We covered about 1500 miles to Osage Beach, Missouri and back to Michigan last week. It was a great trip. The truck performed very well. I had it serviced before we left. It ran great but here are some observations.

The H3 will comfortably hold four adults for long distance drives. Three adults in the backseat is tight. You only want close family back there if you are rolling with five.

I don't get all of the hype about luggage capacity. We had luggage for five plus gear on the way out. No problem if you know how to pack and stow gear carefully.

Mountain grades were only an issue a on a couple of long steep grades. I was wishing for the 5.3 in a couple of sections and once passing on a two-lane, but for the most part I set the cruise and let the truck do the work. I easily kept up with a Viper T/A from Chicago to the Lansing exit on 94, but I think he was being kind.

The truck drew little to no attention from LEOs in Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri. I have been routinely followed when traveling in Ohio but had no problems on this trip - and we were making good time.

The BFG T/A KO2s are holding up great. I took it in for tire rotation and oil change. The tires were not ready for rotation. They hardly show any wear but I'm getting them rotated anyway to avoid any issues. We were in some intense rain at times and the tires performed well.

I was not fatigued after the trips like I typically was when I still had a car. My Brother, who drives a BMW750 Li loved the visibility. We made a side trip and he loved the view.

I averaged about 19 mpg on the highway, which kind of surprised me, and like I said, we were traveling at a pretty good clip.

Tips:

Service the vehicle and make sure tire pressure and alignment is correct.

Always carry a road atlas. My gps was FUBAR at one point but the atlas kept us on course.

Pack a picnic with sandwiches and water. You can make much better time if you don't have to stop for food and gas.

Check the state construction websites to help plan your route. We avoided a huge mess by avoiding I-55 construction.

Invest in quality sunglasses and a good hat or sunscreen. I got a mild sunburn driving with the sunshade back. Sunburn on a bald head is no Bueno.

Plan ahead and enjoy the trip!

 

Great report. Thanks.

 

19 mpg is pretty darn good with off-road tires. What size BFGs?

 

I am running 285 75 R16. The best mileage I have ever achieved was 20 MPG on fresh rubber. But of course I am not in it for the mileage. If I let the cruise control do the work and traffic is not bad, mileage is not bad.