Yes Buzzard.
That third seat has been in my attic since day one!

 

Buzzard,

I should explain that the term 'family of 5' is only a purely, theoretical value. You see, 3/5's of that value is comprised of teenagers whose "space" requirements tend be rather elastic from hour to hour. Even though two objects cannot occupy the same seat, teens persist in trying. Eventually, the Parental Patience Rule comes into play which increases entropy. (For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.)

With teens there is also an additional variable to be considered known as the the Companion/Friend Coefficient Factor. Experience has shown that the C/FC Factor is 1.2 for any given outing. Thus, we may easily derive a truer estimate of family size by using original family size (OFS) x C/FC (1.2) For the sake of simplicity we can ignore other variables such as dogs/sq/in. and the Female Shoe Load (measured in (what else) foot/lbs.

So you can see, removing the third seat is much more complicated that would first appear. British physicist, Steven Hawking will be addressing this apparent phenomena in his newest book, "A Brief History of Seating".

In the meantime, leaving the horse trailer permanently attached may be our best option.

 

Aero, when I realized I could not go out I went up. I do not park in the garage. It helps alot.

On a side note the rack is 50x60 if your wife is really short............................................. ..........................


Have a good weekend everyone.

 

I can't complain, I went from a 92 Acura Legend sedan to the greatest "Monstrosity" I have ever driven. I wish some of you FTE guys would have pulled up next to me at a light and said, "Hey, when are you gonna get a REAL vehicle." Then I would have surely landed on the FTE planet sooner !!!

 

That was great -- thanks for the laugh!

I love my Expy, and it answers my needs. We bought it for hauling diving gear hither and yon, and for stretching out in comfort with our two selves and our aging Golden Retriever, who takes up the entire second row with room to turn around.

In an unusual role reversal, my husband is the one with the Increasing Luggage Factor (# of Days in Trip X number of different events = numbers of bags to take), so the Expy works wonders there! Plus we do big Christmasses, always out of town, and this was our first one with the Expy -- in previous years we had to put everything into garbage bags, then into the back of the truck (it rains every Xmas, without fail).

When we want to haul icky stuff, we use the pickup. That's what a scratched up '89 Silverado is for, after all!

I do wish I could chuck the third seat, though. Husband won't let me -- "Do you know that thing is a $600 option? You're just gonna put $600 in the garage?" I'll wear him down, eventually.

 

Mines turned into a kid hauling grocery getter.....
Really like the room and size, had the usual aic, coil, bad mileage issues, but every vehicle maker has their problems....

 

In April 02' I purchased a 97' XLT,Expy, with the 5.4, it had 88 k miles on it, It now has 100352 miles on it, only thing I did was clean and paint the bottom, new Rancho RSX shocks, and a new set of front tires,(matching rear tires) the truck runs great ,I like the way the 97 and 98 Expy grill and bumper looks compared to 99' and newer. I myself have taken off with it, sqealing the tires and going sideways some,(beating on coming traffic) so power is not an issue from what I have felt, the 4x4 set up works great, my driveway is steep, and this winter in Eastern Conn. has been pretty wild.

My girlfriend drives it every day to work and has had it in A4wd, and 4xHi with no troubles at all ! Fuel mileage is down in the cold around 12 mpg around town, but I did get 15.1 this past summer, so I am extremly happy with my 100,000 Expy, my only complaint is I wish it only had 30,000 k miles on it. Would I buy another Expy, you bet,,,,I just wish they kept the 2WD, A4WD,4HI, AND 4LO selection like my 97' has !

It does'nt have the 3rd row seat so loads of cargo area, its been a great truck, oh the front stablizer link did break, I have new ones, just have'nt replaced it yet,,when the weather gets better.

great site
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Later,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mark

 

At 77k miles, I have had 0 problems. Only change fluids. Now the check engine light comes on after Interstate speed trips. Checked everything critical, nothing evident. Disconnect the battery and it goes out, but comes back on the highway.

My complaint; the bucket seats are NOT COMFORTABLE!!!! I had a Suburban as a rental for a week. It had leather and all power on the driver's seat; best thing my back and butt has ever been on!!

 

besides the head gasket leak, which ford fixed 15,000 miles ago and its still fine. I LUV mine !! mine is a conversion, so it has all the comforts of home in it. tv, vcr, great sound system.....heck,...I was locked out of the house once for a few hours waiting for my wife to come home....and I could care less ! plus this beast pulls my boat so well , I have to double check to make sure I hooked it up. LUV IT !!

 

I bought my Expy used after plenty of careful reseach and shopping and I love it. While there are a very few things that I have changed ('02 F150 HD head & corner lights, Fog/ driving lights & aux. back-up lights) there is not much left that I would do other then add 80-140 HP (supercharger), some more serious rubber (20s), better front seats (lateral support) and crank-up the jams sound system.

We use her as a third vehical as my wife drives her I-30 most often but sometimes drives the Expy to work. I drive my company Extended cab pick-up during work hours. 'Betty' does see ALOT of road trips though as well as weekend and eveining driving.

She has been the model of reliable & comfortable motoring easily handling any task I give her, which includes plenty of pressure on the gas pedal and occasional towing.


Overall, It's a very fine truck / family wagon.

 

We have a 98 Eddie Bauer 4x4 Expedition and love it. After 80,000 miles, we have only had to replace one defective rear wiper motor and the dreaded coil pack. It has been extremely comfortable and reliable.

Our strict preventative maintenance schedule probably has a lot to do with the reliability of the X. We change oils every 3500 miles and have had Mobil 1 in it since the first day. We are on our fourth set of brake pads and our fifth set of tires(aftermarket rims and larger tires).

We have a K&N air filter, a custom chip, and a stainless exhaust system. Besides that and the video system inside, she is stock.

 

After my latest episode I might want to change my vote. If it is a simple fix I'll be ok . If not, Man will I be PISSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Just got into an XLT - 02'. I love it!!!
Never drove a full size SUV before. I used to call the Montero Sport a "truck", how wrong I was... Great vehicle don't get me wrong, but the Expedition is the "real deal". I'm 6'3" and have to climb this thing!. The "power" of this vehicle is amazing! and is stock (5.4 lt.)...
I have to get used to the stiffer seats, personally I prefer softer cushions.
I will basically drive it in the City so I will probably improve the audio and fuel efficiency right away...

And with all the "sh#@" is going on around the Country, will never buy another foreign vehicle! stick to American Made!

 

we just got our exp last nov. during hunting season it already had over 100K on odo. i used to be an ASE certified mech. and this thing was never touched(excpt mait.) as far as i can tell. it even has the OEM shocks(shot!) on it. our last (truck) was an 88 F-350 and it was tired. this rig we have now we love it. my wife can drive it better than her old car cause it sits higher. i took it to elk camp and it supprised everyone including me on what it would handle off road.we ended up riding in it the whole season cause it could get in tighter spots than the trucks we had in camp. as far as hauling goes we haul a 3 horse slant show tralier and have more than enough power. and plenty of room inside. yes we are very happy with it.

 

Maybe you looked at a new Expy with advance trac,my 2003 EB 4X4 has control trac ,2hi,a4wd,4hi,and 4lo,just like my 98 had. Whoever bought my "old"98 got a sweet truck,K&N FIPK,Flowmaster catback system,and a top of the line Clifford alarm w/remote start and pager,exactly 47,000 miles when traded,oil&filter changed every 3000 miles or less. It was just getting ready for it's first brake job,all four wheels. The only problem I had was the compass/gas mileage display module control buttons screwed up,was replaced under warranty.