I have a 30' Travel Trailer and the Youkon XL just can't tow it. I have heard various models and setups are best. What year, engine size, turbo, Deisel V8 vs V10 would you recomend? This will be used exclusively for towing our TT on trips with our four kids.

 

First off, welcome to FTE. Enjoy your stay, this is the best Ford board on the net.

We tow our 31 footer with a 7.3 and I couldn't be happier. It has all the power we need, especially in the hills/mountains. Granted, mine's a little modded but you can do so much more with the 7.3. Diesels were meant to work.

While the V10 is an excellent engine, if you can fund a 7.3, go for it. And by fund I don't only mean a higher initial cost but maintenance as well. The diesel engine/system will cost more to maintain than a gasser but the trade off for power, mileage, and longevity and completely worth it.

Our 831RKSS,

 

Sorry, forgot to add a couple things. Anyone feel free to correct me.
2000-2001 have forged rods and wider front seats but has a crappy cupholder and headlamps (both of which can be swapped out). I think the better cupholder was changed in 2001. Mid 2003 Ford switched to the 6.0 diesel. I won't get into 7.3 vs. 6.0 there' too much to read and too many different opinions. Mine? I have the 7.3 and would never trade it for a 6.0. It's tried and trued and a workhorse of a motor. With a few mods it can become a monster that's very fun to drive.
The interiors are pretty much the same. The later models came with an optional two tone Eddie Bauer interior and rear DVD systems. Some earlier models may have DVD as well.

 

I have a 7.3 PSD and a V-10 EX. and they are both fine towing machines. You mentioned that it will be used exclusively for towing your TT. In that case I would go with the V-10 if it is going to be sitting for long periods of time. Diesels and sitting = expensive(especially the 6.0). Diesels need to be ran often. If you decide to go with the V-10, make sure it has the 4.30 ratio in the rears. You and your transmission will be much happier. Good Luck!

 

Thank you. Great feedback. If the goal were a 7.3 Diesel what years were they available and which is considered the best? Also are they all Turbo Diesels? If not what is the difference? Considering that they stopped making these in 05 they all will have higher miles so are there specific items in a turbo diesel that should be checked out. I assume a good one could go for ever.

 

My 6.0 is pretty much a dedicated tow vehicle for my +11K# toy hauler. It can sometimes sit for a month without being run. I wouldn't go for any other Excursion option.

 

Thanks for the scoop. Any idea what the towing capacity differences are between the V10 and the Diesels? Also how often do the diesels need to be driven because we could drive it periodically if that would be a better rout (once a week around town?). My wife drives a Youkon XL and I have an Escalade and she always has 4-8 kids in it every day. She is convinced she would hate driving the Excursion every day but I think she might like it more then she thinks. We live in AZ so its not like we have to parallel park.

 

In the Excursions, the 7.3 was 2000-mid 2003. The best year is totally subjective. Forged rods or a newer model with less miles? Just depends what's important to you. For basic towing an early '03 may be better for you, get the newest 7.3 you can. All the Excursions were turbos as well.

What to look for? Depending on the mileage, you can pull the intake tube off and check the impellar play in th turbo. Also check for excessive oil leaks but don't be alarmed by excessive oil spray on or around the intercooler boots and any over spray that may have been cause by the boots. It's common and not an issue. Try to get history of service the whole truck but the tranny and balljoints are the two biggies to look for.

My father has an '01 X, he bought that with 180K, no sweat and a '97 F350 with almost 450K miles on the motor. If taken care of they will run a long time.

Since we have two other vehicles, our X sits most of the time too. I try to take it out on the weekend even if it's just around town. Not becasue I think it needs it but because it's just fun to drive.

 

I read somewhere that Ford 6.0 Diesel engines had problems when they first came out. Anyone know the scoop?

 

What year is your 6.0 and did you consider the 7.3? Do you do much up hill towing? Our trailer is 6K# dry but we are way heavier then that. Have you made any mods to help with the towing?

 

Heh, heh, heh..."pretty much" he said....LOL!

YouTube - William vs Muley Barona, CA 7 09

RIP Muley.

Towing?

Stewart

 

I bought my X specificly for towing and hauling the family as well. I tow a 25' TT and 16' boat. I have a 03 7.3 2wd and just love it! I cared more about gas mileage which is why I went the 2wd route and diesel route. From all the research I did the 7.3 sounded the most reliable and proven motor and I couldn't be happier. Has all the power I will ever need even being stock. Has plenty of room for the family and everything we need.

I never used 4x4 much in my last tow truck so I didn't see the need for it in the new X. I am happy I didn't get a 4x4 every time I check my fuel mileage and every time I read about people having problems with the 4x4 hubs.

My last truck (96 F250 with 351 motor) got around 8mpg towing just the TT and didn't have much power at all. My X gets 14.5mpg towing the TT and boat and never loses speed!

IMO I would stay away from the 99-00 X's because of headlights, diode tranny, and other small items. I would look for a 01-03 7.3 with whatever preferences you prefer.


(pic opportunity!)

 

Forged rods in the 2000 model year, and a few early in the 2001 model year but generally speaking, rule of thumb is 2000.

Forged rods don't really factor into the decision in my opinion because he probably won't be pushing the HP limit of 450 - 500 in his rig, since it's going to be a dedicated tow rig.

Any diesel Ex you look at will be turbo charged.

Lots of problems with heads, EGR's, etc. But 7.3's had their problems too, just not as serious.

If you can find a 6.0L that has been problem free and do the necessary upgrades, you should be fine.

I do prefer the 7.3L tho.

Stewart

 

The introduction of EGR created many new headaches for the Ford 6.0. Most of the problems (in my opinion) were caused by lack of knowledge on the part of people trying to "tune" the engine for more power, and on the part of dealer technicians who did not fully understand the motor. As time went by more things were understood...if I was going to buy a diesel Ex with a 6.0 I would look for a '05. I would also look for a low miles '01 to '03 7.3. I had an '01 Ex with a V-10 and it did fine for what I used it for...the V-10 will tow...it will need to rev more because it makes it HP and torque higher on the rpm band. The V-10 will get less MPG, but diesel is more expensive to buy fuel for and maintain. If you drive the diesel the power will make you an addict. Good luck!

 

My 04 Excursion has an 03 motor. It had a few of the common problems in it's early days(EGR valve/turbo). I didn't consider the 7.3 for when I bought this truck.

Yes, dry climates do help with the turbo issues that can manifest themselves after the truck sits for periods of time. Whenever I leave town there's hills to pull. This was a good one that we pulled going to Yellowstone.



Up to 10K#'s and I'd go for a V-10. Over that and you're going out of the V-10's comfort zone. For towing, an aftermarket rear anti sway bar, gauges, exhaust, and rear air bags to level the rig, are great mods.

BTW Stewart, I'm glad you caught the "pretty much" part. I don't tow with my X all the time.

RIP Muley...