Good morning. I am a younger (33) guy looking for my first excursion. I am not a great mechanic when it comes to diagnosing problems, but I also don't have a problem tinkering and fixing smaller problems on my own when my good mechanic buddy tells me what's wrong. My girlfriend and I are expecting our first kid together, bringing our total number of children up to 5. We are an outdoorsy couple and love to go off-roading, hunting, fishing, and camping. Now that the kids are getting older and each one is starting to take up more room, especially when we have to haul all of their crap with us to go on road trips and other adventures, we are looking at getting something bigger. With the car market being what it is currently, a new car is just not really an option. Even making good money, we don't want to spend 80k on a new suburban or sequoia. Even looking at the more heavily used market, I cant find one that seems to fit what I am looking for as far as comfortable, durable, strong enough to pull the boat and camp trailer, and just also be something that can really fit my "car guy" desire. This eventually lead me to the ultimate SUV, the Excursion.
I have now been shopping for one for a few months now and keep finding a massive range of prices, milage, and so on. I have ADHD, so going down the many rabbit holes of gas vs. diesel, 6.0 vs 7.3, and so forth has me with far more questions than answers and every time I think I have something picked out, I really overthink it until I don't know what I am looking for anymore. I am hoping that this forum will be able to help reassure me, give me a little bit of guidance, and help me make a truly informed decision from people who have real world experience. I don't want someone to stroke my ego and agree with my thought process if it doesn't make sense. Please, truly help me make a good decision.
I drove a 2005 6.0 last week and absolutely loved it. It still has that old diesel sound and feel, drove fairly nicely, especially when compared to my 1 ton pickup, and darn near had me sold on the spot. The biggest holdup for me was the stealership selling it couldn't tell me if it had been bulletproofed or not and I, never having peaked under the hood of a 6.0, let alone knowing exactly what parts I was looking for (other than in name), was quick to pump the brakes and seek help. This 6.0 has 166k miles (so it had to be bulletproofed said the salesman), is in really good shape on the interior, has been in 2 minor accidents in its life (according to carfax, and has a couple of small dings and dents. The dings and dents don't bother me because I plan on taking it out and using it anyway, but they were present. During the test drive, the car started out a little rough in sound. The was a lot of turbo sound that went away after the first minute or two and never came back. I figure it must just be part of rounding out warming up a vehicle that is 20+ years old that has been sitting on their lot untouched for the last few months. After that, the test drive went smooth all the way until just about the very end. As I was slowing down from the 55 zone to pull back into the parking lot, from 45 down to 35, the rig seemed to have a jeep death wobble. As soon as we hit 34, it was right back to smooth and comfortable. Last issue I had, and its pretty minor all things considered, the stereo was replaced with an aftermarket setup, but the bracket that holds it in place is not holding it in place. On top of that, we couldn't get the stereo to produce any sound other than when the volume was going up and down it would beep. I tried every radio station that thing would hit and it wouldn't make a peep. Anyways, I get back to the dealership and the guys are willing to work with me on coming down a little bit on price, but the internet salesman that I have been working with isn't willing to budge on anything.
This leads to the ultimate purpose of this thread:
1. Am I crazy for still strongly considering purchasing this 6.0?
2. Should I be looking more seriously at a 7.3 or a V10?
3. Any other information that you folks with experience would say is important for someone in my position to know or understand?

Thank you all so much, I anxiously await your extremely valuable input and guidance.

 

Welcome to FTE GLeal!! Hopefully you'll get some answers that'll help you with your decision! Be prepared for lots of input/opinions on the 6.blow lol! Personally, I have never owned one, however... I have had many friends and family that have, and IMHO, you either get a good one, or ya don't.

My .02 on the one you are looking at, 166k, unknown status, I would buy it if you can get down to a price you feel comfortable with AND you have a friend who is a mechanic that can help you when your going to need it to keep repair costs down. The death wobble is probably just worn steering components, most of which you could repair yourself, tie-rods, track bar bushings and ball-joints, has it been lifted? large tires? Personally, I have never had the vaunted DW on any of my trucks... maybe because I try to keep ahead of the wear items rplc'ment, who knows.

Again, IME, I've had friends that have bought a 6.0, never did a thing to them but change the oil religiously and drove them for 340k+ without issue, and on the other side, my BIL and best friend growing up who changed their whole fleet from Ford to Dodge after having a rash of bad 6.blows... YMMV

If it has been sitting on their lot for a while, I would pick a price you are comfortable with, tell them that's what you'll pay and to get back to you and walk away, then keep in touch with them while you look at others... I wouldn't shy away from a V10 or the small 5.4L. I have had 3 Ex's, first one I ordered new from Ford, 02/7.3/4x/Limited loaded with all the goodies back then, ex-wife still has it, when I moved out it had 230k on it and a new trans at appx 120k. Bought a 00 5.4/2wd/XLT a few yrs ago, already had a Fab-tech lift from the PO but he had put the stock tires/rims back on it so it looked like a scared cat, I put 35" Toyo AT3's on it, swapped the rear gears to 5.13's with a Tru-trac, now it has 166k+ on it and my wife drive's it all the time, been to TX 2x and anywhere else we want to take it. I bought a 2001 V10/2wd with 180k I think on it, sold it to my BIL in TX, I put new brakes/rotors/pads and changed the oil on it, he flew out, drove it home and loves it, they have 4 kiddos, last I talked to him he was at 220k or so on it. My good friend that moved up to ID had been looking for one, he found an 04/6.0/4x Lariat he bought, I think it was at like 180k, had not been bulletproofed but.. had a knowledgeable PO who had put it on a diet and done some good PM on it, he's over 210k+ and loves it.

They are great rigs, and the reason Thomas (ID friend w/6.0) bought one was because of how much I told him I loved mine and he had 3 kiddos at the time, now going on 5 and needed more than a CC truck, which he still has his '17 F250 Platinum.

The aftermarket radio... I wouldn't worry about, you can always rplc it and the speakers for fairly cheap, and in reality, they probably need it, I just put a new Kenwood in ours with bluetooth with is nice to have.

As for the 7.tree's... well, IF you can find one that isn't plump wore out AND/OR they thing they have the only one and are asking $75k.. well, good luck there, they are either WAY overpriced and proud of it or they are ragged and high miles, personally, I would go for a V10 with lower miles over a high mileage 7.tree.

Are you wanting 2wd or 4x? The platform itself is the same through the years, you just need to pick one that meets your need and you're comfy with, I can say, at first I was looking for a 7.3 when I went to buy another one, but the prices and conditions of the ones I looked at.. ugh.. so I continued looking, came across our 2000 with the 5.4, only had 130k or so and was in excellent condition minus the hood paint and some dings and dangs... and for $5400... I couldn't pass it up, granted, swapping to 5.13's/Trutrac was appx $3200 but it was easier than trying to drop it back down to stock height. I bought the 01 I sold my BIL for $6k IIRC after looking at a 7.3 with more miles for $17 🙄

Where are you located? How far are you willing to fly/drive? What's your budget?

Good luck in your search and ask as many questions as you can!

and some truck ****, just because


Our 2000 2wd, Dory

My 2002 7Tree

 

my 7.3 4x4 cost me 13k when Covid hit 3 years ago.

 

Based on what you have said, an Excursion is a great fit for your situation needing to haul 6+ people and tow. Here are some facts that you are now faced with:

• Most people are currently buying them for an image or collectible thing, which has driven prices up for decent vehicles.
• All Excursions are 20+ years old. They ALL will have issues to deal with sooner or later. It will cost a ton to pay someone to fix these unless you do it yourself.
• Its a Ford, not a Toyota or Honda. Crap WILL break.
• Many parts are no longer available and vanishing. People like me rush to junkyards when an Excursion shows up.
• Most Excursions have rust issues. Find a Southern or well preserved vehicle...and keep it that way.
• A stock Excursion is a crappy riding vehicle. The suspension is not good and contributes to steering wander.
• There is a long list of super annoying 'issues' that need to be addressed on these rigs right off the bat. Look in the Tech Folder to get a feel for what you will be up against if it hasn't been addressed yet.
• Facebook told me that real men only drive diesels. Therefore, you will pay more for them...in both real dollars and time/maintenance.

My recommendation is to take your time to find the right vehicle. Pay the extra to buy an Excursion that has not been 'Bro'ed out with an 8" lift and wheel spacers, but rather one that is mostly stock but with all the important reliability issues taken care of and well maintained. Being a person who bought a 'stock' Excursion I guarantee you that I will never recoup the dollars that I have put in and the value of my time. I would be asking an extra $3-5K for this...and that's a deal!

If your camper isn't super heavy or long, then IMHO the 6.8L V10 is the smartest choice. However, it needs to have the 4.30 ratio gears, not the 3.73 ratio. Expect anywhere from 8-10 mpg on average, 12 mpg max unloaded on the highway. People will claim higher, but they are liars. Main issues are blown spark plugs on 2000-2001 model years and broken exhaust manifold studs (super expensive to pay to fix, royal PITA to do yourself and you'll likely need a welder). The 2 valve V-10 is pretty damn reliable engine when well maintained. I'm comforted by the fact that I can trust it.

If you don't pull heavy loads all the time or need to uphold an image, then I would avoid the diesels. The added maintenance alone is reason enough to avoid them if you don't need to tow heavy all the time. The 7.3L is an okay engine but you'll never recoup the added up-front cost alone because there is a 'cult' following people out there who will pay ~2x for a 7.3L. The transmisssion is a known weak point on the 7.3L and ~$5K to fix properly. Moreover, the added fuel price plus the added maintenance cost makes it pretty much a wash for long term $/mile. And when they break down, they are very spendy to fix for both parts and labor! The 6.0L is a whole ecosystem of mental anguish unto itself. The fact that you even asked if it has been 'Bulletproofed' is proof that you are absolutely not ready for a 6.0L. Too much to address on this subject. Go over to the 6.0L forum and spend a few months. I recommend that you stay away from them until you learn a WHOLE LOT more. Maybe its the right engine for you after you learn more about it. Even after all the correct fixes are performed, the 6.0L is still a 'lifestyle commitment' of monitoring sensors and paranoia over multiple weak spots that simply isn't for most people who just want to turn a key and drive.

IMHO, don't daily drive an Excursion. That's dumb. Drive a mini-van instead. Save the wear and tear on the Excursion for when you need to use it towing...and save money on fuel.

 

I have three (2000 V-10 4WD, 2002 7.3 4WD, and 2004 6.0 2WD).

My V-10 was my lowest cost of the three, needed some work done to it, most of which I was able to figure out thanks to this forum (spark plugs, suspension, headlights, starter, alternator, brake pads, rotors, calipers, fluid changes, etc.). It's not the most pretty, but I've driven it for over 60,000 miles, sitting at 290,000 now. Worst thing that happened was the fuel pump going out, having to drop the tank, and replace it. It's been fairly reliable for hauling the six of us around.

I bought the 7.3 before the V10. Working on sorting out some issues with the brakes, so haven't been driving it much lately. Sitting at almost 400,000 so a lot of the same things have been replaced on this one as the V10.

I recently bought the 6.0 with about 200,00 miles, knowing that they can have issues. I've owned an F250 with the same power plant, and other than going through a couple of FICM's and alternators, it's done a good job hauling trailers for the farm. One of the deciding points on getting the 6.0 excursion was that it was rust free, as opposed to my other ones. I've read a lot of comments from folks on here that stress starting with a rust free excursion is a huge advantage. 2WD rides smoother, but I've definitely needed the 4x4 a few times this winter!

Diesels are fun but more complicated. I do like towing with the diesels, but when my truck was down with FICM issues and I needed to haul a couple horses in the bumper pull, the V10 came through and did the job.

Kids definitely like the room. Rented a new Expedition for a trip a few months ago, and while the bells and whistles are kind of neat on the new cars, I am fine doing without. Third row was more cramped than the Excursion.

Lots of good advice and folks on this forum. Good luck with your search and decision!

 

I’ve had 2 Excursions, and helped my buddies “build” theirs as well. First one was a v10, 2nd one is a 6.0. I’ll just say it up front, I should have kept the v10. I use mine to pull trailers so I found shortly after buying the first one, it needed a lot of mods to tow and ride well. The stock springs are junk and too soft for anything, even just driving around. At this point, the’ve all sagged at 20+ years old, so even if you tell yourself you dont tow and won’t need to upgrade springs you still will need to. The front end is about 1” away from the bump stop if it even exists at this point after being heated to death for 20 years of bottoming out.
The v10 also tows like **** until you regear it unless you enjoy being the slowest rig up the hill holding up semi trucks; assuming you pull more than a tiny boat or car trailer. Even bone stock they are lazy feeling when not towing unless you get one with 4.30 gears. 3.73 is the common gearing option a while that sounds steep, it’s not when yo consider the transmission ratios; OD is 0.71:1. The v10 is like a big HOnda engine, not an old school big block which means it needs RPM to make power. It makes all its power from 2500+ up and it likes the high RPM. I regeared mine to run 2600 rpm at 70mph in OD which was perfect for towing and daily driving. Mileage increased when towing and around town. Transmission ran cooler too.

On to the 6.0, I wouldn’t get one unless you’re a mechanic and don’t mind working on it. They certainly have their issues and even fi you do address them, it’s not a guarantee. I fully bulletproofed mine, new O ringed heads, ARP studs, the whole deal. Replaced the FICM twice. A bunch of injectors. Some will claim “it’s all about maintenance” which is sort of true. Changing your fluids and filters is a big deal on these but it’s no guarantee you won’t have component failures and it’s always expensive and a pain in the ***. There are those out there who have had no issues but they are not the rule, they are the exception. Some just get lucky, are you one of those people? Even if yo find one that’s bulletproofed, you’ll need to fix things from time to time. Sure, the same can be said of any other vehicle but it’s 10x more common on a 6.0. The 6. 0 also tows like crap for a diesel. It needs RPM which is weird. The gap between direct drive and overdrive is too big so it’s always running not enough RPM in OD or too much in direct drive. 2000 RPM at 70 is lugging it which is where is sits with teh stock tires and gears so every decent hill requires a downshift.

I regeared my 6.0 as well so it isn’t lugging at 70mph, getting RPM up to about 2200 makes a huge difference in mileage and power. My biggest trailer is a 28ft enclosed which weighs about 8500 lbs when loaded and the v10 pulled the hills just as well after regearing it and it was a lot cheaper to run. The mileage difference is negligible when towing as well due to the huge cost difference between diesel and gas at the pump.

7.3? Never had one but they’re 23+year old at this point and usually have a billion miles on them with shredded interiors and people still want big money for them. Not worth it IMO. Good engine but if it hasn’t been gone through extensively at this point you’ll be the one going through it soon. And even if the engine lasts “forever”, the transmission doesn’t so if it’s still original at 250k+ miles, you’ll be needing one soon.
I’ve been through this platform from top to bottom when it comes to modifying and owning them so if you have any other questions i’d be happy to help.

 

Thank you all so much for your input so far. I know I have a lot to learn and experience with these vehicles but I just can't imagine trying to stomach a $50k used suburban. The car market is a little bit wild in my part of the world in Oregon.

 

Thank you all so much for your input so far. I know I have a lot to learn and experience with these vehicles but I just can't imagine trying to stomach a $50k used suburban. The car market is a little bit wild in my part of the world in Oregon.

 

None of the engines ever offered from the factory in an Excursion were all the great. You just kinda got pick what sucks the least for you intended usage.

-The 5.4 V8 gasser: underpowered and blows spark plugs out the holes. Generally only seen in the base models, not really suitable for towing in a heavy Excursion.

-The 6.8 V-10 gasser: sucks a lot less than the 5.4, certain years still blow spark plugs out, overall not terrible except for the fuel milage (the v10 is thirsty, single digit MPG's most of the time). No aftermarket support for the V10 either, so no possibility of upgrading anything important (example, want to upgrade the camshaft, yeah good luck if you have the V10).

-The 7.3 Diesel: The best engine ever offered in the Excursion. That's not to say its really all that good, its solid mediocre at best, but it is the best engine Ford every put in the Excursion on the assembly line (its like the best tasting hamburger at McDonalds, yeah its the best one there, but its still not good). Here's a quick thought experiment, if the 7.3 was as good as the Ford loyalist hype,,, then why is no one swapping that engine into other vehicles? The GM LS series of gasser engines are in everything, and Cummins is the go-to diesel swap, yet not a single company exists that makes parts to swap a 7.3 into anything else.

-The 6.0 Diesel: Damn near bankrupted Ford with all its warranty claims. When a 6.0 is running correctly, its awesome, smooth, powerful, refined, just a pleasure to drive and tow with. The downside is its a freaking part time job keeping one running. There is ALWAYS something wrong or rapidly going wrong with a 6.0 (just look at how many PIDs every 6.0 owner monitors continuously). They are overly complicated for no reason with a lot of systems in series such that a failure in one causes a cascade of failures elsewhere .There is a reason a newer 6.0 Excursion is cheaper than an older 7.3, and its because the 6.0 sucks that bad. IMHO a 6.0 Excursion is good for one thing, and one thing only, as a engine swap candidate.
...

 

Seriously, when I read the first couple sentences that was all I really needed to hear. If you are not a great mechanic or good at troubleshooting problems, if you buy a diesel variant you will for sure have to become one. Luckily, this forum is a great resource. I went from 0 to 100 real quick on this site. But you definitely need to have "the knack" for it. The hydrualic electric injection systems on these 7.3 and 6.0 trucks are unlike anything else on the road. it was cutting edge at the time but is now dinosaur tech and finding someone to fix it for you will cost you endless arms and legs. You MUST be prepared to learn it all and get your whole body covered in diesel engine grime. With that said, the V10 is probably your huckleberry as there is basically nothing exotic about it whatsoever. You will love driving it and if you are good to it, it'll be good to you, mostly. But as mentioned this is not going to be a 100k mile Toyota 4Runner or something.

 

Welcome to the forum!

Back in ‘10 when I was shopping for my old EX I already had a few time consuming hobbies, so I looked for a V-10 wagon vs a diesel which to me looked like another hobby.
‘03 and later gassers were improved to nearly eliminate the chances of a spark plug blowout, and the proper repair on the earlier ones is fairly easy and long lasting.
My V-10 EX (with an effective ratio of 4.39) and a good 5Star tune made a pretty solid and reliable tow rig for our old 12/13K lbs Travel Trailer that it towed for just over 80K miles. It typically saw 7.5 to 9.3 MPG while towing and got 14.5 MPG at 65 MPH on cruise with the AC on unloaded, daily-ish type mixed unloaded mileage was 11.5-ish.

 

yeah hell no to the Suburban. I’ll still take an old excursion over a lte model Suburban. Yes excursions are old but if you find a clean one and just do the basics on it to get it up to par it’ll be a good reliable truck. They’re easy to work on regarding axles and suspension, I’ve already covered the engines earlier, but everything else is easy and reliable. Don’t be afraid to travel to get one, it’s rare I actually find the truck I want anywhere near me as everyone around here thinks their trucks bumpers are filled with gold. If i were you I’d get a clean v10 and fix up whatever little stuff it needs and enjoy it.

 

3x Excursion owner, long time wrencher...Get the 5.4 or the V-10. They're simple, reliable, and don't need babysitting. I love love love my 6.0 PSD...and a relative fan of the 7.3. But the damn things are hard to work on, like to break, and they are EXPENSIVE when they do break. Not to mention maintenance costs alone are ridiculous. Gasser just wants gas and a $35 oil change every 5k or so.

My 6.8L Excursions were rock solid and never left me wanting. I wish I had one in the driveway right now actually. Would be perfect to have for those days I just don't wanna mess with my diesel. Truly a great motor.

be capable of wrenching and DIY work. These rigs are 20+ years old. If you can't Shade Tree Mechanic most things, don't buy one. I hate to be so stark about it, but you'll end up getting nickel and dimed to death, especially if you are paying mechanic fees.

 

I have the '02 7.3 diesel Excursion and a '01 K1500 Suburban.

for road comfort, the Suburban runs rings around the Excursion,
I can steer it with one pinky finger.

For towing? it is not so good, it has coil springs on all four corners.
I have a trailer with a short tongue on it, empty it will WigWag both the Suburban and our 2010 Ford Raptor, BAD....

I am getting that fixed this week, extending the tongue 30 inches.

the Excursion tows 8000 lbs with impunity, no load levelers required, just hook it up and go.
this dump trailer was towed from Price, Utah to Atlanta, Georgia and I had to look in the mirror to make sure it was still there.
the Excursion: it is stiff as a Conestoga Wagon on wood wheels.