Heck of a first post on a new forum... I've lurked and read a lot here about Excursions and the 6.0 PSD in general, learning the weaknesses and common fixes. I chose the Ex as it's the only diesel SUV. I don't want my tools and stuff in the bed of a pickup, and the seats are great for group travel. I'm no newb to cars but this is my first diesel and first Ford. Replacing my old Suburban toy hauler with something better suited to towing the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. My biggest concern is reliability... under no circumstances do I want my setup on the side of the road. I'm happy to do preventative maintenance, but no unplanned failures is my goal. My trailer is only 4500lbs loaded currently so I'll barely tax it.

After searching pretty much the whole country for months I found a very nice 05 PSD that is barely broken in with under 55K miles. XLT with a tow kit and entertainment setup, tinted windows, etc. Clean OASIS and service records with a couple minor mods. It just received a dealer service including oil and filters. Absolutely no reason to believe it was hammered on. I plan to keep this beast for many years so I will be doing all the common stuff I've read about here.

Anyway, it is not in my backyard so I need to pick it up and drive it home. That involves some altitude with potentially snowy passes and 1350 highway miles. Not worried about my winter driving, but I am looking for tips about what I need to bring or buy along the way. I am familiar with cold starting and taking it easy on the thing til it is warm. But do I absolutely need a diesel additive? Any pointers for stuff to learn specifically on the drive? Anything else like that?

Sorry for the newb questions, but of course reading the posts here have me making sure I have my crap in line before undertaking such a journey. Thanks, and I look forward to posting some pics of the new Ex.

 

get 5w40 FULL synthetic rotella or equivalent oil at the oil change. If its gonna be below freezing additive is a great idea to keep the fuel from gelling both will improve cold starting and driving characteristics of the diesel engine

 

Ok, before you start, change oil. Stop by Walmart and pick Diesel Kleen. Make sure the jack is in working order and it is there on the truck before you take off(ask me why I'm suggesting this!!geez).
Diesel kleen will help as you will be refueling at various places and this keeps quality in check.

 

Here is a tip that will make life easier. Take the tools needed to make to the steering box adjustment. Or have a shop check and correct the steering box if needed. I just drove my truck from Michigan to Maryland. Constantly making steering corrections was driving me crazy and very tiring.

 

You didn't say if it was a 4X4 but if it is chack out the system and made sure it works and you know how to operate it.To be sure if the weather gets bad manually lock the hubs so all you have to do is turn the switch in the cab. The Diesel Kleen that has the anti gel is in the white bottle. Good luck on your trip and be safe!!!


Fred

 

The most obvious tip.....


Bring LOTS of money for fuel!

 

55,000 miles? It's not even broken in yet.

You said it got a service from the dealer already.

Load up the trailer, kids, dog, tools, life, and take it home and enjoy it!

I like the Stanadyne additive in my 6.0L. There is a difference in it's sound and smoothness when it gets some.

 

I'd leave those hubs in auto.

 

wow, thats a long way to go. Mine was 550 miles away, couldnt imagine that drive.

 

As long as the service was done recently by a dealer and you double check your fluid levels...

Ford additive is actually really good too...I like it and at my dealer its cheaper than most.

Fill the tank all the way up and see how your mileage is, that tells you a lot.

Change out wiper blades(you can put 24" up front) they are VERY IMPORTANT

fill and carry washer fluid(with antifreeze)

Test batteries before leaving

TIRE PRESSURE is super important!

Enjoy the greatest SUV in the Universe!

Bring lots of Cd's its gonna be a long trip!

 

I can't talk about the diesel except to keep anti gel for the fuel and it being cold out there, but as for a long haul pick up. Me and my wife were supposed to pick mine up in Ontario California and drive it back home but thanks to our great airlines my flight got grounded with engine problems. Luckily the dealer had to go to Vegas for something so we got a flight into Vegas it cost me a little extra but it was worth it. I drove it from Vegas to Chicago with my wife from Sat. morn and arrived in Chicago Sunday eve and loved the ride and enjoyed the scenery most of the way. except for Nebraska nothing to look at. Colorado was beautiful . And just sit back and enjoy the ride. Btw I have the V10 and pull my car trailer around and it's not like it's even there compared to my Chevy pick up with a 350 in it. And the funny thing is once you have one is you seem to see them all over. Steve

 

Thanks guys, I appreciate the helpful reception to my noobie post. Everything looks to be in line, now I just have to try and be patient for a week until I can go pick it up! Gives me plenty of time to plan stuff like migrating my Prodigy trailer brake controller, installing coolant filter, etc.

Sounds like the diesel additive will be quite useful. I-5 is a huge trucking corridor so it shouldn't be hard to find. I hope to drive almost 750 miles the first day, starting early in Phoenix and hopefully making it to Sacramento for a beer with some friends, and then a nice leisurely 8-9 hours to Portland on day 2. At least driving solo in the EX I certainly don't have to worry about paying for hotels! I figure with an empty truck driving all highway miles, if I can average at least 18mpg (as I've read here) then I can get 800 miles to a tank. That means drive all day with no fuel stops. Nice.

The long distances don't bother me... I love driving and the scenery of the West. My 'toy' is actually a road racing car and I have driven it in several long distance endurance events. I've driven cross country a bunch including a solo trip a couple years ago to deliver a car to my brother in Charleston, SC. The miles just seem to roll on by when I'm in my own little (or EX large) world. And it will give me ample opportunity to figure out the new truck and all the goodies. Any chance the stock XLT stereo has an AUX audio input?

I will definitely check the manual hub locks are not frozen before I go, but the vacuum locks are purported to work just fine. Really the only chance I should have of running into appreciable snow would be crossing the Siskiyou pass in southern Oregon. It is pretty well maintained as it is a major shipping route but it does get nasty on occasion. As of right now it is clean, but a lot can change in a week.

Thanks again for the assistance... I'm sure I'll be posting more before too long!

 

I have driven my Ex all over the country also. Great road hog, we love it.

There is not an AUX input on the radios that come with the Ex! I put in a simple modulator as a permanent solution because I kept the stock player. In the interim, your only option is a broadcaster, which isn't a great solution, but will do for your return trip! Unless yours has a tape deck - which is better than a broadcaster!!

I have some simple mods on my Ex that I had hoped would improve mileage, but alas, only a slight improvement. The best mileage I get when on the long road is around 17 max. I have never been close to the allusive 20 mpg's!

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

I have to second the tire pressure advice. I suggest pumping them up to 75psi. When i did that I went from 17.5 to 22 MPG on the highway!

I like to have a GPS so I know how far I still have to go. Car charger for the cell phone is also handy.

Don't be scared of the 6.0. It won't leave you stranded. Your gonna love the transmission behind the diesel. When you are going down hill just put it in tow mode, tap the brakes and it will slow you down without burning up the brakes.

The 24" wiper blades are also a good idea. I use rainX so I seldom use the wipers.

Bottom line, sit back, set the cruise and enjoy. :-)

 

No one has mentioned the tread on the tires themselves.
If the treat is worn over 50% you may want to put new tires on, especially for the Mtns and snow..... Driving in the snow and on ice with worn tires is a disaster waiting to happen....

You will love the Excursion much better than you Suburban. I moved from a Surburban to my Ex and have never looked back!!!!

Enjoy the ride, drive safe and honk on your way through Roseburg.
Pat