"New" Tow Vehicle!!!

[66Overlander]

We finally got our 2005 Hummer H2 today!!! We went for Pewter so that it looks good with an Airstream behind it, even though we won't be pulling it too much. I'm gonna try to get some digital photo's of the pair hooked up so I can post the, but it may take a week or two.

And actually, I don't know if I should call this a "new" tow vehicle, because while it is "new", we don't have an "old" tow vehicle, so it's sort of more like a "first" tow vehicle.

Anyway, tomorrow, I going to get a new hitch shank and head so that the trailer will tow level. The hitch receiver on the H2 is much higher than what the PO's must have used to tow the Overlander, so the hitch we received with the trailer won't work "as is". If we tried to use it, the hitch ball would be at about 30" off the ground, not the 20.5" we need.

We're so exicted!!! Now we just have to get some miles on this beast in the next two weeks to break in the motor and transmission before leaving for the WBCCI International. Somehow I doubt that'll be a problem.

Joe

P.S. Did I forget to say ???

[Big Dee]

Congrats! Can't wait to see some pics.

[66Overlander]

No photos yet (still too busy spending every waking moment that I'm not a work working on the trailer . . .), but I now have a hitch with the a proper 6' drop shank (which gets the trailer perfectly level) and have pulled the Overlander perhaps 20 miles. I'd don't have any real prior experience towing trailers of this size, and I haven't yet had the combo on the expressway, but so far the H2 seems to handle the Overlander very easily. I've towed it with and without the trunion bars and found it to feel almost the same. I intend to tow with them, but had to get the trailer to the hitch dealer for adjustments before I could install them.

Joe

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

No photos yet (still too busy spending every waking moment that I'm not a work working on the trailer . . .), but I now have a hitch with the a proper 6' drop shank (which gets the trailer perfectly level) and have pulled the Overlander perhaps 20 miles. I'd don't have any real prior experience towing trailers of this size, and I haven't yet had the combo on the expressway, but so far the H2 seems to handle the Overlander very easily. I've towed it with and without the trunion bars and found it to feel almost the same. I intend to tow with them, but had to get the trailer to the hitch dealer for adjustments before I could install them.
Joe

Joe,
Congrats`!
Sounds like it's a perfect pair~
Which engine did you get with the H2? gas or diesel?
If you got the diesel, I have a link you might like on the web for the H-diesel. I'm sure you'll enjoy it..
Again, good luck on the awesome tow~
ciao
53FC

[66Overlander]

The H2 only comes with the 6.0L gas engine (no diesel).

Anyway, we just got back from the WBCCI International Rally and two additional weeks of vacation after it. When we get our pictures developed I will scan some into the computer that I can post them to finally show the H2/Overlander combo.

Anyway, on this trip we put about 1300 miles on the H2 with the Overlander "in tow" and have to report that it pulls like a dream. Never any sway with side winds or when semi's pass.

Based upon recommendations on this web site, I pulled with "tow/haul" engaged and in 3rd gear rather than overdrive to save wear and tear on the 4L60 tranmission. I was impressed to get almost 10 mpg at 60 mph doing so, which didn't seem bad considering that the H2 would probably only get about 13 mpg at that speed in Overdrive without the trailer in tow. The trans temp never exceeded 180 degrees F. That got me wondering if I could tow in overdrive in the flat areas without hurting the trans. I tried it for a little while and got at least another 1 mpg out of it, ever closer to the "no trailer" fuel economy.

If I watch the trans temp gauge religiously, is there any reason I cannot tow in OD in the flats? Would the more frequent locking and unlocking of the torque converter still hurt the trans even if the trans temp stayed reasonable (<TBD degrees)? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

It probably doesn't matter much in the end anyway, given that we are not "full timing" it. The difference in fuel ecomony for perhaps 2000-3000 miles towing per year won't add up too quickly, but a transmission rebuild is definitely worth avoiding if at all possible.

Joe

[millionairstream]

I have used several different tow vehicles, and on flat ground, never experienced a problem with towing a trailer of under 4500lbs at 60-70 mph in OD or 5th gear- depending on if its AT or stick. The problem comes when the trans starts shifting in and out under load. They say the Dodge 5 speed has a nut that backs off if you tow it in 5th, but that you can remove the tailshaft, tighten the nut back up and apply some thread lock and its over with- one guy said he tacked the nut with a weld and it was fine.

Can't you get an Allison in that model yet? That would be the way to go if available- probably if the ever offer the Duramax...

[uwe]

Joe,
I tow with the same transmission. If you watch trans temp, and RPM, then you'll notice right away when the transmission is not happy towing in OD.
I believe that when it's flat, you can tow in OD. As soon as the trans starts slipping in and out of OD on slight hills or strong headwind, you should pull it to 3rd.
I don't have the tow/haul mode on my Suburban, so I can't offer advice on that.
It largely depends on where and how you tow.

[66Overlander]

Here are a couple of photos of the Hummer and Overlander in front of the Mackinac Bridge . . .

[eaglerab]

i dont think there is a tow vehicle that can outlast an airstream

[Tarheel]

What is the towing capacity of the H2? It would look great pulling my 34' but the old ones wouldn't tow 10,000 lbs.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by Tarheel

What is the towing capacity of the H2? It would look great pulling my 34' but the old ones wouldn't tow 10,000 lbs.

Max Tow=6,700#
Max tongue=700#
GCWR=14,000#
Weight distributing hitch and sway control required for tailers greater than 5,000#. Trailer brakes required for trailers over 2,000#, yada, yada, yada.

[john celano]

Now that some time has past - do you still like towing your 25' with the H2? I'm consisdering buying a 06 SafariSS '25 and doing this same pairing. I just posted a question about this topic on another thread. Are the weights significantly different on your A/S as compared to the newer ones?

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by john celano

Now that some time has past - do you still like towing your 25' with the H2? I'm consisdering buying a 06 SafariSS '25 and doing this same pairing. I just posted a question about this topic on another thread. Are the weights significantly different on your A/S as compared to the newer ones?

We LOVE the H2 as our tow vehicle. While it may not have the same tow rating as the 3/4-ton Suburban, it does just fine for our current 25' Sovereign which is around 5000lbs. empty and 6000 lbs. ready for the road with a full water tank (less if we don't fill the tank). It has done fine thru the flats and rolling hills, but we haven't been near mountains with it yet. Without looking up the numbers on the Airstream web site, I'd guess a current 25' Safari is near or slightly heavier than our trailer, but likely still within the ratings of the H2. A new 25' Classic would be too heavy.

I'll admit not having much towing experience with other tow vehicles, but can't imagine them to be much better (other than some will pull a larger heavier trailer). There is absolutely no sway with this set up. I am convinced that I don't even need sway control, although I always use it at highway speeds - first a Reese Dual Cam setup with our 1st trailer and now just a friction bar with the current trailer. I attribute this to the heavy weight of the H2 and more importantly to the very short rear axle to hitch dimension.

If you go this route, you will have to buy the longest drop hitch shank you can get (I think ours is listed as an 8" drop). That almost gets the trailer level (the front is about 1-2" high). If we didn't have the air suspension which pumps the rear back up after the trailer as hitched up we'd probably be about level with a little squat in the rear.

One other thing to think about is the spare tire. H2's from 2003 thru early 2005 had the spare in the rear compartment, but later 2005's and 2006's have the spare mounted on the rear bumper. Ours has the spare in the rear compartment, which means I can open the lift gate with the trailer attached. If you get a new H2, you will get a bumper mounted spare and won't be able to open the liftgate with the trailer attached (if that is important to you), unless you move the spare somewhere else (like back inside or on a roof rack). Of course if you are looking at used H2's you get your choice.

If opening the liftgate with the trailer attached is not an issue for you, all you may need to consider is whether you'll need a longer hitch shank to move the ball out from below the tire so that the LP tanks or tongue jack doesn't hit the tire during tight turns. I do not frankly know if this is an issue, it's just one possible concern I had for if/when we update our tow vehicle (I'd strongly consider the H2 again).

Good luck wioth your decision.

[HHP]

Greetings H2 owners!

I own a 2005 H2, and we are in the works for a new 2006 23' Safari LS. 5600 GVWR.

I wanted the 19' but the wife wants the 23'.

Do you think I will be ok with the 122.8 wheel base? I wonder now....

Thanks,

Hart