I've gone from this:
To this:
The Excursion is a fantastic people/gear hauler, a bit of a sketchy tow vehicle, and in its current configuration, a complete pig offroad.
On top of all that is the normal 6.0 issues, in particular the EGR, which just gave out at 83k. Currently the EX is at the mechanic having as many of the 6.0 weak points addressed as possible (without taking the cab off). That brings me to the fun stuff.
My goal is to create a Highway Warrior, with the ability to traverse the same terrain as the Titan while carrying the CVT Tent, Full Bed Drawers and up to 5 people (don't need the 3rd Row quite yet).
In terms of off-road ability, I am looking to the Doge Power Wagon of the same vintage and I've created a hit list that should give me some (not all) of the capabilities of the Dodge Power Wagon.
Generally a 2005-6 Power Wagon is equipped with the following modifications versus a normal 4x4 2500. Winch, Front and Rear Lockers, Sway Bar Disconnects, 33" Tires, Offroad Suspension.
In the attempt to get my EX close to Power Wagon capabilities, here is my list, in no particular order:
Engo 12K
Warn Hidden Winch Mount
Rear Axle Ox Locker w/Manual Lever
Warrior Sway Bar Disconnects
285/75/16 General AT 2
OME 2.5" w/XL Rear Spring
95"x45" 80/20 Roof Rack
Here are my thoughts for going with the above combinations, Looking for some feedback on many of these products and any adivce you guys might have.
Engo/Warn Combo:
1. Weight, the 12k Synthetic Engo mounted to the Warn Hidden Mount only weighs 140lbs.
2. Price, that 12k Engo/Warn Mount is the most affordable winch/mount combo I've found so far, even cheaper than a 12k front receiver and 12k winch cradle. The Engo is also supposedly a pretty decent winch, which will probably be used infrequently anyways.
OX Locker:
I am leaning towards the OX Locker over the ARB because of the ARB Locker I had in my 2003 Tundra. I think I replaced three solenoids and one air compressor over its life, and the solenoid would always blink out at the worst possible times. The new OX Lockers seem to be up to snuff and the Manual Actuation is inexpensive and supposedly very reliable.
Not sure what I should do first. I am torn between the Winch and the Locker. I've never had a winch on a truck, but I've always had a rear locker. One day in particular the rear locker in the Titan made the difference between watching my truck get mangled by the oncoming tide and driving home to spray the salt off my truck. The Winch would have worked in that situation, IF I was carrying a Pull-Pal and could have deployed it with waves crashing into the side of the Titan.
The general consensus on here seems to be; lockers get you in, winches get you out. However, without a locker the EX is such a pig offroad I feel like I am going to be winching it pretty frequently, using a cheap, slightly undersized winch. I need to do something because the open diffs and ~7800lbs of the Ex are almost a guarantee that I will get to call this guy again:
Warrior Sway Bar Disconnects:
These just seemed pretty slick, I've seen some custom sway-bar disconnects made for these trucks, but they all tend to be in the 80-120 range upon completion and no where near as clean as these.
General AT2
This is mainly based on price, and to be honest, I am going to search craigslist for people's spares in ~33x11.5 until my current rubber gives out, so there is no telling what AT I may end up with.
Old Man Emu Superduty Suspension:
I looked at the CT performance kits and they were more costly than the kit from OME. I am not super excited about the stock F250 suspension, so the aftermarket kit, with the XL spring pack, seems like a good improvement. However, I feel like I am taking a bit of a risk here. The question is this: will the OME kit fix the suspension problems of the Ford Excursion like the F250 Spring Swap does?
Roof Rack
I really liked ExploringNH's roof rack, but it looks like he sold it already, so I started scouring the internet and found PRINSU Design Studio, in particular his rack for Tacoma Camper Shells. I shot him an email about the EX, but it looks like I'll need to make my own.
Looking at his other deigns he used a 1/4" slab of aluminum with bends as the mounting feet. I don't have the ability to bend aluminum like he can, but I can purchase 1/4" thick aluminum angle.
I am going to purchase two 95" 3" x 3" x 1/4" Aluminum Angle Sections and mill out mounting slots at 24" intervals for 45" wide 1.5" x 3" extruded aluminum bars from 80/20. I will mount the angle directly to the factory rails and use a bracket, similar to a light bar bracket, to secure the forward section of the roof rack. Should look something like this:
The rest of the "overland" gear I will reuse from the Titan. The CVT will go on the roof rack and the bed drawers I built for the Titan will be cut down to fit the EX.
I'd appreciate any insights you guys might have on equipment choices, or Excursion upgrades that I should add to my hit list. This is my first full size vehicle (Titan doesn't really count) and I am hoping to get some good use out of it while oil prices are down!
-Mack
To this:
The Excursion is a fantastic people/gear hauler, a bit of a sketchy tow vehicle, and in its current configuration, a complete pig offroad.
On top of all that is the normal 6.0 issues, in particular the EGR, which just gave out at 83k. Currently the EX is at the mechanic having as many of the 6.0 weak points addressed as possible (without taking the cab off). That brings me to the fun stuff.
My goal is to create a Highway Warrior, with the ability to traverse the same terrain as the Titan while carrying the CVT Tent, Full Bed Drawers and up to 5 people (don't need the 3rd Row quite yet).
In terms of off-road ability, I am looking to the Doge Power Wagon of the same vintage and I've created a hit list that should give me some (not all) of the capabilities of the Dodge Power Wagon.
Generally a 2005-6 Power Wagon is equipped with the following modifications versus a normal 4x4 2500. Winch, Front and Rear Lockers, Sway Bar Disconnects, 33" Tires, Offroad Suspension.
In the attempt to get my EX close to Power Wagon capabilities, here is my list, in no particular order:
Engo 12K
Warn Hidden Winch Mount
Rear Axle Ox Locker w/Manual Lever
Warrior Sway Bar Disconnects
285/75/16 General AT 2
OME 2.5" w/XL Rear Spring
95"x45" 80/20 Roof Rack
Here are my thoughts for going with the above combinations, Looking for some feedback on many of these products and any adivce you guys might have.
Engo/Warn Combo:
1. Weight, the 12k Synthetic Engo mounted to the Warn Hidden Mount only weighs 140lbs.
2. Price, that 12k Engo/Warn Mount is the most affordable winch/mount combo I've found so far, even cheaper than a 12k front receiver and 12k winch cradle. The Engo is also supposedly a pretty decent winch, which will probably be used infrequently anyways.
OX Locker:
I am leaning towards the OX Locker over the ARB because of the ARB Locker I had in my 2003 Tundra. I think I replaced three solenoids and one air compressor over its life, and the solenoid would always blink out at the worst possible times. The new OX Lockers seem to be up to snuff and the Manual Actuation is inexpensive and supposedly very reliable.
Not sure what I should do first. I am torn between the Winch and the Locker. I've never had a winch on a truck, but I've always had a rear locker. One day in particular the rear locker in the Titan made the difference between watching my truck get mangled by the oncoming tide and driving home to spray the salt off my truck. The Winch would have worked in that situation, IF I was carrying a Pull-Pal and could have deployed it with waves crashing into the side of the Titan.
The general consensus on here seems to be; lockers get you in, winches get you out. However, without a locker the EX is such a pig offroad I feel like I am going to be winching it pretty frequently, using a cheap, slightly undersized winch. I need to do something because the open diffs and ~7800lbs of the Ex are almost a guarantee that I will get to call this guy again:
Warrior Sway Bar Disconnects:
These just seemed pretty slick, I've seen some custom sway-bar disconnects made for these trucks, but they all tend to be in the 80-120 range upon completion and no where near as clean as these.
General AT2
This is mainly based on price, and to be honest, I am going to search craigslist for people's spares in ~33x11.5 until my current rubber gives out, so there is no telling what AT I may end up with.
Old Man Emu Superduty Suspension:
I looked at the CT performance kits and they were more costly than the kit from OME. I am not super excited about the stock F250 suspension, so the aftermarket kit, with the XL spring pack, seems like a good improvement. However, I feel like I am taking a bit of a risk here. The question is this: will the OME kit fix the suspension problems of the Ford Excursion like the F250 Spring Swap does?
Roof Rack
I really liked ExploringNH's roof rack, but it looks like he sold it already, so I started scouring the internet and found PRINSU Design Studio, in particular his rack for Tacoma Camper Shells. I shot him an email about the EX, but it looks like I'll need to make my own.
Looking at his other deigns he used a 1/4" slab of aluminum with bends as the mounting feet. I don't have the ability to bend aluminum like he can, but I can purchase 1/4" thick aluminum angle.
I am going to purchase two 95" 3" x 3" x 1/4" Aluminum Angle Sections and mill out mounting slots at 24" intervals for 45" wide 1.5" x 3" extruded aluminum bars from 80/20. I will mount the angle directly to the factory rails and use a bracket, similar to a light bar bracket, to secure the forward section of the roof rack. Should look something like this:
The rest of the "overland" gear I will reuse from the Titan. The CVT will go on the roof rack and the bed drawers I built for the Titan will be cut down to fit the EX.
I'd appreciate any insights you guys might have on equipment choices, or Excursion upgrades that I should add to my hit list. This is my first full size vehicle (Titan doesn't really count) and I am hoping to get some good use out of it while oil prices are down!
-Mack
