H3 for Towing

[Wassa]

Hi Everyone

I am in Western Australia and am considering an H3 Auto, which is being released here next month.

My only concern is that I have an 18'6" caravan that weighs approx 3,500lbs. With the 5 cylinder engine making max torque at 4600rpm and max power at 5600rpm, I have real concerns about its ability to tow, having been caught before with a vehicle that made max power and torque high in the rev range and so could not cruise at 90kph (55mph) in top gear.

Has anyone had experience towing with an H3? I'd be interested in hearing what your exoeriences are.

By the way, I used to work for Hummer Australasia, who, until they closed the door 6 years ago, used to import H1's and convert them to right hand drive.

[aflax24]

I tow my boat on road trips pretty frequently. Not a big deal at all. My boat weighs about 3000lbs and I tow on road trips through the hills. At 55mph you wont even leave 3rd gear...It wont be bad at all "mate"

[evldave]

I tow a work trailer pretty regularly (it's a 16' trailer) through winding hilly backcountry roads. Trailer + gear ranges from 2500# up to a one-time max load of 6k#+ I drive in 3rd gear all the time while towing and it works ok in all weight ranges. If I remember correctly, towing a heavy (3500#) load, it would be around 3000 rpm in 3rd gear around 55 mph and downshifts to 2nd pretty quickly if the hill gets steep. It was plenty of torque for flat and moderate hills, but struggled on steep grades.

All that said, if I was towing an 18' camping trailer regularly, I wouldn't tow it with an H3. I'd get a Tahoe or Suburban or some other full-size SUV and tow with that. I have a 3/4 ton Suburban and you can tell the difference towing - in the H3 it's noticeable when you have a load that size/weight, with the Suburban, it's nothing and the truck doesn't even work hard...

[usetosellhummer]

No wait for the 5.3 V-8.

Originally Posted by usetosellhummer

No wait for the 5.3 V-8.

Agreed, because wheelin with a Tahoe or Suburban mini-van substitute SUV isn't going to work.

[evldave]

Originally Posted by Steve - SanJose

Agreed, because wheelin with a Tahoe or Suburban mini-van substitute SUV isn't going to work.

TRUE!!...and that's why I have both...

[usetosellhummer]

smart man

[Matt19]

well fellas, if i was an aussi, i would think to myself if the alpha would be released in Austrailia around the same time it is in the US. because if i would have to wait a year or two, then i would not by an H3 at all, and by a fullsize

[Wisha Haddan H3]

Originally Posted by Wassa

My only concern is that I have an 18'6" caravan that weighs approx 3,500lbs. With the 5 cylinder engine making max torque at 4600rpm and max power at 5600rpm, I have real concerns about its ability to tow ...

The 3.7L has a pretty flat torque curve, and you get most of it up front. It makes 225 ft-lbs (305 Nm) at 2800 RPM and 242 ft-lbs (328 Nm) at 4600 RPM.

[wpage]

You are talking over 2x the rated payload capacity of the I5 H3. Use the search menu and read the owners manual regarding towing & load limits.

[Wassa]

Thankyou everyone for your input here. I'm told there may be the option of a turbo diesel in 2008, as well as the petrol V8. I might wait till next year and get one of those.

Originally Posted by wpage

You are talking over 2x the rated payload capacity of the I5 H3. Use the search menu and read the owners manual regarding towing & load limits.

Not sure whether we are talking the same language here. In Australia "payload" = what you put inside the H3, "towing capacity" = what you put on the towbar of the H3. Here, in Australia at least, to meet Australian Design Rules the TOWING capacity has already been documented at 2,000kgs or approx 4,400lbs.

Anyway thankyou all again and I shall stay in touch.

[H3 Builder]

We are starting to ship 2008 parts to S.A. for assembling new models. Just not sure how long it will be before it would be available in Australia.

[trailerpup]

2007 I5 Auto with 35's. Towing 16ft. Airstream Bambi. Bambi weighs 3500lbs. The H3 pulls it like a bag of feathers.


Man, I've been wanting to use that dancing banana for a while.