I have my X for sale due to the crappy economy.

PM me if interested.

 

Ain't gotta be that way, there are things you can do to get better mileage. What are you getting?

 

Ya what are you getting maybe we can help?

 

Thats what we are hear for! To keep you from sellin ur truck

 

Might not be the fuel economy, might need money for other things.

 

That's the way I read it too.

We have a local law publishing firm that just announced 300 layoffs
in our very small city. Outsourcing the entire division to India.

 

Thay sucks, My wife lost her Job to the Phillipines (Outsourced)

 

While I call myself semi-retired now, I have a new career in which there will always be an immediate demand for the product I sell. And my wife has 20 years seniority at the post office where she works. Unless we go into a depression that rivals that of the great October 29, 1929 depression, we both feel pretty safe right now. But I have plenty of sympathy for these people losing their careers (income) out here now. I foresee a large number of gas guzzling SUVs going up for sale in the next few years. And there will be many Excursions in this group.

I don't care what any "expert" says about it, but these $3.00+ a gallon gas prices started this mess.
And it will get worse with the coming $4.00+ a gallon prices this summer.

 

I've been a small business owner for almost 34 years. I'm a computer systems engineer that works with a number of other medical, commercial and industrial businesses. I've personally witnessed the hemorraging of good local jobs to overseas countries. We're required to maintian Workman's Compensation insurance and Social Security payments as well as a number of other taxes and licensing fees. Add to that all the environmental requirements. I'm not saying that these things are bad.

However, what is really frustrating is that we allow countries that do not have the requirements for basic human rights, worker protection, environmental protection regulations, etc. to become labor outsourcers for both foreign suppliers and American corporations to compete in our domestic market against domestic firms and workers who ARE required to meet these regulations. It is a modern, world market and economics will eventually equalize the situation, but at what price to the American way of life? I know that building economic walls around our borders is not necessarily the answer, but there should be some leveling of the playing field with foreign competition that doesn't play by the same rules but still wants a piece of the American wealth and economy.

I know of very few people who are really doing as well as they were 5 years ago. I'm just thankful that my diesel Excursion is paid for and that it gets 70% better fuel mileage than my previous Suburban which still makes it cheaper to operate even with the higher diesel fuel prices. However, we're all paying the higher diesel prices in that virtually everything in US goods and materials now moves by diesel engines.

We're still blessed to live in this wonderful country and there's a whole lot more right with it than what is wrong with it.

I'm sorry that you're having to sell your Excursion, but you know your situation better than any of us and I'm sure that you're doing it for the right reasons. We'll sure miss having you as one of the gang and wish you all the best!

 

I couldnt agree more with the both of you, The way I see it, if a rice burner could pull my 34ft trailer and family to a Campground safetly, I would probably downgrade my vehicle, but as it stands right now, that will never happen!!!

I actually save money Gas + Campground versus a hotel room. It is not my Childrens fault and Even if it breaks me, I will show them a great time!!!

I will Probably Drive my Excursion till the wheels fall off, and when that happens, I will rebiuld it with My kids help, just like my dad did with me!!

It really sucks that Gas ect ect is ruining peoples lives!!!!!

 

You couldnt have said that any better!


Our next generation shouldnt have to experince such a stupid thing as gasoline prices running our lifes.

 

Actually, historically we've been paying some of the cheapest gas prices in the world until the past year. Like it or not, we're now part of a world economy with purchasing competition from other developing countries. Here's what CNNMoney.com web site has for today's gas prices:

Nation City Price in USD Regular/Gallon
Netherlands Amsterdam $6.48
Norway Oslo $6.27
Italy Milan $5.96
Denmark Copenhagen $5.93
Belgium Brussels $5.91
Sweden Stockholm $5.80
United Kingdom London $5.79
Germany Frankfurt $5.57
France Paris $5.54
Portugal Lisbon $5.35
Hungary Budapest $4.94
Luxembourg $4.82
Croatia Zagreb $4.81
Ireland Dublin $4.78
Switzerland Geneva $4.74
Spain Madrid $4.55
Japan Tokyo $4.24
Czech Republic Prague $4.19
Romania Bucharest $4.09
Andorra $4.08
Estonia Tallinn $3.62
Bulgaria Sofia $3.52
Brazil Brasilia $3.12
Cuba Havana $3.03
Taiwan Taipei $2.84
Lebanon Beirut $2.63
South Africa Johannesburg $2.62
Nicaragua Managua $2.61
Panama Panama City $2.19
Russia Moscow $2.10
Puerto Rico San Juan $1.74
Saudi Arabia Riyadh $0.91
Kuwait Kuwait City $0.78
Egypt Cairo $0.65
Nigeria Lagos $0.38
Venezuela Caracas $0.12

I too plan to hold on to my Excursion for many years. I'm 6'7", 280 pounds and I don't comfortably fit into most vehicles made today. My X is actually more comfortable than my previous 5 Suburbans. I'll just not be going as often or as far.

 

Yup it stinks - as a Albertan, sitting on billions of barrels of oil, we've always paid higher gas prices than the US because of environmental and other taxes.

(Just a bit of trivia - since the USA has 10-times the population of Canada we usually multiply by 10 in comparisons to the US. So, a few years ago I was astounded to hear that the number of Hummers in the states was, not ten-times but 100-times the number of Hummers as in Canada!!! Cheap gas, more wealthly people and/or cheap credit I suppose.)

As for job loss - geez guys - the US is voluntarily exporting its net-worth abroad (welfare to the world) and with it all kinds of great jobs. Moreover, I absolutely hate the decline in product quality and standards I'm seeing. Last March put down our wonderful young dog (concidentally - just a week before the pet food recall highlighted toxic ingredients - she had identical symptoms later reported). Without naming names, got an offshore-made copper patio heater - that's now rusting!!! And a copper bird feeder - that rusted out - probably killed a bunch of little birds too. Have patio furniture that is also painted steel - a few years ago all you could get was painted aluminum - because steel can rust!!! My stupidity I guess. Fool me once shame on you...

At least the Japanese have incredible standards internally and so their exports reflect that. For other countries, it seems that using their cheap labour rates to their advantage just isn't enough - have to maximize returns via crap - if not outright toxic - materials too. I sure miss being able to buy quality American made goods.

But then I miss the few higher quality Canadian goods we once produced - like appliances - where many years ago standards were relaxed to allow foreign imports. That industry is now gone from Canada and we're now lucky to get 15-20 years out of kitchen appliances. I hate to think how long the current imports may last now - 5 years maybe - but we'll save $50 bucks up front.

One more thing - went online to buy a WD hitch from the USA - free shipping to the lower 48 states but the shipping the cost to me - 168 bucks!!! The US dollar is giving you guys a great chance to get back some of those dollars you've shipped out of the country - but that was a sale lost.

 

Im buyin my gas from Venezuela Caracas. How come its so cheap their?

 

Why cheap gas - because EVERY country has a pet subsidy (the US has many too) - in Venezuela it's gas. They also have one of the world's largest reserves of oil. I hear people here too saying that since Albertans own the oil and produce it, that we should get a break on it. Pure foolishness here. That means; one, we'd waste it if it were cheap, and two, if we wasted it we'd have less to export. Basically we double up on our loss!!! But the Vez's are a democracy and that's what the people want - means in their case they have cash to blow on other things - like food for the family.

PS - Shriner - if you can work it - consider selling your truck here in Alberta. We've long been a truck culture here but there's few Excursions. For now, we have a booming economy due to outrageously high oil prices, a huge labour shortage and thus high salaries for many (except me). This means lots of travel trailers are being bought - and so we need cheap tow vehicles.

For a tow vehicle, we bought our '02 Excursion in January (looks just like yours) and paid close to $19 grand for it!!! Keep in mind though that the few diesel EXs for sale here were in the low 30s - high 20s. The dealer importer probably paid under $14k for ours down in Texas last year. Unfortunately, I don't have time to do a US deal myself - so I left at least $5-6K on the table for an old truck. Sickening but our little girl is going camping this summer. And, I'm rationalizing it thinking that by saving it for only the odd towing trip - in a few years it will will be a 10-yr truck with half the average miles on it.