Back story:

We are a family of 6. Me, my wife, and 4 boys ages 14,13,11, and 9. Back in 2016 I bought an Ex so we could tow a hybrid travel trailer. Trailer is a 2012 Sharmrock 233S with a GVWR of roughly 6000 lbs. I made a hasty poor decision and bought a Excursion rust bucket with engine issues, which we didn't find out until after 2 camping trips. We decided to go with something more reliable. Sold the Ex and bought a 2015 F150 CC with a 5.0. We've taken it on many camping adventures (yes, seating all 6 of us), including a trip from Ohio to Wyoming and back. The F150 has been a great truck, it tows our camper well, its safe, has plenty of power, and its reliable. The reliability was a big sell for the wife. However, now that our boys are getting bigger, we are finding (I've always felt cramped btw) that local trips within Ohio are ok, but longer trips with the 6 of us crammed in the F150 are miserable. I've come to this realization pretty quickly, my wife lives in denial. She thinks we'll be fine. We are planning another long road trip to Utah next summer.

To the point. I am considering trading in or selling my F150 and once again taking a gamble on an Excursion. I've considered an Expedition EL or even a suburban, but I feel like the tongue weight of the camper and the 6 of us push to the limits (or over) of the payload capacity. . And I think they'll feel quite a bit more "squishy". For reference Payload capacity of my F150 is 1888 lbs. A 350 van is not an option. Lets be realistic here, I'm looking for constructive criticism and/or advice. Is it crazy to trade a perfectly great truck in for a 20 year old vehicle with possibly questionable reliability? I'm fairly handy and can fix most vehicle issues. That's how I save money with a larger family. But my wife's greatest fear is breaking down on the road (which I know, can happen ANYTIME, to ANY vehicle.)

Realistically, with our oldest now 14, this may be our last long road trip next summer with all of us. What do yo think? Slog it out being cramped in my reliable F150? Or take a risk and try to find a rust-free Excursion that's tow ready? (By tow ready, I mean it doesn't need all new suspension, steering, or other major items).

Thanks for reading. I know opinions are just that, I just need some feedback that's not from my own brain. Maybe there's something I haven't thought through. Anyway, I appreciate you taking the time to read through my issue.

 

Yes. You are crazy. Wait out a few years until your entire family isn't going on trips. As cool as Excursions are, anything you can put a collector plate on is going to be a roll of the dice as for reliability. That's a light enough trailer I'd think you would do fine with a Suburban or Expedition, but I don't have all those figures at my fingertips.

 

I use my Excursion for the same general purpose (loading the whole family, including the dogs, into it and pulling a travel trailer). But unless you want to invest $10K plus into the Excursion after buying it to make it reliable enough for that task, then look elsewhere/ newer. For the weight of your trailer an Expedition should work fine, especially if you have a decent load distribution hitch and maybe put some rear supplemental airbags on it.
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I had the same rationale for when I purchased my Excursion 1 1/2 years ago. I need to tow a 9K travel trailer and haul 4 kids and two dogs, plus I couldn't (still can't) afford a newer vehicle. I got lucky and found a very clean fairly low mileage rust free Excursion, but was not fully prepared for the added $ and time required to make even that a reliable tow vehicle. Every day these get older, rustier, and higher mileage while parts get harder to find. On the plus side, I have learned a lot more on this wonderful forum about repairing and maintaining cars since owning it, but that adventure isn't for everybody.

A newer Sequoia, Expedition, or Suburban should be rated to tow your trailer. If so and you can afford it, I'd go for a Sequoia. A 2015 model has a 7,400lb tow capacity, 381hp, and 401lb-ft torque. Some trims have air suspension or you can add a 1,000lb AirLift airbag kit to remove bumper sag. Thats more hp and nearly the same torque as a V10 Excursion. If you have never owned a Toyota before, then you are in for a very pleasant surprise.

For some reason people pay a premium for these 20 year old Excursions like they are going to rival a classic car. Once my kids start moving out, mine will go up for sale and I'll switch over to a HD crew cab truck and fifth wheel. I just wish there was an HD Tundra option.

 

I would contact Junior at ATS and see what they have to strengthen the springs on an Expedition or Suburban.
I went the route of rebuilding my 2000 Ex so it could better handle our 28’ TT. I didn’t take in account how much it would actually cost to do that. I would have been better off purchasing a slightly used F-350.
However, I think you are screwed because your wife says your current vehicle is fine. If Momma ain’t happy …….

 

Man, I would love a Sequoia. We are Toyota fans. My beater is a 2002 Camry with 200k, and my wife will not part with her 2009 Sienna with 230k. The problem is payload, not towing capacity. All those half ton SUVs are quite capable of towing our camper for sure. But their payload sucks. Most Sequoias have around 1200 lbs payload. Most Suburbans and Expeditions are around 1400 lbs. Those numbers don’t work with our family. There are 6 of us. 2 boys are teenagers and the other two aren’t far behind. The tongue weight of our camper is 850 lbs (loaded and weighed). Even with my F150’s payload of 1888 we are pushing the limits with any gear in the truck bed. Believe me, if Toyota had an HD truck, I’d be all over it.

Thanks for all the info and suggestions guys. I think I pretty much agree with the general consensus. Excursions are awesome, but too old and require too much to make them road worthy with a trailer behind. I’ll keep my F150 for now. As one of you mentioned above, realistically with the oldest at 14, we only have a few more years of all of us camping together.

if money wasn’t an option I’d have a newer F350 conversion to Ex done. LoL.

 

The issue you have is age, even the best kept excursions are still getting on, there is no hiding from time. I bought my excursion for the same reason you are thinking about them, theres nothing else like them on the market. But for me there isnt the concern of reliability as you, and I like doing a few things myself as a bit of a hobby.

 

Amen.
To do over again, I’d just buy a slightly used F-250/350. Now, I am worried the Ex will total out in a wreck because my insurance doesn’t cover what I have in it.
I have a “specialty” insurance with my 84 S-10 where I can only drive it a few thousand miles a year. With the Ex, I’m screwed.

 

Ive looked into that to, where insurance is concerned. I belong to the Excursion facebook group too, and there is a company based in PA I think that for $800 to $1000 they go to bar for us Excursion owners and help settle for more money if your ever involved in an accident and they total it. Of the two i have seen totaled, thwy got one guy around $4500 extra and the other over $6000 extra, so money well spent! We LOVE our Excursions, dont we...


I had a predicament like the original poster, except opposite(kinda): We boight a 2006 Jayco 27BH and towed with a 97 Expedition 5.4 for years(when we lived in Wisconsin) and sold it in 2012 when we moved. Then after a few years in Central Ohio we bought a 2018 Outback 293UBH which had a GVWR of 7600 pounds and then had a 2003 Expedition 5.4 which towed ok, but not for long distance. Come mid 2018 and we bought a 2003 Excursion 6.0. Towed that camper like it wasnt even there. Then in 2020 we traded in on a new Outback 300ML, which is 9500 pound GVWR. Which is my current truck and camper and I'd tow anywhere!

Id say the OP should buy a newer Expedition EL with the Ecobeast, put some air bags on it, hook up his camper with a good WDH like Eqaulizer (what I have), or Blue Ox, or Pro Pride and pull away! Are you gonna be over payload sure... but not horribly. Now before you F250/350(and Government Motors and RAM) guys start chiming in, Ive seen PLENTY of your rigs horribly overloaded while camping!

I have seen many Expeditions with the Ecobeast motor pulling 9000+ pound rigs around without any issues. Yes, they are over weight. But all I have talked to said they never felt unsafe. Stay away from that Government Motors crap!!

Just my $.02

 

The whole "overloaded" thing has been discussed before. The manufacturer's suggested weight rating is just that , a suggestion. Has more to do with them not wanting to pay warranty claims than anything else.

Plenty (and I mean plenty) of one ton DRW diesel trucks are used commercially in the hot shot/ LTL trucking industry and they're always over the manufacturer's suggested weight. Those commercial drivers register their trucks for the max weight they intend to carry ( and the weight your truck is registered to carry is what defines your legal weight limit, not the manufacturer's suggestion) and carry the appropriate insurance of course, but that doesn't change the weight or how "overloaded" they are compared to the manufacturer's suggestion.
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We currently use a Equalizer hitch as well. So you're saying I'd be fine with a Expedition EL/Max? Even though they aren't solid rear axle? So, for kicks lets say I get a Expedition with a payload of 1700 lbs. Hitch weight of camper is 850 lbs, plus 800 for 6 people (a little bit more than our current weight), and another 100 lbs for the hitch. With NO extra gear (in the Expedition) that puts us at 1750 lbs of payload. You're saying that would be fine, and even fine to go a little over that? (say adding 50 lbs of gear).

I've just done so much reading about payload and it seems that's the most limiting factor in towing. I have no doubts a Expedition will tow our camper. I even think a Sequoia would tow it fine (but their payload is even worse ~1250 lbs). It seems that the manufacturers want you to be able to tow a large load, with NO ONE in the vehicle. Honestly, its not like I'll be hauling/towing this every day. A few weekends in the summer, and one longer road trip every other year for the next 4 years. I don't know what I'm doing anymore, there's so much information out there. Some people say I'll be fine going over payload (I mean, I see A TON of people doing it every weekend), and some people say my brakes and suspension will fail going 10 lbs over payload. SIGH. I wish I was confident enough to just do whatever the hell I want and not worry about it.

Thanks for letting me rant.

 

A Toyota Hilux will tow a 10K camper. A few feet at least. The point isn't what is physically able to tow what, it's liability. What happens when you are in an accident (that might not even be your fault) and the other driver's insurance wants to go after you for being overloaded? You might be completely safe and confident towing over limit but that's not the issue. Stay with the truck. I have not done research on SUVs in the past 7 years (since I got my Excursion), but didn't Chevy still make solid rear axle 3/4 ton suburbans into the mid 20-teens? I know they dropped the big block, but payload might be better.

 

That is an internet myth, with no basis in legal fact, that just keeps getting repeated for some reason.

What your vehicle is legally allowed to weigh/ carry/ tow is based off the vehicles registration, nothing else.
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You are certainly open to civil suit action if you tow over manufacturer limits. Buy hey, not my truck/trailer. Do what makes you happy.

 

Yes you will be fine! I know of two guys with Expedition ELs that tow over weight. One has a Outback 330RL and that has a GVWR of 11k, so tongue weight is probably 1300 by itself, and the other tows a 38' Jayco, and his GVWR is 10500.

You towing that, your fine! You obviously have Experience towing. Set up your new truck with the hitch properly and all will be ok. The other thing tbat will help is LT rated tires, makes a world of difference!