Hey, I'm biased. Two (2) Excursions to date, both with 6.0L. What a big improvement from our Yukon XL (5.3L) and Denali XL (6.0L). Now, you will be towing with a real truck and not a hopped up 1/2 ton.

Diesel is the way to go. I really like the 5 speed tranny that came with the 6.0L.

Our trailer is very heavy (est. 10,000 lb when ready to go). The Excursion does a great job. Averaged over 10.5 mpg towing all the way from Tulsa to Seattle and back last summer. Plenty of power for the mountain passes.

 

You know I'm just jealous you have those awesome slicks for your rig.

Green with envy I am!

Stewart

 

i love my truck an 2004 6.0 x i had to put head studs,egr delete,and exhaust,and custom tuning from matt at gearhead. i spent about $5,000 to make it solid. i wish i would of bought a early 2003 7.3 x. good luck in your search.

 

i also tow a TT around 9000lbs once a month for family rv trips

 

I'm curious about both of those statements.

Why is that, in both cases? I've kinda' passively observed that the bigger the engine, the lower the gear ratio was installed. (factory wise)

 

I've read that 4.30's put the V10 in the sweet spot of the power band when towing heavy loads. Tranny will be happy because it doesn't shift as often.

 

I'm guessing one reason other than the mentioned above, is whoever bought the 5.4 usually bought it for mileage more than towing...

 

Spencon,

First off WELCOME to FTE!...as was already stated...this is the BEST Ford forum there is!

You've gotten some great and unbiased advice in this thread.

The bottom line is the Ex is the BEST SUV out there hands down for towing!

My opinion is either find a 7.3L or V10 for towing your rig.

I've seen too many posts about folks getting stranded with the 6.oH and leaving their families on the side of the road...that doesn't mean ALL 6.oH's are bad...I agree that the motor wasn't the most amenable to "tunes" and many of the "tunes" were prolly the root cause of the issues...

I tow a 9000# 35' hitch to bumper TT and I've towed it ALL over the country. I've been to and thru the Rockies twice already and we're heading back again this summer. The V10 is a very capable and reliable engine as is the 7.3L and when you get a good 6.oH or have spent some $$$ to make it "bulletproof" it can be reliable as well...it sure is capable though!

From a transmission standpoint...I sure wish I had the 5R110 in my '05 but if you get a 7.3L, 5.4L or V10 you get the 4R100 4 speed. Only the 6.oH gets the 5R110 (Torqshift)...

As far as 4.30's...I had 3.73's in my V10 the first time I tackled the Rockies...but at the time I only had a 7500# TT...it did fine...when I stepped up in weight to the 9000# TT...I spent $1500 and had both axles swapped to 4.30's since I have a 4x4...best gear for the V10 IMO...it pulls like a freight train!

I've pulled many long 7% grades on I64 at 70mph with trailer in tow...the RPM's are KEY to the V10...the diesels make their power at a different range...the end result is the same...pull the hill...

I'd say you will be much happier towing the trailer but to be honest...your wife may NOT like driving the Ex everyday...especially in tight parking lots...it does NOT turn like your current SUV's...the Ex has a LARGE turning radius which makes maneuvering in parking lots harder...so she may not like it...but to be honest...it gives you an excuse to WALK into the store and park out a bit and not fight it!

Good luck with your decision.

Joe.

 

Welcome to FTE...
Glad there's no bias so far

I too have had both deezles and my opinion would be to find the latest year model truck you would be comfortable with....
remember, all used cars are sold for a reason

I usually don't stay in the "which is better" threads too long, but will state that of the three Ex's I've had,
the only one that Ford gave me my money back on was an 02 7.3 - that could have burned me from getting another,
but we loved the comfort and safety of the vehicle too much (and still do !)

The engine age is not the only thing to consider...
Even the 05's interior is showing some signs of age and anything with a 7.3 will be even older, so add that to the equation...

FYI, my wife parked her sports car and has taken over the Ex as her daily commuter -
loves the visibility in the Ex and i like that she is "above the fray",
but, rest assured, when we go out - it's ALWAYS in the Ex... approaching 130k miles and still in love with both the Ex and her

good luck on finding a good one....
IMHO, the enviro-wacko's messed up ANOTHER good thing when they went after the Ex!

 

V10, 7.3, 6.0. I think it depends on how you intend to use the truck. I am biased toward the 6.0 because, frankly, I fell in love with diesel torque after attempting to tow with 1/2 ton gas Suburbans. Maybe if I had towed with an 8.1L 3/4 ton Suburban first (?).

I love my 6.0 (with 5 speed), but realize that the reliability of these engines definitely needs some pre-emptive maintenance and/or modifications. They are not cheap to own, even though the fuel economy is pretty good (figure 10 mpg towing, 13 city, 17-18 highway).

If you just want a garage queen that is pulled out of storage 3 times per year for a big towing vacation--maybe 12,000 miles per year or less--you are better off with a V10. Diesels need to be warmed up fully and driven on a regular basis. You can buy a whole lot of gasoline for the purchase price difference between a diesel and a V10. Just remember that when you fill that 44 gallon tank after only 350 miles cruising around town with no load.

The 6.0 is a complex engine designed to meet emission standards and still have high torque/horsepower output. The emission hardware is exactly where the problems start. Any performance modifications to the engine exacerbate the problem. It was a huge learning curve for everyone--especially Ford customers and Ford techs. 2005 models seem to be the best in terms of reliability. Ignoring possible reliablity issues, on paper and in practice, the 6.0 with 5 speed is definitely the best tow vehicle. The trick is whether you want to spend the money to also make this engine / tranny combination reliable.

ALL 4x4 Excursions need suspension work before towing heavy. Figure $1200 to change out to V,B springs (same as F250) and to conquer "steering wander".

If you decide on the 6.0L, budget for engine mods to make it "bullet proof". Do it all at once to keep the cost down. ARP head studs, coolant filter, bullet proof EGR cooler, and bullet proof remote oil cooler would definitely do the trick and be totally legal in all 50 states. This mod, however, is not cheap. I'm guessing that to buy parts ($3000) to have a shop do it for you ($3500) is cost prohibitive. You may not feel you have to do all of these mods (I have not yet), but you should at least be aware of what you could run into.

This forum can provide a lot of guidance on the best approach, whatever engine you decide upon. Best of luck in your decision.

 

The 350 miles per tank may be true in the winter with 4x4 and crappy gas, but in the summer, 12mpg seems to be the norm for me around town, and 15 on the highway.

All it needs to start after sitting around a whole summer is the battery put back in and some stabil in the gas tank.

I will have to regear it before I get a travel trailer though... Wish I could find a 4.30 one when I bought this...


Did you swap differentials when you swapped your gears?

 

good luck on finding a good one? ............. The wife? or the X

 

No I only had the ring and pinion gears swapped on the front and rear axles...I do NOT have a LS rear differential and the shop asked me if I wanted to add it then...the prices ranged from $500-$700 to add the LS differential...seeing as I have 4wd...I personally didn't see the need to spend the extra $$$ on the LS...

If I remember right the parts cost about $1000 and the labor was about $500...the shop where I had mine swapped out has a guy that has worked for the local Dana axle facility for nearly 40 years and that guy personally worked on my truck and was a major reason I went with that shop...I couldn't be happier with the performance while towing with the 4.30's and V10.

Joe.

 

Awesome. I'm asking because I heard conflicting reports of having to do different diffs if you go over a certain gear ratio (heard 4.10s). My idea was that since I have slightly bigger than stock tires, I'd do 4.88s, in case I ever go up another inch in tire size.

 

Well I know for 100% certainty that 4.30's fit with no differential change.

Bigger tires definitely put a hurtin on the V10 with 3.73's if you are towing...so if you are planning ahead...only do it once!

Also I installed the '08 SD rear diff cover at the time too...a nice addition if you ask me!...a direct bolt on with the exception of slightly longer bolts...

If you click on the photo below you will see the part number and bolts that you need...I went with Stainless Steel bolts...