the reserve was met (pay off on loan) 2. the day the person arrived to pick it up, the check clearing, and the taillights driving away.

he did right after buy a h2 and absolutely loves it, so that might be a better performing/more reliable option if you have to have a"hummer"

Yeah resale isn't to great on those trucks... I'd wait for a H2 to be in your price range.

H2 = a waste of time

I am an AF mechanic so I get to drive the Mil-spec H1's all the time. They are very reliable if you and only if you maintain them properly. I was in Iraq with H1's in 110-120 degree whether and many sandstorms. Anything that can survive there is a beast. You might want to look into getting a Mil-spec H1. There are many ways to go about doing it. You might be able to get one a lot cheaper.

H1 > every other truck/SUV type thing