DadVan build: 05 excursion

[Bales]

So I’m ready to start a build thread for my 05 excursion named DadVan. I built this rig to spend time in far away places with my now 3 year old daughter Bella and friends. I wanted to buy an earthroamer, my wife told me to wait a few years.... so no expense spared, and meticulous detail went into this....

 

[Bales]

I had been looking for a clean low miles, low rust 4x4 excursion for 2 years. I collect cars so I’m always on Craig’s list and one night fall of 2018 I stumble upon this excursion.
-Montana state trooper special operations
-2005
-44,000 original miles
-police issue
-6.8L v10
-no rust
-new spark plugs
-new alternator
-work truck flooring


It was perfect. I know I’ve heard it before and I’ll hear it again, “ should have got a diesel.” The answer is no, I shouldn’t have. And here’s my case for the keyboard warriors out there that don’t have this truck in their garage?. I paid 14k for the truck, it gets 10mpg. Every diesel with even 80k miles have been going for 30k. So I figure mileage alone I’m 150,000 miles ahead. Also, I tow 4 times a year. I have had really good luck with 6.8 v10s in the past 220,000 miles without skipping a beat. I don’t like the smell or smoke of a diesel around camp. And I love working on petrol motors. For these reasons buying this truck for me was like finding a unicorn.

I immediately set a budget of 15k and 3 weeks for the build in my head, as you will find through the thread I more than tripled that in cost and it took 6 months to finish. I don’t have any regrets. The truck turned out exactly how I wanted for our trips in both form and function. I am happy to make claim #Builtnotbought ....
my immediate short list was
-37s
-lowest center of gravity
-look like an earth roamer
-comfortable for long hwy drives (subjective)
-sleep 4 men comfortably
-I want to camp where rock crawlers go.

This list immediately turned into a plan of plan of action parts list

Interior:
-coms
:kenwood vhf radio (ham)
:weBoost otr cellular antenna
:hand held cb radio
:tram vhf marine antenna
:galls police sirens and pa

-A/V
:Alpine 10 inch 1080 roof mount
:kenwood dvd with nav
:kenwood powered sub under the seat
:infinity kappa 6x9 - 6
:Kilmat entire interior
:sPod touchscreen blue tooth switch controller

-organization
:truck vault custom build (magnum)(table)
:greyman tactical Molle board in window
:front runner outfitters powered 12g water tank (truck vault deck covers)
:rock light pods mounted in the headliner -8
:Roofnest fridge freezer

-Power
:goalzero yeti 1400 WiFi lithium
:Boulder 50 solar panel
:yeti expansion pack for alternator charging
:Odessey deep cycle 90 am hour battery

Exterior

-body
:3m wrap by Pureblind (earthroamer wrapper)
:bushwacker cut out fenders f350 longbed (do not make them for ex)
:self designed front bumper (clearance/bull bar)
:self designed tire carrier bumper (functional door opening, heavier duty than on market,
Comp cut behind rear tires)
:self designed sliders (welded to frame, functional step)
:hood bud guard
:lineX lower panels and fenders

-Roof
:rhino rack USA/
/stock track replacements (full length)
/commercial duty feet 10
/aero bars 5
/roof basket
/fairing
/270 degree batwing awning
:roofnest eagle hardshell tent (largest)
:aluminum 11lb propane tank

-Suspension
:trans america f350 STOCK replacements (front and rear)
:1 inch block in rear with add a leaf (f450)
:track bar lowering bracket
:drop pitman
:bilstien 5100 front, rear, steering stabilizer

Drivetrain
-engine
: k&n filter
: sct tuner

-Trans
:stock

-Axels
:nitro gear 4.88
:arb rear locker
:arb large comressor
:splicer ball joints
:red head extreme steering box

 

[RogueJK]

rad!

 

[ExplorerTom]

Agreed. ************. I would totally own a 6.8L Excursion.

 

[hbabler]

Looks sweet. I have a 2001 6.8 that is slowly being built. Can you share the part number of the rack you went with? Also what did you mean by the commercial feet? Thanks!

 

[Bales]

Looks sweet. I have a 2001 6.8 that is slowly being built. Can you share the part number of the rack you went with? Also what did you mean by the commercial feet? Thanks!

Thanks for the kind words everybody. So... rhino rack makes commercial and outdoor products. I used the commercial feet and married them to the outdoor aero style bars. I’m not certain the part number right now but if you contact Gonz at rhino rack saws dept. he helped me design the set up. He’s a wiz.

 

[hbabler]

Thanks! I’ll get a hold of them.

 

[uberhahn]

I've seen the pics on instagram (comfort_discomfort). Great build. Love the low center of gravity plan.

 

[shrineboy]

Vans are very cool and very capable but I have a preference for the wagon body. That is a very nice truck. I also like how compact your roof mounted stuff is.

 

[shrineboy]

Can you show us the front bumper?

 

[Bales]

Prep for 37s, bunglers and larger fenders:
So to chase the 37s without 5-6inches I’d lift I went after the bumpers and body panels.
2.5-3 inches was taped off and pie cut. I then took each pie cut and bent them under using rubber and metal sledges.
After:

Before:
The same process was repeated with the rear along with a comp cut rear fender. This was more difficult because remember the fenders are made for an f250 long bed. The tub of the excursion starts and makes it difficult to get the cuts high enough. I pie cut the comp cuts and folded them with vice grips for added panel strength.
Cutting off about 10 inches of material makes for a greatly improved departure angle and room for a wrap around bumper with steps. What about the hitch? Well this class four hitch was a burden and a blessing. Being that you have to drop the gas tank to remove it. We were happy to lap it off at the tank but use the remaining angled brackets to bolt the rear bumper to. The new bumper has a integrated and reinforced 2inch receiver. It sits almost 10 inches higher. For the dual dirt bike mount this was much appreciated clearance.

 

[Bales]

Front bumper:
After dab biking around the internet how we do, I found some designs that I liked parts of but was not crazy about any of them. I set out to build all the features in I liked.
Wants-
-abundant tire clearence
-conforming bull bar
-non winch holding
-steel not aluminum
-tightest design that I could make.
-integrates hitch and lights

First things first I hacked the bottom frame support under the radiator. Although it way be structurally nessecary with the stock Venere of a bumper, not with a hitch brace and the large cradle under the engine. Several inches of clearance gained here. The bumper began its life at the main shackle mounts and grew from there. Wanting the bumper to be tight to the truck can make it hard to do basic stuff like headlight bulbs and pulling the grill. So the slimmest I could go was here.

Then with small templates the design was opened as much as possible still confirming it down past the radiator and the leaf perches. It made for a wide open design to climb rocks instead of push them.



The width was made carefully to accommodate and protect the bushwacker cut out flares. Other thought were leaf access, air to the trans cooler and lights and hitch.


Then the bull bar was added, smaller diameter for the headlights. And I wanted the bar to peak offer the hood and bow out a bit so I could easily identify the corners and front of the bumper from the drivers seat, but not look like a ranch hand. Then off to media blast and two coats of textured satin powder coat.

 

[Bales]

Finished front bumper

 

[Bales]

Rear bumper:
Same concept as the front, liked but was not crazy about other designs.
Want-
-comp cut rear
-wrap around design
-steps for roof access
-heavy duty steel and spindle pivot
-nooooooo shake or rattle
-tire carrier to fit any size tire.
-nearly flush with back
-hilift mounts
-integrated rear lights
-highclearing hitch
-fucktion to accommodate my dual dirt bike rack

So a non negotiable was making the dirt bike rack fit with plenty of clearnece for steep grade and wash outs like way back in Moab. Some time this is just going to be just base camp for a much longer journey by bike. ? also recal the comp cut shown in the bottom photo, so the bumper can sit quite high. Tucking a 37x12.50r20 behind the bike was going to be possible opposite the handle bar side. Also this side doesn’t make the swing arm go into oncoming traffic when parallel parked on the street. ???.
What I wasn’t able to accomplish with a 37 was one side access to the barn doors on the excursion. Too much tire would have covered the brake light to even try. And since I didn’t want 35s just as bad as I didn’t want 40s (I’ll explain why later,) a large single swing arm was designed.
Lastly, the barn doors on an Ex open to 180 degrees. I knew that wasn’t going to be possible with spindle and latch but I wanted 3/4 of the way so I could use the back of the doors for fold down tables and easy access to the truck drawer system yet to come.

Then the spindle and latch

The bottom picture shows the metal slots around the spindle that the pin will lock at 90 3/4 and 180 open. Then we added an extra bar for more protection and added step for accessing the roof. This is as tall as it could be to not obstruct the gas flap.

 

[Bales]

Rear bumper finished.