Howdy! I have a wife, 4 kids and a dog. This means that in order for us to properly pull a boat or camper to enjoy the outdoors we need an SUV. We just can't all fit in a crew cab bench seat truck for any reasonable length of time. I have quickly realized that there are NO vehicles that properly solve my problem other than the Excursion or a 2500 Suburban...both of which are extinct! Really, that's okay since I can't afford a new SUV anyhow.

That being said, I have a few questions...

1. Am I overlooking another viable vehicle option that solves my problem? I need a vehicle that can tow a 9,000lb trailer safely and reliably, plus hold 6 people and a dog. I despise an underpowered improper tow vehicle.

2. Are there Excursion models/years specifically to avoid? I really only feel that the 7.3L PowerStroke and 6.8L V10 are the viable options. I have heard too many horror stories of the 6.0L diesel and everybody selling them claims that they had theirs 'bulletproofed'...yeah right. I am open to being convinced otherwise with facts, sound logic and rationale.

3. I have heard of transmission issues with some Excursions, which years/transmissions should be avoided or is this just something to suck up as part of the cost of ownership?

4. What specific details or questions should I be asking as I shop for this 17+ year old vehicle to ensure that I don't end up with a huge costly mistake?

Thanks in advance!
4Kids

 

The biggest thing to remember is that you are dealing with an old vehicle no matter what year you buy. There are some good deals to be had if you are willing to put some blood sweat and tears into it. If you're looking for something a little more turn key you're going to pay for it. The ex market right now is $$ higher than ever, but so is everything else. The one area to focus on is rust. This is expensive and difficult to repair even diy. Check the inner and outer rockers. You may even consider a vehicle from down south if you are in the rust belt. Mechanical issues can be fixed easier than rust issues.

 

I've lived 20 years in the rust belt...I know just how nasty that cancer is! I am only looking at rust-free vehicles. I am prepared to absorb some costs with an older vehicle, but would like to avoid MAJOR costs. I am very pro-active with maintenance when possible.

 

Welcome to the EX forum!

1. I think those two vehicles would be your best realistic vehicle given your needs. Most folks here are going to be a little biased towards the EX, but it is the better option.

2. The 7.3 and 6.8 are both good solid reliable platforms, the 6.0 can have most of its issues addressed to make it more reliable but even full “bulletproofing” isn’t a guarantee of longevity. And it is fairly expensive on top of the higher initial cost.

3. Both the 7.3 and 6.8 have the 4R100 4 speed auto transmission with some internal differences. Early 7.3 4R100s had some mechanical diode issues, but I would imagine that they have all been repaired by now. A full flush of the ATF every 30K miles or so and keeping it from getting too hot should help to keep the trans happy and healthy longer, for towing heavier trailers upgrading to the larger 6.0 trans cooler makes for a nice upgrade. The 6.0s have the improved 5 speed auto transmission.

4. As mentioned, these are all now older vehicles and will always need a little something to keep them going. And rust is the most expensive thing to deal with, so look to the South for a cleaner example.

Early gassers only had 3 or 4 threads in the heads for the spark plugs and the factory torque spec was only 11/15 ft/lbs, a poor combo that sometimes leads to plug blowouts. There are good quality thread insert repair kits available to fix stripped plug holes from blowouts and torquing new plugs to 25/28 ft/lbs helps to keep them well seated for the long haul. By early ‘03 the plug holes were improved with more threads and the blowout issues were nearly eliminated, the higher torque values are still a good target for these later heads.
For your stated planned use a 6.8 would do much better with the optional 4.30 gear ratio, the standard 3.73s will get your crew and TT to the destination but is going to spend a lot of time downshifting and running higher revs to get the job done. I run an effective 4.39 ratio on our EX that logs most of its miles with a 12K TT on the hitch and it handles that chore pretty well.
There weren’t any significant changes to the EX body, chassis or suspension throughout the production run from ‘00 to ‘05.

 

Thank you!

Good info. Do you think that an '01 7.3 with 135K miles would likely have had the dreaded 2nd gear mechanical diode issued fixed already? If not, is this repair cheaper if it is done proactively before the transmission fails?

 

I have two 2000 7.3 ex's, one with 390some thousand miles and the other ( my daily driver) with 457+k miles. I've had them since they were a couple years old and I've never done any transmission work to them except flushing (Mark K style) . And I tow a 30 ft 9k+ TT occasionally, but I tow my skid steer and attachments (12-14k depending on which attachments I've loaded) on a regular basis.
I did switch to the 6.0 cooler after an incident with the stock one not being up to the task. Definitely recommend that as WE3ZS already mentioned.

 

Welcome!

We were in the same thought of mind 3 kids (fighting in a crew cab truck previously) and need to tow a boat to the keys and our lake place.

We have a 2002 V10 4x4 that me and my oldest son have been slowly building. These are 20yr old trucks and they will need some work! There are nice rust free ones out there. Ours was from Sarasota and we dropped $5k on it.

If you’re hauling your family around plan on a brake job and front end rebuild. If you’re handy you can knock these out in the driveway.

Most of the ones we looked at had problems with the vac assist hubs and battery saver relays (windows not rolling down and radio not working) Easy fixes we went with full manual hubs during the front end rebuild and sent the cluster out to be repaired.

Good thing is they are cheap to work on!

 

I purchased a 6.8 liter 2 wheel drive new in 2000 with the four (4) kids and dog in mind of traveling to the beach with all the luggage and beach stuff. Best purchase I ever made. 22 years later and I feel the same way.
All good suggestions above. Other things to consider:
Switch to E rated tires
Replace worn out springs with F-350 equivalent (Z codes up front, B codes in back with RAS - my choice) - OEM EX springs are not F-250 equivalent, but an in between that and the F-150
(Side note: I averaged out the weight of the 2000 EX and F-350 and found the F-350 to be well over 1,000 lbs lighter).
RAS allows you to adjust your rake and firmness
Airbags (optional)
Rear sway bar
Replace every rubber bushing with poly, including body mounts (if no poly - OEM)
Anti-sway hitch (a good one)
Transmission temp gauge (your choice)
Replace all hoses, belt and bearings if not already done so
These and the above, already mentioned, suggestions should give you a good start.

 

^^^...What's stated above is good information, so we'll leave it at that. I will say the Excursion platform will suite your needs much better. My wife had a Suburban with the Anaheim package (upgrades to the interior including an entertainment center for the kiddos) when I bought my F350 in 2001. She hated the fact it took so long to cool the inside down...had to drive it several miles...while my crew cab was cool inside by the time I hit the end of our street block. I did everything to try and correct that...rebuilt the entire a/c system...but it didn't really change. We sold that Burb and bought her the Excursion a year or so later that had tv's in it. The a/c system in these trucks works phenomenal when working correctly. It sounds petty until you back up to that 9k rv and the kiddos start complaining about it's hot, when are we going to be there...LOL! Are you looking into a 2wd or 4wd? If your wife will be driving it I would suggest a 2wd like my wife's as it has a tighter turning radius that a Burb...and definitely than the 4wd version...plus it doesn't ride so rough...

 

Bargains can be found in the 6.0 excursions. I have found many of them dead. When dead they sell for alot cheaper. It's then up to you to have the necessary upgrades done to create a sweet ride.

 

Thanks everyone...lots of great advice here! While I would prefer a 4WD, I need to be open to a 2WD as well. We won't be driving it much (if ever) in the snow and won't be off-roading with it. Its main purpose will be hauling family + boat/TT. In reality I would be better off with a 2WD to avoid any hub issues. Its just so hard to get over the mental block of no 4WD.

@Chainfire - what's the ballpark cost to rebuild a dead 6.0 and actually have it be reliable?

 

I’ve driven in snow and ice in multiple cites with a two wheel drive and have never been stuck.
For the EX, I have a TrueTrac LS, that helps, but I also have these:




and a shovel if that’s what it takes.

When I lived in Rochester, NY, I had a set of good snow tires and 300 pounds of kitty litter in the trunk of my Caprice Classic.

 

Don't let the hubs scare you off from a 4wd. It isn't a super great design in that it is vacuum dependent but if the hub seals go you can always throw manual hubs on it or manually lock the factory hubs. I rebuilt my front end a couple of years ago and the auto 4wd system has been flawless ever since. Before that I just manually locked the factory hubs when needed. For launching a boat, a 4wd may be needed.

 

About 5k for a longblock on a 6.0l. My brother has a dead 6.0l in his Excursion. He’s doing a Cummins swap though.

 

I've got a live 6.0 in my Excursion at the moment, but the Cummins block & head are at the machine shop now. I intend to pre-emptively strike and get rid of the 6.0 now before it becomes a dead 6.0.
.
.
.