Hey guys

I’m in the need for a tow vehicle. My 2005 4.6l F-150 isn’t cutting it. The truck has been good to me but with the new toys I need more towing power.

I did a bunch of research and decided an Excursion was the best fit for what I need.

A few questions:
It seems the 7.3l Excursion are holding their value VERY well. Around here anything under 150k miles is over $20,000 even though they KBB for $12,000. Are they retaining the value so well because of the 6.0 issues?

Now onto the 6.0:

I’m new to diesels and just started reading about the 6.0 while on the Excursion hunt. It seems they are hit or miss. Seems at this point the problems are known and fixes are developed.

That brings me to this 2005 Limited 4x4 Excursion 6.0 for sale. It has 187k on it. Super clean. Perfect color for me. It’s at a dealer that “specializes” in bulletproofing the 6.0, for what that’s worth. It says it has new head gaskets and studs, EGR delete and a new oil cooler.

The price is right, its $14k. Only reason I haven’t went and looked is we just bought a house and have been moving.

This website has been a wealth of information for my F-150 and now in my search for an Excursion, that’s for that.

- Reese

 

Don't overlook the 6.8 V-10 for a tow rig, they were rated to pull the same loads as the 6.0. And with a few mods to optimize the performance they will outpull a stock 7.3.

Oh, And welcome to the forum!

 

I haven't ruled out a V10 yet. My mileage pulling just 3k lbs with the F150 was abysmal. I was scared to calculate it, lol. It was around 12mpg.

I realize people don't buy a tow rig to break 20mpg but what kind of realistic mileage are you getting with the V10?

Edit: the mileage while towing is my main pull to a diesel

 

I track every gallon of gas I pump into both of my rides, here is my data.

'05 V-10 EX 4X4; 14 MPG pure highway @ 60-65 MPH, 12-12.5 MPG with my normal mixed city/highway driving, 8 to 9.25 highway towing @ 60 to 73 MPH towing 41' 11k travel trailer.

'94 Geo Metro 993CC 3cylinder 5 speed; 55 to 61 MPG mixed city/highway driving using hypermiling techniques.

Guess which one I use for my work commute.

What kind of load and weight are planning to tow? Hopefully now you can get some honest data from the diesel guys on their towing mileage.

 

If the dealer has the paperwork on the repairs done on the 6.0 I might consider it. Living Large could probably chime in as he has a gorgeous 6.0 Excursion

 

I just rushed into a 2000 7.3 that had some rust in the typical spots, and needed ~$600 worth of DIY repairs (steering gearbox, wiper motor, rear window lock unsticking, broken mirror motors). I paid $12,500 and looked online a week later to see a 7.3L with 90K miles in Connecticut selling for $13k. If you're not in a huge rush, I would say give it time and keep looking! I also had mine shipped from 500 miles away because there wasn't one for sale within 250 miles for under $15k

 

Sound like a buy to me?

 

I get 18 mpg on the hwy and 10 mpg towing 6,000 pounds with my 05 6.0 excursion.

 

No matter how you calculate it, it's not going to be cheaper to tow with a diesel. Better MPG sure, but it all comes at a cost. If you want a diesel for other reasons, go for it. But don't expect to save any money.

I get 8-9 towing my 6500 lb camper. 10-11 towing a car hauler with a car on it. 14-15 hwy. You should be happy with 12 out of the F150 depending on what you are pulling.

You can get a pretty nice V-10 EX for well under 10K, closer to 5 if you want to fix a few things.

 

That sounds like a good deal as long as it was bulletproofed right and in good condition

 

I think it's a fair deal if they can document the parts used... Heads checked by machine shop, Ford OEM head gaskets etc. a truly clean 2005 in my market starts at 30k. Does it hold value well let's just say I've turned down a 36k cash offer recently.

Thanks for the kind words Big Sky

 

Please tell me what you have done to a 2000 X to get anything near 15MPG,under any conditions

 

Enter highway, set cruise on 65, drive for several hours. It's about 14 @ 70 and in the 13's @ 75.

Until last year, the speed limit was 65 here in Ohio. I think 2wd helps a wee bit too.

 

Paddle mirrors also have less drag. Upgrading to the '08+ tow mirrors really dropped my mpg, but I love the visibility..

 

YES 2wd would be a big difference. Thanks