I currently have a 2001 F250 Crew Cab 4x4 Offroad with the 7.3l diesel. I'm thinking about trading it in for an Excursion. The interior room would be more useful than the truck bed. I will be towing an enclosed trailer weighing about 7000lbs when loaded.

I'd like to go with another diesel, but naturally the prices are much higher. I really don't know anything about the V10 engine.

I've been reading a lot of posts but wondered if anyone can chime in regarding some questions:

What is the longevity of a V10? How long do they typically last? I see many available with approximately 110,000 miles. Is this a lot?

I've heard that the 2003 6.0l has had many problems. Should I try to steer away from this model?

Thanks in advance.

 

Budget?

The 6.0L is a good way to go for towing heavy, but you need to know what to watch out for. With the 6.0L, you also gain the Torqshift transmission (5 speed). If you think the trailer weighs 7000 lb, it probably will "grow" to 8000 lb.

I've owned both a 2003 and a 2005 6.0L Excursion. There are definitely some problems, especially with the earlier 6.0. One good read for you (if considering 6.0), would be the "Bullet Proof Diesel" website. I think they have identified and provided a good cure for the 6.0L ailments.

 

I've towed with our V10 for the past 5 years.

Initially I had a 7500# TT that I towed to and thru the Rockies with no issues. The only mods I had on the truck at the time was the addition of a rear sway bar...truck/motor handled that trailer and terrain like a champ. As Forest says though...I've only got the 4R100 (4speed) trans in my Ex...so when I got to higher elevations I found simply locking out OD and running in 3rd gear was a good option...at the time I had 3.73 gears.

When I moved up to my current 9000# TT I also changed my gears to 4.30's. The V10 and 4.30's is a killer combo for this weight range trailer...but for your situation...3.73's would be fine based on my experiences.

As far as longevity...take a click over to the V10 forum and read up on the longevity...the V10 is one of Fords most reliable motors...I would not hesitate to jump on one with over 100K miles...I'm only at 50K on mine since I primarily use mine for "snow and tow" duty...

Earlier V10's did have a spark plug thread issue but later models greatly improved that with the addition of additional thread engagement in the heads for the plugs.

I can tell you that my V10 Ex has tranported my family on towing vacations to 35 states thus far and after this coming July...we'll hit 40 states as a family...so the V10 is an awesome motor and the Ex is an INCREDIBLE family vehicle!

Good luck with your decision.

Joe.

 

I'm almost scared to asked, but with 4.30s & revving a gas motor like you do with the V10, what kind of MPGs do you get?

 

You'll pay 4 to 6 k more for a diesel,even used and diesel fuel is 20cents or more than regular unleaded. Better hope that diesel gets at least double the mpg.

 

Price of gasser's is dropping. Look at this one in my area $9k with 80k miles

2000 Ford Excursion

 

I have 2 Excursions, a 2000 with 176,000 mi, a 2005 with 107,000 mi. both V10/ 4.30 gear / 4x4.
I get 10-11mpg combined city and 75mph interstate.

 

Brendan,

Not sure where you got "revving a gas motor like you do with the V10"...but that's okay...

The V10 is a SOHC motor which means it is DESIGNED to make its HP at higher RPMs unlike a diesel. These engines are simply DIFFERENT designs to achieve the SAME result.

The V10 I have in my Ex makes more HP than the stock 7.3L you have in your F250. My V10 with the 4.30's loves to pull just like your 7.3L loves to pull. The difference is that my V10 does have a little drinking problem ...but not that bad.

I hand calculate my mpgs on every tank and I have calculated my running average for my TOWING miles which is over 20,000 miles and I have maintained an 8mpg average in all of those towing miles. Some individual tanks are less and some are more. I have run into a few folks that quote their one time BEST tank as "their mpgs" while towing...well with a stiff tail wind heading east out of Denver (i.e. down hill) you can do pretty good...but my 8mpgs include 25mph head winds going UP mountain passes...those individual tanks aren't that good but overall the V10 with 4.30's does a pretty good job for a 17,000# combined load if you ask me.

In fact I did notice a slight INCREASE in mpgs with the addition of the 4.30's and that is because I can now run OD much more with the 4.30's than with the 3.73's...so 4.30's is an improvement slightly in mpgs for me. Even in 3rd gear with 4.30's you are less likely to drop down to 2nd on long/steep climbs...so overall the RPMs is lower for when the motor needs it on long/steep climbs with the 4.30's.

The 4.30's is a great combo behind th V10 for pulling...now if I only moved people and groceries...I would opt for 3.73's no doubt...

Hope that helps.

Happy New Year to you!
Joe.

 

I love the V10 - it's a fantastic engine with smooth power delivery. The power is more than enough to tow my boat which is 10,500 pounds loaded. The mileage isn't good - I get 11-12 around town and 12.5-14.5 on the highway depending on speed. One thing to keep in mind is the higher upfront cost of the diesel engine, higher fuel costs and higher maintenance costs.

Here's a quick calculation I used when making my final decision:

Gas: currently $3.03 in my area
Assume 10k miles a year and an average MPG of 12
10000/12 = 833 gallons * 3.03 = $2525 a year in fuel costs

Diesel: currently $3.31 in my area
Assume 10k miles a year and an average MPG of 15
10000/15 = 667 gallons * 3.31 = $2207 a year in fuel costs

So - the actual MPG may vary from driver to driver - but I think it's close enough to do the comparison. Driving the diesel will save you $318 a year in just fuel costs. The diesel Ex's in my area were running ~4500 more than the V10. Take 4500/318 = and you get a 14 year break even point on just the fuel costs to mileage. You can obviously play around with the MPG you think you will get with either engine and see what you think your breakeven point will be.

If you need the low end torque of the diesel than all of this is mute. If you are potentially staying away from the V10 because of fuel mileage than this may help. The higher maintenance costs of the diesel and potential repair problems are another factor. The maintenance costs are fairly easy - oil filters are more expensive, 15 quarts of oil is more expensive and fuel filters are more expensive. This doesn't include the potential repair problems and the almost required mods to try and avoid those problems.

Good luck in your search - either way you will end up with an Ex!

 

I think if you are curious as to the costs of the required "mods" to try and avoid problems...here is a thread by another 6.oH user from July of this year when he decided to do the mods versus the V10 https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...lo-v-10-a.html


Joe.

 

Thanks Joe!

My "revving" comment is from reading many posts about people towing with their V10s - they likely had 3.73s and so it makes sense that they had to rev higher. Like you said, that's how the engine is designed, and with only the 4R100 behind it... *sigh*. I would love to put a 5R110 behind my 7.3 and drop to 3.55s. Most of my driving is more commuting, etc. but I've been from Denver to Baltimore and back 6 times in my F250 - average mpg "empty" has been 19, towing ~8,000lbs has been 14.5. Yes, I'm partial to diesel because I know my truck and take care of it. She left me stuck once and that was 100% operator error, and cost $30 to get back on the road, and I've put just under 100,000 miles on her. As for HP... I worry about that for racing, but thanks for pointing it out. As you pointed out for the V10's design, diesels aren't built for making HP.

To each their own. If I get an Ex, it'll be a 7.3. Partly because my 99 F250 has been about bulletproof and my fiance will drive it more than I will. Part of it is so that I can keep 1 spare part to cover 2 vehicles, and not need to learn/store for another drivetrain combo. The price difference makes it very tempting, but I'd be buying to own it for 10yrs+ and don't mind the extra work. We gotta enjoy our toys, right?