I tried to search for this and skimmed many pages of the forum but I couldn't get an answer to my question I am about to pose. I assume they exist- I couldn't find it.

My wife and I have decided that an RV is in our future. We have sold our house and are moving (we don't have a new house because I am not about to buy now, maybe later this summer), plus we have wanted an RV for a while.

We are looking at 8000lb empty/10,000ish loaded 35ish footers. I understand payload/towing capacity and it looks like the numbers will work. I will install some airbags. My questions:
1. Is an Excursion the right vehicle, compared to a F2/350 or a 2/3500?
2. I see a wide range of options available for sale: $50+k fully rebuilt to $9k for a V10 with 350k. I'm fine spending $20/25k for the right one. Does anyone have method to figure out the right price for one of these?
3. I have never owned a diesel but grew up on a farm and worked in heavy civil construction since college, so I am very familiar with them. What should I be paying attention to when looking at them? Is the 6.0 a better option than a 7.3?

 

You will get plenty of opinions on this one. But coming from someone that commonly tows a 10k tag trailer (both RV trailer and enclosed auto) all over the East Coast with a 7.3L Excursion...

1. Is an Excursion the right vehicle, compared to a F2/350 or a 2/3500?
I've long decided that unless you need that third row of seats, a crew cab F-250/350 with a 5th wheel will be a better tow vehicle.

2. ....anyone have method to figure out the right price for one of these?
No comment on price. All over the place.

3. Is the 6.0 a better option than a 7.3?
Expect a large conversation on this one. Probably should have just asked us about our favorite religion.

Generally speaking, the 7.3 stock is a better engine than the 6.0 stock. But a "Bullet Proofed" 6.0 is every bit as good as a stock 7.3, and both can accept a lot of mods.

BTW, pulling 10,000 pounds you probably want a diesel ('fore y'all hate, I really liked my 6.8, too. But I personally found the 7.3 is a better hauler).

And...go.

 

You are really at the limit of what you can tow on a hitch no matter what vehicle you are looking at. With that weight and to have a little safety margin i would go with a fifth wheel set up. So i would pass on an excursion.

 

I’ve only towed a 8,000 lb. trailer/Bobcat, but plan to tow a 7,600 lb travel trailer for a bunch of miles. I’m in process of finishing up a long project to make our Ex a more stable, safe and just a happier towing experience.
I would NOT do this again. The Ex does so many things well, like haul 8 people to a Braves game or a bunch of stuff you don’t want to get wet.
To do it all over again, I would just go for an F-350 Twin Cab Single Axle with an 8 ft bed. This gives you a lot more payload without a whole lot more $ than an F-250. Go get the fifth wheel, some air springs and have fun.
Just my 2 cents.

 

1. I use mine to tow a 30 foot trailer, it is what it is but mine is also quite far from stock.
2. I paid 7K for my V10 with 180K on it, there are deals to be had you just have to keep your eyes pealed. the 7.3 is the Bulletproof, Reliable, Tow monster, but its not fast, I love my V10, but for a Excursion "doing large amounts of towing" i would do a 7.3 if i had to do it over again, if i towed a lot, which i don't.
3. The 7.3 Diesels typically live longer than the rest of the truck, You can put 500K on them with regular maintenance and taking good care of it, and moderate part replacement could take it to 750K. V10, probably 350-400K again well taken care of. However the 6.0 has a nickname, 6.NO, there are a laundry list of things that will fail if not replaced with upgraded components, a friend has one and is constantly fixing something on it, they are also known for blowing head gaskets if i recall, some people swear by them, but usually not until after they have been "bulletproofed" as to say they have had all the detrimental parts upgraded and replaced with higher strength parts to prevent the long list of failures that are possible.

 

Unless you NEED to haul 6 people and tow, I wouldn't even consider an Excursion. I'd pick a 1 ton diesel truck.

 

All fair points. When I read a discussion like this I always wonder why RV manufacturers build such heavy bumper pulls. And why manufacturers give these such high tow limits. I also don’t mean to encore a riot regarding the 7.3 and 6.0.

I hear everyone on a fifth wheel. It’s just another level that my wife and I don’t want to go to yet in cash and commitment.

Appreciate the feedback, keep the answers co big if you have them.

 

no riots needed, its as simple as this

 

I keep seeing claims in ads that the engine is bulletproofed. Is there any way to confirm bulletproofing other than documentation?

 

A few of the items can be seen externally, but the head gaskets, injectors, and some other items, which are also the most important ones, are inside, and you would have to take it apart to prove it without documentation.

 

If you're new to the 6.0, I'd look at a different truck. There's just no assurance that the current and/or previous owner(s) have bullet-proofed it properly, with the correct parts, which could leave you with a hefty bill somewhere down the road. Imagine that 6.0 breaking down 800 miles from home with your trailer behind it, leaving you with an unknown mechanic two states away from home..

I bought my V10 Excursion back in 2010. My reasoning was that I already had a 5.4L truck and wanted to stay with a gasser. My towing doesn't exceed 4,000 lbs so the tow limits weren't a concern. My best friend was so impressed with it that he went out and bought a 7.3 Excursion to pull his boat. His towing is similar to mine, but he used to turn wrenches for a living and already owned a 7.3L F250. (A branch came down and totaled that truck about 6 months later, leaving him with just the 7.3 Excursion.)

Based on your stated needs, I'd look at the 7.3. Prices are all over the place, but there seem to be good looking Excursions in the $20-25K range.

 

If I was going to grab a TT and drag it around the country, often... I'd get a crew F350 with the 6.7L engine and a 5th wheel trailer. No question. If you get an Excursion, a 20 year old vehicle, you will be on the edge of catastrophe at any moment. Im not saying that an EX is not capable, it is, but if I wanted a "no worries" type of rig, thats my recommendation.

As for the 7.3L vs the 6.0L, I asked the same question a few months ago. I talked to a couple of DSL mechanics and was almost scolded by one guy for even considering a 6.0. He said most of his repair business is the 6.0 and they are hard to work on and more expensive than a 7.3. That being said, theres a whole bunch of work to do to a 7.3L to drag 10K up hills in hot temps. Depending on what you get, rebuild the turbo, rebuild the trans with upgrades (a must if its stock, in my mind anyway), big trans cooler, maybe a new gear ratio depending on tire size, springs, steering wander issue, air bags, tuner?, and thats just upgrades. There may be several other fixes that the truck needs to be robust or safe. So if your travel plans are a few times a year, an EX may be a good choice. If you plan to "take off", see above.

All said, with the way EX prices are now, finding a semi-rust free example with a 7.3, then add fixes and upgrades for care free trailering, you may be in the price range of a 2015 SD that needs little or nothing to tow without issues.

My 2 pennies.

 

“Bullet proof” is a name thrown on a series of “fixes” for the 6.0 by an aftermarket vendor years ago and the name has stuck around. The term bullet proofed doesn’t really mean anything concrete, depending on who did the work and the budget any number of fixes could have been done or left alone, but it’s still “bullet proofed” if that’s what the owner / seller claims. The studs (some of them anyway) can be seen from the outside, easy to tell a stud from a head bolt. If considering a 6.0 please visit the 6.0 section of the forum, they have a buyers guide and plenty of important info there.
The main issue with the 6.0 is too few head bolts, this setup makes it more likely to blow a head gasket. New stronger studs in place of the bolts and fresh head gaskets can reduce the chance of blowing a head gasket but there are still too few of them and plenty of “bullet proofed” 6.0s have suffered failures here, especially tuned rigs. The 6.0 is a beast when running well, no doubt, but you should be well aware of its concerns and know what to monitor when working it.

 

For a trailer that size unless you need the passenger capacity of an ex, a 3/4 or 1 ton pickupwith a 5th wheel will out perform everytime.

 

Unless you want an Excursion because you are passionate about excursions a 6.7 F350 is better suited to RVing.

5th wheel is the better choice for many reasons but I digress.

Most Excursions you are going to find on the market will likely need some additional investment to be a reliable, well mannered 10k tow rig.

v-10 needs lower gears
7.3 needs transmission and trans cooling
5.4 needs a 7.3
6.0 needs a new owner

all of them need rear air springs and most need new front springs, steering box,tre,bj and specific alignment specs to be well mannered.