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EXCURSION for towing ??

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Old 01-16-2009 | 01:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Enforcer2
Thinking about towing my boat ( 37 Midnight w/quad Outboards approx 8K lbs) and doing a few occassional short trips (3 hours) and some long trips to Florida (14 hours)

I have been looking at Ford Excursions for their interior space and overall secondary vehilce use for my famalia.

Any experiences ??

Im assuming I should go with Diesel and 4x4 any experiences or suggestions. Thanks
I had a 2004 6.0 diesel excursion. The motor pulled fine but even with airbags the axles, wheels, and brakes are small. Plus if you lose a rear tire it will be a disaster. Take that boat over a scale. I think you will be shocked at how much it really weighs
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Old 01-16-2009 | 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by LapseofReason
There NOT the same as a 1/2 ton. Not even close,they are not as big as they need to be for sure.
If you go to some of the truck forums you can find the part #'s for the Ford oe springs to put f250 or 350 springs under it that will have it sit level and you can run 33-35 inch tires depending what spring you run, get good 6-8 ply tires, I have 18 inch wheels but am putting on 20's for less sidewall and even better ride. You can go aftermarket but the stock stuff seems to ride better. Will it tow as good as a dually no, will it tow the boat in ? yes and 6-8 people and all their crap. I would not go over 15k total boat and trailer for long trips.

Any truck that was not built to tow will need some setup to do the job right, I don't remember Chevy building any dually Suburban's so it must have been a conversion or custom witch the company would have done things to make it tow better. Yes Duallys tow great but they suck to drive all the time if you live in an area with alot of traffic.
OK,,,,thats what i sayd. 1/2 ton is not a f250 or f350 ??!!
If u put springs om it from a 350 ,,yes but still not as good as a dually.
Its like a f150 with a bigger body and f350 engine = EXURSION
Even the frame is not much difrent then f150 !!!!!!!!

Go messure one.
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Old 01-16-2009 | 03:56 PM
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I've had a couple and they tow well, even better with bags from what I have heard.
It does not matter who you are, how far you are towing, or what boat you are towing. If you're *loaded* (fuel and all gear) boat and trailer weight combined is over 9,600LBS (with 3.73 gears) or 11,000LBS (with 4.30 gears) you are illegal.

Someone cuts you off and causes and accident, you now have no insurance and everyone and their cousin can come after your boat, home, business, kids college money....get the idea?

No matter what it "feels" like, your insurance policy only cares about what your truck is legally rated at.

The older Suburbans will bump it up to 12,000LBS.

How much does that bad boy weigh anyway with 4 engines?

Last edited by damdonzi; 01-16-2009 at 07:50 PM.
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Old 01-16-2009 | 04:24 PM
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Originally Posted by damdonzi
I've had a couple and they tow well, even better with bags from what I have heard.
It does not matter who you are, how far you are towing, or what boat you are towing. If you're *loaded* (fuel and all gear) boat and trailer weight combined is over 9,500LBS you are illegal.

Someone cuts you off and causes and accident, you now have no insurance and everyone and their cousin can come after your boat, home, business, kids college money....get the idea?

No matter what it "feels" like, your insurance policy only cares about what your truck is legally rated at.

The older Suburbans will bump it up to 12,000LBS.

How much does that bad boy weigh anyway with 4 engines?
Hell, an Excursion probably weighs 9500lbs. I think you meant something different.
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Old 01-16-2009 | 04:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Enforcer2
Thinking about towing my boat ( 37 Midnight w/quad Outboards approx 8K lbs) and doing a few occassional short trips (3 hours) and some long trips to Florida (14 hours)

I have been looking at Ford Excursions for their interior space and overall secondary vehilce use for my famalia.

Any experiences ??

Im assuming I should go with Diesel and 4x4 any experiences or suggestions. Thanks
I HAVE A 01 EXCURSION 7.3 4X4 12IN LIFT AND 39'S IN TIRES ON 20X12 RIMS, IT PULLS A 28 DONZI FINE MY BOAT AND EVERTHING IS RITE AT 8K, WITH ALL THE STUFF ON MINE EXTRA THE TRUCK ONLY WAS 8842 FULL OF DIESEL.
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Old 01-16-2009 | 05:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Enforcer2
Thinking about towing my boat ( 37 Midnight w/quad Outboards approx 8K lbs) and doing a few occassional short trips (3 hours) and some long trips to Florida (14 hours)

I have been looking at Ford Excursions for their interior space and overall secondary vehilce use for my famalia.

Any experiences ??

Im assuming I should go with Diesel and 4x4 any experiences or suggestions. Thanks
I tow my 32 Sunsation with my Excursion 7.3, and I barely know its back there. I did put a little beefier springs on it, I believe it was two leafs on all four, but I towed it even before that, and it was still awesome. You can't beat the room it provides, nor the fuel economy you get, even when towing. My boat, with trailer, is right around 10k pounds, so you should be just fine. I highly recommend the Excursion, and wish they still made them. Our family has three of them, 2 2000's with 7.3s and one 05 with the 6.0.

P.S. stay away from the 2003's. Ford had all kinds of issues with that year.
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Old 01-16-2009 | 05:30 PM
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Originally Posted by daredevil
OK,,,,thats what i sayd. 1/2 ton is not a f250 or f350 ??!!
If u put springs om it from a 350 ,,yes but still not as good as a dually.
Its like a f150 with a bigger body and f350 engine = EXURSION
Even the frame is not much difrent then f150 !!!!!!!!

Go messure one.
The frame on an Excursion is an F350 frame, 1 ton. Its not even close to an F150.
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Old 01-16-2009 | 06:10 PM
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Originally Posted by daredevil
OK,,,,thats what i sayd. 1/2 ton is not a f250 or f350 ??!!
If u put springs om it from a 350 ,,yes but still not as good as a dually.
Its like a f150 with a bigger body and f350 engine = EXURSION
Even the frame is not much difrent then f150 !!!!!!!!

Go messure one.
Same frame as an F250 subercab shot bed. same front axle same spring less one leaf, same rear sping diff. rear because ford never saw the need to make it a dually. I use to work for Ford
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Old 01-16-2009 | 08:08 PM
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Originally Posted by JasonSmith
Hell, an Excursion probably weighs 9500lbs. I think you meant something different.
Actually, no. Edited my original post. I was curious enough to grab my owners manual, and this is how it reads for a 4x4 Excursion:

Engine/Rear Axle Ratio/Max GCWR/Max Trailer Weight

5.4L/4.10/14,500/7,200
6.8L/3.73/17,000/9,600
6.8L/4.30/20,000/11,000

I think the diesel tow ratings are identical. Someone could grab thier manual and chime in as well.

So if you have an 8,000LB boat on a 1,500LB trailer, and the Excursion weighs 8,600LBS, you will need the 4.30 gears to be legal, because you would have already exceeded 17,000LBS Max GCWR based on the truck+trailer+boat -forget the people and gear in the truck which you need to account for as well.

My point is, no matter what it "feels" like, it's what the insurance company will say in the event of an accident that counts in addition to being able to safely tow your boat.
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Old 01-16-2009 | 09:58 PM
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Thanks everyone!!! I greatly appreciate all the info. Sounds like Ill be okay. Dont plan on taken too many trips to Florida , I did think about the dually. I will be using this vehicle as a secondary vehicle so either way I will be okay. But I will probably get more use out of the Excursion. Thanks again.
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