Guard Door Station Mkii Manual Dexterity
I've since sold the Montero (and miss it and getting back to overlanding I realized there were some lessons learned with that platform, and while I looked in ernest to find another Gen III, or even a clean 2.5, there's that law about nostalgia that says you can never go back. I'm also now without a garage, limiting my own wrenching and rattle-canning, and someone boosted my entire Craftsman mechanics set reducing me to scratch. In junior high I think we called this a do-over. I thought I'd go the Jeep route: incredible aftermarket, proven platform, and huge user support systems. But, as we say in this area, you can't swing a gray-hair around without hitting one, the ubiquitous general purpose vehicle. Ditto the FJ. So I turned to the Hummer H3.
I've secretly wanted one since they came out in 2005 and with its limited run and termination in 2010, the market hasn't quite figured out what to do with it. I've made fun of Hummers since the H2 hit the market, and when the H3 came along I blew it off as GM's incarnation of Hummer culture on a Colorado platform. As I dug in and did the research I found out that wasn't such a bad thing.
The biggest complaint is it's standard powerplant, an inline five that feels more Massey-Ferguson than GM Vortec. But even with one less cylinder it produces 242 hp and 242 lbfft versus Mitsubishi's 3.5 at 217 hp and 220 PS. And while the Montero gave drivers and passengers an unparalleled view of the planet, the little Hummer feels like a deuced coupe, though an FJ is even harder to see out of. I wonder if the H3's driving position wouldn't feel so low had I not been conditioned by the excellent ergonomics and position of the Montero.
However, the H3 holds it's own in performance and ability in all the ways I want to use it. The last weekend in January I came across a 2007 base model in my favorite color, slate blue metallic, and I drove it home. Planning it's purpose-build for a 3 trail rating indigenous to our area that supports long term camping, I'm looking to start with these modifications: Replace its 265/75/R16s with 285/75R16s Mount a Garvin Wilderness Sport roof rack ARB Awning Engineer a separate electrical auxiliary circuit system Add an N-Fab Pre-Runner grille guard and light bar Add supplemental lighting front and rear As of June 15, 2015, these are the most recent images of the H3: 203. Welcome to the club! I love my H3T! Your going to want to do add a T-bar crank, OEM UCP (under Carriage Protection) and sliders to your list! Eventually you might want to look into an OEM cast iron front locking diff and a OEM rear diff but that will depend on the type of wheeling you do.
Your satisfaction and success with hearing aids will be enhanced by knowing which ones will. Manual dexterity. The recharging station is shown below along with. Guard Door Station Mkii Manual Arts. The Asahi Shimbun. With the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics approaching, The Asahi Shimbun has begun a series focusing on various.
There is also a fix for the steering rack issue, you might want to look into that as well. Also check your front differential crossmember bushing. There is a fix for that once it wears out too! Again welcome and great choice! The H3 has a solid-axle rear end on leaf springs with an independent front SLA torsion bar system up front where the Montero as independent suspension on all four corners. I crossed up the H3 on a ravine where I've done the same with the Montero, both in stock form.
The extended suspension members of the H3 kept their wheels out of contact with the surface where the Montero kept all four planted. Habit being what it is, I keep trying to flick the auto stick in the H3 to the tiptronic mode of the Montero, something I'll miss the most from Mitsubishi especially on the hills. Downshifting the H3's automatic is standard GM fare, clunky due to its locking and release to go from drive to third gear, and then selecting drive again runs the risk on an inadvertent free-wheeling neutral. There is a five speed manual for the H3, much preferred for off-road, but I opted for the automatic for better towing. The Montero didn't have to.
Ergonomically, these two are from different planets. The Gen III Montero groups instruments and controls into clusters with a simulated wood surround. The H3 is more business-class in materials that look and feel on the cheaper side, but the layout and design is intuitive and accessible, easier to clean, manipulate and read - in the daytime. A bane of H3 electronics is the hardwired illumination behind the controls that requires a $450 pod replacement versus a.79 cent lamp replacement. The temperature and airflow controls on my H3 have no illumination.
Good thing they're intuitive. Perhaps an alternative is an adjustable arm mounted led to shed light on the controls a la old aviation instruments. The Montero seats turned me against leather.
They're beautiful and comfy, speaking to suburban luxury rather than trail utility. The H3's base trim was a big attraction for me, textile seats with breathable, durable insert surfaces, well bolstered and supported. I'd appreciate another three quarter's inch in height, though. The payoff in the H3's interior is in the simplicity of the rear seat compared to the center seat of the Monty. The need to access a seldom used third row in the Montero lead to an overcomplicated execution of a seat mechanism that fails in function and form. And when it fails it becomes almost impossible to work around.
The H3 is without the necessity of complication allowing the rear seat to fold, stow and restore easily with welcomed access for removal. BUT, the suckers won't fold flat, making my Golden Retriever dance around like a skateless junior hockey coach. My last ergonomic issue with the H3 is the placement of the power accessory switches on the driver's door, they're too far back. I don't know what considerations had to be made in the design of the door, but I can't imagine what is in the way fore of the arm rest that required its position so far aft. As it is, in order to hit the driver's window switch, the elbow and shoulder have to lift back and up to get the hand in position, even more awkward for the rear-window controls. I've knocked off the top item on the modification plan; replace the 265/75/R16s with 285/75R16s. I went with Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10s to take care of both on and off road duties.
I also blacked out the chrome grille - too much shiny for my tastes in an adventure vehicle. This H3 came with Pioneer's AppRadio but had no reasonable place to install and iPhone mount. ProClip makes a clever two-piece mount that attaches to the top and bottom of the plastic surround on the center ventilation pod.
It puts the iPhone high for a quick glance and secures it well with easy removal. I wish Pioneer's AppRadio were engineered this well.
Welcome to the club! I love my H3T! Your going to want to do add a T-bar crank, OEM UCP (under Carriage Protection) and sliders to your list! Eventually you might want to look into an OEM cast iron front locking diff and a OEM rear diff but that will depend on the type of wheeling you do. There is also a fix for the steering rack issue, you might want to look into that as well. Also check your front differential crossmember bushing.
There is a fix for that once it wears out too! Again welcome and great choice! Thanks Ramrod.
Great looking T Alpha. This H3 has OEM UCP and I'm looking into sliders as well.
The list at the top of this thread is just for starters. I considered two roof racks, a Gobi Stealth and the Garvin Sport roof rack, the latter being a third the the cost. While the Stealth would offer storage the length of the H3's greenhouse with a different construction, I'd be using a rack to stow recovery items and serve as a mount for an awning. While one of the laws of overlanding is the stuff you carry expands by 1.5 times to the available space, I won't be using the square footage of the Stealth and want to resist overloading the top of the rig.
That's why I went with the Garvin. I researched to no avail to find how it mounts to an H3's existing rack system, so I thought I'd provide that illustration here.
The front of the H3's rails have a plastic cap that clips into place, finishing the line of the rail to the front of the cab. This has a tab that when compressed and lifted, the plastic insert can be removed to access the rail.
With this removed the cleats to which the feet of the Garvin rack mount to can be inserted and positioned along the track. The rail's channel depth makes it awkward to reach the cleats with the mounting bolts.
I found that if I used one bolt without the washers to thread into and pull the cleat up into position, I could easily thread the opposite bolt with washers in place, and then replace the assisting bolt with its washers and complete the mount. I left all of the hardware hand tightened on the feet to allow easier positioning and centering of the rack once all the feet were mounted into the rail.
The rack ships with the box in four pieces, front and rear ends and sides that need to be assembled, along with six rails that mount longitudinally. The front of the rack is tapered and the upright stanchions are welded at diagonals to eliminate excessive wind noise cause by parallel supports. I like the flexibility of configuring the rack to meet the needs of stowing recovery gear like a shovel, a Hi-Lift jack, TREDS, and Roto-Paxs. The channel created by the twin cross-members creates a solid mount for Grip Fists that I'll be using to stow the shovel and jack. Another lesson gleaned from adventuring in the Montero was worrying about its front-end vulnerability; there was little protection for the radiator and oil cooler. The H3 is definitely more robust, but the frame terminates at the shackles leaving everything above them at a bit of a risk.
The N-Fab guard has a stinger-like design to part away through brush and debris and it has tabs to mount auxiliary lighting upon which are mounted a pair of Hella 700ff lamps. I bounced back and forth between this design and the more conventional brush guard that integrates better into the H3's facia, but given our off-road history the N-Fab hardware will serve us better. The guard mounts using the stock hardware that attaches the shackles to the frame. This will also serve as a foundation for a fabricated winch mount. One of our favorite interior modifications on the Montero was the addition of a utility shelf (that provided a place for food rep.
The H3's rear door stows the jack and hardware assembly behind a removable plastic panel, a perfect place to adapt a shelf to the rear door access cover versus adding one like what was done on the Montero. Looking at clearances and how the panel is engineered to fit into the plastic surround I decided to use one-quarter inch oak veneer for the shelf and thought to hinge the panel to the surround. I used a band saw to rough cut the outline of the oak shelf insert going back and forth to the door to test fit, rasp and sand until I was satisfied with the fit and clearance. Once I had it fitted I stained it with MinWax Cherry stain, three coats, and after proper drying time shot it with Cabot's marine grade gloss spar varnish, five coats. It's far from perfect in finish and craft but it will do the job. Next, I hung the panel to the surround using stainless steel marine hinges, the best alternative I could find that weathered well, looked better than hardware store fare, and adapted to the flare of the plastic surround.
I used stainless 1/2 inch 10-24 hardware with locknuts. I then mounted the oak insert into the opening where it rest and closed the plastic panel over it and locked it down. I used some foam between the oak panel and the jack hardware to give the panel some resistance.
I drilled some pilot holes through the plastic panel for the top two fasteners, and then once it was installed drilled through those holes into the oak panel for alignment. I used stainless flathead one-inch 10-24 hardware with finishing washers on the oak side, with lock washers and thin nuts on the panel side finishing that with black plastic covers.
With the two top fasteners installed, I measured, drilled and completed the bottom fasteners. I wanted a simple way to suspend the assembly and level it out within reason of the H3's cant when parked. I decided to use black paracord that attached at d-rings that were riveted to the top of the panel and to the top of the opening. In order for the panel to fold flush against its jamb, the paracord would have to detach, so I used a pair of small Nite-Ize s-clips for ease of attaching and detaching. They clip into a bowline knot at the end of the paracord, and to the d-ring. The top is tied to the riveted d-ring just below the opening using a cow hitch that is tied off down the cord allowing an easily adjustable suspension of the shelf. The result is a light but sturdy utility shelf that integrates well into the stock panel.
Looking forward to trail testing this. A bane of H3 electronics is the hardwired illumination behind the controls that requires a $450 pod replacement versus a.79 cent lamp replacement. The temperature and airflow controls on my H3 have no illumination.
Good thing they're intuitive. Perhaps an alternative is an adjustable arm mounted led to shed light on the controls a la old aviation instruments. I was able to replace my ac control lights. The lights are extremely cheap, but I cant remember where I got them.
It was a pretty easy fix that only took about an hour. I will Pm you if I remember where I got them. I have a question about your brush guard. Does it rattle around on dirt roads?
I'm curious because I do a lot of traveling on dirt roads at night and I would hate to have the light bouncing around. I was able to replace my ac control lights. The lights are extremely cheap, but I cant remember where I got them. It was a pretty easy fix that only took about an hour. I will Pm you if I remember where I got them.
I have a question about your brush guard. Does it rattle around on dirt roads?
I'm curious because I do a lot of traveling on dirt roads at night and I would hate to have the light bouncing around. I'd appreciate that. I saw a fix on a Hummer forum as well using LED lamps soldered into the existing circuitry. The brush guard is solid, bolted to the shackle mounts with no detectable flex. The H3 got a Blue Sea fuse block added to provide six extra circuits for powered accessories such as the Hella 700ff lamps, a CB, and rear work lamps.
Blue Sea Systems (a variety of marine and automotive application 12v fuse blocks. The ST Blade box comes in 6 and 12 circuits with or without a negative bus. I won't be adding many accessories so I opted for the six circuit ST Blade with the negative bus to make grounding something I won't have to troubleshoot. The ST Blade is mounted to the top of H3's battery box cover between the battery posts.
It's powered from the positive post with a 6AWG wire that terminates to a Scorpion 100A breaker with a jump cable made from the same wire to the fuse block. The breaker was mounted in the recess next to the battery box vent to allow clearance for the fuse box cover below to be removed. A 6AWG Duralast battery cable grounds the ST Blade to the H3's chassis.
The Hella 700ff lamps need a power supply for the relay (red) along with power for the switch (green). The relay is fused at 15A to handle the 55 watts of the lamps and the switch at 2A. The two grounds (black) are from the lamps on the left and the switch on the right. The relay (not pictured) has its own ground. This will simplify the addition of other accessories and keep wires tidy under the hood. The switch for the Hellas was mounted on the small recessed panel behind the gear selector on the console.
Switching to the H3 from a Gen III Montero has been a considerable exercise in scaling down as far as storage goes. The H3 has 25 cubic feet where the Montero had over 43 cubic feet that included an under-floor cubby that was ideal for recovery gear. I added a Garvin Sport roof rack to provide a place to mount a Hi-Lift jack and a shovel along with a pair of traction devices and a low profile weather-proof box to stow straps, a Lift-Mate and other recovery gear. The treads and box have yet to be determined.
The jack and shovel have been mounted using Quick Fist clamps. The jack mount uses the same concept found on the Montero (with a 3/8 bolt that protrudes through the steel bar and a stainless steel wing nut to secure it. Even though the H3's I5 produces a bit more power than the Montero's V6, it's sluggish at best with low RPM shifts with flat torque curves.
I researched a number of mechanical mods to improve this (within my budget) and found that the most common - air intake upgrades, headers - yielded little change in performance and fuel efficiency. Enter PCM of North Carolina (they flash and reprogram the factory PCM (power-train control module) promising better throttle response and fuel efficiency, better shift points making better use of the torque curve, and more horsepower.
Sounds too good to be true, but having lived in North Carolina, it's been my experience to have never been disappointed with anything that comes from that state. So I made the order. I opted for their loaner program where they send a unit to replace the factory PCM while it's sent back to NC for the tune. While their instructions are pretty specific on how to remove the PCM, GM's design of its plug interfaces isn't all that intuitive, so what follows is a bit more detail on its removal: The PCM is located on the engine firewall on the passenger side behind the coolant and window washer reservoirs.
Looking from above the PCM's cooling ribs you can see the three plugs that connect to it. To disconnect the plugs, remove the red strap on each by pulling it up. It will detach fairly easily. From a side angle of the PCM you can see the grey ribbed band that surrounds the plug. This band acts like a lever. With some coaxing, lift it up and over the plug. The plug is engineered so that this lever mechanism unlocks a series of cleats that lock the plug into the PCM.
Dust and dirt in the mechanism will make this difficult risking breaking the plastic lever, so it's not a bad idea to blow it out with compressed air. Once the level is lifted all the way up, two red tabs appear at the top if the plug indicating that the cleats are clear and the plug can be removed.
If these red tabs are not in the position shown above, the grey lever hasn't been completely deployed. With the plug removed, the cleats can be seen. The PCM is held in place by a bracket. It has two tabs on top that hold it place. F during the removal of the plugs the PCM becomes free of the bracket like this, plugs will not have the necessary resistance from the PCM module to be removed, so make sure the module stays locked in while removing the plugs. If the tuned PCM is anything like the loaner, the reprogram is very significant. I'll be sure to let you know.
She's a lucky girl. Squeeze that behind the seat of an X1/9 and you'd have a mid-engined go cart. Long story, shortened considerably, I had access to an X1/9 and considered just that mod - but that engine bay is just too small.
As it is, I moved the firewall back 12' to fit the motor, turbos, intercoolers and to make it better balanced. Even though the H3's I5 produces a bit more power than the Montero's V6, it's sluggish at best with low RPM shifts with flat torque curves. I researched a number of mechanical mods to improve this (within my budget) and found that the most common - air intake upgrades, headers - yielded little change in performance and fuel efficiency.
Enter PCM of North Carolina (they flash and reprogram the factory PCM (power-train control module) promising better throttle response and fuel efficiency, better shift points making better use of the torque curve, and more horsepower. Sounds too good to be true, but having lived in North Carolina, it's been my experience to have never been disappointed with anything that comes from that state. So I made the order. PCM of NC has done tunes for lots of us on H4O forum - and the results have been okay to super depending on the application. I got about.5 mpg better economy, better throttle response, and better shifting from their tune - but I hamstringed them because I refuse to burn super unleaded. With that said, when the exhaust manifold breaks - replace it with a long-tube header. With that said, their customer service should be the standard for everyone - they are excellent when it comes to issues or if you need to change the tune because of mods.
But, you are driving a rig that weighs nearly 6000 lbs fully loaded - so performance is kind of a relative thing. I had a 07 H3 and now I have an 08 Alpha - and honestly, in a drag race neither are impressive and the 07 would keep up with the 08. However, when you're climbing hills fully loaded, you'd only briefly see my tail lights as I disappear into the distance (but you'd catch me at the gas station since highway mpg is 14.). Long story, shortened considerably, I had access to an X1/9 and considered just that mod - but that engine bay is just too small. As it is, I moved the firewall back 12' to fit the motor, turbos, intercoolers and to make it better balanced. I've loved that platform back in the day before the interweb and looked at a number of replacements, like a Buick V6 turbo, or Alfa's 164. Nothing ever realized though.
Then I turned my attention to 914s. I built a number of Alfas, X1/9s and two 124s (sorry, I should've noticed that in your inventory on your signature) sticking to stock DOHCs. You've done an incredible amount of fabrication. Is there a build thread? Love to see it. Despite FIAT mechanicals, hard to resist Pininfarina.
PCM of NC has done tunes for lots of us on H4O forum - and the results have been okay to super depending on the application. I got about.5 mpg better economy, better throttle response, and better shifting from their tune - but I hamstringed them because I refuse to burn super unleaded. With that said, when the exhaust manifold breaks - replace it with a long-tube header. With that said, their customer service should be the standard for everyone - they are excellent when it comes to issues or if you need to change the tune because of mods. But, you are driving a rig that weighs nearly 6000 lbs fully loaded - so performance is kind of a relative thing. I had a 07 H3 and now I have an 08 Alpha - and honestly, in a drag race neither are impressive and the 07 would keep up with the 08.
However, when you're climbing hills fully loaded, you'd only briefly see my tail lights as I disappear into the distance (but you'd catch me at the gas station since highway mpg is 14.) I take some comfort in this. After buying the H3 I've had a battle of buyer's remorse due to its power issues. As for high octane, I grew up with my Dad's '70 Buick Wildcat.
We lived in Montreal at the time, harsh, bitter-cold winters that 'required' him to warm up that beast in our garage for twenty minutes before he drove into the city. High octane was its staple and after the car left the garage and the door closed I'd go out into the exhaust-infused air and breathe it in.
Properly burned leaded 101. Nothing has ever smelled so good since. That might explain a few things. I've loved that platform back in the day before the interweb and looked at a number of replacements, like a Buick V6 turbo, or Alfa's 164.
Nothing ever realized though. Then I turned my attention to 914s. I built a number of Alfas, X1/9s and two 124s (sorry, I should've noticed that in your inventory on your signature) sticking to stock DOHCs. You've done an incredible amount of fabrication. Is there a build thread? Love to see it.
Despite FIAT mechanicals, hard to resist Pininfarina. I take some comfort in this. After buying the H3 I've had a battle of buyer's remorse due to its power issues. As for high octane, I grew up with my Dad's '70 Buick Wildcat. We lived in Montreal at the time, harsh, bitter-cold winters that 'required' him to warm up that beast in our garage for twenty minutes before he drove into the city. High octane was its staple and after the car left the garage and the door closed I'd go out into the exhaust-infused air and breathe it in.
Properly burned leaded 101. Nothing has ever smelled so good since.
That might explain a few things. Still on the top of google CTS Spider I have cars that get good economy and others that are just good at whatever I built them for (this, of course, is my story - some of my less-popular friends have other stories; but no matter:victory:). Bolted onto the roof rack adjacent the shovel and Hi-Lift is a Plano 42' weather-proof locking tactical case that holds a Lift-Mate, a snatch strap, tools and other recovery items. I've come to appreciate the Garvin rack's ability to adapt to load needs with its adjustable cross-members. Along side the case is a pair of TREDs that are locked to the rack with a 6' cable lock by Master Lock. Been a week on the upgraded PCM from PCM of NC and I have to say that the H3 has awakened. All that was promised has been delivered and then some - more torque and pull off the line and up the slope, remarkably better throttle response, better shift points on acceleration both on and off road, better use of low range exploiting the I5's torque.
I've yet to get enough data on fuel efficiency, but I have to say for the price, the result is well worth it. I'm baffled why the I5 H3 didn't leave the factory this way.
Would have saved GM considerable grief in mediocre performance evaluations, perhaps even the demise of the marque. I mentioned earlier about dealing with almost half the amount of cargo space in the H3 compared to the Montero. Less 18 cubic feet requires lightening the load. This image below is from our Grand Staircase trek: All that gear decompressed looked like this: And while all this made for a comfortable camp set-up, it all added up to diminishing the Montero's dexterity. And, man, that's a lot of stuff.
By contrast, here's the loaded cargo area of the H3: We've pared down some and went back to gear from our moto-camping days and made better use of the roof rack and a Trasharoo. All recovery gear except the compressor is up top with smaller items in a weather poof tactical case. The Viair 300P compressor is stowed in the cargo area. The Trasharoo holds sleeping bags and pads and the lighter weight tent tent. Two important tools on the Montero build are now on the H3, a CB and an awning.
CB - The H3 doesn't have DIN room for an additional component like a CB radio, so I went with a device that has a head unit that mounts under the dash with a compact remote handset that has all the controls. Cobra makes a four-watt CB with a channel scanner and noise reducer, two features I wanted since my last Cobra CB in the Montero. I mounted the small head unit just under the steering column on the firewall, the easiest spot for the install while allowing adequate distance to the handset and accessibility for the antenna connection. The handset is mounted on the ProClip mount I initially installed for an iPhone. I've relocated the iPhone to the over side of the panel with NiteIze Steelie mount. Eighteen feet of coaxial cable with Pl-259 Connectors connect the head to the 4' Firestick tunable antenna mounted behind the spare on the rear of the H3.
ARB 4' Awning - I had an Australian 60' Eezi Awn awning on the Montero that converted me to the idea, but not to the convenience since the Eezi Awn's cam system in the legs was unstable at best in calm conditions. This ARB awning solves that and other issues. Its engineering makes it easy to deploy by one person. The construction is top notch with reinforced corners on the awning and clever plastic disk stays on the struts and legs that keep all the hardware in place until it's deployed. Stowing is a cinch in its PVC reinforced nylon bag with two d-ring velcro straps and heavy duty weather-proof zippers.
When researching the ARB 3110, or any ARB awning for that matter, I couldn't find detailed images of its build and deployment, so I'm posting these for those searching for the same: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEDKBOJ4xT0/VHJV-aj9KRI/AAAAAAAAGUw/bTU3tdiNCdY/s1600/DSCF0986.jpg. From what I can tell by records and wear, the H3 had the OEM shocks at 125k miles. Its handling is lethargic and reminiscent of an old Buick Electra in its floating feel, characteristics no one wants in an adventure vehicle. After researching applications and reviews I decided to replace the shocks on all four corners with a pair of Bilstein 5100 Series shock absorbers. The installation is straight forward though one might think it necessary to access the shock tops through the engine bay for the front - it's not. It's all accessible within the wheel well.
The rear install is a snap. After the install I adjusted the torsion bars on both sides while the vehicle was still on jack stands and before I remounted the wheels. The bars terminate just behind the B-pillars where the adjustment points can be found.
I tightened these 27mm bolts two and on half turns, increasing the tension on the torsion bars, and combined with the Bilsteins, lifted the front end, reaching more of a level stance. This adjustment resulted in a 22-inch distance between the wheel center and the bottom of the fender, compare to the rear distance of 23 inches. I modified the Montero with Old Man Emu suspension components and was amazed by the difference in handling and performance. I can say the same for the Bilsteins and the leveling - improved turn-in, firmer suspension, better feedback, less diving, remarkably more responsive. Having been an OME convert, I felt I may be cutting corners with the Bilsteins, but so far, both on and off-road, I'm very satisfied. Time will tell on their durability. The H3's front seats have a small cargo stowage system on the back of each that serves little practical purpose and when packed just a smidgeon beyond their capacity, detach from the seat back and spill the contents in the rear footwell.
It's the worst designed feature of the H3's interior. I keep a bug-out-bag in the cargo area where it bounces around a bit when it's not restrained and takes up some of what little precious room is back there (the second worst designed feature). So, I thought I'd take care of two issues with one mod.
Using a heavy duty snap fastener kit I designed a T-shape pattern that attaches the BOB to the seat back while allowing the padded pack straps to tuck between the pack and the seat back. This H3 rarely has rear-seat passengers, but when it does the pack unsnaps easily from its mount and can be stowed in the back. *UPDATE* After installing the dog-deck (next post below) I needed to rethink the BOB. The back pack I was using was too big and encroaching, so I repurposed a storage bag for a duffle bag and came up with a more efficient use of space while still having it readily accessible in the truck and still be able to remove and stow it quickly in a larger ditch bag.
Yes, big difference and improvement in travel. Now it keeps all four patches planted where I've crossed it up before and teetered on only two. I put a different brand shock, but I could believe how much faster and safer I could go on rough roads - with the pos Rancho 9000s, if you hit a speed bump slightly off center - it'd shoot you off to the weeds.
I bought Bilsteins for my C3 Corvette, and love them, but I couldn't force myself to pay for 4 shocks what 1 shock costs if I went Bilstein. Though, with that said, there wasn't a little bit of fear at chez SBG that he was buying crap and would be buying bilsteins after all. But, only a thousand in, so far so good (knocking on wood). The H3's front seats have a small cargo stowage system on the back of each that serves little practical purpose and when packed just a smidgeon beyond their capacity, detach from the seat back and spill the contents in the rear footwell. It's the worst designed feature of the H3's interior.
I keep a bug-out-bag in the cargo area where it bounces around a bit when it's not restrained and takes up some of what little precious room is back there (the second worst designed feature). So, I thought I'd take care of two issues with one mod. Using a heavy duty snap fastener kit I designed a T-shape pattern that attaches the BOB to the seat back while allowing the padded pack straps to tuck between the pack and the seat back. This H3 rarely has rear-seat passengers, but when it does the pack unsnaps easily from its mount and can be stowed in the back.
I've thought long and hard about doing something similar, but I need to rear seat to fold down occasionally. Still, if I do that, yours would be the model. Our dogs spend more time than any backseat passengers in the H3, as they did when we had the Montero. I did a rear-seat mod on it to make dog travel easier on all of us. Having made a great improvement in traveling with the Goldens, as well as increasing storage capacity, I decided to do the same on the H3. Rear-seat removal is straight forward, remove the bottoms from their easily accessible mounts, and then the backs. The 60/40 seat back is mounted on a sub-frame that keeps the backs aligned and rigid.
With everything out, this is what's left. I removed the seat-backs from the sub-frame and reinstalled it. There are two spring loaded doors integrated into the transition that kept debris from falling in between the seats and the cargo area.
I though these might be nice to maintain an access to the underside of the platform. I then made stanchions out of off-the-shelf fencing hardware from Lowe's, four of which were shaped to measure from the floor to just above the six-gallon water tanks that I'll be stowing beneath the deck.
Once I hammered them into the shape and length needed, I fastened them to the floor using the H3 hardware that held the seat-bottoms in place. I also determined to rotate the front stanchions 90 degrees to decrease forward flexing of the brace. I dog-eared a 2'X4' piece of 3/4 plywood and did a test fit once I had the rear set of stanchions installed. With everything lined up, I marked the mounting holes on the plywood and drilled them out. I rounded the opposite edges on the deck and then covered it in gray interior carpeting, using Gorilla glue and a staple gun. I then installed the deck, bolting it onto the stanchions. We did a test run with the girls, and they appeared to be very happy with the mod.
But, they appear to be very happy with just about anything. I'm going to add one additional stanchion at the front of the deck in the middle for more rigidity. To complete this mod I'll be adding a cargo net from Safari Straps, floor to ceiling, just aft of the cargo area. I ordered a 41X28 1' Safari Straps Cargo Net from Amazon and installed it. It's dimensions were just about perfect. I attached the net to the seatbelt guides that are bolted on the C-pillars. The base of the net is attached to hardware loops that are welded on the sub-structure that I remounted.
The 60/40 split spring-loaded doors are still accessible for stowing smaller items. The cargo net is stout in its construction and very secure in its mounting providing a safety barrier between the cargo area and the dog-deck. Buick rides with me (I like what you did with the floor, there's a guy on H40 that makes brackets so you have a flat floor front to back - I'm considering it, though having 4 or 5 person capacity is helpful for SAR and when I go skiing. I'm hoping that my h3 goes back to 'normal' duty once I get my other 4x4 done (it will be solely SAR). Stowage is hard to come by in the H3 when it's configured and packed for overlanding, making me evaluate any possible nook as a space to store gear. I keep a bug-out-bag (BOB) on board at all times and have been stuffing it under the dog deck making it difficult to retrieve in a hasty egress.
Enter the passenger-side rear window well, a six inch deep, 11' x 22' (roughly) vertical space, coming close to the dimensions of my BOB. While obscuring this window appears to reduce blind-spot visibility, I found little visual loss from the driver position when checking through the rear passenger door window.
Having kayaked for decades I thought to use a Bungee Deck Kit from Yak-Gear and adapt it to the periphery of the window well. The kit consists of six pad eyes and two J-hooks along with mounting hardware for a kayak deck. I replaced the hardware with 3/16' aluminum rivets with a 1/2 to 5/8 grip range. The kit also include ten feet of 1/4' bungee cord that I measured with the BOB in place, cut to fit and crimped. The BOB is held snug up and out of the way, yet easy to retrieve should the ship ever go down. Heaven forbid.
I'll admit it. Most my OCD is manifest in putting stuff in the right spot. The H3 is short of spots and in my quest to sort out its interior I came upon Blue Ridge Overland Gear. They're a company out of Virginia who make high quality MOLLE, hoop and loop, pouches and accessories for most any storage application in an adventure vehicle. Some of their stock is custom made to upgrade existing gear like fridges and store Goal Zero battery packs, and that's what caught my attention. I have neither, but I could see how I could adapt their products to my needs and get things where they belong.
Blue Ridge makes an eight-inch headrest panel of loop material on the backside and a smooth, blank panel on the front. It creates a foundation to configure pouches for storage needs of items kept readily at hand. I added their Goal Zero 10 Battery Charger pouch to hold handheld two-way radios with their headsets, and a 4x8x1 Medium VELCRO front zip pouch to the headrest panel. They both take up most of the loop real estate but provide ample room for smaller adventure necessities. Craftsmanship is excellent, materials are military-grade, and each piece came with a card signed off by cutters, sewers and checkers.
I bought a pair of each. I also wanted to make better use of the rear door space and wanted to adapt a MOLLE system for versatility in configuring storage. I had previously modified the hatch on the door into a work space for food prep and searched for a MOLLE panel that would still allow its deployment. Blue Ridge makes a 12x24 panel for the Engel Fridge, just the right size, or close enough for my application. It's made of 500D Cordura with an eighth-inch padding, and mounts with five marine-grade screw-in snaps and a strip of VELCRO for reinforcement at the top. Same quality as the items above. Very pleased with fit, finish, stitching and materials.
Here it is loaded with packs, and with the workspace deployed. While the above modification worked well to keep essentials handy, it encroached too far into the cargo space, since the overland gear packs in filling the space completely while securing the load.
The Fiskars axe has been relocated across the driver-side cargo area storage compartment and the MOLLE panel has been moved up above the rear-door utility shelf. Now the packs clear the load when the door is closed, yet they're still accessible. My last ergonomic issue with the H3 is the placement of the power accessory switches on the driver's door, they're too far back. I don't know what considerations had to be made in the design of the door, but I can't imagine what is in the way fore of the arm rest that required its position so far aft. As it is, in order to hit the driver's window switch, the elbow and shoulder have to lift back and up to get the hand in position, even more awkward for the rear-window controls. I'm really jealous of your geographical location.:drool: On a side note, I noticed this pic that you posted. I had no idea that some H3s came with the window controls in that spot.
Certainly does seem like it would be awkward to actuate the controls there. Understanding Exposure Bryan Peterson Ebook Pdf Gratuit. GM apparently woke up at some point and realized this, as on my H3, the window controls are located right underneath your mirror control switch. You may be able to find some door panels from a later model to toss onto your rig? Mine is a 2009, but not sure when they changed over. Quick interior shot from mine showing the different placement: (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/tim_korn_99/media/Alpha/CH8A5840_edit_142.jpg.html).
Really digging your creative uses of interior space! What first aid kit is that? I'm looking for something similar. Making my OCD useful. The EMT pouch is made by Voodoo Tactical.
It's a clamshell design with two-way zippers and silent pulls. It has triple-row length MOLLE tabs and a grommet on the bottom for drainage.
Great pouch, excellent construction. Inside is a kit adapted from an old medic kit for wounds, burns, bleeding and trauma. It is with great fondness and longing I read you postings. I too was once bitten by the H3 bug - as it offered and afforded me a chance to explore, and it appealed to my inner child. A tonka toy it was not(but I imagined it to be).
I procured what was one of the last H3's ever built, save for the Avis fleet order, and I drove out to Hummer of Sioux Falls to get it. 2010 Hummer H3 Adventure, every option save for leather and the V8(alpha), and then loaded up with full under carriage armor, better BFG tires and bilstein 5100 shocks. Factory electric locking rear AND front diffs were a wonderful if rarely used option. The atlas I5 I too found whimsical at best. Factory 285 tire size was great, factory 4.56 gears less so.
Drove it for a year of fun and dismal fuel economy. Jumped into the Jeep camp in 2011 and here I remain. Think your storage in a H3 is abysmal? You'd scoff at trying to stack that much gear in WK2 - but the 28.9 mpg (in the city!) of the EcoDiesel really shines - thats a story for another thread. It is with great fondness and longing I read you postings. I too was once bitten by the H3 bug - as it offered and afforded me a chance to explore, and it appealed to my inner child.
A tonka toy it was not(but I imagined it to be). I procured what was one of the last H3's ever built, save for the Avis fleet order, and I drove out to Hummer of Sioux Falls to get it. 2010 Hummer H3 Adventure, every option save for leather and the V8(alpha), and then loaded up with full under carriage armor, better BFG tires and bilstein 5100 shocks. Factory electric locking rear AND front diffs were a wonderful if rarely used option. The atlas I5 I too found whimsical at best.
Factory 285 tire size was great, factory 4.56 gears less so. Drove it for a year of fun and dismal fuel economy.
Jumped into the Jeep camp in 2011 and here I remain. Think your storage in a H3 is abysmal? You'd scoff at trying to stack that much gear in WK2 - but the 28.9 mpg (in the city!) of the EcoDiesel really shines - thats a story for another thread. 286825 how are the tow hooks on your Ecodiesel? I had a 2007 H3, I have a 2008 H3 Alpha, and my wife drives a 2014 JK Jeep 4 door. MPG - 2007 was best, then the Jeep, then the Alpha.
We looked at a Ecodiesel, but it simply doesn't work.for mpg, we have a Jetta TDI when a car is all that is necessary. How are the tow hooks on your Ecodiesel? 287051 As of yet I have to encounter a situation where I need to use them to be rescued - driving within my abilities and within the limits of the vehicle is the norm.
I wanted the rear e-locker, but did refused to accept the air-ride suspension, so I use the onboard traction management system - which is surprisingly competent on a multitude of different terrains. Full factory skid plates, mopar rock rails, tires/wheels from a wrecked trailhawk. Limited model, but with just 4 factory options - essentially a stripped down model. I should mention that between the H3 and the WK2 I did have a previous generation 2008 WK with the Mercedes 3L turbo-diesel, so technically this is my second Jeep. Sorry trying hard not to hijack the thread. Keenly interested in the continuing improvements the OP is doing.
It is with great fondness and longing I read you postings. I too was once bitten by the H3 bug - as it offered and afforded me a chance to explore, and it appealed to my inner child. A tonka toy it was not(but I imagined it to be). I procured what was one of the last H3's ever built, save for the Avis fleet order, and I drove out to Hummer of Sioux Falls to get it.
2010 Hummer H3 Adventure, every option save for leather and the V8(alpha), and then loaded up with full under carriage armor, better BFG tires and bilstein 5100 shocks. Factory electric locking rear AND front diffs were a wonderful if rarely used option. The atlas I5 I too found whimsical at best. Factory 285 tire size was great, factory 4.56 gears less so. Drove it for a year of fun and dismal fuel economy.
Jumped into the Jeep camp in 2011 and here I remain. Think your storage in a H3 is abysmal? You'd scoff at trying to stack that much gear in WK2 - but the 28.9 mpg (in the city!) of the EcoDiesel really shines - thats a story for another thread. Jason, that's a great looking H3.
I like how you've integrated the auxiliary lamps in the lower grille. Blacking out the main grille and adding the OEM brush guard is perfect, balancing out the design throughout the whole rig. I feel about my Montero (the way you do about your old H3, but I've reached a point where I don't think I'd go back to it, mainly because, for me at least, it's not about the ride as much as it is about the drive. I know I had as much ego invested in the Montero and the H3 as I do cash in their mods, and dare anyone say anything contrary to our beloveds and we're ready to defend.
I think you've nailed it in your subsequent post, 'driving within my abilities and within the limits of the vehicle is the norm.' That's what it's about, but we seem to adhere to vehicle branding as much if not more than political affiliations. I've learned to compensate a bit for the H3's lackluster performance with a PCMofNC flash and install, improving shift points and off-the-line oomph. What it hasn't lacked, before or after the PCM mod, was torque. Fully loaded with gear it hasn't failed to move, even with the slightest articulation of its fly-by-wire accelerator.
Deep sand, slick rock, lime stone, thick wet clay, no terrain, and no pitch (under 45 degrees, I'm not that ballsy), has stopped its progress anywhere. Torque combined with its approach and departure angles make a great combination, one the Monty didn't have in its departure. I read Expo almost daily and drool over the latest offerings from Jeep shown in my own backyard, and Land Rover from across the pond.
Diesel offerings are abounding now Stateside, and I've often thought of searching for a swap, if it even exists. I've yet to be let down by what's in my driveway, it's that damn cognitive dissonance that makes us temporarily unhappy with what we have. I finished the auxiliary lighting on my H3 this week and photographed it last night, all the while beaming about my truck. 287051 As of yet I have to encounter a situation where I need to use them to be rescued - driving within my abilities and within the limits of the vehicle is the norm. I wanted the rear e-locker, but did refused to accept the air-ride suspension, so I use the onboard traction management system - which is surprisingly competent on a multitude of different terrains. Full factory skid plates, mopar rock rails, tires/wheels from a wrecked trailhawk. Limited model, but with just 4 factory options - essentially a stripped down model.
I should mention that between the H3 and the WK2 I did have a previous generation 2008 WK with the Mercedes 3L turbo-diesel, so technically this is my second Jeep. Sorry trying hard not to hijack the thread. Keenly interested in the continuing improvements the OP is doing. After that longwinded previous post, I want to add, that's a great looking Jeep, tricked-out just right. Thanks for following along.
Thank you for the kind words. My build out of the WK2 is about as slow as molasses in January, but still a work in progress. I will admit to having a strong predilection to winter - hence most of my photos are in the cooler months. Looking forward to more of what you might do. On my former H3 I did add a few pieces of armor that were from the aftermarket community, made by then-current owners. I also ordered a factory paintable grill and had it color matched to the H3.
The Canyon Metallic paint is one beautiful color I've not seen since. I'll have to check my archives of to see if I have any more pictures to share.
I know through deep-dive research that my H3 was only 1 of 5 built in that color with the Adventure package for 2010. Thank you for the kind words. My build out of the WK2 is about as slow as molasses in January, but still a work in progress. I will admit to having a strong predilection to winter - hence most of my photos are in the cooler months.
Looking forward to more of what you might do. On my former H3 I did add a few pieces of armor that were from the aftermarket community, made by then-current owners. I also ordered a factory paintable grill and had it color matched to the H3.
The Canyon Metallic paint is one beautiful color I've not seen since. I'll have to check my archives of to see if I have any more pictures to share. I know through deep-dive research that my H3 was only 1 of 5 built in that color with the Adventure package for 2010. I'd love to see more. One of the earliest mods on the H3 was the installation of a pair of Hella 700ff lamps to the grille guard, and while they doubled my visibility off-road, I wanted more shine on the peripheral, and closer to eye-level. I also wanted illumination off the rear of the H3 for backing and working to set up camp in the dark of the night.
We do a lot of night travel in the Summer with daytime temps past the century mark. I went with Hella 500ff lamps for the peripheral lighting, mounting them to the air-intake covers at the A-pillars. The air intakes are a composite of two layers, the painted shell and an inner layer that mounts to the frame. The lamps are mounted aft on the intakes with stainless steel washers underneath to reinforce stability.
On top, the lamps sit on white nylon bushings to protect the finish and provide friction in adjusting the fixtures. The bushing is surrounded by a black zip tie that binds the wiring to the base, eliminating wind noise. The rear bumper holds two 4' Cree LED 60 degree flood fixtures close to each end just ahead of the rear plastic end caps of the body work. These tuck in nicely to a space outside of the rear door's clearance. I initially wanted them higher as a work light, but with the rear awning coming off the roof rack, there wasn't a place to mount the without drilling into the plastic D-pillar covers. I'd rather drill into the bumper, have more stability, and less conspicuousness. Just behind the fixture is an access plug to the mounting bolts of the end caps.
I drilled through these and placed a grommet through which pass the wiring of the lamps. I made a waterproof harness underneath the truck using a Lamphus Cruizer Off-Road wiring harness. I had to modify for length, running the distance from the end cap to the engine compartment along the driver side frame rail above the fuel tank to its relay mounted in the engine bay on the driver side wall behind the battery. All the wiring terminates at the Blue Sea Blade Fuse Box. There are six positive terminals on this, twelve if I modified the Blade. This has taken everything so far including the CB and is now maxed out. I'll be adding one more circuit to handle the side work lights I'll be mounting to the roof rack.
I wasn't sure what to make of the Cree LEDs given their $26 tag, but I'm very impressed. We'll see about their ruggedness. I knew the LEDs would give me a different color temp off the back of the truck.
I wanted this. Some might wonder why I went old-school tungsten on the front - I did it to match color temps on the OEM headlights and driving lamps and because I'm old-school. All fixtures are switched through Daystar illuminated rocker switches installed in a Rugged Ridge Housing kit I installed in the upper console where the old switch for the Hella 700ffs was located. The last vacancy is for the side worklights circuit. The original plan was to use these round rocker switches installed adjacent the first switch for the 700ffs, seen here: the install just wasn't clean enough for me, so I went with the Rugged Ridge setup. Looking forward to details on that switch panel install! Great idea and placement.
The switch panel base is a modular assembly by Rugged Ridge (allowing your choice of how many switches you want for your application. I ordered the base of four, two end pieces with two locking pieces, since I was going with four circuits. The rocker switches are from DayStar (and I ordered different colors to represent their respective circuits.
The '07 H3's console has a little cubby at the top end that's just beneath upper dash HVAC controls, 12V outlets and two switch blanks. I used it as illustrated above for the first switch used on the Hella 700ff installation, and thought there'd be enough room to mount four round rocker switches there, but when I drilled it out I found the switches to be too loose in their mounts and I didn't like the craftsmanship overall, so I went with the Rugged Ridge set-up. The console on this model year has a lower base and an upper piece that clips into the base. Open the console storage door and gently pry the upper console at the seam just ahead of the door latch and the piece will easily lift out, making accommodations for the gear selector/shifter. From what I've read, if it's a manual transmission, the shift nob needs to be removed. With it out of the vehicle, I turned it over and cut the cubby part of the one-piece unit out, leaving the sides and part of the well to border the switch housing.
It took a bit of finessing to get the opening just wide enough to have the housing clip in without binding, but it was pretty easy to accomplish. I reinstalled the upper console and clipped in the switch housing and wired up the round rockers I had to test out the circuits.
288295 The Daystar switches came a few days later and I finished the install. Two Kawell 18W LED fixtures have been mounted on each side of the Garvin roof rack and serve as work lights. I used another Lamphus Cruizer harness, modifying for length and weatherproofing. The wiring from the rack enters the roof rack channel on the H3 and is pulled under the black plastic cladding down the driver side A-pillar to the relay in the engine compartment. These 18W fixtures put out a nice flood pattern to dissolves into soft shadows, little glare. I noticed Hella uses the same fixture in their product lineup.
Great value at $12 per fixture. I moved the CB circuit to the factory fuse box on an aux circuit to make space on the blade for the work light circuit. The work light circuit finished the switch panel on the console. I'm pleased with the result. All together they draw just under 26 amps, though they won't be used at the same time.
The Blue Sea Blade fuse box made this easy to engineer. Next on the list, dual battery set-up. If you've been following this build you know I've gone through a couple of versions of creating an application using the seat back for better storage, but none to my satisfaction - either too much or not enough. This year for Fathers' Day my thoughtful kids gave me the Condor camera bag pictured above, a 9'x12'x8' padded bag with a front zipper pocket with a mesh pocket and sleeves. The photo gear I use tucks away into another bag fitted for another compartment, so I repurposed the Condor bag to hold fowl weather gear and other items for our travels, and devised a way to attach it to the driver-side seat back. I had a duplicated order of a Yak Gear Kayak Deck Kit, the same kit used for the bug-out bag retainer, and thought to create a cleat on the seat back that would take the elastic cord from four MOLLE Web Dominators, that create mounting points on MOLLE panels.
The mount is snug and solid, taking the weight of the bag and its contents. The bag appears to be resting on the dog deck, but is actually suspended. This has been awhile in coming, since our Three Hour Tour (in fact; a winch. Since then I've yet to be in a situation where we've needed planetary gears - not for lack of trying - we've just had better approach angles, more adept at articulating a fly-by-wire throttle, and more prudent lines where we overcame obstacles and terrain without even so much as the Hi-Lift or the TREADs deployed. But I keep going back to the Barracks trail, that night we spent, and even though we made it out at some aesthetic cost to the Montero, a winch would've made it a short trip.
It's a Smittybilt 9500 lb. XRC standard winch and it's mounted on a MaxMate Grille Guard with a winch mount. I replaced the N-Fab Grille Guard, reluctantly - I was hoping to get an integrated mount fabricated that would fit behind the stock grille to preserve the approach angle, but to no avail. The swap adds another 120 pounds to the front end, retarding turn-in and adding a bit of mass to the tendency to oversteer, even though it doesn't.
The winch is pretty straight forward. The time will come when the line will be replaced with a synthetic one in an effort to bring the weight down a bit. Have you thought about beefing up the steering rack with the Outfitters Design kit?
I'm planning on doing it for my H3 to beef up the front end. I've heard it helps improve steering feel as well. Love the build by the way! In the process of turning my H3 into an expedition only vehicle. Replacing old bushings is going to tighten things up considerably and keep the rack from moving around. I've thought about this kit, but haven't been compelled to do it yet.
The Bilsteins improved turn-in and response on an already solid handling geometry for me. One of these days. Glad you're enjoying the build thread. Like to see what you're doing with your H3. We need more of a presence here on ExPo.
The H3 lost Drive on our way back from Moab a couple of weeks ago, getting us back to Hurricane in third gear. Then it went, too. The rebuild will be completed by tomorrow, fingers crossed. It sounds stupid to anyone who doesn't get it, but I've been out of sorts without it for the past two weeks. Along with the rebuild I've had the front diff bushing replaced. At 150k, this was all due, especially considering what I've put it through.
I must remember to delete that last line should I ever decided to sell it. I've also replaced the radiator after its commonly problematic leaking, along with general maintenance items; brakes, alignments, battery, etc. The auxiliary lighting has proved very useful this past winter. Used almost nightly, the rocker switches install is stout and solid, the Hella fixtures and hardware are right where they've been wrenched. The Cree fixtures, not so much. Their inferior hardware oxidized quickly, as I thought they would.
They've been replace with stainless fasteners. The Cree housings haven't weathered well, and over the colder months have built up condensation behind the lenses, but with no effect on performance. Nothing else has been problematic. The rear door shelf has been used and abused, but has held up well. The dog deck has been indispensable. The Blue Sea fuse block has been a vital foundation to adding accessories. So far, so good.
Reflex After Effects Crack. As an wanna-be GEN2.5 or Gen3 Montero owner looking for alternatives, what things do you miss about the Montero vs what things do you appreciate about Hummer? If you were on a budget of say, $10,000; would you go back to a Montero, or something else? I can even find the occasional used H3 for under that mark. I would, in a heartbeat. You can pick up a nice Gen III for under $5k and have plenty left over for serious mods.
Three things I miss most about the Montero; 1) the transmission. The tiptronic shifting allows the best of both worlds, its ratios and therefore shift points were better dialed in for the combination of on and off-road driving. The H3, not so much. It's ratios serve it very well off-road. On road it feels clumsy and indecisive, even with (or perhaps due to) the PCM mod. I've had the trans rebuilt after a third-gear failure hoping that would solve for these issues, but no luck.
The Montero's room 2) is palatial compared to the H3. The trade-off is the Monty's clunky second row seat, but you might have seen what I did about that.
The little Hummer 3) has a reputation that follows it everywhere - that Hummer thing. I've blown that off because despite its stereotype, my H3 has proven itself pretty well in terms of performance. When I completed my Gen III, it was one of a kind, not just in curb appeal but in its abilities off and on-road. The Montero's seating position, outward visibility, ergonomics and its giant sunroof push my bias as well.
Hope this helps. This post might help as well.
PHeller, I try to stay away from the grass-is-greener dissonance that's so easy to come by in this endeavor. I love the new 4Runner - it appears to have it all - but I'd rather spend my cash on travel than a finance payment. Some great advice I picked up here years ago was simply to figure out where you want to go, what you're going to need to get there and back, and how much cash do you want to have left over to do so. The H3 has worked for me, the Montero a little more so. I've also had a Trooper, bone stock, went anywhere (there's a cool build thread on ExPo featuring a Trooper that has my imagination going). I've just tried to make the best of what's parked in the driveway.
And now that means this: https://utadv.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/neebo1a.jpg?w=1000.
By 13 Aug, 2016 Success with Hearing Aids: Vision and Dexterity Introduction Success with hearing aids depends on many things. Of great importance is the knowledge, skill, and availability of your provider. Provider time spent with you can have a major impact on your benefit. It is important to consider how much office time you may need and the provider’s willingness and ability to meet your needs when selecting a provider.
Ask someone you know and trust for recommendations – the nicest, smartest, nearest, or cheapest provider may not be the best choice for you. This article is the first in a series focused on “How to Succeed with Hearing Aids.” Ready access to your provider can get you comfortable with your hearing aids faster.
And if the right devices are selected, they will improve your hearing, feel comfortable and allow you to independently use and maintain your devices. Even if your provider is readily available, you may have transportation limitations, or may live far from them, or you simply may not wish to visit them very often. All hearing aid users, even those without vision or dexterity limitations, would be best served by devices that are easy to use and maintain. It is important for a provider to get to know your individual strengths and weaknesses in order to make a good recommendation, whether for new hearing instruments or a configuration change to existing hearing aids.
The purpose of this article is to make you aware of the factors that can affect your ability to independently use and maintain your devices and your success with hearing aids. By discussing these factors with your provider, a wise decision at the outset can prevent many problems down the road.
Some consumers are experienced with hearing aids and/or have no physical limitations, and require little time at their provider’s office beyond the initial fit and follow-up. Other individuals require ongoing counseling while they are adapting to the hearing aids – to help them insert and remove the devices from their ears, change the batteries, clean the devices, use the telephone properly, and operate the various hearing aid controls. How to Know your Limitations Many consumers desire small, minimally visible hearing aids – unfortunately small devices can be more difficult to handle. An honest appraisal by thinking through use and maintenance details prior to selecting a hearing aid or accepting the recommendation of a provider can result in better outcomes and satisfaction, sooner.
A straightforward appraisal of abilities can be accomplished by simply touching and handling different hearing aids. Typically, a prospective hearing aid user and their accompanying family members will intuitively know what will work best after a “hands-on” assessment.
The provider should closely observe you performing tasks and suggest the configurations easiest for you to manage. The essential “tasks” related to using and maintaining hearing aids are listed below. Everyday Hearing Aid Tasks • Turn device off/on • Insert device into ear • Remove device from ear • Use with telephone • Change the volume • Change the program Hearing Aid Maintenance Tasks • Change batteries • Clean the ear mold/tip • Change wax guards Hearing aid owners with impairment of any of the following abilities may become frustrated with the amount of time and effort needed to complete the above tasks. Repeated difficulty with even one of these tasks can cause a hearing aid user to give up completely. • visual acuity • manual dexterity • fingertip sensation • cognitive ability Solutions Some solutions that help with these problems include the following: Rechargeable ITE This solution can ease problems with the following tasks: • Turn device off/on Placing the device in the charger turns it off and charges it up. Removing the device from the charger turns it on.
The devices also come with two storage cases (one for each device) that turn the device off when it is placed inside the case and snapped shut. • Insert device into ear ITE devices are usually easier to insert because there is only one piece to deal with and they are custom made – so they really only fit correctly when they are flush with the concha. • Remove device from ear Removal is relatively easy and usually requires just a “tug” on the removal filament attached to the face plate of the device. • Use with telephone It is often difficult for many individuals to remember to hold a telephone differently than they have most of their lives. When using BTE or RIC hearing aids, best telephone hearing occurs when the telephone speaker is held above the ear, either close to the hearing aid microphone, or parallel to the BTE body in the case of telecoil use with landline telephones. With ITE models hearing aid users get the best telephone clarity by holding the telephone up to their ear as they are used to.
• Change batteries Rechargeable batteries need to be changed every one to two years. Hansaton provides a 5-year warranty on their batteries that includes free replacements. The batteries are not replaceable by the user and must be sent to Hansaton for replacement.
A downside of ITE’s can be the need to replace plugged wax guards – see the section below regarding wax guards and alternatives. Hansaton is the only manufacturer currently marketing rechargeable ITE’s. The recharging station is shown below along with the two storage cases. HANSATON RECHARGEABLE ITE HEARING AIDS One drawback to this device is the depth limitations of the charger unit wells. This limitation limits how deep the devices can be made to go into the ear canal. For individuals with straight and tapered ear canals, the devices may not fit securely.
This particular problem could be solved with a helix lock but may make insertion a little more difficult. Rechargeable BTE/RIC This solution has most of the advantages of the rechargeable ITE and is a better option for high frequency hearing loss as a substantially open fit is possible. It can also provide a more discreet option as the earmold can be made with a less visible material. However, telephone use may be more difficult since the telephone speaker must be held above the ear close to the device microphone, and hearing aid body in the case of telecoil use. Insertion can also be more cumbersome because there are two parts to contend with: the earmold, which goes in the ear canal, and the hearing aid body that goes behind the ear. However, there are many benefits of the rechargeable BTE/RIC including: • less occlusion (open fit option) • more discreteness • greater product choice • option to use rechargeable or standard batteries • better retention, especially with straight and tapering ear canals However, changing wax guards can be difficult see the section below regarding wax guards and alternatives.
Both Signia and Hansaton manufacture rechargeable BTE/RIC devices that solve the same problems that rechargeable ITE’s do as shown below. BTE and RIC RECHARGEABLE HEARING AIDS In addition, ZPower, a relatively new company, manufactures recharger conversion kits that enable audiologists to modify many popular hearing aids into rechargeable devices without voiding the original manufacturer warranty. An example of a modified Resound hearing aids is shown below. ZPOWER RETROFIT OPTION Other kits are available for the following devices and this list continues to grow. • Audio Service: Mood G3 • Beltone: Legend, First, Promise, True • Phonak: Audeo V, Audeo VT, CROS II • Resound: LiNX 2, LiNX, LiNX TS, Alera, Verso, Verso TS • Rexton: Emerald • Siemens: Pure Micon, Pure Binax, Pure Primax, Orion2, Orion Lastly, Phonak will be launching, reportedly in late August 2016. The product is called Audeo B-R.
The devices will reportedly have the two different charger options as shown below. PHONAK RECHARGEABLE HEARING AIDS Full-size BTE Full size hearing aids tend to be large, and although designed especially for severe to profound hearing losses, may be used for any degree of hearing loss. They typically are called Super Power (SP) or Ultra Power (UP) hearing aids. The advantage of these devices is that they have the large form factor necessary to accommodate a size 675 battery. These batteries are the largest standard hearing aid batteries available and are easy to grasp and place into the device, even with fingers that are arthritic or have neuropathy. Unfortunately, these devices are quite large, may not fit comfortably or securely behind smaller or floppy ears, and may interfere with glasses. Generally, they also are more visible than smaller devices.
Other full size BTE’s are available with size 13 batteries, and while not as easy to manipulate as size 675 batteries, may be suitable for some dexterity-limited individuals. The benefits of these larger devices are described below. • Turn device off/on The battery doors are quite large on these devices and compared with smaller devices are more easy to see, feel, and operate. • Insert device into ear Having a conventional earmold permitted by standard tubing provides more to grasp during insertion. The proportions of the device are more identifiable during placement behind the ear. • Remove device from ear Again, the larger size provides more tactile feedback to an individual with finger dexterity and sensation difficulties. • Change batteries The larger size of the 675 battery makes them easier to grasp and manipulate into the battery compartment.
Also larger 675 batteries will last longer, and so battery changes are less frequently necessary. • Clean earmold/tip The vent and sound bore of a conventional earmold is more visible with limited visual acuity and appropriate cleaning tools more easily used. A shortcoming is that if tubing must be removed from the ear hook to allow cleaning of the tube and bore with a blower or floss, it might be best to have a family member perform this task or bring the device in to your provider for service. FULL-SIZE BTE HEARING AIDS Remote Controls Remote controls can be helpful with any style of hearing aid as they can supplant the buttons and switches on the hearing aids, which can be small and difficult to find, distinguish, and operate. A remote control utilizes two senses – vision and touch – so they can be easier to operate as long as they are simple and the buttons are large and clearly labeled. Below are photos of various remote controls. One downside of a remote control is that it is an extra piece of equipment that can be forgotten, misplaced or lost.
Many remote controls can be worn around the neck or attached to a key chain, however. COMMON REMOTE CONTROLS Summary of use and maintenance problems and possible solutions The chart below summarizes the potential solutions for a given task with which a hearing aid user experiences difficulty. For a given impairment (Visual Acuity, Manual Dexterity, Fingertip Sensation, Cognitive Ability) a “P” indicates which task(s) may be a Problem and which technology may offer a Solution. Note that “ S-“ indicates a solution alternative that may not be as effective as an “ S” solution alternative.
The Good and the Bad of Wax Guards and Stock Domes Cerumen (ear wax) is common and can cause a hearing aid to stop working. Earwax can plug up the opening where sound exits from the device or earmold into the ear canal. When plugging blocks the sound, many users will think the cause is a dead battery, and so they will change batteries unnecessarily to no avail. Or, they may think the hearing aid stopped working and will call their audiologist to schedule a visit. Worse yet they may be unaware of the lack of sound and simply walk around with non-functioning hearing aids, which is worse than not wearing hearing aids at all. Before RIC hearing aids became widely available, wax filters were present primarily in custom (ITE/ITC/CIC) hearing aids. Conventional earmolds are more resistant to plugging as the sound bore is larger and it takes longer to fill up with cerumen.
Also, conventional earmolds are larger and it is just easier for somebody with visual acuity or finger dexterity impairments to clean them. Typical wax guard systems for custom devices are shown below. The idea of a wax guards is to prevent serious damage to the hearing aid as they prevent ear wax from fouling up the speaker, which may require potentially costly repairs. Choosing the right system is complex and warrants serious thinking on the part of your provider to enhance your success with hearing aids. The best choice depends on your specific ear anatomy, the location and degree of your cerumen production, and your dexterity/visual status. Each option has its pros and cons.
The wax filter can be difficult to change by individuals with dexterity/visual limitations but may be easily and conveniently changed by a family member. The receiver tube extension option must be cleaned periodically but not likely as often as a wax filter needs to be changed. The wax spring requires replacement by your audiologist but required servicing is typically less frequent than the other two options. Individuals who have the tube extensions and cannot clean it themselves may need to visit their provider if no one else is available. CUSTOM DEVICE CERUMEN MANAGEMENT OPTIONS TYPICAL WAX FILTER SYSTEM FOR RIC WITH STOCK EAR TIPS CUSTOM EARMOLD OPTIONS – EASIER TO SEE, CLEAN, AND MANIPULATE INTO THE EAR Summary Because there are so many use and maintenance factors that affect your success with hearing aids. It is wise to ask your provider a lot of questions.
Try to bring a trusted friend or family member with you, especially if that person will be helping you to use and maintain your hearing aids. Finally, being honest with yourself about your abilities and limitations, and discussing any limitations with your provider will go a long way toward ensuring you end up with hearing aids that do not become a burden. Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save.