Automatic all the way!!!
Story time boys and girls:
It's June 15th and you sign yourself up on a Moab thread invite. WHHHOOOOHHHHOOOO! you get your new H3 all ready to go and make your drive to meet scarry H2 owners like Dennis and Drty
.
1st trail of your trip (Hell's Revenge)
You start by climbing a five foot wall to get on the trail and than make your way up a narrow fin. It scares the crap out of you, but you keep enjoying the scenery and can't wait to se whats around the next corner.
Than you see "IT" There it is, the first long climb.
Picture yourself in a manual trans H3 in Moab. Your driving up this super steep incline that is about 150 yards long and has a drop off on both sides. The only thing you can see in front of you is the sky when all of the sudden you didn't ride the clutch just rite to get over that little 12" wall in the middle of your climb. the truck kills.
OMG!!!
You just lost all of your power steering and brakes.... you are now sliding all the way down into this ravine with your seat cushion firmly sucked up into your rear.
(known as pucker factor) That's why we are going with manual. After 4 trips to Moab and witnessing manual vehicles on some of these inclines... NO WAY!!!! For such a little difference in cost, it's a great idea not only for safety, but also for resale value down the road. I'm not saying that people can't get a manul trans and not have fun. I know people (Shaggy for one) that can drive that 150,000 mile P/U with a manual trans up some of the hardest stuff I've seen. But just like everyone, there's that one time you kill the truck, and down you go.
So that's my story boys and girls.
Pic is by SFOX. I couldn't take credit for that.