EXCURSION for towing ??
 

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 :eureka:

Ok, I have a little experience with the Excursion. I towed a 32 AT with it and was fine, when I moved up to the 37 AT it did it but not as good. What I found was the truck had a lot of roll and when a semi truck would pass you on the highway , it would push you around some, not a good feeling at 65mph. If I had kept it I was looking into some airbags for the rear and a way to tighten up the suspension. But sold it and bought a 350 Dually instead. Hope this helps.

Oh, and don't buy anything but a Diesel, 4x4.

I had a friend with one that towed a 43 Black Thunder with one. I think he towed the boat to florida a few times. He loved the truck but ended up selling it and buying a dually for towing.

I had a 01 excursion 7.3 diesel 4x4 and towed my 38 Gun with it pulled the gun around with no problem and excellent fuel economy too. I think for short trip go with the excursion 7.3 if possible but long trip Dually for sure.

We pull a 35 Formula w/ a Ex gasser V-10. Does real fine. Also pulled a 30' camper thru rockies, passing semi's on serious grade's.

Although the Ex is simaler to F-250's, the suspension is softer for "scoccer moms". We put on air bags, better shocks and radius rods that eliminated sway.

Every one that asks about milage, I tell them way better than the boat!

I have an 01 7.3 on 35" tires with sway bars and air bags tows great. I havent pulled anything above 10k but it's been good. I had a dullie same year and motor I pulled my 42 Sonic with but sold it when I got the NT since it was twice what the truck was rated for,the bad part it pulled it fine just didnt want to stop it.

A good friend has pretty much the same setup I have and he tows a 97 382 Formula and has no problems. He owns a 4x4 custom shop, he says that the Excursion tows better with a little lift to get the frame as high as the trailer, he pulled his boat 2 seasons with his truck stock then lifted it 3-4 inches and put on 35's and it was better driving than before.

The leafspring on an Exursion are the same then on a 1/2 ton truck :eek:

Unless u airbag it ,,,forget it .

had my buddys Exursion to get a boat in Kentucky and pulled it to FL,,,,,,,,what a nightmare,,,,boat and trailer maybe 10K.

My old dually suburban 3/4 ton ,,,NOT A PROBLEM !!!!


Get a dually !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:ernaehrung004:

I pulled with an '02 4x4 excursion with the 7.3 diesel for a couple years.

Put airbags on the rear and add some wide aftermarket wheels and tires. you wont regret it.

Baja 36 Outlaw on triple axle Myco = 12000 lbs loaded

Excursion V-10 3.73 ratio = NO NO NO (Not even with the 7.3 PSD)

Ford F350 dually 4 x 4 - 7.3 - 4.10 = YES YES YES

With the Excursion keep the total boat and trailer weight under 10K max and yes air bags will be required.

We love our Excursion but it is NOT enough truck for our boat and simply not safe for anything over 10K. It will pull 6 to 8K like it is not even back there.

Good luck

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.

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

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.:cool-smiley-011:

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?

Hell, an Excursion probably weighs 9500lbs. I think you meant something different.

:ernaehrung004: 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.:ernaehrung004:

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.

The frame on an Excursion is an F350 frame, 1 ton. Its not even close to an F150.

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

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.

:cool: 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.

Most important thing is going to be trailer setup. 4 outboards hanging off the back of ANY boat is going to turn the trailer into a teeter-totter when going over bumps. Again, trailer setup is going to be KEY.

Well back to the question, Yes it will do it but the real question is safely?? Hope you never have a moment like I did on the way too Florida, I sold mine right when I got back and bought the dually.
Thats alot of boat to pull around with the entire family in it.
Think about it??

Make up a bracket for trailer so you can use load equalizering bars. Should solve problem with heavy trailer on 1/2 chassis. If trailer has surge brakes you have to play around with angle of chains to make brakes work properly. But remeber to take bars off when moving trailer into tight turns ie backing into 90 degree turns. But nothing beats a dually on long trips

[QUOTE=daredevil;2779222]The leafspring on an Exursion are the same then on a 1/2 ton truck :eek:

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm:food-smiley-007:

BILL,,,,,,,ok ok ok ,,,maybe not. But i quess we where talking stock.
Not your 120 K Exursion.:D

Yes you are exactly right. The older I get the less chances I am willing to take...especially with the family.

My most frequent trip would be from Ocean City to Annapolis.

I can make the trip with boat by traveling up coast an then through C & D canal.

Wouldnt take too long to do but it would definetly be less time and fuel to trailer. Something I really have to think about.

I use to use a GMC extended cab 4 X4 Dually to pull my 27 Avanti in mid 90's and it was effortless. But the ride without any thing hooked up was terrible.

Again this will be a secondary vehicle...so may be better to get a extended cab dually and start planning more trips with famliy to warmer destinaions!!

I would really like to start meeting the mebers of OSO and hanging out. There are not many performance boaters or destinations in Ocean City to go to.

The two posts that really got my attention where the above and Damndonzis overall weight of truck, boat and most importantly people in vehicle.

This is why OSO is so valuable, a lot of knowlege and experience on the boards and a lot of good people with good advice.

Thankyou:)

Another very important factor. I wasn't going to bring it up yet..........didnt want to add more to the confusion, but that was another major concern. I have been looking at trailers 4 foot longer than hull length to compensate for this.


So with most of the safety issues covered....what about high end mileage on diesels. What does everyone think of that.

Trying to get most bang for buck without spending a fortune but want something reliable and nice looking. I have been looking at a lot with mileage over 100K mostly due to the price.

I can most likely find something at the auctions for a lot cheaper than what I am seing onE-bay and trader.com (I have a friend that can purchase at auctions)

I dont want to start a brand :party-smiley-004:war but Gm or Ford????

I have the 01 with a 7.3 with 112k no problems over $30, I have a fair amount of mods too that helped with alot more power and mpg when I keep my foot out of it. If you buy one with a 6.0 I would stay away from 03 1/2-04 1/2 and I wouldnt do any mod's to it. The 6.0 is just not as good of a motor and dosn't like mods unless you do a ton of block and head work first, it's nicer to drive stock than the 7.3. Stay away from 00 and early 01 also they run a diff. trans and it wasn't strong enough. Unless you just swap it out with another one, the better one bolts up and plugs in no problem.

If you want to build a great one find a gas Excursion and get the kit to run the Cummins eng & trans put 410 gears bigger tires and it would pull a house down. A buddy of mine is doing this right now, he got a nice EB Excursion loaded with a v10 for $3500, 03 27k mile Cummins motor and trans and elec. from a salvage yard for $3000 with 90 day warr. the swap kit for $1500, and sold his motor and trans for $1500

danggg! :eek: You most now I like projects!!! Thanks for the info

This whole GCWR thing that Damdonzi brougt to the table....thanks DD :D is a lot to consider. I see the Excursion with diesel is rated for 20K thats defintely getting close if not over the limits when you add everything together.

Looks like non dually F350s are also rated at 20,00 1999-2004


EXCURSION GCWR and
5.4L 4x2 13,000
5.4L 4x4 14,500
6.8L 4x2 20,000
6.8L 4x4 20,000
6.0L 4x2 20,000
6.0L 4x4 20,000
7.3L 4x2 20,000
7.3L 4x4 20,000

i can assure you excursions have 3/4 ton springs. the excursion will pull your boat just fine if, its on the right trailer. trailer brakes and the proper tounge weight are big factors. air bags will definately help with the bit of body roll they get. an adjustable gas charged shock like the procomp adjustable will help as well. i have built many excursions for towing, some with lift kits and some stock height. definately a diesel though

Thanks I appreciate the input. I am moving boat back to warehouse next week to finsish it. I need to get it on a scale to figure out exactly what it is weighing in at.

It is light thats for sure, all composite coring, vinyelster and 2 strokes. My old Midnight weighed 10,500 with triple optis

This hull is a lot lighter than the old Midnight ..........will be interesting to see.

Thanks again I may be in touch

My 02 excursion w/V10 gas 4x4 pulls my 28 Nordic Heat with ease. I have Towed a 35 Nordic Flame with twin 525's on one occasion. You could feel the differance. but it pulled it just fine. If you excursion owners remember... There was a recall from ford for the tires. The stock tires 265/70/16's from firestone were an issue if the tire pressure was low and the vehichle was loaded to max. With that being said, just keep your pressure to the recommended psi. I believe the fix for the recall was replacement tire with a E rated sidewall instead of the D rated. The tire was not defective, just under rated for the application. I put aftermarket tires on, so I didn't take them up on the recall. I sold the tires to a friend with an Expedition. There was also a recall for a problem with the cruise control wiring causing a fire. My vehicle just recently had that fixed.


Ray

Had an Ex towed a Cig 35 Cafe Racer fine.

Put Airbags on it to tow a Cig 42 Tiger and worked for small distances it was a little much for long trips however.

Bought a Excursion 4 X4 Black limited with 7.3 liter Diesel. Pick it up next weekend in Florida!!

And thanks again to everyone for their advice and experience sharing. It was a huge help.

:ernaehrung004: GOOD JOB ON THE 7.3. WOULDNT WANT A 6.0. WHAT YEAR, YOU NEED THE BD TRANS PAN +5.5QT AND TRANS TEMP GAUGE 1ST. THEN AFE COLD AIR INTAKE, 4 IN EXH. AND EDGE JUICE WITH ADD. WITH THE EGT DISPLAY BOOST AND ECT. REALLY WAKES TRUCK UP....:food-smiley-007:

Congrats! The Excursion is a great vehicle! I had a 2004 with the 6.0 and luckily did not have any problems to 96K when I traded it in on an f450. I switched intakes, installed airbags, a frame rail compressor, and chip and that thing would tow anything;however, it has small brakes and the rear stability is limited. If you like projects, the best thing you could do is change the brakes and rear axle and switch to dually. I had a friend who had a black one and got black fiberglass dually fender flares and installed 19.5 aluminum wheels and commercial tires all around and it looked awesome.
From personal experience I lost a new rear tire (defect) while not towing. It blew out abruptly on the interstate and I almost lost it in heavy traffic. Even with the E rated tires you are at the mercy of one tire. The added assurance of dually rears is exponential, especially when towing a heavy boat long distances.

Thats sound cool, (dually) somew thing I may eventually do. I am definetly doing the performance mods That Donz 28 mentioned along with suspension and all black wheels.Theres a local mechanic who specializes in the mods for the diesels.

Magnaflow or Banks exhaust????? and whay chip

I wont be towing right away. I may take a few 2 hour trips to Annapolis but for now just towing around town so I can finish her.

Vehicle just made since overall for what I wanted. After researching the GCWR I am confident I am under the the allowable. Plenty of room for the family, diesel 4x4 and imho just an all around useable vehicle. (not an everday driver) Oh yeah it was either this or an H-2 or older converted H-1 topless just for play not tow. (Wife is happy I went with Excursion)............maybe next time!

My biggest issue is going to be trailer set up. Like one member added the weight of quads on bracket will play a factor (2 strokes) . I m going to have to really research this. My inital thought is a longer trailer to offset tongue weight. I did think about axle placement but something I am not sure of. Thsi will be the next topic on OSO !!!:food-smiley-007:

And most improtantly a Midnight Express logo for the back window:evilb:

I ll post some picts of it. (its a 2002 limited all black with tan leather 2 rows of captains chairs one bench and clean has 101K more mileage than what I wanted but from what I have been told thats just broken in....... it was an excellent deal)

Congrats on your purchase, The 7.3 PS is a great engine easily capable of 250k with regular maint. I tow a 31 Chris Cat with no concerns,7 people and gear:ernaehrung004:. These guys are steering you right, the EX springs are inverted in front and lighter with short blocks out back so it could go into a standard house garage door. The frame is an f350 so just upgrade the springs and there you go. rear sway bar(st on '04 up), wide wheels, 350 springs, Ford Severe Duty air box, exhaust and DP Tuner chip and You will be very impressed. Legal trailer weight is 12,500 according to my trailer hitch. Good Luck

Thanks Green card I appreciate the info:ernaehrung004: