Excursion Dimensions

[suburbanjo]

Help please. I'm in the process of looking for a Ford Excursion 7.3 diesel to do a mild build on (very hard to find, especially in midwest (I'm in ND). I'm doing some pre-planning on my 2 primary modifications/additions. 1.) RTT for 6 people (yes 2 adults, 4 kids) 2.) Cargo pull out kitchen/gear/etc storage.

Regarding 2.) can someone confirm interior cargo dimensions are same for all years (I'm sure they are) and ideally what those dimenions are? I probably would work with a 3-d box that would span max width and depth and height to top of 3rd row bench. I'm thinking that I'd pull the entire cargo box out at least 3ft or more and then have additional pull out drawers/ allowing more access directions for cargo.

Regarding 1.) I'm planning a 4' wide by 8' long by 10"? High roof mounted box (tent inside) that folds open to 16' then folds out again to 8' giving a total of 16' x 8' space (or maybe I'll just fold out to have 3 4'x8's, not sure yet.

Probably sounds crazy to you guys (me too) but I really would like to deploy camp quickly, and on a family rig that means real flexible travel. We love to camp and hike and we move a lot... It's kind of a pain to set up and tear down especially with 4 kids ages 3,5,7,9 that aren't really able/willing to help all that much. Also having all the sleeping needs on the roof saves a lot of cargo space in the rear.

Anyone have any thoughs? By the way, I'm also planning a 3-4 in lift, cut-away fender flares (maybe from Iceland) and 38-40" tires... Not a fan of "jack-ed" up look, just want more offroad capability, ground clearance, less surface pressure etc. I've become a Expedition Portal addict, looking everynight for information... Craziness!

 

[McZippie]

Thoughts...
Probably sounds crazy to you guys (me too) but I really would like to deploy camp quickly, and on a family rig that means real flexible travel. We love to camp and hike and we move a lot... It's kind of a pain to set up and tear down especially with 4 kids ages 3,5,7,9 that aren't really able/willing to help all that much. Also having all the sleeping needs on the roof saves a lot of cargo space in the rear.


You move a lot and and want to deploy camp quickly... an RTT isn't the best choice for those goals.
.
We have an 2001 7.3 Excursion without the rear seat. Only 2000, 2001 and maybe some early 2002 had the 7.3, they would all be the same interior size.

 

[gavan]

7.3 Excursions came in 2000, 01, 02 and 03 to 03.25 model year. You need to confirm via vin and pictures on an 03 what motor it had.

If you ever get to needing one McZippie, the third row seats are the same as an Expedition.

All the interiors of Excursions I have ever seen are the same, at least in rear dimensions.

6 of you... Sounds like more than a couple car/booster seats. Are you going to run the 3rd row, 2 bench seats, or figure out a way to seat the kidlets 4 across the back seat? There are only 3 seatbelts.

With the third row in, there is much much less room for cargo. Much more room than a Suburban with a 3rd row, but less than you probably need for 6 people on a caping trip.

Have you looked into offroad popup trailers? They might fit your needs much better and give you some more flexibility. I KNOW an Excursion can pull one

My Excursion "lifted" 3 inches (F350 springs) and has 35 inch tires. The roof is a good 7.5 feet off the ground. Once you add a 10" box and secure mounting, plus bigger tires, you are going to be pushing 9 feet, which will get you hitting a lot of trees off road and catching a lot of wind, murdering your mileage. Just a thought.

I do not have my 3rd row in to give absolute measurements, but I can give you some close ones.

 

[Kowboy]

40" tires are gonna play hell with that stock front axle. :Wow1:

I'm goin' with a full chromoly DynaTrac ProRock 60 under the front and I'm only runnin' 37's.

 

[Erik N]

You move a lot and and want to deploy camp quickly... an RTT isn't the best choice for those goals.

+1. Get a tent. That way you can leave camp and come back to it instead of hauling it around.

I have a trailer that I use for fishing the coast. I can disconnect it and leave it behind at camp while I roam the beach looking for fish.

 

[bjm206]

can someone confirm interior cargo dimensions are same for all years (I'm sure they are) and ideally what those dimenions are?

They are the same for all years. With the third row in place I measured 32" deep and 52" wide near the seat top. The 3rd row top was 23.5" from the cargo floor. The normal internal spare tire eats up some of the width but with a 38-40" tire I am guessing it will be on the outside.

Regarding 1.) I'm planning a 4' wide by 8' long by 10"? High roof mounted box (tent inside) that folds open to 16' then folds out again to 8' giving a total of 16' x 8' space (or maybe I'll just fold out to have 3 4'x8's, not sure yet.

The roof is about 120" long with the usable portion of the rack rails being 71" long and mostly at the rear. The roof is around 50" wide (at the side panel joint) and 45" wide at the rack rails. I use an RTT on my Ex when camping and like it because it is easy up easy down but with the weight you are looking at the roof will need to be reinforced. The factory dynamic rating for the roof is 200lbs. Others have added brackets to the forward part of the roof so that hey can run long racks.

This link has some other Ex dimension that may be helpful

http://www.hillerford.com/resource_library/2003/2003suvs/2003excursion/03excurdimen&specs.htm

 

[steelheadbum]

Suburbananjo,
Sounds to me that you would be better off with an E350 EB 4x4 7.3 with either a fixed top or pop top....

7.3 PSD Excursions are very hard to find and when you do they are very $$$ more so when they have low mileage.
Buck
The Redneck Mexican
2002 E350 7.3 PSD 4x4 8inch lift pop top conversion....

 

[suburbanjo]

Follow-up questions/ comments

Thanks for the info fellas. Couple questions/comments...

McZippie - RTT not best option? Can you explain? Dedicated camper is not in the plans at the moment.

Gavan - Keeping all 3 rows, hoping for 9 passenger. I'd love 4 captains with 3rd row but is nice to have 2-3 extra seats available for family/friends as daily driver. Do you have any pics of your excursion? I'd like to see those 35's. 37-40 would be cool but when all is said and done, may suck too much fuel, power, and cost too much in drive train upgrades. As far as cargo, I pack pretty light and currently get away with a honda odyssey with a thule rt cargo case. Much of that bulk is just sleeping items. I also have a 9 passenger suburban but the mileage stinks so bad (12-13) that I just don't like to drive it all that much. Those excursions get near 20. I'm thinking excursion would be daily driver and rtt box would be quick mount modular. I have considered a trailer but I just don't like the idea of the baggage of pulling, though I can see they definately would have a lot of benefits. Perhaps I should consider than more closely.

Kowboy - What size tires do you think I can get away with with the stock axle?

Erik N - I do use a tent today. Maybe I should consider a trailer more closely. Anything on a trailer would be as quickly deployable as anything external to a vehicle with the benefit of unhooking.

Bgm206 - Thanks for answering my questions. I'm thinking of employing 1 rectangular closed cell foam 'bar' on each side of the RTT box as close to the outer edge of roof as possible, effectivly distributing the pressure over the entire length of the roof on each side. The front hinged over part would be supported by the front bumper and any side flips would likely need ground or underbody supports. It's always easy to concept these things but it's a real pain to solve all the details...so if I do it, it's gonna take a lot of effort. I design machinery for a living and the challenge/value is solving the details. Thanks again and would love to see pics of your excursion!

Steelheadbum - Hey really like your van. How much is something like that worth and any way something like that would haul/sleep 6 on a long trip? What kind of fuel economy do you get and how fast do you drive? I'm looking at excursion nationwide with a price tag under $13,000 and under 200,000 miles and they are out there but like you said very hard to find. I'm looking for that diamond in the rough that has been well maintained and not driven hard or pulled and has no rust. hard to find in midwest so looing primarily in desert southwest. Ideally all white or black.

Thanks again everyone. I really do appreciate the feedback.

 

[Kowboy]

Kowboy - What size tires do you think I can get away with with the stock axle?

Lots of variables and even more opinions I'm sure. :ylsmoke:

For car shows, pavement, and smooth gravel roads ... go big as you like.

For light-duty off-road use ... 37's.

For medium-duty off-road use ... 35's.

For hardcore off-road use ... swap axle.

I tend to have a pessimistic outlook on stock parts and believe in overkill though so just my opinion ... nuthin' more.

 

[gavan]

Gavan - Keeping all 3 rows, hoping for 9 passenger. I'd love 4 captains with 3rd row but is nice to have 2-3 extra seats available for family/friends as daily driver. Do you have any pics of your excursion? I'd like to see those 35's. 37-40 would be cool but when all is said and done, may suck too much fuel, power, and cost too much in drive train upgrades. As far as cargo, I pack pretty light and currently get away with a honda odyssey with a thule rt cargo case. Much of that bulk is just sleeping items. I also have a 9 passenger suburban but the mileage stinks so bad (12-13) that I just don't like to drive it all that much. Those excursions get near 20. I'm thinking excursion would be daily driver and rtt box would be quick mount modular. I have considered a trailer but I just don't like the idea of the baggage of pulling, though I can see they definately would have a lot of benefits. Perhaps I should consider than more closely.

With a swapped in manual transmission, a light foot, and some upgrades to the motor, I can get 18 on a long empty highway cruise and 15-16 around town. Those numbers are back up to around what they were with the stock automatic and stock tires, they were down 1-2 mpg with the auto and the big tires. Only way you are going to get 20 is with a 2wd or with stock tires and keeping it under 60. They are big and heavy.

I do a lot of towing, but 3.73s and 35s are not great. I am thinking of finding a D60 from a gas truck with 4.30s. I find myself starting in granny gear much more, even empty.

I have posted this pic before, weighing around 20k coming back from Tx

They are 285/70r19.5s, they measure out to 35. Great for the highway, not so good off road, but they work for what i do.

 

[Kaisen]

Thanks for the info fellas. Couple questions/comments...

I also have a 9 passenger suburban but the mileage stinks so bad (12-13) that I just don't like to drive it all that much. Those excursions get near 20. I'm thinking excursion would be daily driver and rtt box would be quick mount modular. I'm looking at excursion nationwide with a price tag under $13,000 and under 200,000 miles and they are out there but like you said very hard to find. I'm looking for that diamond in the rough that has been well maintained and not driven hard or pulled and has no rust. hard to find in midwest so looing primarily in desert southwest. Ideally all white or black.

Thanks again everyone. I really do appreciate the feedback.

Better do some math

First, Excursion 4x4 7.3L PSDs do not get 20 mpg. You could expect more like 17-18 mpg freeway if you're careful. If you already have a gasser that gets 12-13 (which would be very low for a stock Suburban), how can you justify spending thousands more for a diesel that only gets 5 mpg better? Diesel in North Dakota averages $.50 more per gallon than gasoline over the course of the year (+$.35 summer / +$.75 winter). Drive 15,000 miles this year with your 13 mpg Sub, and you'll spend $4000 on gasoline at $3.50/gal. Buy a more expensive Excursion Dsl and drive it the same 15,000 miles at 18 mpg, and you'll spend $3300 on diesel at $4.00/gal. So you get to save $700 a year on fuel --best case scenario. How long will it take to recuperate the thousands in premium you paid for a Diesel Excursion? Seven years? Ten years? If it has 185K miles on it now, how many miles will be on it when you're even? 300K miles?


Second, Excursion 4x4 7.3L PSDs are heavy....nearly 8,000 pounds with a full tank. Yet their GVWR is only 9,200 pounds (or less, depending on year). So their max payload is about 1,200 pounds --- MUCH less than a modern 1/2 ton pickup, van, or Suburban. Put two adults (350 lbs) and four kids (200 lbs) in there, at you're down to 650 pounds of cargo. Want a roof rack with a RTT? Carry your gear? Pull-out kitchen and drawer system? Fit 35" tires and a 35" spare? You'll exceed the legal cargo capacity very quickly.

The Suburban you already own has more payload capacity than a PSD Ex, and has just as much useable space inside. So why bother? That's a real question, btw....what are you hoping to gain?

I know my opinion here isn't popular. And you'll buy what you WANT, regardless of what you might need...

 

[bjm206]

Thanks for the info fellas. Couple questions/comments...

Bgm206 - Thanks for answering my questions. I'm thinking of employing 1 rectangular closed cell foam 'bar' on each side of the RTT box as close to the outer edge of roof as possible, effectivly distributing the pressure over the entire length of the roof on each side. The front hinged over part would be supported by the front bumper and any side flips would likely need ground or underbody supports. It's always easy to concept these things but it's a real pain to solve all the details...so if I do it, it's gonna take a lot of effort. I design machinery for a living and the challenge/value is solving the details. Thanks again and would love to see pics of your excursion!

Thanks again everyone. I really do appreciate the feedback.

With 35" BFG KM2 mud shoes


With 33.5" Toyo M55 narrow commercial shoes and RTT deployed


The 4x4 vans (Sportsmobile, Quigley, Ujoint etc.) are very roomy inside and capable when set up.

 

[Rovertrader]

Post #11 above makes a very good case, and doesn't even address the maintenance cost which will likely tip the scale to even if not in favor of the petrol.

I started this same quest, but after doing a bit of research, found the 6.8 to be the best solution. Initial cost is way lower- I paid $7k for 110k Limitted one owner and text book maintenance after lots of searching. So far averaging 13-14mpg, gains nearly 800# of usable payload (due to weight of the engine), and saved thousands even after building it to suit our needs as a distance exploration vehicle (lift, tires, bumper, winch, etc).

The Ex is a great platform after addressing the suspension deficiencies, and while a little rougher ride than the 'burb, I prefer the simplicity/durability of the beam front axle. Lastly, let me know if you need any specific dimensions per your initial post, and good luck with the search!!