I'm posting here because the dudes over at the X site are all snoozin' (no posts since Mar 1!) And because I think you guys will have some answers.

I have a '00 Excursion 5.4 V8 2x4 no towing package. My circumstances have changed and now I may want to tow with it (VERY infrequently). My question is - can I add the things I need now that would have been in the tow package? I'm assuming that at the least I would need a heavy duty transmission and cooling system.
What about a weight distributing frame? I'm not even sure what's already there.

The above Excursion's ratings are as follows - GVWR-8900, Curb Weight-7047, GTrailerW braked-7300, Max Payload-1853. GCWR-not listed (anyone know?)

The trailer would be approx. 2500 lb 2 horses 3000 lb stuff 500 lb = 6000 lb, all poundage is very generous so trailer weight should be no problem. I'm just worried about all the "towing goodies". (I pulled with a non tow worthy Burb many years ago and after many bouts with over heating the tranny finally fell out on the road!)

I checked on changing the X for one with what I need and I'm gonna take a $15,000 hit on depreciation. (That's assuming I can even unload it!)

Any advice, suggestions and input will be greatly appreciated.

Carole

 

I'm not too familiar with what the towing pkg. incorperates on the X, but what I would add to yours would be the transmission and oil coolers out of the towing pkg., along with a Banks Transcommand module ($242) to firm up the shift points. As far as I know, all gas motors get the same transmission, i.e. there is no "heavy duty" unit. The coolers should keep fluid temps. in line, and the Transcommand with prolong the life of the clutches in the transmission. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

I would agree with BB. A trans cooler is a big plus. Go with an aftermarket that sits in front of the radiator. They're usually bigger than OEM. You could also look at a deeper pan. Heat is what kills a tranny. Other than that I would say you already have a SD frame so you shouldn't have a problem. Just keep your speeds reasonable.

BTW in Houston they're almost giving away X trucks. I think they're down to .9 apr for 4-5 years WITH all the rebates. With any v-10 they were giving $1000 worth of gas. All this and you can't find them driving by. They've all been moved to the back of the lot because of poor sales. I think the big mistake was making it bigger than the Suburban. Most garages can't hold it.
JMO.


1999 F-250 SD CC V-10 LWB SRW 4X4 Lariat Red clear coat 33x12.5 on 16.5x10.5" wheels K&N

 

Thanks guys!

Looks like I wasn't too far off on what I need, now I need to know how to get it done.

Where do I find what I need and who do I get to do it.

A dealer? or are there speciality shops, if so, how do I find a good one?

Is the Banks Transcommand easy to find and what is a "deeper pan"?

Carole

P.S. I know the deals on the new Excursions are great, my problem is unloading the one I have. (Which is perfect except for the absence of towing features.) So if I can just modify it to suit my needs, hopefully I'll avoid the hassle of selling it and also save a fair amount of money.

 

A deep pan is physically 'deeper' and holds more fluid. Click on this link to see my deep pan. http://www.eurekaboy.com/b&m.htm

http://www.eurekaboy.com/f250.htm

 

OK,

I just talked to the Ford dealership and they said that the Excursion is equiped with the same stuff (radiator, transmission, etc.) as the F250 SD and I should be fine as is.

Can anyone confirm this? They said a towing package is just the wiring and hitch receptor.

Carole

 

Hi Carole,
As far as I know the towing package has a tranny cooler, super engine cooling, 750 CCA battery, 130 Amp. alt., and the wiring harness that fits neatly into the fuse block area(for the trailer brakes, lights, charging wire etc...) and a couple of relays for the power ditribution centre under the hood. Otherwise, I believe that your X is essentially a F250 with slight frame changes after the rear wheel well. Make sure you get a tranny cooler!
Good Luck!

 

Carole, you should have put this under Excursion. We are not snoozing! An update shows in the lobby and most of us are here. I've never heard of an Excursion without the "tow package". There is no tow package, it is part of the basic truck! The receiver in back is considered part of the "anti slide under" package that Ford touts as safety for little cars. I think you will find that your Excursion is fully equipped with all the "goodies" except (in your case)the larger engines. You can double check, but the Ex comes with every cooler imaginable, even for power steering. You should have even found an Electrical adapter in your glove box to adapt the 7pin connector to 4 wire trailers. You aren't confusing Excursion with Expedition are you?

 

It's definitely an Excursion! (I'm not a NATURAL blonde!)

From the information gathered here and a few phone calls it seems I'm pretty much OK. I just have to confirm the tranny cooler.

The X is not here right now to check the other things you mentioned - some Bozo rear-ended me so it's at the body repair shop (just minor bumper damage).

Thanks for all the help.

Carole

P.S. I'm glad to here all at the "X" board are still around!

 

For sure, you need a trans cooler and a weight-distributing hitch. Both should be available as after market bolt-ons. Of course, you will need a brake controller. Don't horse trailers usually have electric brakes? There are several good controllers on the market. A reputable trailer facility should be able to fix you up nicely. Good luck.
Oh - I almost forgot - if you travel in the mountains/hills, you might want to invest in an engine retarder (saves brakes). This is an expensive option, but much cheaper than a runaway rig.

 

As far as I can tell all excursions had the trailer tow package and like someone else stated, all it included was the hitch and the wiring harnesses anyway. I don't see any reason why you should need to add any extra cooling for anything. The excursion has the same cooling, engine, and transmission as an F-250 and F-350. I wouldn't expect to be breaking any speed records going up any hills though. The only thing I'd be concerned about is what the back end of the truck looks like with the trailer hooked up. The rear springs are rated for considerably less than an even the F-250.

 

Carole,

The trailer towing package, including a Class IV receiver, was standard on the 2000 model "X". The GCWR for the X 4X2 5.4 is 13,000 lbs (3.73 axle) -- enough for a 6,000 lb trailer if only you're driving, enough for up to 5,000 lbs if there's a bunch of people and stuff in the X.

You can easily check on the trans cooling architecture yourself if you don't mind rollin' around under the truck for a minute. There are two metal tubes about 1/2 inch in diameter coming out of the right side of the transmission and leading to the front. The front tube should run to the left side of the bottom of the radiator (the cold tank). This is the "oil-to-water cooler".

Another similar tube should then come out of the right side of the tank, connect to a rubber hose, and then run around the front of the radiator to another cooler located between the radiator and the AC condenser. This cooler, about half-height, is the oil-to-air cooler. Another rubber hose should then run back along the first and connect to the second (rear) tube to the transmission.

These two in-series coolers do a good job of keeping the ransmission cool when you're driving along, especially if the tortorque converter clutch (TCC) is locked up. However, the trans can still get hot when towing at low speeds and in reverse, such as when you're jockeying a trailer into a parking spot.

Good Luck!

 

Hey guys,

I just got the Ex back from the body shop and will be getting set up for towing in the next couple of days. I had a quick peek under the hood (about 5 seconds) and realized I better have a mechanic check for all the stuff you guys suggested!

Thanks for all your help, it was much appreciated,

Carole.