Ford Excursion revisited

[memgrove2000]

We are now looking for a used Excursion. keep up the discussion please. Will the v-10 gasser Last? Or should we look for the big deisel only?

[WineStream]

The best advice I can give is to check AutoTrader and scroll waaaaayyyy down in the pages until you get to the non-premium ads. Some private sellers buck-up for the premium ads, but many don't. There is no way that I have found (last time I used AutoTrader) to get to the "standard" ads without clicking later in the pages. I found my Ex. this way. No bold print, only one pic. The guy had it up there for 3 weeks with no bites. $6500 w/ 106k miles. I couldn't get the check cut fast enough. I offered to send the guy a deposit; he refused, took my word, and he kept his. I flew down to VA, he met me at the airport, did the transaction there, I drove away and he hopped in another car w/ his wife and they went home.

BTW...good choice to upgrade, Mike. I remember seeing your extended cab chevy (1500 I recall???) at Detroit-Metro and I wondered how you and the family all fit in there + pulled the Sovereign. When the girls get bigger you'll be in dire need of more room. Andrea and I + the boys + all the &^@&*^@ we take with us tends to fill up the Ex.

[mcair]

Just got back from a 1500 mile trip in our Ex. It is a 2000 v10 gasser with 125,000 miles on it. No problems at all. You will love all of the room it has. Our girls love it. It is a huge improvement over the Silverado which served us faithfully for 12 years. The girls wish we had traded years ago. We stuffed them into that ext cab rear seat way past the time it was comfortable for them.

[xonvldz]

i use my ex ltd as a daily driver and tow vehicle.2005 with 6.0 diesel with 82k on the clock.this truck is a blast to drive,since it has the power and performance i am accustomed to.maintenance is the key to longevity,and the diesels are unforgiving if not maintained properly.i put on a set of timbrens(rear)and a set of bilstien shocks and this tow has been great.ordered this truck with tow options from the factory including sway bars.hope to drive this truck for many years to come.

[handn]

I have one more comment about my 2000 Excursion and that is how well the body, paint, chrome and interior have held up over the years.
Wax it, Armor All the plastic and tires and vacuum the seats and it looks new. Amazing since it is approaching 200,000 miles.

[ALANSD]

Mine too except for some minor cracking in the leather that was there when I bought it.
People are surprised its 11 years old.

[Condoluminum]

We traded up in 2005, and sold a 200hp '94 Suburban 1500 and bought a 2002 Excursion with 5.4 Triton V8 and 250 hp to pull an Excella 25 rated with GVWR of ~ 7200#.. We got more comfort, airbags, heavier chassis/frame and more pulling power, though I cheerfully admit we can't pull up over Grapevine (southern Calif) or Siskayou's (Oregon/California border) at 70 mph... Don't care... 50-55 mph is fine...

It averages 15 mpg on rare occasions when it isn't towing, and 11 mpg when towing the Airstream.. I'd prefer rack and pinion steering and more aggressive brakes, but combination is more than 7 tons when rolling and needs a little room to stop...

We bought it with 42K miles, and now have 67K on it, and have done a couple oil changes plus coolant and transmission flushes, and finally replaced original Ford battery this year. Biggest enhancement for long trips was replacement of Ford radio with AM/FM/CD/XM unit, that includes Bluetooth speaker system for cell phone, iPod and USB connections..

I'm assuming it's good for 150K miles or more, and have no plans to replace it.. Paid $17K 5 years ago, and expect to get our money's worth in next 5 to 10 years... Very happy so far..

[memgrove2000]

Originally Posted by WineStream

The best advice I can give is to check AutoTrader and scroll waaaaayyyy down in the pages until you get to the non-premium ads. Some private sellers buck-up for the premium ads, but many don't. There is no way that I have found (last time I used AutoTrader) to get to the "standard" ads without clicking later in the pages. I found my Ex. this way. No bold print, only one pic. The guy had it up there for 3 weeks with no bites. $6500 w/ 106k miles. I couldn't get the check cut fast enough. I offered to send the guy a deposit; he refused, took my word, and he kept his. I flew down to VA, he met me at the airport, did the transaction there, I drove away and he hopped in another car w/ his wife and they went home.

BTW...good choice to upgrade, Mike. I remember seeing your extended cab chevy (1500 I recall???) at Detroit-Metro and I wondered how you and the family all fit in there + pulled the Sovereign. When the girls get bigger you'll be in dire need of more room. Andrea and I + the boys + all the &^@&*^@ we take with us tends to fill up the Ex.

Well jason, We wish we would have crawled around your while it was parked next to us, but we were not realy looking S.U.V. then. Our 1500 gasser does a fine job for what we do and it owes me nothing after years of comercail plowing. But it is starting to show its age and scince it has been on its roof at least once I dont see spending the money on a full body makeover (needs bedsides, Drivers door, third door, rocker pannels, both bumpers, some interior plastic pannels, and the fuel system seems to be giving us some concern now). I believe the girls would last a couple more years in the back seat of the chevy but if we take company we just get to tight in there, and forget us getting the dog in!

I have been looking a few places on line and cant figure out how to search craigs list all over. We will be ready to jump when the time comes just have to find the right deal first.

[memgrove2000]

Originally Posted by mcair

Just got back from a 1500 mile trip in our Ex. It is a 2000 v10 gasser with 125,000 miles on it. No problems at all. You will love all of the room it has. Our girls love it. It is a huge improvement over the Silverado which served us faithfully for 12 years. The girls wish we had traded years ago. We stuffed them into that ext cab rear seat way past the time it was comfortable for them.

I dont think we will wait as long as you guys did for the switch. I could not believe your girls rode in the back of your 1500 as long as they did. We at least have small girls... Glad that the Excursion does you guy good.. More ammo for the discussion with Erin... Thanks.

[WineStream]

Originally Posted by memgrove2000

I have been looking a few places on line and cant figure out how to search craigs list all over. We will be ready to jump when the time comes just have to find the right deal first.

Try here: Craiglook: Craigslist Search

It's what I use for all my craigslist searching. You can search nationwide or a close to home as you want.

[mcair]

We did not have a trailer until the first girl was about to go to college. Before that, trips were in the minivan where each girl had her own seat. We have only had about 3 trips where both of them came. This year it was only one. Good luck in the search. We bought ours from Roger's boss back in June.

[ALTE797]

Hi there -- We tow our 31' Classic Limited with a 2000 V10 Excursion XLT, and are happy with it - although it has required some repairs / maintenance. Just got back from a trip to the Outer Banks in NC and we averaged 10-11 mpg. I would recommend the V10 with the 4:30 rear end (all the 4x4 models had the 4:30) and averaging 60mph @ 2100 rpm you can drive under most conditions towing in OD, even up moderate grades without kick-down. As far as maintenance, I replaced all the plugs (stripped out a plug @ it cost $300 bucks to re-tap) also another issue we had is manifold bolts rusted off and popped at 220,000 Km. Load "E" range tires are highly recommended (I have Pirelli Scorpions) , and another thing I suggest is to install the Helwig sway bar and this has made a huge difference in handling. We have a Hensley, and the ride is very nice - not harsh, and in fact I find (at least with ours) that the Excursion is much nicer to drive when fully loaded / towing - than unloaded. Seats are great. The door lock actuators are another bug in these, but these issues are showing up now and like I mentioned, we have 250,000 Km on ours now and it's 10 years old. Expect to invest in some repairs / mods with almost any used EX you find. However with all it's "bugs" I cant help but like the vehicle. Hope this helps.

[tlavergne]

This is not an Excursion but is a very nice 1999 big block 3/4 ton Suburban on eBay with very low miles. I have nothing to do with this vehicle or the sale...I just saw it when I was checking out Suburbans.
Chevrolet : Suburban: eBay Motors (item 190458573624 end time Nov-09-10 13:30:42 PST)
Tom

[nmbosa]

Originally Posted by ALTE797

Hi there -- The door lock actuators are another bug in these,

There is a pretty simple fix to the door lock actuators - check out this link: Power Door Locks Fixed! It describes a simple fix that involves replacing a small resistor in the actuators with a penny.

I did this on my 2002 F-250 crew cab and it brought them back to life.

[Archersfin]

an easier fix is to wrap it in tinfoil. You don't have to cut a penny that way. I did my hatch latch and it worked very well. Cheaper than replacing the assembly. Just use some needle nose pliers and pull out the square resistor and wrap heavy duty kitchen foil around it. Put it back in and you are good to go. It has been a year and still working great.

[Chaplain Kent]

When we sold our beloved classic MH and went back to a trailer I could not wrap my mind around driving a pick up truck. We bought an E350 Super Duty which is a mule of a TV and extremely convenient. However, I simply cannot take the ride and lack of creature comforts anymore.
Now I am thinking of purchasing a 2000 Excursion Limited with the 7.3-90,000 miles. I still love diesels and miss my Isuzu in the MH.
Interested in opening this thread again and hearing from you guys about the integrity of the many features in the EX. Does the large array of toys hold up over the years and miles?

[c_lewis77]

Chaplain:
I have a 2000 ex with the V10. I am about to flip 200,000 miles; i have had no issues at all. Mechanically just std maintenance, cosmetically i had to change the yellowed headlights. It has been a great vehicle so far! My last vehicle was a 2000 f250 with the 7.3 diesel also a very good setup. No complaints here!

[HowieE]

One word of caution if comfort is one of your considerations.

I have a 204 diesel Excursion 4x4 and it is the worst vehicle I have ever driven as far a comfort is concerned. I think some of it is the 4x4 as the front axle is leaf springs with very little travel distance to bottoming out and the other is the stitching of the seat. One stitch line crosses just under my but and after 2 hours I have to get out and walk around.

I am looking for someone that can redesign the seat but have not yet considered rebending the front springs to increase travel.

[c_lewis77]

@howie:
Is there any difference in the front end of the 04 vs the 00? I also have the 4x4 and have not had the issues you are describing. I use my 4x4 quite often on construction sites/ mudholes and have not had any problems; the ex has performed very well, especially when towing. I have found that it will tend to sink in soft dirt b/c of the vehicle weight.

[HowieE]

Not sure about the set up between the 00 and 04.

In my case there is only about 1 1/2 in. before bottoming out and that causes even small bumps to transmit to the cab.