HUMMER....

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The HUMMER was purchased new in the spring of 1998 from the dealer in Toronto, Ontario.  It is an HMCS (wagon)  with the 6.5 Turbo Diesel, CTIS (tire inflation), WARN 12k winch, and every option available for the 1997 model year.  The HUMMER came to be out of a need for an extended range, highly capable truck, that could comfortably cruise the freeway and carry thousands of pounds of gear.  It was a pretty easy decision as their are not many trucks available from the factory that can accomplish this.  Reliability was a concern as well so a highly modified truck was out of the question.  In my case, the HUMMER is doing exactly what is was designed to do:  Carry people and cargo over inhospitable terrain for weeks at a time.  These are a couple of pictures the day I brought it home from the dealer.

EXTERIOR:

Modifying a HUMMER can be fun, there are plenty of after-market goodies, although it is wise to shop around as the "home-built" quality on some can be a little scary.  I've been taking a slow approach to improving the truck.   Every time I complete another trip I have a few more ideas of what I want to have and where.  Obviously you need the basics first.  With that in mind I started with a Wilderness Industries 9-foot roof rack, the factory swing-away spare tire carrier, American Outfitters Snorkel and windshield brush guard.  The snorkel protects against sand and  water coming over the hood, but doesn't allow the truck to wade 6-feet of water like the Marine HMMWV's with the deep-fording kit. 

For night-time desert driving I added two Hella 4000 HID driving lamps to the front AM General Heavy Duty Brush guard, two Hella 1000FF HID pencil beam lights to the front of the roof rack, and one Hella Matador rotating work like at the rear of the rack.  I also upgraded the headlights with IPF H4 housings and IPF 55w bulbs.  These make for a much better beam dispersion and a light closer to the color of daylight.  The combination really throws a lot of light into the darkness, and with the HID's the draw on the truck's electrical system is very minimal.  You'll also notice that I swapped the old one-piece factory rims for year 2000 two-piece rims with the run-flat and bead-lock insert.  My truck also has the factory 12K Warn winch which I've added a Master-Pull synthetic Winch line to.

One of the best modifications I've done so far is the fitting of an American Outfitters fender-well fuel tank.  This fuel tank sits in a cradle under the drivers-side rear fender well, holds about 20 gallons of diesel, and uses a factory fuel pump mounted under the truck to pump fuel into the main tank when it becomes empty.  Fitting the tank in this fashion keeps the stock fuel system to increase reliability of the system, and to make removal of the tank easier.  The tank is filled through a marine style cap located behind the rear wheel.  This tank gives my truck over 60 gallons of diesel with a range of over 750 miles.  Installation of the tank necessitated removing the stock exhaust and mounting the Military short pipe that exits in front of the rear wheel.  I like this set-up much better than the 97's stock position over and behind the tire.

Having a roof rack allows for many "home" style conveniences while on the trail.  One of the many complaints is the lack of a good, hot shower after a dusty day on the trails.  Thanks to American Outfitters shower rack I can now shower privately anywhere.  It consists of a round tube that slides out from a housing bolted under the rack, and pins in place when not in use.  It doesn't stick out from the rack when on the trail and most people don't even know that its there.  Another problem, especially in the desert, can be the constant pounding of the sun, which I've solved by installing a Hannibal Expedition Equipment 7-foot folding awning.  These awnings are a great design, then fold fairly flat against the rack, and swing open with no legs to trip over.  They set-up and take down in under a minute and provide quite a large amount of shade.  I've been under it in rain storms several times and it has not leaked a drop and is tough and stable enough in high winds.  Truly a great product.

One of the best upgrades I've done to my truck has been the 2-piece Hutchinson Aluminum wheels with run-flat and bead-lock from American Outfitters and Adventure Accessories.  These rims solved all my balance and rough ride problems, and most importantly, allowed me to use the new Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires, which are a vast improvement over the old MT's in terms of sidewall strength.  For my heavy Wagon model I noticed a great improvement in ride over rough terrain since the sidewalls weren't allowing the vehicle to pitch and sway as much as the MT's did.  These rims have the Billet CTIS guard that protects the air hardware, and are rated at over 4500lbs each, much stronger than the older steel wheels.  Personally I like the look of them as well.

One of my many on-going projects is my hot water tank and shower set-up.  I've seen it done many ways and am still trying to decide which way I want to go.  I'd like to not have to modify the body of the truck too much which can be a problem when running water lines.  Terry @ American Outfitters has been working on the problem and I think we have a solution.  Once I finish it off I'll post some more pictures here.  I have already installed the heat exchanger and plumped it up to the heating system which will warm the water to my desired temperature.  I also installed valves on the heater lines which allow me to isolate the heater from the engine if I have a problem with the heater core.  I just need to finish off the storage tank and pumps.  Terry does a nice job installing these using factory holes with brackets that he made.  I think it looks like a factory item.  Here are some pics, don't mind the dirt, I haven't had a chance to clean up from the last trip yet....

After about seven years it was time to replace the tired factory roof-rack.  It has served me well on many long-range excursions, but the steel was getting a little rusty, and the rack always seemed to need tightening and adjustment (bolted together construction).  I've been eyeing the racks made by HUMHERS for sometime, and finally had the excuse to order one.  The best part of these racks is that they are built to order, so you can spec out any size, and options that you want.  The rack is fully welded, has a really innovative roof mounting system, and is fully aluminum for years of abuse er... use.  Many thanks to Rob and his wife out in Ely, NV for building and installing my rack for me on that windy March day.  I fully recommend this rack to anyone who is looking for the best HUMMER rack you can buy.

I swapped the awning, Hella HID FF1100 lights, CB and VHF antennas, and rear Hella Matador light,  all over from my previous rack.  I left off the Hi-lift jack (for now), the shower curtain rack  and the Maxx Tool, which I will move over soon.  The plan for this rack is to fit a roof-tent similar to the one installed on the 101 Camp Trailer.  As you can see from the photos, the rack mounts on the curve of the roof and is secured to it using "roto" locks and fitting mounted to the rain gutters using rivets.  It is easy to remove the rack from the truck (with a fork-lift of course) and the holes for the rivets were drilled into the rain gutters.  (I'm slowly getting over my fear of holes....)  I also had Rob add a ladder to the Drivers side of the truck which pulls out from under the rack, and hinges down onto the ground.

Another quality improvement I've made, is to fit a Rhino Industries drop-down tire-carrier.  This tire-carrier is the carrier of choice for the US Military and I can attest to its stoutness.  Everything about this carrier is over-built.  It has so many grease fittings I can hardly count them, it rides on bearings for ease of opening, and doesn't shake, rattle, or move an inch when driving down washboard roads.  The old factory carrier, which lasted quite a few years, was getting tired, and didn't have the ability to lower the tire to the ground.  Something I was looking for since I don't always have someone around to help me lift the 165lb tire and wheel assembly. 

OCTOBER 2006: 

I've been wanting to add LED military lights to the truck for a while.  I'd already done the marker lights but the front ones gave me problems so when these new Truck-lite ones came along I had to give them a try.  They are a different look for the truck but they are growing on me, and the OD green makes the truck look a little less "black and silver".  Next trip down I'm going to install the front and rear turn and stop lights.

JULY 2007:

Finally I finished the LED light install.  The Truck-lite lights fit great (save for behind the fuel tank....) but they turned out great.  I still get a kick from seeing people light up behind you when you put your foot on the brakes.  I still have a flasher issue but will solve that shortly.

Water Tank project:

I finally managed to find someone to make me a water tank that would suit my back-country needs and after much searching I found Phil @ Burke Built Motorsports in Temecula, CA.  Phil did an amazing job designing, fabricating, and installing my 23+ gallon stainless tank and did it all in about a week.  I haven't had a chance to use it quite yet as I still have to mount the pump, but the tank has been Line-x'ed, and the hoses have been run to the heat exchanger.  I decided to have the tank built into the fender-well rack inside the truck, and to have it be removable so I can take it out when not traveling.  You can see the water fill tap on top of of the rear window - it has a quick disconnect fitting so I can attach a hose directly to it, or use a funnel and a jerry can if need be.  So far I'm really happy with the way it is turning out and I'll have more pics to come when it is fully installed.  Again thanks goes out to Terry @ American Hummer for his patience and expertise in all things Hummer.

INTERIOR:

The HUMMER's interior is quite unique compared to most modern vehicles.  I really like it's simplistic design, and it allows for numerous options when fitting radios and other gear.  For communications I've installed a Midland CB radio on the Adventure Accessories window pillar mount, and a Maxon VHF mounted to the roof above the CB.  Both antennas are mounted to the front of the roof-rack, along with the GPS antenna and XM antenna.  For  GPS navigation I added a Garmin GPSmap276c in front of the driver, linked to my HP laptop running Delorme Street atlas and TopoUSA software.  This combination never ceases to amaze me, the only down-side is having to stop the truck before using the laptop.....  Lucky for me, the laptop is mounted to a Havis-Shields rotating laptop mount so my co-pilot can navigate while driving.  Of course they're usually watching DVDs......  I also fitted a Kenwood Stereo, Infinity speakers, and a Delco XM radio, mounted on a RAM mount, for music in the open country.  Also below you can see the Hella Switch Panel that controls the lights and other electrical needs and the Tuffy glove box which provides a reasonably safe home for valuables..  Finally, I've removed the factory steering wheel and fitted a MOMO Club 4, which is much better to hang onto while on tight trails.

Between the rear seats I installed a Stinger (SMA) center console rack and mounted the frame for the laptop mount above.  These racks are great for holding "flying" objects in place and make use of the mostly useless space over the drive train.  I usually tie-down the ARB fridge there, but I also can cover it over and enclose the space.  Just recently I've removed the rear seats and installed custom boxes in their place which allows for greater storage space and the ability to sleep across the tunnel should the need arise.  Just undo four bolts and the seats can be re-installed if I need to carry more than one passenger.  I'm making water can mounts for the front of these boxes to carry about 10 gallons there.   Inside the passenger seat box I installed a removable false floor, which below houses my spare oils, grease gun, funnel, and, shop towels.  I've also added a Jerry Can holder so I can carry either a water can on either side, or a fuel can.  It is centrally loaded in the truck as well, which is a good place to put the heavy liquid weight.

For passenger comfort I've installed Wet-Okole seat covers on the front seats.  These water-proof seat covers are very comfortable and I was surprised that they actually kept me cooler than the factory seat covers I had before.  A very worthwhile improvement IMO.  Also, I have installed the Adventure Accessories knee cut-out for the passenger side which increases knee and leg room and makes a big difference on long trips.  This is included on newer trucks right out of the factory.  Keeping the floors clean are Husky Liner floor mats.

In the cargo bay I'm currently experimenting with a couple of different options.  What I have now is an aluminum box mounted to the DS fender which contains my recovery gear, and an aluminum tool box mounted to the floor which holds my tools, fluids, and spare parts.  On the PS fender I have a Stinger (SMA) fender top rack.  The fender racks are going to stay, but the tool box in the middle is going to be replaced. 

Here are some pics of the installed "Outback Roller Drawers" from Australia.  Many thanks to Greg and Ralph from Opposite Lock in Australia for all their help in making these drawers.  Since "Outback" didn't make a drawer for the HUMMER I gave them the dimensions I required and had a set made for the rear of my wagon.  They turned out amazingly  well, are very well made and can hold a ton of stuff.  The drawers are made of galvanized steel, with a marine ply top, and galvanized steel chassis which bolts to the floor of the wagon in the factory tie-down holes.  The drawers roll on roller bearings so they roll with ease, can hold up to 400lbs each, and feature anti-rattle designs.  The interior of the drawers are fully lined, and have movable cargo dividers.  I used the standard "Husky" liner on top and mounted several "Land Rover Genuine parts" tie-down loops to hold my gear in several configurations.  The LR loops are of excellent quality and have rubber liners so they don't rattle when not in use.  As you can see I had to have the drawers off-set to account for the barn door frame, as well as the swing-away tire carrier.

With my new HUMHERs' roof-rack installed, I had to relocate my Max-Axe tool.  I could have fabricated a mount to add it to the roof but thought I could find a more secure spot for it.  I decided to mount it to my fender box where I store my recovery gear using two Quick-fist rubber mounts.  The mounts are easy to install and allow me to remove the axe in seconds.

SEPTEMBER 2006:

The original lap-top computer mount in the HUMMER offered little in the way of movement, obstructed the glove box slightly, and got in the way when the computer was not in use.  So, after scouring the net I ordered up a RAM mount universal lap-top mount and swiveling arm assembly.  The RAM mounts are of excellent qulaity and the whole assemble easily mounted to a "L" shaped bracket that I had fabbed up - then was bolted to the rear center console rack.  The arm moves in all directions and can be used from all four seats, and moved out of the way when not in use. 

With the addition of the E-locker differentials I had to find an appropriate set of switches for them since the factory switches would not work with my set-up.  So, a set of Air Locker switches from ARB did the trick.  They are actually made by Carling Technologies but seemed to be quite hard to come by outside of ARB.  I'll have to find a way to remove the "air" from the switch description....  They fit perfectly right next to the window swiches on the doghouse.

JULY 2007:

I decided to get a GPS unit that was more "street" friendly over the 276c Garmin that I currently have, and since I still want to run Topo USA with my lap-top I decided to leave the current set-up and add a Garmin 7200 Streetpilot.  This unit has a super bright 7" touch-screen and is amazing in detail as well as its ability to find addresses, restaurants, and diesel stops.  However, since I installed it where my XM radio went, I had to change the radio head unit to an XM friendly one.  I chose Alpine's D-105 full screen DVD system.  This unit allows for the addition of a back-up camera someday..., or NAV (which I felt wasn't as good as the Garmin Unit) and allows me to watch movies if required someday, and best of all I can view the lap-top screen on it which makes it much easier to see when cruising along the trail.  The screen can also be folded up when the radio is still playing so I can keep it from getting too dusty on the trail.