4x4 Mag - Hummvee - My Big Truck

My Hummer... a few words ... "I'll show you Big Truck"

written by Peter Hoffmann

I am really a towny. But I have lived in the sticks, the wild borders of Norfolk and Suffolk for over twenty years now. I moved here in a time when we drove moggy travellers or 2CVs, grew our own organic vegies and milked a goat or maybe even a house-cow. Today most of the mates are in well-paid careers, or they have been driven west to Wales and Devon even Cork or County Clare . The niche has since been filled by affluent town-dwellers taking advantage of the differential in real-estate prices, treating the locals like peasants and riding roughshod over local sensitivities.

Initially they were chuffed when they managed to tame a 'big' LWB Land rover with its high driving position and that diabolical turning circle. Today they tow their beloved Geegees in all-mod-cons Rice-rigs with a "more appropriate" Japanese bus or Discoveries or of late those Freeloaders. Kings of the road! "Yeah right!" I thought "push us around in your big trucks. I'll show you big Truck!"

I had seen and read about the American military's new high-mobility jeepy thing in the late eighties and had been briefly fascinated by the appropriate technology of HMMWVs (or Humvees). Powerful, low profile and high ground clearance. But it was the latest hardware and apart from its price just impossibly big and probably politically not tenable with the 2CV and Morris brigade I valued as friends. Circumstances change: friends moved on or changed their image and we had this invasion of the 4x4 obsessed mums on the school run. Also I had a result , as they say. It was, as always, just a matter of time.

God knows what started it again, but this time last year, I found myself scheming Humvees. I got in touch with with friends in M.V. circles and checked out (here in the UK!) two wonderful and for my purposes completely impractical slantbacks (M998??)complete with weapons ring in the roof, bare and mean and huge! The family had a fit..Probably just what I wanted .But whereas M.V. enthusiats can maintain their hobby at a modest outlay, these beasts were mega expensive. I was competing here with the Rock and Roll of the Film business etc..

Today after a recent auction of over 500 HMMWVs in Atlanta they have come down in price, but for a very basic truck (no cover, no seats, no wipers.......) you still are looking at just under US$ 20 000.- add to that Transport, VAT and Duty and you pay the same in GB-Pounds.Then you have to personally import in order to avoid Type Approval, which means going to the 'States' to provide proof of use there.. You are talking Time, Flights Hotels,Food..........loadsa .money!!! Those reasons also put me off persuing tempting classified adds on the internet . Then a friend turned one up in Devon, that is Devon/United Kingdom. Now I drive a 1994 Green HUMMER soft-top. Easy!

HUMMERs are the civilianised version of the military vehicle. Essentially idenitcal, they are tarted up with acres of PVC interior trim, featuring a hideous bulge refered to by Hummer owners as "the Dog-house", and an AC unit similarily covered, obstructing the in-cabin load deck. Like most Americans, Hummer owners are often more proud as of their in car sound system as they are of the vehicle itself. However the HUMMER does have very decent seats (made in Germany) a 6.5ltr V8 GMC engine propelling it to 85+MPH (The HMMWVS 6.2ltr are governed to 60MPH) and a rather fancy central tire inflation system. The soft top serves this 4x4 obsessed dad on the school run.

Yeah, yeah, I know! But it has a useful pallet sized load area, to haul my animal feed, or 500 gals of drinking water for my Kerry Cows, ughnn. It pulls 3 ton of sand or ballast with ease. Also I have had it up to its belly in 2ft of water on the marshes and was amazed at the traction it retained in muddy conditions up hill and all..I'll get it stuck eventually!!

Another warning: HUMMER owners constantly add stuff to their machines. Since I got my truck in November (I think), I have installed heavy duty diamond liner in the back, added a MileMarker hydraulic winch, military turn-indicators, a rear hoop to eventually accept a full length Tarp-cover, and a light bar plus lights........the spare wheel carrier is in the workshop.(Dont really need one,cos HUMMERS have CTIS and runflats) I have deliberately not gone into the specifications of the HUMMER as these can be found in concise and comprehensive form at other sites some of which are listed below.

HUMMER WEBSITE LINKS :

www.hummer.com

Alan's Hummer Pages : www.redhummer.com

Hummer Mailing LIst : www.humvee.net

Atilla's Hummer Links : www.tvmetz.com/tvmetz/att/links.htm

Hummer Club : www.nh.ultranet.com/~state

Geoffs Humvee Page : www.cablean.net/geoffw/menu1.htm