Is there a comfortable tow vehicle for a 34' Excella?

[North]

I have spent at least 70 hours in the past month in 2 different Ford trucks. They ride rough and some of the roads had very rough surfaces My neck and shoulders are rebelling to the point that I have told my husband I am going to get a Lincoln Town Car and meet him there. Pain kind of takes the fun out of it. Is there a reasonably
comfortable tow vehicle for a 34' Excella?

[cameront120]

Have you considered having custom seats installed? There are aftermarket products that are much mor comfortable. My uncle has to do this with his vehicles due to old injuries. Might be worth looking into.

[AlbertF]

This may cause some furor, but Andy Thomson of Can Am RV (Can-Am RV > Home) has set up a wide variety of smoother-riding vehicles to tow 34' Airstreams - Chrysler Intrepids, Cadillacs, Ford Crown Vics (and maybe some Town Cars too), V8 Jaguar sedans, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Ford Windstars, Chrysler 300C - and I'm sure there are some others. Send him a PM at Andrew T via this forum.

[SteveH]

And this may cause even more furor given the popularity of the Ford trucks, but a little less than a year ago I went shopping for a new truck, and the first one I drove was a Ford 1/2 ton. Well, I only drove it about a mile and had to get out of it because it rode so rough and the seat was so uncomfortable. I will admit that I have a bad back, but the Ford was unbearable for me to sit in and drive. I bought a GMC, and have no troubles sitting and driving it. As a matter of fact, we just got back from a 11,000 mile trip in it, Airstream in tow, to Alaska and back, and I was in comfort the entire trip.

[moosetags]

First off, welcome to the Forums from Central Time Florida. We're glad to have you with us.

In my opinion, Chevrolet and GMC trucks (same thing) ride better than Fords. The GM's are a little bit less "truckish".

You failed to mention whether the 70 hours in the Fords were pulling the 34 or not. The trucks' ride should be better when loaded than solo.

You also failed to mention whether you currently own these Ford trucks or not. If you already own a Ford, it would be much more reasonable to spend money for custom seats, shocks, etc. than trading trucks.

Brian

[Road Ruler]

Yes, like Albert F posted, there are many options as far as using a comfortable vehicle for towing your Airstream.

Order up the Hensley demo video Hensley Arrow - Trailer Towing Safety There are some great eamples shown on the clip including a "Lincoln Town Car" towing a 34.

[vswingfield]

Hi North,

I am kind of in the same boat as you. My F150 XLT is as comfortable as anything I have ever been in, but not up to my 1983 34' Excella. The biggest thing affecting ride quality in pickups that I have found is 2wd vs 4wd. The 2wd ones ride much smoother. Also, I assume you have been looking at the Superduty models, but which one. In my experience, 3/4 ton vehicles ride soother than 1 ton and above and are all you really need to pull an Airstream. Airstreams like the smoother ride as much as you do.

Also, the seats in my XLT are much mor comfortable than the ones in a friends XL, the base package. I'll be nice and not call it a stripper. There are the Lariat and King Ranch editions that are very nice, but pricy. The greatest "impact" on ride quality remains the 2wd vs 4wd choice. Among othe differences, the 2wd have independent front suspension vs the 4wd's "live axle." (My brother calls it a dead axle, I kind of like that description)

Finally, photos! We want Photos!!! Especially of a 34. After all, the carriers are the heart of a task force.

[HowieE]

Ford is notorious for a poor suspension system. If you go on any of the Ford forums and look up wandering, suspension, or ride quality you will see they are the most discussed issues.

I towed for my 34 for 15 years with 2 GM 4wd diesels Suburbans but had to buy a Ford Excursion XTL, GM no longer makes a diesel, last year when the engine quite in my Sub. The first thing I had to do after one tow was redesign the suspension system just to keep the combination on the road. Add to the fact that Ford has a poor suspension system they have the most uncomfortable seats I have ever ridden on. Most owners change out the captains chairs in the second row for the bench even though they spent $800.00 for the option. I will have to replace the drivers seat if I keep this truck.

Don't buy the Lincoln just yet GM should have a diesel Sub next year if they are still in business.

[woodedareas]

I have a 2007 Ford 150 with 2 wheel drive anfd I find it extremely comfortable. I have driven between Arizona and Illinois and it was a pleasure. I also have a new Land Rover and there is a difference in the overall performance of both Vehicles but the Land Rover is not any more comfortable. Trucks are designed for work but the more recent models have been enginered to provide very confortable rides. I would agree that a 4x4 will have a rougher ride but it should not be significant. I suggest that you consider a large SUV but in either case fuel costs are an issue.

[Pick]

2500HD in a Chevrolet or GMC pickup truck, extended cab or crew cab.

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by woodedareas

I suggest that you consider a large SUV but in either case fuel costs are an issue.

Not for the ride quality!

Last evening I was talking to an friend, an OPP officer. We we talking about the different types of vehicles they were using in the police business these days. His usual ride on duty is a 3.5 Dodge Charger and the other day they gave him the supervisors Tahoe (with some kind of handling pkg). He said that after just one block of butt wiggles and head bobbing he took it back and got his charger.

[Mikethefixit]

We have 2 Ford trucks in fact we don't own a car. The 94 f150 supercab does not have the ride that the F350 SW Crew/4dr/ 8ft w/cap . It rides as good as any Lincoln Towncar I have ever riden in. This truck weights almost 8 thousand lbs as it sets in my drive.
Its an F350 XLT with cloth bucket seats. We are at 70k miles and love it.
Roger

[AgPnut]

Anyone here use a ford ranger? What are your experiences with something this small?

I have a 3.0 V6 XLT with a ~4000-lb dry weight (weigh'd it since they gave the same dry weight for all of them), 1280-lb payload weight and 4500-lb trailer rating. I use a class III hitch of course and will be getting a load-distro linkage installed at U-Haul as soon as I get the tires replaced.

As far as towing, it towed our "new" '65 Overland great the 110-miles from Socorro NM when I bought it last weekend. She was in a state of "renovation" (meaning much was removed and the rest had to go) and had a scale weight of 3100. After removing everything down to the interior skin, I'm guessing the weight is now in the range of 2100-lb to 2500-lb.

Anyway, I'm interested in hearing about others' experiences with a Ranger as a TV.

(As a side note, I'll send the first photos of the whole "Complex Overhaul" shortly!)

[Aage]

Originally Posted by Mikethefixit

We have 2 Ford trucks in fact we don't own a car. The 94 f150 supercab does not have the ride that the F350 SW Crew/4dr/ 8ft w/cap . It rides as good as any Lincoln Towncar I have ever riden in. This truck weights almost 8 thousand lbs as it sets in my drive.
Its an F350 XLT with cloth bucket seats. We are at 70k miles and love it.
Roger

My son's father-in-law just bought one of those last fall, and when he found out that he had to have a special license for it (in the class of a dump truck) that cost several thousand dollars, he put it up for sale fast.

Now, please don't crucify me on the details, since I have this story second hand, but just be sure to check out what it will cost to have a super-huge vee-hickle like that 4-ton baby in your driveway...

[Mexray]

Check out the availabilty of Ford Excursions in your area...there are lots of real 'deals' out there, as dealers aren't giving much of anything for them as trade-ins due to the perceived fuel mileage issues....

But, as tow vehicles, the fuel mileage is not such an issue as it's going to be around 9-10 MPG anyway, for most TV's.

Ford quit making the Excursion in 2005. Most of them were spec'd out with most options, they were the top of Ford's lineup.

You can find them with diesels, or V-10 gas engines (also V-8 gas, but not for towing, IMHO)...we found a 2001 4x4 Limited, V-10 for a 'song' and really like the way this big brut handles with our 28 ft AS behind.

The Excursion has the heavy truck frame, with a heavy SUV body and all the comforts of home!

Our's still has leaf springs up front on the 4x4 set-up. The ride is firm, and you will get some feed back when hitting a rough spot in the road, but not the same harsh ride you'd get in a pickup truck. I believe the 2005 model changed to coil springs up front in the 4x4 and improved the ride even more. This isn't an issue with a 2x4 Excursion, as they all have coil spring up front, and the ride is even better. We wanted a 4x4 for some snow and off-road driving...otherwise we'd have opted for the 2x4 model and saved even more $.

I can't stress the great handling when towing, with the Excurision...there's just nothing like a long wheel base and heavy chassis to keep things in line...try one, you'll like it!

[Lumatic]

I tow with a F250 Superduty 2wd extended cab short bed. The ride is very stiff but the seat is absolutely the most comfortable seat of any TV I have been in. I can drive all day without getting out all bent over and stiff. I'm not sure if a seat in a regular pickup cab would be less comfortable or a F150 have lighter suspension.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by AgPnut

Anyone here use a ford ranger? What are your experiences with something this small?

I have a 3.0 V6 XLT with a ~4000-lb dry weight (weigh'd it since they gave the same dry weight for all of them), 1280-lb payload weight and 4500-lb trailer rating. I use a class III hitch of course and will be getting a load-distro linkage installed at U-Haul as soon as I get the tires replaced.

As far as towing, it towed our "new" '65 Overland great the 110-miles from Socorro NM when I bought it last weekend. She was in a state of "renovation" (meaning much was removed and the rest had to go) and had a scale weight of 3100. After removing everything down to the interior skin, I'm guessing the weight is now in the range of 2100-lb to 2500-lb.

Anyway, I'm interested in hearing about others' experiences with a Ranger as a TV.

(As a side note, I'll send the first photos of the whole "Complex Overhaul" shortly!)

I've never towed anything with a Ranger, but my experinces with driving a company vehicle Ford Ranger tells me I wouldn't want to do it. The one I drove was a 3.0 liter V6, and had so little power, it would not stay in OD driving 70 MPH in West Texas into a 15 MPH wind. Additionally, it was supposed to get in the neighborhood of 20+ MPG, but the one I drove for a year never got over 16 MPG.

[henw]

Much of the ride issue when towing is due to the tire pressure. I run 60 lbs when towing, much less after getting home. For a 34 ft trailer and gear, you are not going to get a cadillac ride any way you slice it.

Tom

[Aage]

Originally Posted by Mexray

Check out the availabilty of Ford Excursions in your area...there are lots of real 'deals' out there, as dealers aren't giving much of anything for them as trade-ins due to the perceived fuel mileage issues....

Here's a quote from a famous test magazine, a non-profit one you may have heard of. I'm afraid that their experience was somewhat different than yours:

__________________________________________________ _______
The enormous Excursion was introduced for 2000. Derived from the Ford "SuperDuty" pickup-truck chassis, the Excursion offers V8, V8 turbodiesel, and V10 engines. The V10 we tested delivered just adequate oomph, but it slurped down more than a gallon of fuel while covering just 10 miles of mixed-road driving. The ride is stiff, bouncy, and uncomfortable. The Excursion's vast bulk makes it difficult to hold in a traffic lane, and its slow and vague steering demands constant attention. The brakes are inferior. A huge interior, a commanding view out, roomy three-row seating, and tremendous towing capacity are among this model's few virtues. Discontinued after the 2005 model year.
__________________________________________________ ________

[Mexray]

Thats why I like that 'enormous Excursion' as my TV...and the ride we experience is not as written by that reviewer. To each his own...that guy (or gal) must be riding around in too many big buck cruisers to appreciate just what Ford made the Excursions for...Towing our stuff!

If he'd hooked up a trailer to that 'X' and compared it to some other TV's, he'd most likely sing a different tune...

We like ridin' in style when we're towing that big Alum Tube behind us...the firm, stable feeling with the 'X' is hard to beat....