Here is another of my replacement choices

http://www.autohawaii.com/car-sales/...8_MVC-007L.JPG

http://z.about.com/d/trucks/1/7/6/x/08_h2sut_side.jpg

http://www.americancowboytruckandtra...mages/BEV2.jpg

There is something about these that make all the other vehicles look quite moderate!

 

I gotta admit, Im not a hummer fan (the vehicle anyways )

They look kinda like a beefed up honda ridgeline on steroids to me haha.

I dont know much about the drivetrain of them though, care to fill us in Warren? Also, whats the sticker price on one of them?

 

The engine is a 6.0 litre Chevy gas until 2008 when they switched to the 6.2 gas - its wild with close to 400 hp! Chip, tuner, and exhaust should bump by close to 50 on top of that! My friend's Mom has one of these in a Denali and its crazy for power. The H2 weighs about 6700 pounds so it wont be great for power with the 6.0. I think its 325 hp but w/tuner, intake, and exhaust 375 might be attainable. Neither is great on fuel but there are claims of improved mileage with the 6.2.
If my truck is totalled I will buy through the dealer auction process and get a used one of these maybe a year ot two old - about the same price as a fully loaded diesel truck of the same vintage from the research I have done in the last few days.

 

Thats not too bad for a price then. Too bad ya couldnt get one with a diesel though!

As for the power, If you could get 375 thats very respectable, but from what I know of ya, that just aint enough! Anything less then that 400 horse will seem like a dog to ya, after your done up powerstroke!


Taking any parts off of your powerstroke before it gets written off?

 

There is not much to take off - removed tuning and cell phone booster - the rest stays there.
I wish the H2 came with a Dmax diesel but the impact of the visuals should do it for me and the rumble of the exhaust will be okay.
My choices will be Dmax diesel 3/4 ton (imagine that eh Sherm), the H2 SUT, or the Resistol - I have some thinking to do!
I do not like vehicles that look like too many others out there and my 'LE' was sweet in that department. So would be the H2 and Resistol (I have only seen 3 of these). The Dmax is a dime a dozen like most trucks out there so I struggle with that but have a few subtle changes that I would do to make it more unique without blowing my wallet to shreds!

 

Yeah, I like to have a different looking vehicle too. Sometimes to me, the practical part of me talks pretty loud though haha.

Either way, whatever ya get im sure will be a pretty sharp truck.

Just gives us powerstrokers something to look forward to modifying and trying to leave in the dust!!

 

well you know which direction my mind goes, but in your list of non-ford choices, my choice would be the Dodge... i know one guy, (i know, its only one guy), with a '08 duramax who does hotshot hauling with a huge ramp-style 53' car hauler. he purely hates the truck and the engine, and he's not a brand biased guy. he says the mileage sucks, the tranny doesn't perform well under load, and the engine with the emissions garbage is useless.

he has a '06 dodge that he prefers to use, but it's a 2wd vs the chevs 4wd...he's unsure which way to go for another truck. i say F450, 6.4 with the DPF delete and tunes...

 

My brother's dmax is a 2005 and it performs flawlessly - especially now that he has turned up the fromt torsion springs and added 285 BFG tires to make it more 'truck like'. The stock front is too soft - it rides soft but exhibits a front<>back chugging that I talked about before. The torsion spring/tire upgrade eliiminates most of this. I think 2006 is when they bumped the powr and went to a six speed transmission. I think 2008 is the DPF year so I would try for a 2007 (would have to do homework a bit to confirm). Ward claims the mileage on his 2005 was the best year as the power bump in 2006 made them harder on fuel and then the DPF (2008??) was even worse!
I am not sure which tuner I would use - there is a dealership I used to buy Chevies from that sells them all - would have to check things out!
The Dodge - may still be too expensive as they were 2008 models!
The H2 - the least practical but the most eye candy but not sure if its the best way to spend my money (unless I were to get a smaller 'beater' which is quite possible anyways).

Resale - I think they all will be bad but if price of fuel goes up again - the H2 would be worst but probably the 'cheapest' via the dealer auction circuit.

 

Well if must get something other than a Ford a Dodge is a pretty good truck, IMO.

I've had some experience, admittedly second hand with a 2007 Dodge 2500 HD with the 6.7 liter Cummins Diesel, automatic trans. and 4WD.

My neighbour, uses a Dodge..the one above. He's is semi retired and delivers commercial equipment throughout southern Mb. and NW Ontario. I've gone on a few rides with him...all day events...which I've highly enjoyed.

The truck is always hitched to a fifth wheel tandem axle trailer, loaded with equipment. It is usually around it's maximum rated, gross combine vehicle weight.

Within a year he had over 112,000 kms. So far a ball joint and a new set of tires, that's it to my knowledge and one of the thing we talk about regularly is maintenance, trucks etc.

He always drives, I'm in the passenger seat, but I find that the Cummins is a real load toting beast. The Cummins gets it's load up to highway speeds quickly, considering the weight, cruise control set at 100 kph will haul the truck, trailer, load, two big guys up moderate inclines without downshifting.

I believe it's the base model, but I find it comfortable over long hauls and I'm a fairly big guy (6'3", 230 lbs.). The truck doesn't seem to have any rattles, all the controls work and it's not too loud, although you know the Cummins is there, but it doesn't seem too loud to me, but noise level is an individual thing for people.

Both the engine and the Dodge itself, seem to be good.

Now, I've never had a Mopar in my entire 43...going on 44 year history of having a license and vehicles, but I'm impressed with this Dodge.

BTW, my neighbour is an excellent truck driver, knows how to handle heavy equipment in a way that's not abusive....he has a 'feel' for equipment, if you know what I mean. For example the Dodge truck is still on it's original brakes, even with all this daily, constant heavy duty work.

Duramax- don't know much about them. I understand the Duramax engine ( Isuzu) is a very good engine. The Allison automatic is supposed to be an excellent truck transmission.

Hummer- I've never cottoned on to them. I've only sat in them at the dealership. But it seemed big on the outside, smaller on the inside. Vision semed a bit restricted. But then I've had vans (Astro), driven many commercial Econolines and I suppose, everything else seems small interior wise when you compare them to commercial vans.

What type of vehicle would make more sense to your situation ? The question I always ask is what do I need vs what do I want. In my case I want it all..but in the end, I usually make some compromises...still with a view to getting as much as possible what I like.

I know I made the right decision if the vehicle I buy, is one that I find myself, turning back and looking at, as I leave it parked. If I just lock 'er up and leave without as much as a second glance, than I'm not too enthused about the vehicle. But that's just me.

So whaddaya want ?

A SUV like the Hummer, or a HD diesel pickup ?

I'm impressed with how much passenger room there is in the large 4 door pickups, then you have the bed space for cargo.

I think you farm so what's the best vehicle that you can handle farm work with, but still carry out family obligations.

 

Thanks for the excellent post Less. I am not unlike your friend, for my F350 has 225000 kms and still had lots of brake left on the originals. I have been raised around farm eqiupment and trucking so this stuff becomes second nature - good maintenance, pride in your vehicle, not abusing it --- however, what also comes is high expectations of performance, reliability, and service.
I am positioning myself so my personal vehicle is not used in the operation of our farm as much as in the past, for we will be buying another farm truck - probably a gas half ton equipped with a set of air bags. Its the biggest bang for the buck for what we need. My personal vehicle must haul my **** around ins style, pull our boat, snowmobiles, and a travel trailer - the H2 would be a bumper pull rather than a fifth wheel. I have become addicted to the 'tuned' diesel power but the complexity, cost, and inefficiency of the newer designs negate lots of the benefits of ownership!

Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!
Work, work, work!!

 

I can only assume that is where your truck left a bad taste in your mouth.

I feel the exact same way though. When I buy a vehicle (even some toys) I expect them to perform exactly how they are supposed to. They get taken care of like they are supposed to.

Im also a man of longevity. I put on more km in one year, then alot of guys put on in a few years, I expect my vehicles to last. (I also take that into consideration when i buy a vehicle)

 

Me too - 225000 kms in 5.5 years (on this vehicle). Probably made another 10000 or 20000 on courtesy vehicles and some on our farm trucks too.
Some would argue = when do you do any work with all that driving!!!

 

Haha I think of it this way Warren, guys like us that drive lots, and work lots, really use up a damn day!