2000 Ford Excursion as expedition vehicle

[xbox73]

defenderracks.com 9.5' x 5' roof rack, made for a van but works if you extend the stock roof track system. I used Yakima tracks but, after research, found you could just buy additional sections of track from ford which would have matched up nicely.
Roudy

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Hi Roudy,

Thanks so much for posting this, it's exactly the type of solution I've been looking for. I too have an Excursion, but with a 5' long rack, and have been wanting to mount a long (> 9') van rack, but hadn't yet figure out an elegant solution to supporting the front of the rack. I had considered simply bolting the front of the rack to the roof with a supporting foot bar, but worried about potential water ingress, as well as considering roll cage tubing that runs from the engine bay up the A-pillar, but that's not that elegant, and potentially runs afoul of obstructing the windscreen laws, if LEO want to get picky ... so your solution of simply extending the roof track system sounds like an elegant solution that would work great for me too.

Any extra info on the additional sections of track from ford that you can share? How does it attach? Does it glue or bolt to the roof? Doesn't the roof slope a little towards the front window? If so, how do you handle that? Just longer length adjustment or height shims on the front support brackets? Any info on the Yakima tracks (e.g. part numbers etc.) in case I can't locate the Ford ones?

At the moment, I have a spare tire up top (as it's 37" so no longer fits in the stock spare tire area inside) that takes up pretty much the whole rack (other than some lighting), but it's a bear to get up & down, as it's high, and the rim & tire combo is heavy (though luckily I haven't needed to so out on a trip). So ideally I would get a rear swing away bumper made, that houses either 2 37" tires (one on each side), or 1 37" tire & some extra gas can/storage ... and then have something like a custom 9-9.5' long version of the Baja EXP rack (http://www.bajarack.com/exp-rack), with a roof top tent on the back 5' & still have 4-4.5' of storage in front. With 4' space in front, I could theoretically store 1 up to 40" tire up top, and one up to 40" tire on a rear bumper rack (as 2 37" tires is a bit wide on a rear bumper) ... or just put 2 100W solar panels, or 1 solar panel & 1 storage box on the front up top, instead of a tire.

I'd really like the capability to take 2 spare tires with me, but haven't found the perfect solution for that yet either ... up on the roof is perfect, 'cos it's out of the way, but it's a bear to get up & down, and also we've already had to reinforce my current Con-Fer rack to avoid it bending under the weight of a large tire ... and also the very top left corner of my front windscreen developed a 2-3" diagonal crack, which I noticed after an offroad trip, so either weight of the rack or flexing of the vehicle offroad caused the front lip of the roof to put too much pressure on the windscreen. Also, most roofs are only built to support about 500 lbs, so I am thinking I'd be pretty close to that already with 2 adults in a RTT (plus weight of rack), so maybe just a light solar panel or two in the front up top might be best, and then use at least 8 (4 per side) support feet for the rack.

Then w.r.t. spare wheels, I'd have to do one of the following:
- carry only 1 spare on rear bumper + tire fixing kit + tire sealant
- carry 1 spare tire on rear bumper normally, and throw a 2nd spare tire inside in rear on rougher trips (but sacrifice some interior room in doing so)
- get a custom rear bumper made that can hold 2 40" tires (1 on each side, but that's pretty close to sticking out on each side, and I may have to add additional lighting on rear bumper and/or roof, 'cos rear tail lights might be obscured from certain angles)

Anyway, I can figure out the spare wheel part later, initially I just want to get the tire up there down, and get a long van rack with a RTT up top, so any info you can give me on how you extended the stock roof rack track system would be much appreciated.

For reference, here's a pic of my Excursion from when the previous owner owned it:

 

[xbox73]

As far as the OP's request goes, it depends on your intended use. No fullsize is going to be as nimble or easy to maneuver as a smaller dedicated trail rig, like a 4 door Cherokee. But then a Cherokee doesn't have the same capacity, towing capability or comfort or space for long trips that an Excursion does. Typically, it's just me on trips, or me plus a few friends, and even when it's just myself, I still appreciate the extra capacity of the Excursion. In my current setup, I removed the 3rd row seat, as I hardly ever need seating for more than 5, and then I have 6 24 gallon Action Packers in the rear 5.5' behind the 2nd seat. I have the Action Packers marked with sharpie on duct tape taped to the top, as far as contents goes e.g. 1 each for Excursion spares, general tools, towing gear, recovery gear, ground tent & sleeping bags, JetBoil/freeze-dried food/snacks/camping crockery. Then I sometimes put a 5.5' sheet of plywood on top of the Action Packers to make a sleeping platform in the back, if I am expecting inclement weather or want to stealth camp in urban areas, or want to be able to pull off the road & sleep in a rest stop on longer trips. Having a 5.5' sheet of plywood on top of the Action Packers does kind of limit access to them, but I plan to solve that by chopping up the board into smaller pieces to make it easier to store, as well as to get to the boxes - I just have to figure out how best to determine the ideal lengths & widths of the smaller pieces so that they still extended the full length & width, are adequately supported by the boxes, and cover up the cracks between the boxes for comfort. If I needed the extra capacity, I could actually put up a dog guard barrier behind the 2nd seat, and stack another 6 24 gallon Action Packers on top of the 6 on the floor, but that would block the rear window (not a big deal) and would also make getting to some of the boxes more difficult e.g. the ones on the floor in the middle, but some stuff, like vehicle spares, you don't often need (or at least you hope not to), so not a big deal either, but so far I haven't found the need for extra Action Packers. Incidentally, the 24 gallon is quite a nice size, as it's big enough that you can fit a decent amount of gear in one, but small enough that even if it's mostly full with heavy stuff, it's normally still just light enough for 1 person to lift.

As far as offroad capability goes, sometimes the wheelbase & size of the Excursion can work in its favor. My X has 4x4, 8" lift, 37" Hummer military tires, ARB lockers & 4.56 gears front & rear, Warn manual locking front hubs and a Warn M15000 winch, as well as full proper offroad suspension, so it's not exactly stock, so I can't comment how well a stock one would work offroad. But I went with some friends with dedicated trail rigs on a fairly tight offroad track, and they thought the X would get stuck or struggle quite a bit, and it never got stuck at all & walked up most stuff like it wasn't even there. I did get some additional desert pin striping as the X is wider than most other rigs, and I did have to do several point turns at some tight spots, but generally with the ground clearance afforded by 37" offroad tires, it pretty much walked over everything in its path. Incidentally, though I like the 8" lift & 37" tires for offroad capability, as well as looks, personally I think a milder 4-6" lift & 35" tires is more practical if you use your X daily, as it would be lower & therefore easier to get into (though I have drop-down steps to mitigate that), and the rear cargo area would be a more convenient waist-level height, which would make it easier to load & unload heavy boxes. But I like the way my X is currently, so I am not about to spend a lot of money lowering it a couple of inches, just to make it a bit more convenient. If I was starting from scratch though, and the majority of your use is daily driving or general sightseeing, exploring etc., then I think a milder lift & 35" tires is probably more practical.

However, the X is pretty big & heavy, so isn't likely to do well in soft sand, or going fast over rough bumpy terrain. I would recommend what you suggested i.e. doing a mild build on your X to allow you to go on adventures e.g. sightseeing, exploring, fire roads & mild trails etc. & then build a smaller dedicated trail rig, like a Cherokee, if you find the X won't take you some places you want to go, or you want to tackle some rougher stuff. The Ford V10 actually has a pretty good reputation for reliability, though it is somewhat thirsty. However, if you really want to have a diesel, for towing or reliability/longevity or fuel economy, or simply because you want one, I think you'd be time & money ahead by selling your V10 X & buying a late '99 or early '00 7.3L diesel X, and starting your build from there. Yes, I know you already have the V10 (and there's some comfort in knowing its service history, its quirks, areas that need addressing & how it's been treated), as well as the Cummins diesel engine. but if you sold both the V10 & the Cummins diesel engine, you could probably get into a 7.3L diesel roughly equivalent to your current V10, but with a diesel engine, and still be time & money ahead. Something to consider.

 

[mmuthart]

I got my 2005 Excursion with 6.0 diesel in May of last year. Intended primary use is road trips. My primary offroad/camping/exploring rig over the last decade has been my built 80 Series. I find myself day dreaming about turning those duties over to the Excursion at some point though. As mentioned the diesel Excursion has some major benefits, I'll reiterate the highlights for me:

1. Diesel power and fuel economy.
2. 44 gallon fuel tank.
3. Massive interior.
4. Modern/comfortable interior.

A previous poster mentioned 15 MPG with the 6.0. This is conservative with the right mods on the 6.0. I have a custom tune for my ECM and recently a custome tune for FICM (fuel injection control module) and my city MPG jumped from 14 to 16. That's on winter diesel. On summer diesel, I'm anticipating 18 city and 20 highway.

No major mods on mine, except engine bullet proofing. New stock size tires, no lift (although 1-2" lift in future may be possible; I'm thinking about running 255/85's), Bilstein shocks on the way to replace the factory originals which are still doing okay at 129k miles.

The ARB bumper looks sweet on the X and is on my list. They look so much better than all the lower 'fat lip' bumpers you see on the full size trucks. The stainless steel grill guard was installed by the previous owner of my rig.

Bottom pic is of the X pulling our Kamparoo to the Redwoods last summer. Taking the X and Kamparoo this Spring to do the White Rim Trail with 4 other dudes; we're going to mountain bike it. The X will be our support vehicle. I'm loving this truck and all the possibilities it opens up...

 

[Roudy]

Xbox73,

First of all....Damn that X looks good. Are those only 37" tires? They look bigger. I went with 35's because I only wanted to start with the 2.5 inch Readylift which was only $400 but after two years it's time to bump it to 37's which takes a 4 inch minimum. For anyone interested this configuration (35's) do not rub because the X has almost zero axle articulation.

Regarding the roof rack: go to http://defenderracks.com/ I got the one for the van which was 9.5' by 5' in 4, bolt together sections, which made it possible for me to install myself in the dark the night before last years VT Overland Rally!

It's 5 feet wide which I now think is about 6 inches too wide. From the front and back it looks bad a** but from the side it almost has a halo effect. I am hoping to fit a canopy under the rack if I can find one only 3 inches tall when stowed. This would take up that dead space and not be side mounted to the rack and thus susceptible to trail damage. Actually a big plus.

I followed your link to Baja Racks and think the configuration is perfect for an RTT application. I have a RTT and intend to mount it folding over the rear by cutting the top bar off. Should work nicely and still give me the other 4.5 feet of rack storage plus coverage over the hatchback.

To extend your luggage track order an additional track section for each side from Ford. Use NutSerts and dabs of silicone to install. Here is a NutSert link. http://www.clipsandfasteners.com/Nutserts_s/141.htm, I used Yakima before I discovered this option. Here's the Yakima link http://www.orsracksdirect.com/yakima-truck-rack-tracks-60inch.html. No leaks with this setup because each fastener is installed with silicone. The nutserts act like drywall anchors and do not interfere with the interior headliner. For precise instruction you can download a PDF from Yakima.

With regards to the downward curvature of the Excursion roof toward the front windshield, I believe the Defender racks model solves this because of it's fully adjustable mounting brackets. I have flexed this truck pretty well with no issues.

For a platform to disperse weight on the rack, zip tie four sections of kennel flooring from Farm Tek http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;ft1_flooring_mats;pgha2215.html
We had three deer up there with me strapping them down, so maybe 600lbs with no issues. The kennel flooring spread the weight out and I can walk around up there comfortably.




IMOA I would not put a spare and rim on the roof. It's best to keep the weight low and roof racks, no matter how beefy, still have the roof sheet metal as a limiting factor. If you are only running 37's I would cut the plastic around the stock mounting point within the cab. For my 35 I added a beefy chain link to extend the mounting anchor with no trimming of plastic while still being able to use the stock carpet cover. I say this because I can't see running a tire on the roof rack especially on a vehicle of this size.

If I can do the above mod for my 37 I WILL NOT employ a swing away bumper design. One of the standout features of the Excursion is it's storage capacity. If you actually use the vehicle daily (or in an overland scenario) getting in and out of the rear is very important and I don't want to lose this perk.

My next upgrade will be 37" Humvee two piece beadlock wheels which mean you don't even have to carry a spare rim because the wheel breaks down to install the tire. Much better than piling a 37 on your roof! There are a few companies that recenter these rims and the prices are less than typical rims.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[TKSC01]

Mine's coming soon...

Well at this point, my 2000 Excursion is up on blocks with the front axle removed. I have purchased a 1 ton Dana 60 from a Ford F350 of the same year so I am going one ton for this truck. I have also purchased "X" code F350 front springs whicher are out of a diesel so it will provide about an inch of lift and a firmer ride quality. Prior my truck felt more like an ocean liner than a truck. So if anyone has a need for springs or a dana 50 let me know before they head off to the junk yard. I will post pics after installed unless anyone wants to see pics of the truck sans front axle. Thanks.

 

[xbox73]

Xbox73,

First of all....Damn that X looks good. Are those only 37" tires? They look bigger. I went with 35's because I only wanted to start with the 2.5 inch Readylift which was only $400 but after two years it's time to bump it to 37's which takes a 4 inch minimum. For anyone interested this configuration (35's) do not rub because the X has almost zero axle articulation.

Regarding the roof rack: go to http://defenderracks.com/ I got the one for the van which was 9.5' by 5' in 4, bolt together sections, which made it possible for me to install myself in the dark the night before last years VT Overland Rally!

It's 5 feet wide which I now think is about 6 inches too wide. From the front and back it looks bad a** but from the side it almost has a halo effect. I am hoping to fit a canopy under the rack if I can find one only 3 inches tall when stowed. This would take up that dead space and not be side mounted to the rack and thus susceptible to trail damage. Actually a big plus.

I followed your link to Baja Racks and think the configuration is perfect for an RTT application. I have a RTT and intend to mount it folding over the rear by cutting the top bar off. Should work nicely and still give me the other 4.5 feet of rack storage plus coverage over the hatchback.

To extend your luggage track order an additional track section for each side from Ford. Use NutSerts and dabs of silicone to install. Here is a NutSert link. http://www.clipsandfasteners.com/Nutserts_s/141.htm, I used Yakima before I discovered this option. Here's the Yakima link http://www.orsracksdirect.com/yakima-truck-rack-tracks-60inch.html. No leaks with this setup because each fastener is installed with silicone. The nutserts act like drywall anchors and do not interfere with the interior headliner. For precise instruction you can download a PDF from Yakima.

With regards to the downward curvature of the Excursion roof toward the front windshield, I believe the Defender racks model solves this because of it's fully adjustable mounting brackets. I have flexed this truck pretty well with no issues.

For a platform to disperse weight on the rack, zip tie four sections of kennel flooring from Farm Tek http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;ft1_flooring_mats;pgha2215.html
We had three deer up there with me strapping them down, so maybe 600lbs with no issues. The kennel flooring spread the weight out and I can walk around up there comfortably.

View attachment 152452


IMOA I would not put a spare and rim on the roof. It's best to keep the weight low and roof racks, no matter how beefy, still have the roof sheet metal as a limiting factor. If you are only running 37's I would cut the plastic around the stock mounting point within the cab. For my 35 I added a beefy chain link to extend the mounting anchor with no trimming of plastic while still being able to use the stock carpet cover. I say this because I can't see running a tire on the roof rack especially on a vehicle of this size.

If I can do the above mod for my 37 I WILL NOT employ a swing away bumper design. One of the standout features of the Excursion is it's storage capacity. If you actually use the vehicle daily (or in an overland scenario) getting in and out of the rear is very important and I don't want to lose this perk.

My next upgrade will be 37" Humvee two piece beadlock wheels which mean you don't even have to carry a spare rim because the wheel breaks down to install the tire. Much better than piling a 37 on your roof! There are a few companies that recenter these rims and the prices are less than typical rims.

Hope some of this helps.

Hi Roudy,

Many thanks for the info. Sorry about the delayed response.

- Yakima install PDF was informative

- nice tip on the kennel flooring as well

- nice tip about avoiding halo effect (Bajarack EXP rack is 48" i.e. 4' wide, rather than 5' wide for Defender van rack, so should avoid this issue)

- yes, I believe the wheels in the pic I posted are still 37" (may look larger because of angle pic taken at), but can't tell for sure as pic was taken by previous owner with previous set of tires

- I thought about cutting plastic around stock inside spare mounting well, but removing the plastic doesn't look like it would gain me much, as tire diameter still limited by metal fender arch, so I am doubtful that a 37" tire would fit, but may need to experiment a bit more to determine for sure. If a 37" tire will fit in stock inside spare mounting well, even if it requires hacking the stock plastic inside trim, and potentially, C-pillar stock plastic inside trim as well, that is something I'd be open to given the extra utility of carrying a 37" tire inside onboard. Then I could potentially add a hitch mount spare tire carrier, for a 2nd spare, for longer / more extreme trips, but leave it off the vehicle most of the time for around town etc.

- I have also looked at re-centered 37" Humvee two piece beadlock wheels from the likes of TrailReady, but standard Humvee lug pattern is 8x6.5, rather than Excursion 8x170mm, but since re-centering, installing a center with the correct lug pattern at the same time wouldn't be too big of a deal. One other downside is that the wheels are pretty heavy (not such a big deal on an Excursion with heavy duty drivetrain, re-geared axles, and diesel), and finally one would then be limited to tires in 16.5" sizes which seem to be dying out (mainly military surplus tires & dedicated offroad tires, no BFG AT or Toyo MT, for example).

 

[Roudy]

Xbox73,

I agree with you on the re-centered Hummer wheels. After further research it looks like too many negatives to make it a viable choice for an overland build. I like the idea of the hitch mount swing away tire I was considering that option too. If you test fit your 37 inside the cab let me know the outcome. That may help me decide if I move up from the 35's. I think I'm going to concentrate on skid plates and rock sliders before any other mods.
Post some pics if you get that baja rack on.
Good luck with your build.

 

[Mist3rray]

i LUv my X !!!

all around: expo vehicle, daily driver and Tow Monster


01 X 7.3L 4x4

wish there were more on this forum!

 

[gavan]

2000 7.3 Excursion here. Mostly for towing, but it gets a lot of miles put on it, and I have spent a lot of nights sleeping in it.

Big mods include ZF6 manual transmission, v/modifiedB spring swap, and 19.5 wheels and tires. With the manual and the 19.5s I get 16-18 on the highway, which is somewhat amazing for a truck that big. Towing is down around 10, but I have big trailers.

The 19.5s suck off road, but they really cut down on sway, especially towing trailers. I have an exhaust brake with my manual transmission as well, really helps save the brake pads.

I have an old 3/4 mattress (somewhere between a twin and a full) and it flops in the cargo compartment perfectly. Sleeping on a real mattress on a trip is amazing.

It is not small, but it is not huge. Big enough to tow a 30' 2 Jeep trailer, but it starts to get cramped on trips where you are trying to sleep in it for more than 2 days. It is a phenomenal "get there" rig, but I get tired of trying to live out of it for more than a couple days. I love the back seat. Plenty of room.

Love my Ex though. Wish there was anything like it on the market any more. I guess I need to get a couple more years out of mine!

 

[RKraft]

Wow alot more Excursion's on here than I thought, great to see them. I am going with the X code springs for front & B codes in the rear. I will be doing a 12v cummins swap hopefully in 1 year or sooner. I decided to build a roof rack here is a picture, hopefully I can finish it soon on a tight budget right now but hopefully tax money comes in soon to do spring swap. Any ways here is the basic rack/basket just need rails & supports.
Randy

 

[st34lth]

Everytime I see a well built X, I get a little jealous inside. My qualifications were the same as yours when I started but our family is still small so the interior room isnt a necessary yet. Since the X is built on the F250, Ill add a few comments and reinforce the advantages.

One; the interior is beyond comfortable. The 250 interior front/back is the same as an X minus the 3rd row. All the bells and whistles make the practicality of the vehicle amazing for my daughter and dog.

Two; Towing. I cant say this enough. When we go down to the outer banks each summer and pull all of the toys with us (basically transplant the family for a month), I cant even feel the trailer. The diesel 6.4 (honestly would rather have the 6.0) is a monster at pulling and with a programmer is insanity.

Three; Family factor. All around, the size, weight and economy are overshadowed by the go anywhere capability. Dont get me wrong, part of anywhere doesnt include interior parking garages since Im a hair over 8ft but most other places

Really inspiring Xs guys!

 

[rubberduck]

Who says the ex won't flex. Mines a beast! Lol!!!

 

[daddyusmaximus]

I get a little jealous too. I wanted an X but couldn't find a rust free one, or a diesel. Got me a crew cab and put a shell on it. I got a little more cargo room, but I can't climb over the seat and lay down in back, gotta go around. I say an X should be able to wheel pretty good, my F-250 can, and I'm longer. Tree branches can move, be pushed out of the way. Got me thinking of limb risers... Too bad rocks and parking garage roofs can't be moved as easy. Every time I go to the VA I have to park outside and walk... Speaking of tall vehicles, do those roof top tents work with such a high vehicle? I mostly see them on smaller rigs.

 

[xbox73]

The diesel 6.4 (honestly would rather have the 6.0) is a monster at pulling and with a programmer is insanity.

Curious as to why you would prefer the 6.0 over the 6.4, since the 6.0 doesn't have the best reputation. The only knocks I've heard against the 6.4 are: 1. they are overly complex, 2. it has lots of emission stuff, and 3. the mpg sometimes isn't that great (though both 2 & 3 can be solved if you live in a state that doesn't have strict emissions laws or testing). But from what I've heard they are much stouter than the 6.0, and can make 500 whp pretty easily, with just an intake, exhaust & programmer, even with all of the restrictive emissions stuff still on.

The diesel 6.4 (honestly would rather have the 6.0) is a monster at pulling and with a programmer is insanity.
Three; Family factor. All around, the size, weight and economy are overshadowed by the go anywhere capability. Dont get me wrong, part of anywhere doesnt include interior parking garages since Im a hair over 8ft but most other places

I hear you re vehicle height. With an 8" lift & 37" tires, my X's roof line sits at 7.5', and when you take the roof rack & spare tire up top into account, I'm closer to 9.5' in overall height, meaning I always look for at least 10' clearance, which essentially means the vast majority of parking structures & garages are out of the question. But in practice I haven't found it to be a big deal, even though I live in an urban area, and, like you said, I'm willing to make that sacrifice to gain the other capabilities it has.

 

[xbox73]

Speaking of tall vehicles, do those roof top tents work with such a high vehicle? I mostly see them on smaller rigs.]

I don't see why not. I plan to put an RTT on my X when funds allow, and my roof line currently sits at 7.5', and my current overall height is loser to 9.5'. One could argue that a larger vehicle, like an X with upgraded suspension, would support an RTT better than a smaller vehicle, like an FJ or mid-size pickup (RTT = less % of mass vs. rest of vehicle). The only downside I can see is that you need a ladder extension to account for the extra height, and if one was parked on a really sloping surface the slope would be slightly accentuated (but it's generally desirable to find a flat ground surface for camping over night, when possible).