New Member - 2001 Excursion
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Cross-Country
Joined: Oct 2020
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From: Southwest WA
New Member - 2001 Excursion
Hi All,
New member here, located in Washington. My name is Joe.
I have always been a practical person, when I needed a truck, I tested them all out and settled on a Ridgeline because it checked all the "need" boxes and a few nice-to-haves. Well, when it came time to replace it, I replaced it with a brand new Ridgeline. Don't get me wrong, I love my Ridgeline, it does everything I need on a daily basis. It just can't tow much on the occasions I need to. I have wanted a full size truck for a while and just couldn't bring myself to get one. Well, with a tractor and projects mounting lately, unless I can get just the right trailer that is light enough to keep the towing weight at or below 5k, it is just a pain in the rear and a headache each time when calculating weight. Add to this, I have a 26% grade up the my house which just makes everything a pain.
Well my wife has been on a kick for a while that she wants another 3rd row SUV. We had an Acadia a while back and it was totaled by a friend. (Fortunately, this was actually a good thing. Had she been driving her actual car that was having trouble, she most likely would not be here with us today and her family would not have been able to simply walk away from the accident.) We replaced this with a couple mid-size sedans for mpg with the latest being a 2018 Accord sport. We both really love Subarus and AWD/4WD. It just helps getting around in winter and up to our house so much easier. Well, the wife loves her Accord, but hates the FWD. She really seems to get bored with cars after 4-5 years and she has been dropping hints about the new Hyundai/Kia Telluride/Palisade since our two kids are getting older. (8(tomorrow) and 5) with friends. She wants the space to haul around the kids and a couple friends without having to take 2 vehicles.
I have always loved the Excursions, but never really had an actual "need" for one. I was even trying to convince the wife to get a Expedition Maxx instead of the Hyundai/Kia, but to no avail. I love the large size and spacious room inside. I always watch CL for deals on projects, especially since losing my last project, '92 Celica Alltrac. I kept an eye out for any deals on a 1-ton dually or an Excursion. Suburbans just never appealed to me despite being raised in GM family. Well, I came across an Excursion that appeared in good shape and a decent price. I happened to have the CL ad up on my computer and jokingly made the comment to my wife that I found my next project and showed her the ad. Much to my surprise she said go check it out and added that it would have the 3rd row she wanted. I darn near soiled myself. A project truck for me and I don't have to get another car payment to satisfy my wife's need for a 3rd row!? SCORE!
I called the seller, whose number was the same as mine except for the area code, and setup a viewing. I was allegedly the first person he talked to despite the ad being up for a few days since he was on vacation and was overwhelmed by the 50+ VMs/texts and didn't know where to start. I went and checked it out that night. I went over it 10 times and found all the little items that were of concern, negotiated the sale price. Then I missed the bank by 5 seconds. So put $40 as a deposit and set a time the next day to pick it up. That night, a few things came up and after some back and forth we got it solved. I went down and picked it up. That day I had it registered and insured.
I have to admit, other than some serious slop in the steering, the Excursion is very easy to maneuver and get around. I am surprised at how easy it is to drive. Oh and man, I have missed an actual physical connection to the engine. I forgot how much I hated drive by wire.
I can turn a wrench with the best of them and I am willing to admit I am out of my comfort zone with the Excursion. The last time I worked on anything resembling a full size vehicle was an '89 Chevy 3500 about 25 years ago. So I am unfamiliar with the solid axles, leaf spring suspension, and steering setup. I will be posting up some questions in the applicable sections, so thanks in advance for any who are willing to lend advice and/or experience.
-Terracar
New member here, located in Washington. My name is Joe.
I have always been a practical person, when I needed a truck, I tested them all out and settled on a Ridgeline because it checked all the "need" boxes and a few nice-to-haves. Well, when it came time to replace it, I replaced it with a brand new Ridgeline. Don't get me wrong, I love my Ridgeline, it does everything I need on a daily basis. It just can't tow much on the occasions I need to. I have wanted a full size truck for a while and just couldn't bring myself to get one. Well, with a tractor and projects mounting lately, unless I can get just the right trailer that is light enough to keep the towing weight at or below 5k, it is just a pain in the rear and a headache each time when calculating weight. Add to this, I have a 26% grade up the my house which just makes everything a pain.
Well my wife has been on a kick for a while that she wants another 3rd row SUV. We had an Acadia a while back and it was totaled by a friend. (Fortunately, this was actually a good thing. Had she been driving her actual car that was having trouble, she most likely would not be here with us today and her family would not have been able to simply walk away from the accident.) We replaced this with a couple mid-size sedans for mpg with the latest being a 2018 Accord sport. We both really love Subarus and AWD/4WD. It just helps getting around in winter and up to our house so much easier. Well, the wife loves her Accord, but hates the FWD. She really seems to get bored with cars after 4-5 years and she has been dropping hints about the new Hyundai/Kia Telluride/Palisade since our two kids are getting older. (8(tomorrow) and 5) with friends. She wants the space to haul around the kids and a couple friends without having to take 2 vehicles.
I have always loved the Excursions, but never really had an actual "need" for one. I was even trying to convince the wife to get a Expedition Maxx instead of the Hyundai/Kia, but to no avail. I love the large size and spacious room inside. I always watch CL for deals on projects, especially since losing my last project, '92 Celica Alltrac. I kept an eye out for any deals on a 1-ton dually or an Excursion. Suburbans just never appealed to me despite being raised in GM family. Well, I came across an Excursion that appeared in good shape and a decent price. I happened to have the CL ad up on my computer and jokingly made the comment to my wife that I found my next project and showed her the ad. Much to my surprise she said go check it out and added that it would have the 3rd row she wanted. I darn near soiled myself. A project truck for me and I don't have to get another car payment to satisfy my wife's need for a 3rd row!? SCORE!
I called the seller, whose number was the same as mine except for the area code, and setup a viewing. I was allegedly the first person he talked to despite the ad being up for a few days since he was on vacation and was overwhelmed by the 50+ VMs/texts and didn't know where to start. I went and checked it out that night. I went over it 10 times and found all the little items that were of concern, negotiated the sale price. Then I missed the bank by 5 seconds. So put $40 as a deposit and set a time the next day to pick it up. That night, a few things came up and after some back and forth we got it solved. I went down and picked it up. That day I had it registered and insured.
I have to admit, other than some serious slop in the steering, the Excursion is very easy to maneuver and get around. I am surprised at how easy it is to drive. Oh and man, I have missed an actual physical connection to the engine. I forgot how much I hated drive by wire.
I can turn a wrench with the best of them and I am willing to admit I am out of my comfort zone with the Excursion. The last time I worked on anything resembling a full size vehicle was an '89 Chevy 3500 about 25 years ago. So I am unfamiliar with the solid axles, leaf spring suspension, and steering setup. I will be posting up some questions in the applicable sections, so thanks in advance for any who are willing to lend advice and/or experience.
-Terracar
Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,911
Likes: 634
From: NEPA
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