Towing with a Hummer H2
 

I have a 2003 Hummer H2. I just bought a Sea Ray SLX 270. The boats dry weight is 5555 lbs. without the trailer, tower and 496 engine. I know that hummers tow cap. is 6700 lbs. Just wondering if anyone has towed with a boat about same weight and what is was like. Please no hummer bad mouthing. I know not everyone likes them, but until you own one, don't bad mouth one.

I was a similar situation a while back.
You'll definitely be at the towing/braking limit for an H2. Although the motor makes ample power, the long up hills might really stress the whole pkg, and if you're over limit and have a wreck, there are other issues to contend with. I'd say "fine" around town, but longer trips would not be prudent.

If you are pushing the limits of the tow vehicle I would not recommend it anytime, whether you are two miles from the ramp or 200 miles from the ramp. Accidents and peoples lives dont care how far away you are from the ramp.

Towed my 38 Fountain with an H2. No problem as long as it has the air ride.

That takes BALLS:party-smiley-004:

Just stay far away from everything, and make sure the brakes on the trailer are working, oh and GO SLOW>

My ass hurts from towing with that Hummer. Worst tow vehicle I have ever used. Cant pull 2 snowmobiles without a lot of strain.

baja...
personally, i concur, but at a slow speed, around town, i wouldn't buy a new truck for an occasional short, real close-to the-limit tow...(actually i would buy. i tow a 6000lb'er with a truck rated for 12.5K)
i'm not talking gross neglegence, well-over the limit here, but if filling the tank bumps you over the edge, then what?
ultimately, be careful, cautious, legal and smart.....you're right...many deadly accidents occur very close to home and are caused by people who "chanced" it....
c

I'd love to own one! Great for getting out of my 750 foot driveway before the plowman gets here. But I'll use my truck for towing anything.

Thanks everyone, I keep the boat at the water, just worried about 2 trips a year to the lakes in Kentucky. Can always rent something i guess.

Keep in mind rental comapnies all state "no towing"
in their contracts unless your talking big trucks like Ryder or Uhaul.

I had an 03 H2 and was surprised at how well it towed. but do not go over the tow ratings or your insurance could decline to cover you.

i have been hearing more and more stories about that so not worth taking the chance.

You have to get an 08 and up. They've got the new motor, almost 400 hp and the towing capacity is 8,500. It is 10x the H2 that the 03-07's are. I used to hate driving my wifes 05 H2. Since she's gotten the new 09 I take it everywhere.

i have a 2003 H2 i tow with all the time my boat is a 1998 272 Baja and it tows it with no problems you might notice it a little in the hills but you wont have no problems the H2 is basically a little shorter a little wider 3/4 ton suburban and it has a little bigger engine that most of the yukons and suburbans

You probably already know this, but no matter how well you "think" it toes, how great it "feels" when trailering or how short a distance you need to move it ---all it takes is 1 accident for the insurance company to deny your coverage. Then you have people coming after your business, home, net worth...... its your call. Old lady cuts you off. Kid with a new license changes lanes in front of you without looking. The list goes on. All it takes is 1 accident.

Your trailer alone sounds like it is going to put your over the legal limit. Then factor in gear, ice, beer...

I also have an 03 H2 and I am in the towing business, for what it is I think it tows quite well I have towed a 39 Outerlimits on a Myco trailer, and tow my 35 Cigarette on a regular basis, I wouldn't travel across the country with it, or do 80 MPH but it will pull it.

For a 27 Sea Ray SLX I would not think twice about towing it.

Not the number 1 pick if you were going out to buy a tow vehicle, but since you already have it you will be fine. It is more important the boat is set up on trailer properly... tongue weight and working brakes. Use common sense driving.

Don't do it. Buy a truck that is rated MORE than your boat, trailer and stuff you haul for a day at the lake. It's a matter of safety.

You need to think about insurance too. Your policyholder will deny your claim if you are overloaded and have an accident.

I would buy a 3/4 ton diesel but the Ford 1/2 ton is rated about 9000lbs I think.

Everything I can see I don't know why the rating is so low. The 1/2 suburban with a 5.3 liter and the 4l60-e transmission has a tow rating of 8500 lbs. Why would the Hummer with the 6.0 and the 4l65e only 6700 lbs.? The Hummer frame is the suburban frame cut off, the 4l65e is a straighter and heavier duty transmission, and all the drive train is from the 3/4 suburban. Makes no since.

Im not sure why they did the rating so low initially either. The later ones had the rating jump to almost 9k lbs. Most of the running & braking gear is 3/4 or 1 ton stuff. The frame is also built very well. The hitch is actually built stronger than the ones on the silverado HD trucks..

It is seriously bad azz. Crawl under one for a peek next time you get a chance & take a look. The steel for it is a much heavier gauge & it is integrated to the frame like you wouldn't believe.

I have had & several H2's & used them for towing as well. I have been very happy with them. I agree it is not as peppy under a heavy load as my duramax truck was, but it actually pulled just as well from a handling perspective. It is a much more capable vehicle than people think.. Now from a liability perspective I wouldn't really like to tempt the law in the case of a bad day. So legally It would probably be a wise idea to stay within the suggested confines of the printed recommendations. I just am saying it is a much stouter ride than most think.


Jamie :)

I thought the Hummer was off a Tahoe platform but everything is on steroids. The only weakness that you might have to address is the tires. At least E rated tires is what you would want. Sidewalls might be a bit soft from factory. I think that is part of why they rate it so low for towing. They look good and help it ride nice but they dont have a stiff sidewall. Tires are cheaper than a new truck.

The Hummer's frame is not off of the Tahoe, or anything else. It is more of a hybrid Heavy duty frame that they did just for the H2. The Tahoe thing may have come from the body's sheet metal flooring platform for the cabin, but even that is still a bit different inside. ;) J

I towed my 25 baja outlaw.... struggled

Quote from magazine article:

The H2 is built under contract by AM General at a specially constructed plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, USA.
It shares GM's GMT820 truck platform with the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, The H2's final frame assembly is made up of 3 sections: The front uses a modified GM 2500-Series utility frame, the mid-section is all new and is completely boxed, and the rear section uses a modified GM 1500-Series frame which is upgraded for the 8,600 pounds (3,900 kg) gross vehicle weight.

The H2 has a light duty truck frame and has a wider-than-average track firm that may offer stability against overturning compared to some of the more common light truck SUVs, although objective tests have not been performed by the government or other outside parties due to its specialized vehicle class. It is marketed as both a general purpose vehicle and as an off-road vehicle. Because of mass marketing by GM, it is primarily used as a passenger vehicle on typical roads.

no problems here, tows awesome:grinser010:

I've towed a lot more miles than I care to remember and coming from the marine industry, trailer industry (car haulers) and RV industry, I've towed all kinds of things. Boats have always towed the easiest, typically because they're more aerodynamic than a big RV or car hauler...you can typically get away with a bit more when you're towing a boat, but as has been stated, it's not a great idea, in our sue happy society if you have a mishap (and Murphy's Law says you will) you're going to have problems if you're over your vehices rated limits.

I have never owned an H2 but lived within 30 miles of the factory, so it goes without saying I've towed with them and ridden in them more than I care to remember, I'm not bashing them, but they are what they are...and that's more cosmetic than anything else. It's basically a Yukon with a different body...no more, no less.

The problem is the yukon and tahoe with a 6.0 liter tows 8500 lbs. This is what I don't understand. And the Hummer has a longer wheel base than the yukon and tahoe.

I towed my 33Powerplay with the H2, but my suburban 2500 tows a little better because of the wheel base.

The problem for you is, The trip down to Cumberland/dale hollow is all big hills and turns...It will push you around alot !


Towing up to Erie is a breeze for me. Straight flat...
The trip to Cumberland is always 'exciting"

I remember the first weekend I towed my 29 Fountain to Lake Cumberland with my 1500 Suburban (many years ago), I was at the Jamestown ramp and when I lined up my rig to to back in at the top of that daunting ramp (steep) it basically pulled me straight back down...no brakes on the trailer (they were surge and you know the problem there) and the brakes on the truck couldn't hold it...I basically just kept it locked up and it skidded slowly (and loudly) down the ramp, each time it would get a bit cocked I would let up off the brakes to steer it straight again, thankfully I knew how to back down and not have to correct...there was no room for mistakes. Once the boat reached the water (and thankfully there were no other people launching so I had a wide target) it took the weight off the truck and we made it...half way down I made my girlfriend (now wife) jump from the truck in case something went terribly wrong.

To make matters worse when towing home at after the weekend I was going north on I-75....going down that big hill into Cincinnati (Suicide Hill)...it's been redesigned since and isn't nearly as steep...my entire brake system went out and failed COMPLETELY....we were running about 75mph on a Monday's Labor Day Weekend traffic...contemplating putting the entire rig into the center concrete divider to slow us down or stop us if necessary...we were fortunate and ended up making it down without having to destroy the truck and boat.

Shortly there after I sold the Suburban and bought a Centurian (remember the one ton Bronco style four doors that were convereted Fords?)...that pulled like a beast, but I decided to quit trailering and dry docked my boat on Lake Erie...smartest thing I ever did in my opinion. Oh the memories of trailering!!

I dont get it. This post should be the Hummer is a great tow vehicle as long as you do not encounter a hill. Also the thing is stupid on fuel. The 1500's with 2 snowmobiles go 240 miles easy on one 24 gallon tank of fuel. The hummer takes two full tanks of fuel at 32 gallons. I told my buddy you want to take your Hummer good luck to you! Thaty truck is a joke. Yeah maybe GM made changes. This 2003 is garbage.

wow 64 gal to go 240 miles? that 3.75 mpg! you got other problems! like a big fuel leak. since when does the hi- performance crowd care about fuel milage? i personaly like a HUGE carbon footprint:lolhit:

FOUR LETTERS

J.U.N.K

owned one for a total of 47 hours.

Don't try this at home kids!

Not trying to change the subject. But besides towing a boat, the Hummer will out do most trucks, and suvs in every way. The list is to long, but there is always a hater. Also, I towed my old boat an Azure 220 with both the Hummer and my old 2005 Silverado 1500. The Hummer out towed it by far. The Silverado with a 5.3 aluminum block could barely get it up the ramp the Hummer does it with easy. Also I would have to put my Silverado in 4 wheel drive or it would spin tires all day long. The Hummer has flaws, just like everything. But if i had to choose one vechile for all around purposes I would choose a Hummer.

I love my 07 H2! It is the most comfortable vehicle I have ever driven. And it is a deceivingly smooth ride. But hook something on the hitch and the power goes kaput! I towed an enclosed single axle trailer with a couch in it recently and had to have my foot in it the whole way. But by itself, I love it. The loooong suspension travel makes it less tow worthy. T

I live in Burlington, Ky. Some friends have H2s.... I have a Crown225 LPX and tow with a '04 Z71 Tahoe to Cumberland all the time.

In part, you're going to make the same trips I do. Take 75s all the way down to whatever exit (62) and for that tow vehicle, your hardest hill is going over fishing creek.

As stated prior, stay away from Jamestown :). I'd check out Alligator 1. The Army Corps have done an amazing job on that ramp. Alligator 2 is a nightmare and most powerboats shut it down and radio with CBs when they come down.

Scale yourself off 71 down towards verona if you're worried about it. Stay legal and stay safe. BUUUTTTTTT...... Russell is a dry county so you have to stock up somewhere :)

I believe the H2 came with 2 different gear ratios. 4.56 or 4.10. The 4.56 gears would tow better being the lower ratio. Also, the factory tires are 315/70-17 BFG All Terrains with a D load rating which is fine for towing its weight limit. However, towing over the vehicles limit is never a good idea.

Here's a thread for ya.......


http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...h2-hummer.html

We have an 03 h2 also that we pull our 28 foot velocity with. Braking is no problem, but power sucked. The damn things barely pull them selfs. I installed a magnasum supercharger "think that's how you spell it" any way what a defference that made. Now the only thing I have to watch is the temp gauges. Seems like the radiator is to small now. Hope this helps.

What is the weight of the Tahoe/Yukon vs. the weight of the H2? That may be your answer right there. You still have to contend with GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating). If the weight of the H2 is more than the Tahoe, that weight difference has to be subtracted from the towing weight in order to keep the GCWR.

I can say this, I went down the road of "Well, this vehicle should be sufficient to tow my rig. I'm only a little over my tow rating." That evaporated quickly when a woman decided she really needed to get to the mall and cut over in front of me and jammed on the brakes. I quickly purchased my first dually (Chevy gas burner) and progressed to my current F450. I can let my wife tow this thing now and not worry a bit about power, braking or a potential law suit.

Just my .02.