How to Make a Ford Excursion Ride Smoother

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by speeder

That would be a $100k vehicle for sure. And it would actually tow, w 950 lbs. of torque. The problem w the older ones is that they weighed so much empty that once you load them w passengers and luggage, you could not tow a small sailboat. At least not within the GVWR sticker limits.

My 2003 6.0L PSD Excursion pulls our 32" camper (8000#) with NO problems with 4 people, dogs, and luggage, and still knocks down 13-14 mpg while doing it effortlessly. I have a 96 F150 with a 300 I6 for local hauling, and backup vehicle.

[fred cook]

Originally Posted by speeder

They will tow ok if the vehicle is empty but if you load it up w 6 people and luggage, you’re @ maximum GVWR in a hurry.

I could not remember exactly so I had to look it up, but the load capacity for my 2003 6.0 turbo diesel Excursion was 11K max trailer weight, 20K GCWR. The vehicle weighed in at about 7K leaving 13K for load and towing. Add in 6 people at an average of 150 lbs each for about 900 lbs and say 500 lbs for luggage and that leaves the full 11K plus a bit for trailer weight. That, my friend, is a capable hauling/towing machine! If carrying a full load of passengers (6) at 14 mpg (towing) then that is 84 passenger miles per gallon! Not towing it got 21-22 mpg which would be 132 passenger miles per gallon!

[Steve Carlton]

I don't think David's FIL weighs that much.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by fred cook

I could not remember exactly so I had to look it up, but the load capacity for my 2003 6.0 turbo diesel Excursion was 11K max trailer weight, 20K GCWR. The vehicle weighed in at about 7K leaving 13K for load and towing. Add in 6 people at an average of 150 lbs each for about 900 lbs and say 500 lbs for luggage and that leaves the full 11K plus a bit for trailer weight. That, my friend, is a capable hauling/towing machine! If carrying a full load of passengers (6) at 14 mpg (towing) then that is 84 passenger miles per gallon! Not towing it got 21-22 mpg which would be 132 passenger miles per gallon!

They weigh more than 7k lbs., (my Powerstroke PU truck empty weighs 7400), and it's the GVWR that is the problem, not the stated towing capacity IIRC. Put 6 175 lb. people in it and luggage, you have nothing left for the tongue weight of the trailer.

And they don't get 21-22 mpg empty. I've owned several in different configurations, (PU trucks w various axles and transmissions), they get about 17 mpg on the freeway. Maybe more on a 55 mph country road but I drive on 75 mph interstates so that's the only relevant number to me.

Excursions were nice vehicles and I've known people who towed big trailers w them but that GVWR number doesn't lie.

[fred cook]

My 2003 Excursion weighed right at 7200 lbs with all liquids and a half tank of fuel. And yes, it did indeed get 21-22 mpg on the highway. In town it got more like 16-17 mpg. So, if Speeder's Excursion only got 17 on the road, then it was a) a 7.3 engine rather than the 6.0, b) had some mechanical issues, c) was driven by a lead foot and/or no one ever bothered to teach Speeder the fine art of driving to enhance fuel mileage, something that most people never learn. Another example of "tell me what you can't do, don't tell me what I can't do"!

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by fred cook

My 2003 Excursion weighed right at 7200 lbs with all liquids and a half tank of fuel. And yes, it did indeed get 21-22 mpg on the highway. In town it got more like 16-17 mpg. So, if Speeder's Excursion only got 17 on the road, then it was a) a 7.3 engine rather than the 6.0, b) had some mechanical issues, c) was driven by a lead foot and/or no one ever bothered to teach Speeder the fine art of driving to enhance fuel mileage, something that most people never learn. Another example of "tell me what you can't do, don't tell me what I can't do"!

Exactly, my 2003 6.0L PSD averaged over 3 full tanks 18.8 MPG with 6 people, luggage, roof cargo hauler, and 2 bikes on a rear hitch through the mountains of Tenn/N.C. I'm glad I didn't opt for the cheaper V10 option.

[Tobra]

Do they need a huge vehicle like that? I like the rent something for them to try idea.


My parents have Chevy Tahoe that is at 150,000 miles. They replaced the shocks and it was like getting a new vehicle, though it remains a truck. Big heavy truck will tend to ride like a big heavy truck, go figure.

[Dansvan]

Ford Excursion Limited MPG - Actual MPG from 10 Ford Excursion Limited owners

sounds like there's some very optimistic numbers floating around.

[911boost]

Who knows how they drove, I had some pretty aggressive stick sized tires on my 2004 and got way better mileage than that site.

And by way better I still mean not good, but considering the size and carrying capacity, it was acceptable.

[vash]

step 1. see what tires are on that Excursion. big trucks like that use E-rated (?) right? the 10-ply tires needed for big towing and heavy loads.

if thats what is on the truck, i bet changing to a lighter tire would greatly improve the bumps.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by vash

step 1. see what tires are on that Excursion. big trucks like that use E-rated (?) right? the 10-ply tires needed for big towing and heavy loads.

if thats what is on the truck, i bet changing to a lighter tire would greatly improve the bumps.

This is true but you need at least D-rated tires to support the weight of the vehicle+passengers, so it's a slightly different version of the same tires. E-load tires can hold 65 lbs. of air and Ds are 45-50, IIRC so just airing down the 10-plys to 45 lbs. should accomplish the same thing. It sounds like he's tried that already.

[vash]

Originally Posted by speeder

This is true but you need at least D-rated tires to support the weight of the vehicle+passengers, so it's a slightly different version of the same tires. E-load tires can hold 65 lbs. of air and Ds are 45-50, IIRC so just airing down the 10-plys to 45 lbs. should accomplish the same thing. It sounds like he's tried that already.

i'm not a tire expert.

i thought the D vs E was a sidewall flexibility thing as well as air pressure.?
on my work truck a half ton, they once put on E-rated tires. it was like a boxing match, targeting my kidneys when i pulled out. i rolled back in..and they said "opps" and swapped them out. way better. i'm not sure what they replaced with. maybe D.?

just a thought.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by fred cook

My 2003 Excursion weighed right at 7200 lbs with all liquids and a half tank of fuel. And yes, it did indeed get 21-22 mpg on the highway. In town it got more like 16-17 mpg. So, if Speeder's Excursion only got 17 on the road, then it was a) a 7.3 engine rather than the 6.0, b) had some mechanical issues, c) was driven by a lead foot and/or no one ever bothered to teach Speeder the fine art of driving to enhance fuel mileage, something that most people never learn. Another example of "tell me what you can't do, don't tell me what I can't do"!

Or maybe you just don't know how to accurately hand measure fuel consumption. That would be a much more likely scenario. Don't feel bad, a lot of people make this mistake on the internet.

As I stated above, Ive never owned an Excursion but have had several Power Stroke PU trucks, all 4x4s and 7.3 as well as 6.0. I found exactly zero difference in fuel mileage between the 2 engines and both were running 100%, showroom new compression with all latest dealer software, etc. As for the "fine art of driving to enhance fuel mileage...", there isn't one. Anyone w half a brain realizes that being smooth and avoiding excessive braking and accelerating results in better fuel mileage. I've calculated my mileage over thousands of miles, towing and empty including hours on the interstate w cruise control on at legal speeds. I always cancel the cruise for hill climbs, especially at altitude or anytime the engine is boosting up and under load. I drive for fuel mileage but do not hypermile, which I know how to do, btw.

Originally Posted by Dansvan

Ford Excursion Limited MPG - Actual MPG from 10 Ford Excursion Limited owners

sounds like there's some very optimistic numbers floating around.

This is reality. Either that or 10 different owners in different states all conspired in a coordinated way to misrepresent the fuel mileage of the Ford Excursion, which stretches credulity. Physics don't lie, it's a 7k lb. square box w a powerful V-8 engine.

[911boost]

Even a slight change in the road grade can affect mileage. I can get 18-19 mpg with my Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's in my 2012 F350 crew cab long bed heading south from Fort Collins to Denver, but I can't get it going north.

With my Excursion and current F350 the stock Michelin highway tires got 2mpg better mileage than the Duratrac's or Hankook DynoPro AT-M's I have run.

Going 65mph also makes a big difference in mileage, that seems to be the sweet spot. With that being said, I can't drive that slow on a consistent basis.....

[berettafan]

Originally Posted by vash

i'm not a tire expert.

i thought the D vs E was a sidewall flexibility thing as well as air pressure.?
on my work truck a half ton, they once put on E-rated tires. it was like a boxing match, targeting my kidneys when i pulled out. i rolled back in..and they said "opps" and swapped them out. way better. i'm not sure what they replaced with. maybe D.?

just a thought.

you can absolutely get a smoother ride with P series tires on a truck. tundras come with P series tires even!

not sure they'd be safe for something as big as the Excursion if it ever was loaded down or towing something big.

in any event I don't think P series vs LT E rated is gonna get you from 'excruciating' to 'not bad'.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by berettafan

you can absolutely get a smoother ride with P series tires on a truck. tundras come with P series tires even!

not sure they'd be safe for something as big as the Excursion if it ever was loaded down or towing something big.

in any event I don't think P series vs LT E rated is gonna get you from 'excruciating' to 'not bad'.

Having gone from P to LT on several trucks due to towing needs, it's not a substantial change but you can tell a difference. Normally E range tires have a thicker sidewall, stiffer sidewall, thicker ply arrangement, and can take higher psi. They are typically quite a bit heavier than a P tire which would also hurt your handling (and MPG). You can still somewhat help the ride by airing down, I run 40 psi over the summer when towing my boat and bump it down to 35 psi in the winter when I'm not towing. It removes a little of the nervous jiggle that my truck gets in the back end when it's not loaded.