Hummer Towing Guide: 5 Facts You Should Know (With Examples)

Can Hummers tow like regular trucks? Yes, but only if you are pulling light cargo over short distances.

You already know AMG and GM’s blockbuster civilian Humvee delivers exceptional performance on the pavement and the trail, making them the ideal vehicle for camping.

Check out our towing guide!

Hummer Towing Capacity

Different Hummers have specific towing capacity based on the model year, design and other factors. Below is a table showing the maximum towing capacity for the H1, H2, and H3.

What Can You Tow with a Hummer?

If you read about Hummers online, it is easy to get confused about the vehicle’s capabilities regarding towing capacity.

Hummers have lesser weight carrying capacity compared to regular pickup trucks. But you can use them to do anything conventional trucks will do, although you won’t be able to pull as much weight.

Let us look at items you can tow with a Hummer.

Travel Trailers

You can use a Hummer to pull a travel trailer.

So long as you use correct weight distribution hitch and do not exceed the vehicle’s gross combined weight rating, a Hummer will pull your cargo and RV to any outdoor destination of choice.

Many Hummer H1 and H2 users testify to the stability of their truck on the highway. The Hummer’s excellent off-roading credentials also allow it to haul travel trailers across difficult terrain with minimal issues.

You just need to know how to drive the vehicle and it will handle the rest.

Boats

If you check online, there are several videos of Hummers pulling 30-feet boats and even bigger vessels.

Regardless of your boating fantasies, a Hummer is sturdy enough to tow a trailer and a boat over vast distances. The vehicle’s outstanding traction controls also allow you to move as close to the water as possible before launching the boat.

Hummers can handle boats well even if you will climb hills to reach your destination. Also, you can pack as much as the maximum towing capacity. But only do this occasionally otherwise your engine will suffer serious wear and have issues prematurely.

Livestock Trailers

Are you a farmer looking to haul horses from one state to another? You can hitch a horse or cow trailer to the Hummer and it will pull you safely across hills, holes, rocks, and streams.

An H1 or H2 is ideal for farm work if the terrain is uneven, always covered in snow or requires 4×4 functionality.

The H2 is heavy enough to qualify as farm equipment. You won’t have any problem hauling livestock with this truck.

Flatbed Trailer

A Hummer can tow open flatbed trailers. Using the hitch tow mechanism, you can couple a flatbed trailer to a Hummer for short and long-range haulage.

But be sure to keep the weight within the legally accepted limits.

Other Vehicles

Many Hummer users carry chains in their rear compartment in case they have the opportunity of serving as good Samaritans. In bad weather, many a Hummer hater has enjoyed the excessive power and brutal traction of these vehicles.

These trucks help pull smaller and even larger vehicles out of ditches after snowstorms, floods, and many other sticky situations.

A Hummer can even pull a Hummer provided you have the right mechanism.

How to Tow With A Hummer

There are three primary methods of towing with a truck.

This includes towing with a flatbed, two-wheel dolly, and flat tow bar.

The Hummer cannot tow with a flatbed because it doesn’t have one. However, you can hitch a flatbed trailer to the vehicle.

Flatbed Towing

Flatbed towing is arguably the best and safest way to transport heavy-duty cargo.

With a flatbed, you can either load the cargo on custom vans or trailers, allowing you to fasten it securely.

Flatbed towing applies to anything you haul on a trailer including cars, farm equipment, oversized items, travel trailers, livestock trailers among others.

Flatbed towing requires hitching the trailer to the vehicle. There are different hitch systems but most Hummers can only use the weight distribution hitch. Some wagon-styled variants may use the kingpin hitch but their types are rare.

Two Wheel Dolly Towing

You can only use the two-wheel dolly to tow cars and items with two rear tires. It hitches the front wheels of the vehicle so that they hang in the air while the rear tires are still on the ground.

Two-wheel dollies are not the best for towing vehicles over long distances as they cause the wheels to wear unevenly.

Flat Tow Bar Towing

Flat tow bar towing is ideal if you are towing another vehicle, caravans, and any other thing that has the mechanism to attach with the equipment.

Flat towing with a Hummer is one of the most affordable ways of hauling your vehicle or mobile home and vice versa. But you need to invest in brakes, lights and other accessories to meet transport regulations and make your trip safe and convenient.

A Hummer can use these towing methods but the ideal technique depends on your needs. It is vital to use anti-sway equipment if you are pulling a heavy load to prevent the trailer from controlling your vehicle.

Should You Be Pulling Heavy Cargo with the Hummer?

It is true the Hummer has a solid military-grade construction. The H1, with its wider body, is perfectly suited for towing large, oversized items, especially if you want to evade state troopers.

But should you be pulling thousands of pounds with this road king? Here are things to consider before towing with a Hummer.

Shorter Wheelbase

Hummers have a shorter wheelbase compared to pickups of the same weight. They might share the same frame, rear axle, drivetrain, and even motors, but the short wheelbase means Hummers cannot support as much weight as traditional trucks.

If you plan to tow large items over long distances, go for a pickup such as one of Ford’s F series. You will be glad you did.

Luxury Ride

The Hummer is a luxury ride for comfortable weekend excursions. It is not a workhorse you can use to haul thousands of pounds every day.

If you use your H1 or H2 to tow a load close to its limit frequently, there is a high chance of frying the transmission and wearing out the engine.

The Hummer will do well with occasional towing runs. If the load is within its capacity, you won’t have issues scaling hills and getting out of valleys.

But a truck like the H3 will struggle at steep inclines if the cargo is close to the maximum towing limit because of its underpowered engine.

Speed Limitation

Hummers are slow even without pulling a trailer. Their speed reduces drastically if the vehicle has to tow a cargo close to its weight.

Real Hummer users have reported abysmal acceleration while pulling RVs and boats with their trucks. The vehicles lack the torque of regular heavy-duty pickups, and this reduces its speed on the pavement while towing.

If speed is a major concern, either reduce the weight or get a capable pickup for your towing activities. Using a Hummer as your primary tow vehicle will make you slower, cost more and can hasten the truck’s demise.

Poor Fuel Economy

Hummers are atrocious gas guzzlers. This won’t help if you can only cruise at 60 mph with a 6,000-pound trailer on your tail. Fuel economy can suffer a huge hit while towing with these vehicles, and users have reported a lowly 9 mpg on trips.

Unsuitable for Long Distance Haulage

Many of the factors outlined above make the Hummer unsuitable for towing across long distances. The vehicle is not designed to support heavy loads on its wheelbase. The tongue weight may not be enough to lower the hitch, but the engines and transmission will take a serious beating.

The popular opinion on several Hummer forums is that towing with the truck in the long term can break things. It is far safer, cheaper and more convenient to tow with a dedicated pickup truck with an ideal gross vehicle weight rating.

That way, you have more than enough weight carrying capacity to tow anything you like without worrying about blown trannies and worn engine blocks.

When Is the Hummer the Perfect Tow Vehicle?

Hummers top the list of full 4×4 trucks and this makes them perfectly suited for use as towing vehicles in rough terrains.

If you live in an area with bad weather, where full-time four-wheel-drive and traction enhancement systems will provide an advantage, a Hummer is your go-to truck.

However, you shouldn’t load a Hummer over its maximum weight capacity even if law enforcement is not around. Whether you use the vehicle on the farm or back roads, it is better to stick to the manufacturer-recommended towing limit to avoid expensive repairs.

Final Words

Can Hummers tow? Yes, they can. But can they serve as your primary towing vehicle? Probably not. Hummers are primarily a luxury vehicle for having fun on the trail and the beach.

These trucks are not the best for your towing needs. You can hitch your RV to a Hummer, but you probably will tow your H2 with a mobile home.

If you need to tow small loads over short distances occasionally, the Hummer is an excellent choice. But for everyday use similar to the role of a Chevy Silverado or Ford F-450, your H1 or H2 will break within a short time. It is better to get a real pick up and save yourself the maintenance and operational headache.

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