Test drove a Hummer. Anyone driven 1 off road

Submitted: Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 14:30

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See You NT

Thanks to all of the people who have reccommended a good tow and off road vehicle for the boat. I test drove a 100 series TD, a Patrol 4.2 TD and V8 Lexus wagon. I liked the Lexus more than the others (so did the wife). Land Rover series 3 was a little under powered and had a wierd high driving position although the salesman tried everything to sell me the car he missed out. I still am not a fan of British engineering. Got stung once and will not go back there again.

On the way home from Darwin I found a Hummer in a yard with under 20,000 kms on it. I took it for a run and while the interior seemed a little "military" the thing went like a V2 rocket. It fit my family in and went like stink. To say I got a woody would be putting it mildly and the wife said "its your money what the hell". My question is has anyone ever taken one of these things off road and what do they tow like. They certainly had a lot of features. But never knowing anyone who has actually owned one I am interested to hear some stories about their capabilities please.

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Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 14:51

Reply By: Kiwi Kia - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 15:45

Reply By: Member - Cocka - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 15:57

Reply By: Lone Wolf - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 16:37

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 16:37

When I was attached to the U S Army in 1989, we got sent over to Desert Storm. We drove ours, and 3 more for our 6 month tour. Glad I wasn't paying for the fuel!
Other than that, went okay.

Wolfie

AnswerID: 118428

Follow Up By: Rosco - Bris. - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 16:46

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 16:46

You drove it over ??

Crikey, I heard they were good in water ... but not that bloody good.

........ :o))

Cheers cobber

FollowupID: 373604

Follow Up By: Lone Wolf - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 16:56

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 16:56

I'm telling fibs!!! Don't take any notice of me....

If I seen a Hummer in a second hand yard, I'd just buy it, if I could afford it. I would have thought they would have been probably one of the most capable factory vehicles on the market.

Didn't Rene Rivkin have one? He won't be needing it, and I bet it's never been offroad... there's a good buy.

Cheers

Pacifist Wolf...

FollowupID: 373607

Follow Up By: Rosco - Bris. - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 17:01

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 17:01

There's a yard full of ex Gov vehicles up here. Were originally bought to drive around the perimeter of one of the local gaols ... they couldn't even do that properly.

Heh ... as for Desert Storm ... what can I say.. A bandana doesn't make ya John J Rambo ... :o)) LOLOLOLOL

Cheers

FollowupID: 373608

Follow Up By: Rosco - Bris. - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 17:19

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 17:19

PS

Wolfie, Wolfie, Wolfie old mate. It looks like it slipped through to the catcher ...

You drove it over there? OR You drove it, over there?

Wink wink nudge nudge

:-D

FollowupID: 373610

Follow Up By: Lone Wolf - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 17:32

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 17:32

Actually, what REALLY, REALLY happened, is I drove it while I was there. I parachuted in, in the dark, and had to waste 267 dudes, before I even landed.

I hopped into the Humvee, you know, the one with the BIG gun on the back. Well, you should of seen me, I was careening through the streets of Bagdahd, with only one had on the wheel, and the other hand was working the BIG gun.

Trouble is, I then woke up....... with a jellyfish on my belly.......

Wolfie

FollowupID: 373611

Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 19:25

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 19:25

Does the jellyfish cum standard???

FollowupID: 373635

Reply By: theshadows - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 17:03

Reply By: Peter 2 - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 18:20

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 18:20

You're all full of it! As I've posted before the humvee uses no more fuel than my 1HZ powered troopy, weighs the same and will go places the troopy could only dream about.
They are the sort of vehicle that you have to be able to maintain yourself, being virtually handbuilt they are labour intensive, but simple mechanically. They are not the vehicle for the owner who has to get it serviced and cannot do the work them selves unless you've got buckets of money.
A civvie Hummeris a different animal to a military one, lots more 'crap' to go wrong and far more complex electrics to run all the 'crap'. Just remember that it started life as a basic military vehicle, the trim and all the crap was added later, some of it adapted from other vehicles, this is where the problems will arise.
My Humvee is now 17 years old and having had it and used it over the last three years I'd find it hard to go back to a conventional 4wd.
Correctly maintained it is bulletproof, drive it like you stole it and you'll have probs, no vehicle likes being abused. A prime example is the Hummers that Qld corrective services had, overloaded and abused they broke. They should have had APC's or LAV's for what they were doing.

AnswerID: 118448

Follow Up By: See You - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 19:37

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 19:37

Thanks Peter for the reply. I was hoping someone out there actually had experience with one. The one I drove was a Metalic burgundy and it was owned by a Pearl contractor in the NW of WA. It is immacualuate in and out and has a service history documented. What towing capacity have they got as I require it to tow a 2400 kg boat on a tandam. The boat is alittle on the heavy side as it has twin motors and I want something that is capable of a bit of highway work but we will mostly use the vehicle for trips only. It will not be a daily driver or a mums taxi.

How many litres to fill the tank and whats the range of them when on the highway?

The vehicle turned me on somewhat as I have never seen them in the flesh or off screen. this will be a bit of a fun vehicle for us but I want it to be able to go places if you know what I mean.

Thanks in advance

FollowupID: 373638

Follow Up By: Exploder - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 20:32

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 20:32

There has been a lot of negative feed back about the hummer on hear, My 2 cent’s is ignore 90% of it because it is all hear say and 2 hand info and no one on hear a part from peter2 has any experience with them or has driven them (as far as I know).

They are a specialised 4WD and from my understanding a bloody amazing one Like any piece of machinery treat it well and it will give you many years of trouble free motoring, to say that you have seen one in a workshop for some time means stuff all you have no idea about how it has been treated or what is wrong with it. Some people will have you believe that Toyotas and Nissan’s never break down now that is just rubbish.
I would be getting all my info off peter on this one, as he is the only one with first hand experience on them.

Try some U.S sites as well as you may get some additional information.

I suppose the mane problem over hear is on the narrow bush tracks as it is a fairly wide car.

I think it would look pretty cool putting the boat in the water with the hummer; you only live once I would go for it.

FollowupID: 373645

Follow Up By: Peter 2 - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 20:41

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 20:41

The Hummers have either a NA 6.5l diesel or the same capacity engine with a turbo. 4 speed auto trans, contant 4wd, locking Ziekel torsen diffs front and rear. They also have dual fuel tanks. The main 90l and a 45l aux (I think)
The turbo motor only puts out 10 more hp but double the torque.
I'm not sure on the actual tow rating, the Humvee has a 1500kg unbraked, cross country (off road) and nearly 3 times that on road. Australian regs will not allow the trailer to exceed the towing vehicle.
It would pull 2.4 Tonne ok.
It is not geared for high speed running rather a plodder.
They are not a particularly fast vehicle but the ride is superb on rough ground and tracks. Very stable due to the very low C of G, wide track (2100mm, 200mm wider than a 100series) and long wheelbase (130").
I get 450 -500 k's out of 75-80 litres (which is the same as my troopy) in the Humvee, a Hummer may use a bit more as it weighs more. Mind you if you want to travel at contiinuous high speed (110+) then it will guzzle it due to the total lack of aerodynamics, excessive use of the go pedal will achieve the same result.

FollowupID: 373646

Follow Up By: See You - Monday, Jul 04, 2005 at 15:12

Monday, Jul 04, 2005 at 15:12

Thanks peter and all of the other respondents. Your information and links have been extremely helpful.

I am looking into Dept Roads towing regs for the vehicle to see if it can legally tow the boat. I like it, the wife likes it, the kids reckon we will be the Rambo family if we get one. It could be a good tow vehicle but a better off road performer.

Thanks again.

FollowupID: 373960

Reply By: Michael Carey - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 19:43

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 19:43

There are three hummers (not the newer H2) in town here (Port Lincoln), I know of one that was in one of the local repair shops for quite a while waiting for engine parts.
I'm sure they are a very capable vehicle, as long as you can afford to buy one, register it, run it and repair it!!

AnswerID: 118466

Follow Up By: Peter 2 - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 20:59

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 20:59

Don't know why you'd have to wait for parts, in my experience parts are cheaper and easier to obtain than the cruiser in some respects. There are several Australian businesses specialising in the engines and ancillaries (Linquip in QLD and another place in WA). The aussie distributor in WA (www.facom.au.com/hummer/hummer.htm) can ship parts overnight, if there is no hurry you can order bits from the US and have them here in a week (small stuff) or big stuff can come by sea). Servicing bits like air, fuel and oil filters are readily available locally.
As I said though unless you have a lot of dough you have to maintain it yourself, regular greasing (28 grease nipples) and a regular check underneath (which most 4wd owners should be doing) will let you become more aware of the truck too.
The civvie trucks have a few things that play up, FSD on the injection system, which is a common and easily fixed prob with these engines in suburbans too.
The best site around is www.humvee.net, or www.amghummer.com for more reading.

FollowupID: 373651

Follow Up By: Peter 2 - Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 21:24

Friday, Jul 01, 2005 at 21:24

Meant to add to have a look at the hummer information database at humvee.net
also remember that while most of the posts on the forums are about problems that is because people rarely post when everything is going ok.
what age /model is the truck you are looking at?

FollowupID: 373654

Follow Up By: See You - Tuesday, Jul 05, 2005 at 19:54

Tuesday, Jul 05, 2005 at 19:54

2 years old, 20,000kms. 120K with 4 year 100,000 waranty. Is this sounding OK for the age. It looks like it has never been off road. turbo Diesel.

FollowupID: 374161

Follow Up By: Peter 2 - Tuesday, Jul 05, 2005 at 21:47

Tuesday, Jul 05, 2005 at 21:47

Price sounds ok, who did/which RHD conversion does it have. It should have engineering approval/ADR compliance plate fitted if it is 2003 model.
I'd be checking that it is a 2003 model, should have a build date plate on it somewhere. Most of the hummers in Oz are late 90's, 96 typically although some weren't sold till nearly 2000.
For price comparisons have a look at the facom site
www.facom.au.com/hummer/hummer.htm
There are a few for sale there.
It probably hasn't been off road, because they are so expensive the well heeled buy them to use as status symbols and drive round the burbs, waste of a good vehicle.
If you start pushing it at higher speeds it will start to guzzle, as I said the civvie trucks are much heavier than my Humvee so may use more fuel especially if pedalled along.

FollowupID: 374172