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What should I replace the H3 with?

telemike

telemike

Hummer Enthusiast
Messages
466
Location
Greensboro, NC
Looks like I may need to trade the H3 in for a different SUV/truck.

I may need to be able to tow a 4200# dry weight (5000# loaded) 25' long travel trailer. My 2007 H3 with I5 can tow 4500# max and at the max end the poor I5 will struggle to climb any mountain grades.

I am leaning towards a V8 Land Rover LR3 which has a 7700# tow rating. Still can be a light trail rig with lift rods and better tires.

Other ideas? Still want to be able to do some light off-road trails and be good for daily driving.
 
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mkmcgreg

mkmcgreg

Well-Known Member
Messages
196
Location
Carmel
I am pleased with my pathfinder. It will never have the same emotional tug my H3 had but it is a overall solid vehicle. Maybe consider a Xterra as well. Pathfinders are good for 6k and you can get the v8 which is good for 7k
 
telemike

telemike

Hummer Enthusiast
Messages
466
Location
Greensboro, NC
Nearest Alpha V8 Adventure is in Alabama. My budget is under $18k. I've read that the LR3's have way better reliability than the older Discoveries. Ford made many improvements when they took over.
 
ReconH3

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
telemike said:
I've read that the LR3's have way better reliability than the older Discoveries. Ford made many improvements when they took over.
Click to expand...

That's what they always say to try to make up for old problems. Owners say it just to make themselves feel better about owning something that is known to have problems. I worked for ProMotor, that did all the R&D for Land Rover. The quality of the metals they use is subpar. They have way to much electronics with very serious stability and conflict issues in the programming. Vehicles would just stop working for no apparent reason, and no diagnostics would shed a light on the issue. Three months later the vehicle would just start working. Timing belts would explode straight from the factory. I could go on for hours on the frustration it was dealing with them. Any friends I've had that has owned one has had nightmare stories about the dealers and their customer service. I would strongly recommend against them. There are so many other options out there. BTW. The LR3 are still called Discoveries in the rest of the world. It's only in the US that they use that name to try to clean up the poor history of the brand.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"
 
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twinmill28

twinmill28

Spilled Milk
Messages
1,545
Location
El Centro, Mehico (Way So Cal)
Excerpted from an MSN article, but the old HUMMER website used to list the dimensions as well:
"The H3 is nearly 17 inches shorter overall than the H2 and is about the length of a midsize sedan. It's also 6.5 inches narrower and 4 inches lower, with about an 11-inch shorter wheelbase, or distance between axles"

It's really not THAT much bigger than the 3---but feels worlds apart from the inside.
I just reread your budget and you can get into a clean lower mileage older deuce for around that number.

It's doable. Think about it. You know you want one. Do it.......DO IT!!! :thumbs:
 
RamRod

RamRod

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,914
Location
AB, Canada
h3t alpha... wait and one will come in your price range.

Land Rover... too many electronics... too many problems
Nissan xterra, Owned a 2000 manual trans, it rated to only tow 3500lbs (barely could do that) the auto trans is rated for 6000lbs... but I don't know how with that weak 6 cyl.
Can't comment on the pathfinder... seems to be alright

I can't believe I am going on record by saying this... never thought I would.... but Dodge has a 1/2 tonne diesel coming out that looks seriously interesting and dodge has gone WAYY up in quality since they were bought out...... but that wouldn't be in your price range for a few year I guess too


So final answer:
Keep your 3! or look inside the family, at a H2 or an Alpha H3 or H3t...
 
ReconH3

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
If you want a quick cheap fix, get a WJ Grand Cherokee with the 4.7 V8. I have 99 with 350,000 on the odometer and running strong. 180,000 of them it did towing a 3 ton trailer. It's rated at 7,700, and has given me close to zero problems. An 80 series Toyota is also a good choice but I'm not familiar with its towing capacity.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"
 
S

skeptic

Well-Known Member
Messages
737
Location
Orygun
If towing and light trails is the goal, is a full size truck an option? Something like an Avalanche maybe, very SUV like but has a covered truck bed and a mid-gate for those times you need the extra bed length. The only reason I don't have an Avalanche is the difference in offroad capability. There are a number of full sized SUVs as well, and without looking at numbers I'd bet most of them meet your towing requirements.

As I've said before, if you do mild to no wheeling then there are plenty of options out there that are better than a Hummer.
 
telemike

telemike

Hummer Enthusiast
Messages
466
Location
Greensboro, NC
I still want do moderate trails. A diesel Grand Cherokee might be worth looking for. Still drawn to LR3....

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
 
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