ExPo's 2000 7.3 Excursion Build

onemanarmy

Explorer
Man that one is too clean to molest.

Looks great as is with the skinny BFG MTs. And will go 99% of the places that a vehicle that big should go.
 

Chris Cordes

Expedition Leader
Oh yeah, I forgot the absolute most important modification for the Excursion. You MUST NOT continue until you have done this...

Rear fold down table!!

80-image_b9d8dbde65561468f105e309a3d4b987ef271a02.jpg

80-image_31e33806bc0e49a23d2ad7c473aa22c7b9a197fb.jpg

Trust me that is coming! I haven't settled on a design yet but im working on it :)

Man that one is too clean to molest.

Looks great as is with the skinny BFG MTs. And will go 99% of the places that a vehicle that big should go.

It is surprisingly capable thats for sure. In reality I could leave it stock and go most of the places I want but the additional lift and larger tires will take me that much farther and sometimes I need to go that extra distance to get a shot or complete a trail.

The 50 isn't as bad as people make it out to be. It's fairly stout and will handle 35's without any problem. I ran 37's on mine and wheeled it VERY hard with no problems. Like you said though, 38+ is pushing your luck if you wheel hard. To me, the biggest benefit of going with a newer D60 is a significant turning radius improvement which on a truck as wide and as long as this, is a big deal. You can also do an even newer setup D60 with coil buckets and radius arms. The cost isn't too bad and it's almost a bolt-on affair. The springs provide a huge ride quality improvement.



The massive interior space of the Excursion will ruin your future expedition vehicle opinions. I've had Rover's for years and was perfectly content. Now that I've had the Excursion, everything is too small. I miss being able to have a full size bed in the back, a fridge, all my gear, and still have plenty of space for changing, storing dirty clothes, sitting down and eating in the rain, etc.

35s will fit pretty much stock with some trimming and the right backspace wheels. I don't like the v/b swap or any of those for an offroad rig. It stiffens things up and beats you up on the dirt roads. Pretty much every lift kit out there is too stiff for offroad use. They all retain the factory tow rating and with that high of a rating, you need stiff springs, no way around it. The v/b is even stiffer. You need some serious weight on the truck to start getting the suspension compliant.

You are correct that a 2.5" f250 kit will net you 4.5 on the Excursion. The Excursion really needs a decent lift to get the most out of it off-road. I had a 6" and I think I would have been happy with a 4.5" and 37" tires. The truck is long so you do need quite a bit of height to clear the rockers over obstacles. Even at 4.5", you better start shopping for a decent 10" drop hitch if you plan to tow. :) A lot of places say it won't, but you can clear a 37" tire with this lift and some minor trimming up front, practically no trimming if you do an aftermarket bumper. A 34" tire will look tiny in there. 35" will look small as well but will work and be better for power/driveability. With the 35s and the 7.3, you won't win any races, that's for sure, but in my opinion, you don't really need to regear. It will be a noticeable power loss but still very manageable.

I love ARB stuff. I have a ton of it. I've had their bumper on a Range Rover I used to have. It's great. There is no comparison when you stack it next to a Buckstop or some of the others. The ARB is thin and not up to the same quality standard. Plus I think it's ugly on the Excursion/F250 of this generation. Buckstop I think makes a smaller top grill protector bar than I had. I like the other one a little better. Make sure you get the correct bumper brackets. The Excursion had a different bottom anti-run over bar or whatever it's called for each year of existence.

I think someone else above mentioned a traction device. These trucks are absolutely miserable in any kind of slick conditions without a rear traction device of some sort. They don't hook up at all! With the stiff suspension you can also lift tires fairly easily, even with the massive wheelbase. This rig is far too heavy to be bouncing down the trail with tires spinning. With a locker, everything changes. It just becomes a beast.

The 08+ mirrors are a massive improvement in functionality, especially towing, and the 05+ front end looks so much nicer.

I've never seen an excursion that is that clean. You running board brackets and bolts are like new! That's nuts. Most of them rotted off years ago. Good find!


View attachment 365371View attachment 365372

Yeah a lot of people do the code swap and look at it as a simple lift, but you're really achieving the lift through a higher load and spring rate which is a big no no if you like your spine the length it is. A close friend has an f250 with the arb setup and he is very please so we shall see.

Im hoping im happy with the 35s, but I do worry they will look small. If it proves to be the case ill go to 37s but ill wait until I can regear. The reality is that they wont be needed, it will just be a look thing.

Totally agree on updated front end, but Im leaving that until I have money burning a hole in my pocket. Right now im aiming purely for function.
 

KSL22

Adventurer
The v codes rode way better than the stock front Springs in the rough. The stocks would hit bump stops on the smallest bump. The V code front and mix super duty / Ex
rear pack were great on spirited desert roads.
I would have gone to Deaver if I had the money for some multi leaf packs.
 

Chris Cordes

Expedition Leader
Well it looks like ill be waiting on suspension and bumper until October to arrive, which sadly means end of November since I will be on the road for a month and a half soon. SO, we begin the interior lol. Tomorrow I'll be working with AT Overland to wire up a solar panel system and the fridge that has been a fancy end table in my house for six months. I opted for a FlexoPower system to test in an upcoming review, and so far from the kit they provide and the way they lay things out im impressed. It comes with a controller, a panel, wiring, and everything you need to install it right away. They essentially run the fridge to the solar controller directly and then their control module to the battery. The logic is that by not running the fridge straight to the battery you gain efficiency and reduce the cycles the battery must undergo therefor extending its life. (If this doesnt make sense ask and ill clarify haha)

I will also begin work on the interior cargo platform and tie-down system, something im very excited to see come together. I have to give Jake Quinones of New Mexico Back Roads credit for it, as he has helped to lay out the full plan with just some small tweaks by me. It will essentially consist of two layers of birch cut to the shape of the cargo area. The first one is to tie down to the stock mounting points and minimize drilling into the truck, as well as serving as a place to bolt down the majority of hardware. the second allows us to recess the hardware and tie down points for a flat sleeping surface. We will also cut a table from the second layer which will once again lay flat with the rest of the platform. To maximize cargo space when all seven seats are in, we will be building a rack that sits just above the fridge. It too will have aircraft track tie-downs and be bolted through the two layers of birch. All of it will be coated in bed liner color matched to the vehicles interior, so tan. It's hard to visualize with words, so here is a basic sketch.


Now I assume that a 35" tire will not fit inside the truck, which would necessitate either mounting it on the roof, not ideal, or getting a swing out, which is bad-A but expensive. Exploring NH, where did you put yours?

I do have a fun plan for the interior space where the tire was, but ill save that for the a full portal article :)

By the way the first part goes live tomorrow (tuesday) on the home page !
 

Dendy Jarrett

Expedition Portal Admin
Staff member
There is a marine material called Star Deck which is light weight and strong as birch plywood and waterproof.
It is pricy, but the weight savings in significant. I used it as decking several times on Safety Devices Land Rover roof racks for flooring.

It might be your lightweight answer to your rear platform.

D

PS: You and I seem very much on the same page about full sizes platforms- for those who haven't seen it, please see the first article in my signature below for my rig and reasons.

D
 

Chris Cordes

Expedition Leader
Thanks Dendy :)

Yeah I was on the verge of purchasing some light weight stuff, but for the hundreds of extra dollars I figured I would just deal with the extra weight. Of course i could be persuaded if I found something cheap and light enough. Couldnt find your specific brand you mentioned though :/
 

ExploringNH

Explorer
This is going to shock some people but...I didn't carry a spare.

Getting it out of the cargo area is a huge space saver. As you said though, there aren't many options for other places it can go. Roof is terrible and a tire hitch gate adds cost and reduces departure angle. Custom rear bumper is the way to go but it's huge money.
 

BushHead

Adventurer
My 295-75- r16 fits in the factory spot in the back... it measures 33.42 inches.. its pretty snug, I can take a pic if you like.
 

justcuz

Explorer
Dendy,
Many of us have been through the costly progression of vehicles. In truth a lot was due to lifestyle changes along the way, but boy do I still regret not buying a 67 Travelall that was going to be my first 4x4. Ultimately I ended up in a Suburban and have pretty much used them exclusively for the last 30 years.
The versatility of a full size is hard to beat. It is rare to see folks go back to smaller vehicles for overall use once they have had a full size rig.
 
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Dendy Jarrett

Expedition Portal Admin
Staff member
Dendy,
Many of us have been through the costly progression of vehicles. In truth a lot was due to lifestyle changes along the way, but boy do I still regret not buying a 67 Travelall that was going to be my first 4x4. Ultimately I ended up in a Suburban and have pretty much used them exclusively for the last 30 years.
The versatility of a full size is hard to beat. It is rare to see folks go back to smaller vehicles for overall use once they have had a full size rig.

That's so ironic. The first image in my article is me in 1972/3 with my family getting ready to embark on a trip to Maine. As soon as we returned, by Grandparents sold the Mercury shown in the image and purchased a 1972 TravellAll (pre Suburban I think) and that's what we used for the next many years.

I loved that truck.

D
 

Dendy Jarrett

Expedition Portal Admin
Staff member
Thanks Dendy :)

Yeah I was on the verge of purchasing some light weight stuff, but for the hundreds of extra dollars I figured I would just deal with the extra weight. Of course i could be persuaded if I found something cheap and light enough. Couldnt find your specific brand you mentioned though :/


https://www.interstateplastics.com/...kw=starboard&gclid=CPn3tMKejc8CFU88gQodFugJiw

I have a local contact here if you decide to go that route. I used the King product which has a no slip stipple finish.

D
 

Chris Cordes

Expedition Leader
Dendy do you know what a 4x8 sheet weighs, or roughly what it is per square foot? I cant seem to find a firm number which makes me feel really dumb haha
 

justcuz

Explorer
That's so ironic. The first image in my article is me in 1972/3 with my family getting ready to embark on a trip to Maine. As soon as we returned, by Grandparents sold the Mercury shown in the image and purchased a 1972 TravellAll (pre Suburban I think) and that's what we used for the next many years.

I loved that truck.



D
More ironic is that when my kids were about the same age you were in the picture, my wife was driving a 1986 Mercury Colony Park wagon. The kids called it "Moms wallpaper Woody" it had a trailering package with dual exhaust, 3.55 gears and an LSD. Since we have a boat we resisted the minivan craze and bought the wagon. It served us well for several years.
Travelalls had a 4 door body a decade or more before Suburbans which lead to their popularity, but Suburbans have been in production since 1935.
Chris, the Expedition article sets the theme for the build, but the photography is the standout of the article. Beautiful photos!
 
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