Hi I was thinking about buying an h1 and I just have a few questions. First is it a smooth ride like driving down the highway is it noisy or rough? And how is the acceleration i know the top speed is only like 90 mph but how does it get off the line? thank you, Garrett

 

Noise, yes they are noisier than most other SUVs or trucks. A lot of that will depend on the tires you have on it. Goodyear GSA tires will give you a pretty smooth, quiet ride. BFG KM2s are pretty quiet and ride good but not as good, etc.
Acceleration is slow. They are 7-8000 # diesel vehicles geared for torque not speed. Top realistic speed is about 75 mph on late model trucks.. Yes they will go faster but that is not what they are designed for. If you don't like driving a truck they are not your daily driver. If you want to offroad they are fantastic.

 

I was thinking the same thing. But I would like to know about what mechanical issues to look out for.

Are these pretty low maintenance vehicles?
Are there years that I should stay away from?
Are there common issues that everyone has with these vehicles… engine, transmission… ect.
Since it is a much larger vehicle do you need to register is in a different manner with DMV or are there extra taxes that you will need to pay that you wouldn’t on a car?

Just trying to figure out if it is worth it.

 

I have not encountered any additional fees or DMV requirements. The early year trucks ( 92,93 ) with the 6.2 motor are slugs. They are great offroad but realistically cruise on the highway at 55-60 mph.
The 6.5 NA motor trucks are simple and bulletproof. The have the same cruising speed as the later models but are slower getting there.
The 6.5 turbo motor produces the most torque and horsepower and speed but is a more complicated motor and a little more trouble prone.
97, 97.5 and 98 models are favored by many offroaders as they have all of the refinements but are pre- TT4.
Early TT4 models ( 99, 00 ) are good trucks but the TT4 is a little overbearing.
2002/03 models are the most refined of the later old style trucks. The TT4 is more refined.
2004 has the new interior and the Optimizer 6.5 TD. There have been some power issues with these.
The 2006 has the Duramax and Allison transmission. It is fantastic.
The 97-2000 trucks had an engine issue with the number 8 cylinder. Most deficient motors have been replaced by now but if you find a 30-40K mile 97-00 truck you might want to make sure that the motor issue has been addressed.
How you drive the truck has a lot to do with maintenance. The trucks are easy to work on. If you offroad hard you will wear parts out faster. I would figure $3000.00/year for service and repairs.

 

Thank you for all you info. It is really helpful. Plus with your long list of monsters in the garage I feel comfortable with you replies.

With the early model Turbos do they tend to have blow-by issues at all. I have never dealt with a Diesel and or a turbo on one. Do you feel the 6.5 NA is safer when looking for an older model. Im just a little nervous, this would be my first American built engine and I really don’t know the history behind AM General’s quality. I know all my friends that have had H2 and H3 have had nothing but trouble but I would like to think the H1 are a different bread.

TT4 – traction control, when you say overbearing, what are you referring to? Extreme Off road conditions or all off road conditions? And how overbearing? I had a car that had extremely overbearing traction control and when ever the rear wheels would slit it would shut to throttle body and basically kill all power. That got old.

I really don’t plan on beating the hell out of this truck and I really don’t see putting a lot of miles on it either. I generally put 5-10k on a car a year. (Benefits of working from home and have fast cars the wife is not comfortable driving) Plus I am a DIY guy. I can do any of the monstrance work just as long as it does not require pulling the motor and or dropping the tranny.

I can’t thank you enough for your time and information. This is a select group of owners and there really is not a lot of forums out there with information. I live by the forums but don’t get too far away from my BMW and Benz forums that often. But when it all comes down to it, the forum family is much more reliable then some shisty mechanic. Thank you!!

 

The turbo diesel motors are fine. Almost bulletproof. They have electronics that the NA motors don't have. Not that it happens real often but one of the most common issues with the TD motors is that the PMD fails, which means the truck quits running, is hard to start, etc.
I prefer to BTM when offroading. Driving the TT4 truck is a different experience. Seems to take awhile for the TT4 to kick in and that isn't always a good thing.
If you aren't driving the truck a lot or offroading a lot the maintenence costs will be lower. The 2006 is my daily driver and I haven't had much go wrong. The others are driven quite a bit and the 97 is offroaded extensively. It has the normal wear and tear issues. ( idler, pitmas, tie rods, half shafts, etc )

 

www.lynchhummer.com has a section on model year changes that is very informative. www.humvee.net is the largest H1 forum. Lots of good experience there.

 

Thank you again for the info.

What do you consider high milage on these trucks? What is the longevity of these when it comes to milage?

 

Well maintained trucks will last forever. There are examples of H1s with 750K plus miles. Condition and maintenance is far more important than mileage. I've looked at 40K mile trucks that were a disaster and 100K trucks that needed nothing.

 

How will I know the differance?