Can someone give me more info on what HMMWV are like to own?

[RodsRVF]

I must be honest I have never even drove one but have always wanted one. If I find one in pretty good shape is there anything I should keep an eye out for? How are they for driving on the freeway? Anything you can tell about them would be great.
Thanks for your time,
Rod

 

[Recovry4x4]

RE: Can someone give me more info on what these are like to

When you go to get one, wear the pants with the deepest pockets. They can get costly!

 

[m-35tom]

RE: Can someone give me more info on what these are like to

you would be much happier with a U1300L unimog, it is a real 4x4 truck unlike the hmmwv which will always be breaking, rides rough, is noisey, has poor heat and almost no defroster, no a/c, does not keep the weather out very well etc. they are in the same price range and in the same coolness range. i have had both, i still have my mog

 

[yonder]

RE: Can someone give me more info on what these are like to

I have never owned them but I have seen many of them stuck or dead on the trails. I don't know whether it is the fault of the vehicle or the overconfident driver who thinks he just bought the best 4x4 around due to how much he paid for it. Unimog or Pinz ... the only thing I've seen that gets them stuck is low tree limbs over the trail.

 

[cranetruck]

RE: Can someone give me more info on what these are like to

Come on guys, there are plenty of other reasons for owning an MV besides trail riding and if we wanted comfort, why even look at one....
If you have answers to questions or experience, respond to the man, please. I'm sure any vehicle has drawbacks, including the Unimogs.

 

[Jones]

RE: Can someone give me more info on what these are like to

I can only speak for the military versions (true HMMWVs) but for them, they're; hot, noisy, hard to see out of, not very roomy, uncomfortable to sit in, a lane and a half wide, miserable to parallel park,, in for repairs more often that not, not all that well-protected when you're taking fire (may not be a consideration in WalMart parking lots), expensive to maintain if you don't have a motor pool to send them to... And that's the short list.
Find yourself a National Guard motor pool, introduce yourself and see what the guys that drive/repair/deal with them on a regular basis have to say.
All this isn't meant to discourage you from getting one; just want you to have a clear understanding of what they or for that matter any mil. vehicles are all about. Don't want the two happiest days of your life to be the day you buy it... and the day you sell it.

 

[Recovry4x4]

RE: Can someone give me more info on what these are like to

Unimog or Pinz ... the only thing I've seen that gets them stuck is low tree limbs over the trail.

They don't do so well in mud either. Pulled several Pinz's and a Mog out back in Feb. Sorry guys, no matter what the shortcomings of any of these vehicles are, there will be no eurotrash in my back yard. I refuse to support any other country muchless it's military no matter how good the are (reportedly). Speaking for me, I collect military vehicles for their stature, not their off road ability. I'd rather build a trail vehicle than buy one. Personally I'd rather have a good ole US HMMWV that a dozen Pinz or Mogs. Before the flames come out, this is just my view on the situation, has no effect on what anyone else wants to buy.

 

[papercu]

HMMWV

You can always see Uncle Sam, he might loan you one for three or more years and his has guns you can play with when you get tired of driving. Wayne

 

[Djfreema]

RE: HMMWV

I too had always wanted one.Last year I showed one to my wife and she liked it so we bought it without putting much thought into it. It was a 98 with 80k miles,only 50k on a new motor. Very clean,well taken care of with lots of upgrades. After driving it a week I realized how unpractical and expensive they are to own and that is without having to do any repairs. I kept it for a few months and sold it almost breaking even in the checkbook. Fuel milageis 10 city,11 hwy. They dont like to go much faster than 65mph, and that is semi straining the motor. The engine has to work to get the thing to go up any kind of incline, thereis next to no hip/elbow room,very uncomfortable for a bigger person,visibility sucks especially if your 6 foot or taller. They are cool for the first few days but it quickly wears off. If I were you, I would look at how much rotors and pads are,half shafts and all the normal wear and tear parts run then decide if you are willing to spend that much on regular maintenance items. Not to mention they are targets for eco friendly vandals. Go rent one for a day and drive it around and do internet research. If you notice, it is quite common for used hummers to have new engines installed at a much higher rate and lower milage than most vehicles. If you have the extra cash flow and its just a toy and not a daily driver,then they are great. Oh yeah, the CTIS always leaks so you constantly have to air the tires up . My .02. Good luck .

 

[ken]

DJ where in texas did you get that one? I have drivin and worked on my LT's for a few months now. It's slow but the ride ain't to bad. It's not too hard to work on. Although it has some tight places to put your hands. It will run about 65 flat out. It's a 85 model with a 3 speed auto so no OD. I posted a pic or two of it some where on here. It gets 13MPG loaded or empty. It's one of the marine corps rigs that got out. It's had some small problems but i'd expect that from any 22 year old truck.

 

[Djfreema]

It came from a guy just outside of Dallas, I forget the name of the town. He was the president of some hummer owners group that frequently took it off road and was anal about maintenance. I paid $34k for it and sold it for the same,just had to each shipping charges which was only $700. I think the exotic vehicle rental places charge $500 for a 1 day rental of an H1.

 

[WillWagner]

RodsRVF, there's a '98 with a 2000 engine in it in Anaheim. Keep an eye peeled here. He is gonna post pics soon. Black, 4 door, pretty clean, saw it again today at the monthly club meeting.

 

[ElkyRacer]

Just think of a long wheelbase Jeep, about 4 ft wider, with no top, and thats a HMMWV. But, they are pretty darned fun, for a play toy. With overall gearing in the diffs/hubs in the high 5.xx they are not a highway vehicle at all. An OD tranny would cure that. Not much power, but I belive more power would start breaking drivelines. They dont ride well, 998s arent bad, any of the HD suspension models will break your back. Legroom for a tall person is little. Heat, they have no insulation whatsoever. But hey, its a overgrown Jeep right? Just flip the windshield down, andl go just about anywhere it'll fit. And thats what its all about. Id have one just for that reason. You gotta look at what you are wanting it for.

Kyle

PS, with it being a AWD vehicle, combined with the width, its pretty wicked on high speed dirt roads/trails! You cant get them to slide off the road!

 

[RodsRVF]

Thanks for all the input. I was thinking that might be the case.
Rod

 

[Kerry]

Rod,

Everyone believes their vehicle is the best. Just ask a Chevy pick up owner about a Ford and vice versa! Before writing off a HMMWV, come over and take a spin in mine -- I am located between Orange and Anaheim Hills so it won't be a far trip for you.

Fuel mileage is better than listed above. DJFREEMA posted a photo of a civvy model. The civvies weigh in at 3,000 to 5,000 pounds heavier than my open 1986 M998. A good friend has the civvy model and it is a dog compared to mine -- although I will admit it is a pleasant ride! I have gotten 12 - 14 mpg. Nothing great -- but better than the 10 MPG we see on the civvies.

Since moving to SoCal I have always run open vehicles so the temp control is not a big issue for me in the open HMMWV.

Parking is surprisingly easy -- much simpler than my little Lotus Elise used to be! The squareness of the form let's you know exactly where your corners are. No guessing how far a sloping hood is protruding.

These are not fast -- I travel the freeways at 56 - 58 MPH. I used to run it down the highway screaming at 65 - 70 mph but found that things went wrong with it at those speeds. It was not designed to go that fast! Once I started driving it at the level it was designed for it has been quite reliable. FYI, it is a great crawler -- actually great for SoCal traffic jams! People actually let me in!

The closed in versions are tough to see out of. Mine is completely open (just the soft top on). I keep the doors off most of the year. Incredibly visibility all around in that configuration.

Never ever go to a HUMMER dealer -- they assume that you must be wealthy if you plunked down the cash for a civvy version. I have a good local diesel mechanic that has been great in upgrading old components. And yes, if you have any mechanical aptitude these are actually pretty easy to work on.

In short, it is a military vehicle. These are all designed with a pre-driving check list to keep them functioning at their best. I find the most important thing (with the vibrations from the diesel engine) is to go over it with a set of wrenches and screwdrivers every month or so to retighten everything.

And yes, I may be a little biased because mine is for sale -- I really need a more business like vehicle and I am not willing to buy a second car for myself (OK, my wife won't let me -- I just finally got down to one motorcycle in the garage!). But I am selling it because it doesn't meet my business needs -- not because I don't like it.

 

[Massm35a2]

I used to drive them in the guard, The Hmmwv's were rough on the highway, the wheels seem to hop on the road. The steering wheel seemed too small for that size of a truck and the visibility was bad. When you come to a stop it would rock back and forth because of the way the brakes were set up.

Call me crazy but, I liked the drive the m35a2's better for some reason. I expected the Deuce to be loud and hot, The spring seat was nice & a big steeribng wheel, Also it had a great view from the drivers seat.

 

[dilvoy]

Rod, If you want the look of a Military vehicle but the drivability of a true civilian vehicle, look into one of the CUCV vheicles, Most specificly the M1009 Blazer. As far as the normally low geared Military vehicles go, the Humvee is the most drivable in the normal world. I think it even beats any of the militay Jeeps, because the Humvee is not as scary to drive on the highway, especially when a big rig is ten feet behind you or just passing you!

 

[M1075]

Or, if you want an offroad capable vehicle, get a M1008, and add HMMWV wheels, tires, and an ARB locker up front in the Dana 60. Tough to beat that combination for about a $5000 investment.

 

[RodsRVF]

I have a 88 Blazer right now that I love. Here it is http://www.hiperform.com/blazer_project.htm

This was just something else I was thinking of getting.

Kerry, down to one motorcycle in the garage, that is terrible! I have some I would be happy to make you a deal on!

Rod

 

[Blackfox]

Rods

I have an M-1044. That a hardtop with additional uparmored installed at the factory.

I truely love my vehicle and it is a lot of fun to drive but they are not for everyone. As some have mentioned already they aren't the most comfortable vehicles to drive. They are noisy (especially soft tops) but mine is fairly quiet. At least I can carry a conversation on the freeway. They are not design for high speed. I've gotten mine up to 75 mph but when you go above 65 mph for any long time you start creating problems for yourself. Seals start to leak bolts come loose and so. Keep it under 60 and your vehicle will be happy. Lack of insulation makes them pretty hot to drive in the summer. And if you plan to drive it on a regular basis make sure you have a fair amount of money in your savings. They tend to be high on the maintenance, it's just the nature of the beast. I spend $500~1,500 a year on mine to keep it running but mine is a working truck. I put on about 5,000 mi a year plus I tow about 4~5000 lb of supplies once a monthand I drive it from San Francisco to LA or Reno once a year. I also take it off road with a 50 cal airsoft gun and shoot my buddies with it but they get to shoot back too! So mine gets a lot of hard use. The other thing that they HMMWV will suck your money with is endless accessories. Because there are so many version of this vehicle there are all kinds of parts for it.

So now that I've given you some of the down side here are the pluses.

They are one of the coolest MVs around and they definitely gain respect on the road. You have to look at them as a fun vehicle and not a daily drive. They also attract a lot of attention. For me it fun to watch peoples reaction. 95% it's positive but every once in a while you'll get some idiot who like to give you the bird. When I encounter one of these people I blow them a kiss and smile and watch the steam come out of their ears. Also, expect people to come up and ask a lot of questions. Again just about everyone who comes up to you are really interested in the vehicle and wants to know more. On a rare occasion someone will attempt to lecture me as to what an affront to the environment they are. When I tell them that my vehicle can run off of cooking oil (It's true, any HMMWV can, up to 50% in the summer & 20% in the winter) and that 98% of the parts are recyclable and ask if their car is as environmentally as friendly, it usually shut's them up. Off road they are truly king and they are a blast. If you do take it off road it's recommended to get a winch. Get one that's 9,000lb+. The other thing nice thing about the HMMWV is that parts are relatively plentiful as far as MV goes. Some parts can be hard to find though. The other thing as I mentioned is that there are a lot of cool accessories out there to customize your vehicle and this can be fun but you have to be careful with burning a whole in your pocket. It's a pro and a con. On the other hand though I guess you can burn a whole in your pocket with any hobby you get involved with.

Well I can add more but this should suffice for now.