Interesting monologue, Aubs.
Keep in mind that a stock H1 is nearly 20" shorter in length than an H2 w/ a tire carrier (it is even a tad shorter in length than the H3 in its OEM configuration!) With the front wheels WAY out front, and the rear wheels way at the back, it has a turning radius that is quite good. The H1 is also not as tall as an H2, and its ridgid independent suspension keeps it from leaning much - which keeps the top corners away from leaning into rocks or trees at the top corners. Double the ground clearance means that the H1 can straddle obstacles and take lines that other vehicles can't.
What does all this have to do with width? Well, you can squeeze a shorter vehicle that turns very well through gaps quite well, even when it is a bit wider (about 5" wider than an H2) - especially when that vehicle can straddle tall rocks or stumps instead of being forced into a specific line.
Bottom line is that the H1 is oversized in width, but it is smaller than the H2 in virtually every other specification - which makes it clear quite well on trails... much better than most people imagine. I do almost all of my wheeling in tightly wooded trails, and the Hummer performs great out there. 9 times out of 10, before I go in the Jeep guys all tell me "you can't get that thing through there, it is way too narrow." By taking the right angles I can usually make it through these "impossibly narrow" trails without more than a gentle brush from a few leaves, and with a couple of inches to spare on both sides between tree trunks. Sometimes it will take a 3-point, 5-point or even 7-point turn to get there - but it gets through just fine.
As for scratches - they are all just trucks. If you can live with forest pin-striping on your H2, why not on an H1? If you can't live with scratches on either... stay out of the woods!
-Manny
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Originally Posted by Aubs
Ok, I have finally started to actually go off-road for real... one common denominator for most trails, be them easy or difficult: narrowness. My H2 is scratched to pieces, mostly from a trip down a road that was probably meant for ATV's, where aspens were so tight my mirrors had to fold in or die. The H3 did much better, fitting through everything, and climbing over anything.
So what does this have to do with an H1? Well, there was a time when they were in production. Now, they're not. So there's now going to be a limited supply. Anyway, if I ever had one, I would probably never take it off-road. I mean, it's a collectors item now, how could I damage it? And from what I have experienced, it would be just too darn wide. Tight spots would equal scratches, and forget about passing.
...the H1 seems oversized. Even my H2 seems too big sometimes, and it's got ugly, deep scratches to prove it.
...I also feel that I don't think I would ever want to use one for going off-road. I'd probably just drive it around town! And that defeats it's entire purpose. I would be the jerk who bought it just because it was rare and cool. The thing would probably drive away to trails on it's own at night. I'd be like so many Defender owners I see around here.
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