Hello everyone! New to the forums and Hummer but always been a GM gal, I have a couple questions I was hoping perhaps some of you may have the answers to.

I have been researching vehicles extensively as I am in the market, I need a SUV big enough for my Doberman and able to pull a loaded two horse trailer, and also my boat.
The off-road capabilities is a huge plus as sometimes you just don't know what kind of conditions you will encounter. I am very much into the outdoors so I am often making road trips to parks for camping, fishing and the like.

I have an an opportunity to buy an '06 H3 with 180k miles for 5 grand. It has a newer motor with 40k and has a power steering leak that was quoted at one grand to fix. It's a one owner and I know the man personally, he is very meticulous and I know for a fact it's been taken care of and hasn't even seen a ditch let alone been dogged on. I would rate it as excellent condition. That being said, 180k is a lot and I wanted something that will last me at least ten years (fairly) problem free but we all know how that goes sometimes. I am mostly wondering what issues I should look out for, what the truck is notorious for, and if this is a good deal and I should take it. I can read stats all day but personal insight from those with first hand experience is invaluable. Thank you in advance!

 

Welcome.
The 06 H3 is very much under powered. You will not be able to tow a double horse trailer. Maybe a small boat.
If you want to learn about what to expect, just read the first five pages of this forum and you will get some idea. I enjoy my 06 but I do not tow anything. My daughter loves driving it, especially on the beach.

 

Thank you for that, 4500 lbs isn't much you are right. The boat in question is a 16 ft fiberglass center console, not sure how much it weighs but I'd guess dry no more than 1500 lbs? However the horse trailer is a different story being more around 2500 lbs and with each horse at around 1000 lbs plus tack, hay and all that is easily over the rating. I currently live in Florida but am planning a move to upstate South Carolina so that is definitely an issue. Hmph. Well, with the horse trailer aside I feel it would suffice?

 

Ask your friend if he has any service records. This will give you some idea of items that have been replaced or repaired. You can compare that service history with some of the stuff that you read here. If he replaced the engine 40k miles ago, hopefully he had some kind of transmission work done. A drive train with 180k miles has a lot of wear and tear. Check to see if he had any kind of transmission rebuilt. If you are planning on towing anything with an under powered truck with a transmission with that many miles, it's going to break. Sorry to be a downer, just being realistic. For $5000, I think it is a good deal if the maintenance is up to date. Maybe someone here local can assist you looking at this truck
Here is an example. This thread is on the same page as yours
https://www.hummerforums.com/forum/h...lipping-38074/

 

Yeah, completely very much bigly under powered.

When equipped with full off road mods, loaded with tools and floor jack, and weighs nearly 6000# with me in it, my 2007 H3 with Performance (Air Doc Intake, PP TB, PCMofNC.com tune and Efan conversion, MagnaFlow Cat Back exhaust) on 305 MTZs. The boat, Chaparral 2330 7.4L Big Block with Bravo 3 dive and tandem axle trailer appx. 5,500#, hauled from south of Milwaukee back to NE of Detroit (appx 425 miles one way).


70 MPH all the way tucked in behind a friendly 18 wheeler.

It may not be what you are looking for for yanking your horse trailer, short wheel base makes the tail wagging the dog pretty interesting now and then.

 

The 16' boat will not be a problem (you're not going to win any races, though), but the double horse trailer is a no go with the I5, especially if you intend on doing it often. Once in a blue moon for a short run, perhaps, but otherwise...nope.

 

I've towed this rig from NJ to FL and back with two full size Harleys. Total weight of the trailer, bikes, and equipment is about 4000lbs. It will run at about 3100rpms in 3rd gear doing 70mph unless you can duck behind an 18 wheeler, then it will shift to 4th and you drop to 2400rpms. Running in 3rd gear reduces the gas mileage to about 200 miles per tank.

 

That's a nice looking rig, although it's right about the towing limit for the I5. A double horse trailer will be over the tow capacity AND horses move/shift (Harleys don't). Bad combo for anything but short occasional trips.
Towing capacities are not based just on the power to pull the trailer. They are also based on the ability to stop the trailer, and more importantly, the ability to control the trailer in emergency maneuvers. You never want a setup where the trailer is able to control the truck.