Did you guys see the Ultimate Offroad Challenge review in the latest issue of Truck Trend? They compared the Texas Titan against an H1, Xterra and FJ-Cruiser. Titan went nearly everywhere the H1 went despite the fact theirs didn't have the E-Locker.

In the end, they rated the Titan number 1 over the others. One of the reasons it came out on top is the H1 had a failure during the test that seems to be common to H1's (don't remember what it was). Of course it also costs more than the other three put together.

Interesting read if any of you want to check it out.

Regards,

John

I had an Xterra and I loved it.... I was going places that people with tricked out jeeps were scared to go... go figure

Not to mention the new 265 HP X's are alot better then my 2002 SE Supercharged...

I'm not surprised the titan was #1!

Our trucks are just awsome....

Did you guys see the Ultimate Offroad Challenge review in the latest issue of Truck Trend? They compared the Texas Titan against an H1, Xterra and FJ-Cruiser. Titan went nearly everywhere the H1 went despite the fact theirs didn't have the E-Locker.

In the end, they rated the Titan number 1 over the others. One of the reasons it came out on top is the H1 had a failure during the test that seems to be common to H1's (don't remember what it was). Of course it also costs more than the other three put together.

Interesting read if any of you want to check it out.

Regards,

John
Dang it! I ws going to post this first. Yeah the H1 brok a front U-joint. So for the sand test, it was only 3wd.
The Titan used was a No Fear edition Titan. It did very well.

While I like the titan an H1 will destroy it in dirt. Looks like yet another media outlet pandering to advertisers, what a joke.

Ya thats great about the Titan but who hear didnt already know that lol I will be getting the new FJ only cause the titan is to big to go on some of the trails that I want to go and the FJ is killer out of the box thanks for the info peace out......

I'm amazed that the H1 lost! I know the military version seemed to be tough as nails but horrible performance (0-60 in...1 hour 23 minutes). Maybe the civilian version of the Hummer has cheaper parts to lessen cost to the customer or improve performance? If anything it had to be performance because those thing cost a small fortune!

The H1 has some very nice features including 16" ground clearance, automatic air up and air down capability, better approach and departure angles, excellent crawling capability with its gearing ratio, darn near complete underbody protection form a spiders web of armor, and the list goes on.

Is it more capable than the Titan? Clearly yes, but is it worth the additional $90,000 that it costs over the No Fear Titan? (The darn thing costs over $130K) Clearly, no.

Take it's additional cost, plus the fact that the failure it experienced was described as very typical for this model, and finally the fact that the Titan went just about everywhere the H1 did despite not having a locker and I think their analysis was actually pretty fair. They even made the comment that had their Titan had the E-Locker option it would have likely matched the H1 on every trail test they put them through.

If you read the article you'll also hear their very reasonable view that nearly all of us use our 4 wheelers as daily drivers too. Not many have a dedicated trail rig. In this area the H1 scored extremely low. Loud, slow, prone to vibrations, cumbersome, etc., and the list goes on.

I think we'd all agree the Titan has pretty darn good road manners even with a lift kit and bigger tires.

All in all, I'd say they did a pretty good job in their review. As far as their pandering to advertisers, I don't think so. Ford, GM and Dodge advertise a heck of a lot more in their magazines than does Nissan. Also, the aftermarket suppliers out there who advertise in their magazine make one heck of a lot more products (and money from their advertising) for Fords, etc., than they do for our Titans. If Truck Trend was pandering, they chose the wrong group to pander to. They should have chosen the F-150 or Ridgeline :)

Isn't one of our primary complaints that noone makes enough goodies for our trucks?

Speaking of which, I just had a custom set of rock sliders including a set of rear ones around the bumper fabbed up for my truck. They should be done soon and I'll post pics.

Excellent fab shop here in SoCal who makes custom racing trucks, buggies, etc.

Regards,

John

The H1 has some very nice features including 16" ground clearance, automatic air up and air down capability, better approach and departure angles, excellent crawling capability with its gearing ratio, darn near complete underbody protection form a spiders web of armor, and the list goes on.

Is it more capable than the Titan? Clearly yes, but is it worth the additional $90,000 that it costs over the No Fear Titan? (The darn thing costs over $130K) Clearly, no.

Take it's additional cost, plus the fact that the failure it experienced was described as very typical for this model, and finally the fact that the Titan went just about everywhere the H1 did despite not having a locker and I think their analysis was actually pretty fair. They even made the comment that had their Titan had the E-Locker option it would have likely matched the H1 on every trail test they put them through.

If you read the article you'll also hear their very reasonable view that nearly all of us use our 4 wheelers as daily drivers too. Not many have a dedicated trail rig. In this area the H1 scored extremely low. Loud, slow, prone to vibrations, cumbersome, etc., and the list goes on.

I think we'd all agree the Titan has pretty darn good road manners even with a lift kit and bigger tires.

All in all, I'd say they did a pretty good job in their review. As far as their pandering to advertisers, I don't think so. Ford, GM and Dodge advertise a heck of a lot more in their magazines than does Nissan. Also, the aftermarket suppliers out there who advertise in their magazine make one heck of a lot more products (and money from their advertising) for Fords, etc., than they do for our Titans. If Truck Trend was pandering, they chose the wrong group to pander to. They should have chosen the F-150 or Ridgeline :)

Isn't one of our primary complaints that noone makes enough goodies for our trucks?

Speaking of which, I just had a custom set of rock sliders including a set of rear ones around the bumper fabbed up for my truck. They should be done soon and I'll post pics.

Excellent fab shop here in SoCal who makes custom racing trucks, buggies, etc.

Regards,

JohnI second that.
It was a fair article.
I have also seen the military versions pop that same U-joint they were talking about.

While I like the titan an H1 will destroy it in dirt. Looks like yet another media outlet pandering to advertisers, what a joke.

While I agree that an H1 is a great OR vehicle, a machine is only as strong as its weakest part. In this case, a u-joint.

FWIW, a buddy of mine has a 99 6.6L diesel H1 and the thing is in the shop seemingly every other month. Leaky solenoids(wake up with flat tires every day), leaking T-cases, warped center mounted brake rotors, irratic idle(unresolved), yadda yadda yadda.

The H1 was a great design when it was first introduced, but now the entire styling is quite dated and it is overpriced.

The H2 is a Housemom POS soccer carrier and the H3 is a dirt-poor poser's vehicle... The entire name brand has been spoiled over the past few years by dumb blondes that can't drive.

I've driven the HUNVEE and own an H2 along with my Titan. I don't know about the H1 but the HUMVEE is a VERY capable. The road tests they did are mild to what a HUMVEE can handle. The H2 is far from a POS (have you actually driven one or are you jealous or listening to others). It isn't HUMVEE capable, but it has better entry and departure angles than our Titans. It has a good Locker and has an adjustable air suspension along with a good suspension ALL stock. It is a little under powered for it weight, but has thicker metal than our Titans and has tons of room for us big guys. I love my Titan and with the mods I have done prefer it over the H2 anyday but to say it is a POS for soccer moms? If they are such a POS why does the Red Cross have a program (only for H1 and H2's) where they hold a course for you to get trained to help out in emergency situations like hurricane recovery. Easy, because STOCK the vehicles are very capable and versatile.

A couple of people at the office have H2's and from what I've seen they are pretty nice. Sure, they have an interior similiar to a Suburban, but that was intentional. Why not, as it works well, is functional and helps keep the price down.

Underneath, where it really counts, it is very different than a Suburban. They have armor, good suspension, lockers, tow points everywhere, and best of all, tons of aftermarket stuff to customize, etc.

I have no problems with them at all. They don't quite suit my tastes at they are a bit too wide and heavy for my liking, but I'd not slam them.

I think it was Truck Trend that also rated the H3 as a very capable off-roader. The dang thing has been out what, 6 months and there is already more aftermarket stuff for it than we'll likely ever have for our Titans.

My whole point of posting the note about the review was to encourage people to read it and see what the reviewers thought of the Titan alongside the other vehicles. The H1 is an awesome trail rig, but has some definite limitations. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well their Titan performed and wanted to let others know what our trucks are capable of.

Titan's have limitations as well. The weak link of the moment seems to be our rear differentials. Sure a TrueTrac will help with that, but its an LSD, not a locker. I've forgotten how many times I've read in offroad magazines where they talk about our rear ends being a definite weak point.

Each of the vehicles in the review were different and excelled in their own areas. I was just pleased that they felt the Titan scored high enough in enough catagories to award it the overall winner. No point in bashing the other vehicles. That's not what our sport is about.

Regards,

John

I doubt there are any of you that wouldn't take one in a heart beat if given the opportunity (i.e. won in a drawing, freak situation).

I know I would love to have an H1 if I could afford it. (The "cool" factor is way up on the scale)

Of course... I would prefer it painted in olive drab.

The H1 has some very nice features including 16" ground clearance, automatic air up and air down capability, better approach and departure angles, excellent crawling capability with its gearing ratio, darn near complete underbody protection form a spiders web of armor, and the list goes on.

Is it more capable than the Titan? Clearly yes, but is it worth the additional $90,000 that it costs over the No Fear Titan? (The darn thing costs over $130K) Clearly, no.

Take it's additional cost, plus the fact that the failure it experienced was described as very typical for this model, and finally the fact that the Titan went just about everywhere the H1 did despite not having a locker and I think their analysis was actually pretty fair. They even made the comment that had their Titan had the E-Locker option it would have likely matched the H1 on every trail test they put them through.

If you read the article you'll also hear their very reasonable view that nearly all of us use our 4 wheelers as daily drivers too. Not many have a dedicated trail rig. In this area the H1 scored extremely low. Loud, slow, prone to vibrations, cumbersome, etc., and the list goes on.

I think we'd all agree the Titan has pretty darn good road manners even with a lift kit and bigger tires.

All in all, I'd say they did a pretty good job in their review. As far as their pandering to advertisers, I don't think so. Ford, GM and Dodge advertise a heck of a lot more in their magazines than does Nissan. Also, the aftermarket suppliers out there who advertise in their magazine make one heck of a lot more products (and money from their advertising) for Fords, etc., than they do for our Titans. If Truck Trend was pandering, they chose the wrong group to pander to. They should have chosen the F-150 or Ridgeline :)

Isn't one of our primary complaints that noone makes enough goodies for our trucks?

Speaking of which, I just had a custom set of rock sliders including a set of rear ones around the bumper fabbed up for my truck. They should be done soon and I'll post pics.

Excellent fab shop here in SoCal who makes custom racing trucks, buggies, etc.

Regards,

John

Very well put

I don't know about the H1 but the HUMVEE is a VERY capable. The road tests they did are mild to what a HUMVEE can handle.

The H1 is the Humvee as you call it. Not only that, but I believe the H1 in the test is the Alpha model which is their top o' the line model. A good friend of mine had 2 H1's. They were broke more than they were running. I know there is an aura of invincibility with the H1, and they can do just about anything......except: fit on most trails....function 100% for more than a few trail rides.........get to 60 before ones hair turns grey.....and fit in a parking space.......and fit more people than a compact civic. An H1, that is reliable, and about the size of a jeep would be much more impressive offroad. The humvee does what it was designed to do......fit on military roads, cross water, and break down so troops have something to fix in their spare time.....

Having said that, I too would like one in Olive Drab if for nothing else than to scare the neighborhood children ;)

H2 capable? LMAO. A bit underpowered? Like saying the silverado is a bit ugly, lol. Come with all the above mentioned stock? Better for the ridiculous price tag.Bottom line is almost any truck or SUV can be made to be more capable for far less coin, get better gas mileage, and be more reliable to boot. H3 is a similarly bad joke.

the fact that the Titan went just about everywhere the H1 did despite not having a locker and I think their analysis was actually pretty fair. They even made the comment that had their Titan had the E-Locker option it would have likely matched the H1 on every trail test they put them through.


Clearly they went on basic trails that were nothing for an H1.

Hey JohnCalifornia , Would they make another set of rock slider's ? and how much ? I would love a set ,as would many other members I am sure .

Oh ya , good assessment of the Titan vs H1 .

I'll be picking the truck up tomorrow from the fabricator. Went and checked it out yesterday. They had them fab'd up and tack welded to the truck. Looked pretty good. They were going out to be powder coated, then welded on.

I'll let you know how they come out after I get them home and test them out. The tough part and what remains to be seen is if they can be used as a true lifting point for a high lift. The problem is the distance from our frame out to the side of the body panels. It's a long, long way. Without cutting a hole up into the rocker panel and installing a stud or other hard point as bracing, it's tough to make them strong enough to carry half the weight of our big trucks.

I tried to get clever and had them designed them to be used with the Lift-Mate apparatus made by High Lift. Usually you insert the hooks into your wheel spokes in order to use the wheel as a lifting point. My idea was to space the two parallel bars the right distance apart that you could hook onto the inner one and place the rubber bumper of the Lift Mate against the outer one. This also helps distribute the load over a wider area.

Tough to describe, but easy to see in a picture. I'll be posting pics and a review hopefully tomorrow if I get time to test them out.

Even if they can't ultimately act as a lifting point, they are undoubtably will be excellent rock sliders as they are designed well, are strong as heck and welded directly to the frame at four points per side.

He fabrication shop indicated they'd be interested in making more for others if interested, but I don't know if they'll ship. I can ask if you want.

Regards,

John

Why did the H1 break on basic trails?

Why did the H1 break on basic trails?

I missed the article, and would like to know that also. The H1 costs 130k? and it broke down on basic trails?

Just think how many mods we can add for 90k+ to our trucks!

hey johncaliforia, what is the name of the shop, and were is it located if u dont mind me asking.

It's Baja Motorsports in Orange. They came out good, though I need to go back to have them make a modification.

I'll post pics and a review when they're all done.

Noone said the H1 broke down on basic trails. I think it was Kartman who said that they "must have went on basic trails only". That might be what is confusing.

If one were to actually read the article (hint, hint), they'd see that the trails ranged up to pretty extreme. On a few, the H1 had to winch to finish and the Titan was halted. The Xterra and FJ were halted as well, but didn't make it as far as the Titan.

This is what prompted their comment that the Titan would have finished alongside the H1 if it had been equipped with a winch.

The author of the article said that this particular failure is common to H1's. He just as easily could have said that Titan's are prone to brake judder had the point of the article been a review of brakes rather than 4X4'ing.

Regards,

John