HUMMER H2 vs. OTHER TRUCKS TO TOW A VIPER ....

[MannyC]

By the way, for about $5K, you can get the H2 Supercharger which puts it at 502 HP -- would this mess up towing capabilities in any way ? Predator sports is here in town, so I was thinking of paying them a visit.

Manny

 

[Flexx91]

Just purchased a new Nissan Pathfinder Armada LE w/tow package and auto-leveling feature. 9,100lb. tow limit.

 

[MannyC]

Dude a Durango is in no way in the same league as an H2. Durango is a hill-billy suv. No thanks!!!

[/QUOTE]

You must be joking...

There is nothing an H2 can do that a Durango can't...well except drink gas for no reason (and be a tax write-off). Let's see 0-60 in my Durango about 7 seconds...H2 at least 1 hour. Tow capacity 8,500 vs. 6,000. Seating 7 vs. 5. Etc...etc... And the H2 is a box...in no way comparable to an H1. Oh and by the way...nice Chevy Tahoe in disguise.

[/QUOTE]

While I haven't owned a Durango, my brother owns one and we take it out all the time. The H2 just drives better (smoother, nicer interior, more features, better stereo, etc.) You definitely sit higher, which is cool as you can see over other trucks and SUV's (at least I can in mine with the new tires.) The looks of the H2 are fantastic (at least to me.) You either love it or hate it. My neighbor has an H1 and I just don't like the full military look.

Besides, in the end, when you knock $20K off the price of the H2 because of the tax benefit, you end up getting a $59K Hummer for $39K out the door -- hard to beat that.

Not dogging a Durango, as I was considering one, but after test driving the H2 and having driven in a Durango, my mind was made up.

 

[CarDude]

All the comparos I have heard so far are with the old Durango, of which I had. I am talking about the 04 which I believe looks and performs much better. If you are interested I have posted pictures of my new Durango (w/ 20" rims and tires). The rims and tires really make the Durango look good. BTW I am not interested in offroading, so it is just not a point I even consider for my uses. I do however have a boat, so towing comfort, as well as passenger capacity are both very important. Also I do not mean to offend other H2 owners as I do appreciate all auto, as I am an enthusiast...not a snob.

http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=172506

 

[V10 MOJO]

manny, just tow it, youll be fine with an H2.

i just took the thing offroading two nights ago and i will tell you; what a machine, drove it like i stole it for three hours and it was unstoppable (until this one gulley we got stuck in but hey thats what wynches are for, LOL) rubbing compund and a day of detailing and now the bucket looks almost new again, LOL

 

[YouWish]

All the comparos I have heard so far are with the old Durango, of which I had. I am talking about the 04 which I believe looks and performs much better. If you are interested I have posted pictures of my new Durango (w/ 20" rims and tires). The rims and tires really make the Durango look good. BTW I am not interested in offroading, so it is just not a point I even consider for my uses. I do however have a boat, so towing comfort, as well as passenger capacity are both very important. Also I do not mean to offend other H2 owners as I do appreciate all auto, as I am an enthusiast...not a snob.

http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=172506

I'm sorry but your going to lose this fight. The Durango in no way compares to an H2 in styling or off-roading ability. The new Durango looks like a cross between a Mini-Van and a SUV. I do like the wheels though they are the best part of the ride.

 

[Big Medicine]

1985 Jeep CJ 7, no top. Fitted with 350.

 

[H8TOW8]

I have a Lincoln Navigator (2003) that does a nice job of towing anything - 9000 lb. limit I think.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

You Wish said
------------------------------------------------------------
"Dude a Durango is in no way in the same league as an H2. Durango is a hill-billy suv. No thanks!!!
------------------------------------------------------------
Well, dude, this hillbilly suv can tow 8900lbs vs your wimpy Rodeo Drive impersonator that squeaks by with 6000lbs, I mean that's right up there with what a Jeep? Don't you remember the H1 vs H2 thing with that Venom guy? You remember how I took care of you on that thread? Well, you basically just pulled the same thing as Venom did to you. If you have not seen or driven the new Durango, ahem, did I mention it tows 8900lbs? Then you just flat don't know what you're talking about. And I'll tell you when you will know what you're talking about......The first time you try and yank your Viper around in an ENCLOSED trailer. THAT job the new Durango will perform admirably...I would not even think about it with a 6000lb rating. Heck, I won't even think about it with the 7500lb rating I enjoy now in my OLD Durango. And about the offroad stuff, gimme a break, you're driving a Tahoe/Yukon chasis, one generation BEHIND the Durango, why the heck would you think the new Durango would NOT perform offroad? As if EITHER of these beasts were designed for offroad anyway, and the Durango hasn't even been in ANY road tests yet, so you must be presceint at the vey least to know it will be bad. The H2 on the other hand has been roadtested by many and found wanting offroad, and how about the famous video floating around with the tie rod snapping? Hmmmmmmm?
What's really evident in your comment about hillbilly SUV's is that you bought IMAGE....You don't see youself in a Durango, or an Expedition or Suburban, regardless of how well they do the truck job as far as function is concerned. You see youself in an Escalade Or an H2 or something that screams I paid a lot of money for this. And the H2 is certainly at the pinnacle of the particular breed of SUV. And it LOOKS the part, it is the newest, baddest, most expensive LOOKING high end SUV out there. Just as the Navigator and the Escalade were at one point. But, sorry, I just don't get it, I drive a Viper because it has the most awesome performance on the planet. I bought an M5 because it was the most incredible performance sedan available. Function and performance REGARDLESS of price. I have buddies with S class Mercedes who don't get the M5, and I have friends with Ferraris who look down their nose at the Viper....but not if I can catch them out on the road. And the guys that sneer at Durangos, or Rams, or big diesel Ford or Chevy pickups while driving an H2 just don't get it either. On the other hand do you know what the owners of the above trucks think when they see an H2?...........................Soccer Mom.

 

[Don]

Nice ride CarDude!

 

[SNKEBIT]

Give it to the poser-soccer mom-wanna be!!!!!!

Way to go Lee!

 

[Fast Viper Dan]

Haven't seen it posted so I will add, I have 01 Ram 2500 4x4 V-10 short bed quad cab. 8.5 mpg. pulls like a champ.
Yea a diesel would get better mileage but I had an F350 4x4 crew cab diesel for 15 years and I don't travel that much so I switched to gas. Less noise better for the short trip. IMO

 

[Tomcat]

The guy I travel to Viper Days hauled his GTS and 1,500 lb trailer with an H2 to four events. The longest trip was from Atlanta to Texas Motor Speedway, about 1,600 miles round trip. He had zero problems!!! Could use the cruse and stay at 75 mph without the H2 needing to down shift. I am not going to tell you what I use. Pete has already admonished me for towing with a marginal SUV. Oh, you will need an 8" drop for the receiver to get the trailer level. He got 10.2 mph to Dallas. The H2 and Viper combo is hard to beat.

 

[repete]

my uncle hauled his 35 foot boat with a 2500hd Hemi ram to Keywest, FL...no trouble and got 9mpg...on the way back he took his sons H2w/boat...it was so unstable that we had to pull over...hooked it back up to the truck..and went on home just fine..without a hickup..guess the H2 should stay with the soccer moms..leave the big work to a truck

 

[YouWish]

You Wish said
------------------------------------------------------------
"Dude a Durango is in no way in the same league as an H2. Durango is a hill-billy suv. No thanks!!!
------------------------------------------------------------
Well, dude, this hillbilly suv can tow 8900lbs vs your wimpy Rodeo Drive impersonator that squeaks by with 6000lbs, I mean that's right up there with what a Jeep? Don't you remember the H1 vs H2 thing with that Venom guy? You remember how I took care of you on that thread? Well, you basically just pulled the same thing as Venom did to you. If you have not seen or driven the new Durango, ahem, did I mention it tows 8900lbs? Then you just flat don't know what you're talking about. And I'll tell you when you will know what you're talking about......The first time you try and yank your Viper around in an ENCLOSED trailer. THAT job the new Durango will perform admirably...I would not even think about it with a 6000lb rating. Heck, I won't even think about it with the 7500lb rating I enjoy now in my OLD Durango. And about the offroad stuff, gimme a break, you're driving a Tahoe/Yukon chasis, one generation BEHIND the Durango, why the heck would you think the new Durango would NOT perform offroad? As if EITHER of these beasts were designed for offroad anyway, and the Durango hasn't even been in ANY road tests yet, so you must be presceint at the vey least to know it will be bad. The H2 on the other hand has been roadtested by many and found wanting offroad, and how about the famous video floating around with the tie rod snapping? Hmmmmmmm?
What's really evident in your comment about hillbilly SUV's is that you bought IMAGE....You don't see youself in a Durango, or an Expedition or Suburban, regardless of how well they do the truck job as far as function is concerned. You see youself in an Escalade Or an H2 or something that screams I paid a lot of money for this. And the H2 is certainly at the pinnacle of the particular breed of SUV. And it LOOKS the part, it is the newest, baddest, most expensive LOOKING high end SUV out there. Just as the Navigator and the Escalade were at one point. But, sorry, I just don't get it, I drive a Viper because it has the most awesome performance on the planet. I bought an M5 because it was the most incredible performance sedan available. Function and performance REGARDLESS of price. I have buddies with S class Mercedes who don't get the M5, and I have friends with Ferraris who look down their nose at the Viper....but not if I can catch them out on the road. And the guys that sneer at Durangos, or Rams, or big diesel Ford or Chevy pickups while driving an H2 just don't get it either. On the other hand do you know what the owners of the above trucks think when they see an H2?...........................Soccer Mom.

Nice write up Lee. Yeah I should have never used the Hill-Billy term in reference to the Durango. I just was suprised that somebody would compare the H2 to a Durango. You really think the Durango can perform off-road as well as a H2? (I need more experienced H2 guys to chime in on this one) Granted I will hardly ever use it's true ability off-roading but,there are trails here in the Black Hills I plan on taking it on. People in bigger towns may view the H2 as a "soccer-mom" ride but,not here it's viewed as being successful. People who say that are clearly jealous they didn't have 60k(fully loaded which mine is)to spend on a H2. I didn't get it for that anyway I had a LandCruiser before the H2 which around here Doctors and Lawyers drive. I love the look and styling thus H2/Viper. My Viper only has a wimpy 450 rwhp and 500 rwtq I hardly use half of that. I would say I am more a poser than driver/racer. Is that bad? To each his own I guess.

 

[Gary C (GaryCSilver04)]

I just sold My H2 yesterday for a real tow vehicle, 2004 2500 4x4 ** Cummins 6 speed loaded,,,, Had the Hummer for a year, other people like looking at it but when it came to towing it would get whipped around the road with my enclosed trailer and Prowler.

Got to have a DC product towing a DC product.

 

[SNKEBIT]

.
a real tow vehicle, 2004 2500 4x4 ** Cummins
Got to have a DC product towing a DC product.

I don't know where you're gettin' the "serious" off-roading from,,,,,, the H2 is a Tahoe frame, not a hummer1!!!! It ain't gonna 4-wheel any better than a Tahoe, period........ just looks like crap. imo Tahoe looked better and I'm not a chebbie guy!!!!

 

[Henry Cone]

It's all about having the right tool for the job. The best vehicle for hauling ass - the Viper!! The best vehicle for hauling asps - a Dodge Cummins Powered pickup!!

We tow our 48' trailer all over the country. With 2 Vipers, spare tires/wheels, spares, tools, and assorted other junk needed for racing 2 cars it weighs about 16,500 lb fully loaded. Our 2003 Dodge Ram Quad Cab ** Cummins / 6 Speed /4.10 geared 3500 Dually gets about 10.5mpg towing this trailer with 3 of us aboard. And that is running about 70 - 75mph. Noise is down considerably with the new common rail injection Cummins so the down sides of a diesel are largely gone. While I will admit that this is overkill for many I use the truck as a daily driver when we are not towing. I never have to worry about not having enough truck to get whatever I might buy home!!

A question - which vehicle has a higher torque rating?? The 2003 ** Cummins Ram or our 2003 SRT/10??

 

[YouWish]

Snakbit:When are you going to step up and get a Gen 2 Viper? You have your nose so far up Lee's but it's sicking. Think for yourself once ok? I like my H2 and no matter what you say is going to change how I feel about it.

 

[SNKEBIT]

YouWish,,, I like my gen1, simple car, easy to work on, no air-bags, no abs, no extra crap I don't need. Why do you say I have my nose up Lee's butt???? I was just agreeing with him, nothing else. As far as my own opinion, I work for a large world-wide corperation that has a huge sales fleet. Almost all the cars are GM. 550+ vehicles in the fleet, so of course GM is always givin' us demo vehicles all the time. Had a H2 about a month ago for 2 weeks, It's kinda cool to beat on somebody elses vehicle with no repercussions (sp.). It's not what it's cracked up to be, not a bad vehicle, just a "cheap" rip-off of the real thing. So if you wanna pay that much for an overpriced Tahoe, go right ahead. BTW, what do you care what I think?, I'm just a lowly gen1 owner, you have a gen2, you're obviously better than me.

 

[MannyC]

I just sold My H2 yesterday for a real tow vehicle, 2004 2500 4x4 ** Cummins 6 speed loaded,,,, Had the Hummer for a year, other people like looking at it but when it came to towing it would get whipped around the road with my enclosed trailer and Prowler.

Got to have a DC product towing a DC product.

Gary, what do you mean by whipped around the road?

Also, what was the final tow weight with enclosed trailer? I was thinking of getting an enclosed trailer sometime in the future.

Manny

 

[RaceDeck]

I have an H2 and the new Dodge Truck with the high-output Turbo Diesle and there is no comparison in towing and power. The Truck blows the H2 away and at double the milage!

 

[MannyC]

YouWish,,, I like my gen1, simple car, easy to work on, no air-bags, no abs, no extra crap I don't need. Why do you say I have my nose up Lee's butt???? I was just agreeing with him, nothing else. As far as my own opinion, I work for a large world-wide corperation that has a huge sales fleet. Almost all the cars are GM. 550+ vehicles in the fleet, so of course GM is always givin' us demo vehicles all the time. Had a H2 about a month ago for 2 weeks, It's kinda cool to beat on somebody elses vehicle with no repercussions (sp.). It's not what it's cracked up to be, not a bad vehicle, just a "cheap" rip-off of the real thing. So if you wanna pay that much for an overpriced Tahoe, go right ahead. BTW, what do you care what I think?, I'm just a lowly gen1 owner, you have a gen2, you're obviously better than me.

Many SUV manufcaturers build their trucks on the frames of other trucks. Nothing new here. But it's all the other technology that goes into it that makes it different. I think it's unwise for you to claim an H2 is a Tahoe just because of the frame. Even if it were the same, the Tahoe simply can't go where the H2 can due to body angle and drag. Go drive a Tahoe and then drive an H2 -- not the same. I have driven every SUV on the market and they each have their own perks. And yes, there's a little vanity in all of this -- you do get looks in the H2 moreso than you do in other SUV's, similar to driving the Viper -- that's just one of the cool perks for me -- owning something a little different, even though more and more Hummers are hitting the roads.

 

[Matt M PA]

My 22' enclosed Haulmark weighs in at 2900 pounds unladen. You know that a Viper weighs...just do the math.

I have been towing the above trailer since 1995, originally with a Superbird inside, and now my restored '72 Plymouth or Viper. I tow with a '94 Bronco 351. It's rated at 7000 pounds, so I am right at the limit. I don't trailer as much as I used to, so there's no reason to upgrade. (Besides..I love the old thing!) I do use a weigh distributing hitch and sway control. Everything tracks nice and straight.

If I HAD to get a new truck it would be a Ford Super Duty or Excursion.

 

[pdmracing]

The tires on my Hummer have a max weight rating of about 2,900 pounds each, so that should put me at around 11,600 pounds for tires -- should be plenty, right? I'll take some photos later of the wheels and tires.

As for a hitch, I keep hearing about a 'weight distribution hitch.' *** is that? I have 3 hitches here, two of which are rated at 10,000 pounds. I don't think these are the same things.

Manny

the tires sound like they are up to the task.

A weight distribution hitch is not a sway controller, but a hitch that has 2 arms that connect to the trailer & the hitch. It distributes the load to all 4 wheels of the truck as opposed to just the rear tires. It also levels the load & prevents the dropped rear end that some trucks get. It also dramaticly reduces sway. Most truck warrenties require it for over 6000lbs load. It was the best $200 I have spent. but DO NOT USE ONE ON BOAT TRAILERS! It will crack the boat!