Dave88LX

It's not a decision I have to make anytime soon, I've got plenty of thinking time before I get back from this dump of a sandhole (Iraq), but of course, there's lots of time where you've got nothing to do BUT think.

Moving on...

I've been thinking lately about vehicles (well, I'm *always* thinking about vehicles), and trying to decide what I want to do about a "truck".

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Dodge Ram. (For those not in the loop, it's a '97 2500 5-speed, 4x4, extended cab, long bed). However, it's got 303K miles on it, still runs like a raped date, but I do have a bit of maintenance to catch up with on it. We do a fair amount of traveling, and usually bring our 2 dogs with us. Add in suitcases, and it's a pretty packed truck. Especially if it rains, well, can't keep the luggage in the bed, so in that comes too.

Once you throw kids into the mix (no, no alert, no kids/prego wife yet, sorry!), then it's going to be needing a car seat in the back, not to mention the back of the truck doesn't have doors that swing open. Soooo, it would be luggage, 2 dogs, and a kid crammed into the back of a pickup truck.

I still need to retain a tow vehicle, for towing my (once I ever get around to finishing them) race cars to the track, towing the Bronco out to the mud pits and back, and every other excuse to tow. Therefore, I would like to keep a long wheelbase diesel (I <3 diesel), and it seems the Excursion would fit the bill perfectly, based on the F-250 (I know I know, BLASPHEMY!)

The DOWNFALL to this, is that:
1. No more pick-up truck bed.
Solution: I have a flat car trailer. It wouldn't take much work with a welder to be able to add a few pieces to it to make it into a "convertible" hauler if I ever need to get a bunch of stuff from Lowes, or go to the dump, or anything else.
2. My diamond plate toolbox just won't look cool on the Excursion.
Solution: None.
3. I can't really put stacks on the Excursion.
Solution: None.

The other upside is that I'd be going from a 300K mile vehicle, down to one that could possibly have between 80K-120K...of course, my payment will go up quite a bit too. I see the prices range from 16K-30K!!! Quite a swing. With the much lower mileage vehicle it would most likely be a pretty reliable vehicle for a family.

I of course couldn't keep both my Dodge, and an Excursion, even though I freaking LOVE LOVE LOVE my Cummins. Fuel mileage would be about the same (I get 16mpg in my Dodge, The Excursion I believe gets around that or a couple more). I wouldn't want anything smaller, because I still want a "truck", and to have the power beneath it (diesel).



Thoughts? What did you guys in similar situations do?

steelblitzkrieg

Campershell an option?

Dave88LX

It is an option that I thought of, but it's just not very toolbox or stack compatible. I know I know, a time comes when we need to grow up and choose practicality over the "wanna-have's". I don't know why but I'm also really anti- camper shell. Still doesn't solve the door thing. How much of a PITA is it to get kids in and out of the back seat of a pre-98?

Set the guy up on the center console/armrest, tell him "don't move!", then crawl myself up into the back seat, and strap him in?

steelblitzkrieg

My kids are 9-8-2 and I hate getting them out of the backseat of my Mustang...How's that for an answer?

Honestly it'd be a pain to get a kid out of the back since they'd be placed in the center of the rear seat...It's a pain for my wife with our QC which obviously has the back doors.

Dave88LX

Answer sounds reasonable to me I've got two Mustangs myself, an '87 and an '88...hence why I need a tow vehicle.

Dodgezilla

I just sold a diesel Excursion for my bud who is also overseas serving our country.
All I can say is, blasphemy or not, that thing was just plain awesome! I almost bought it myself and sold my truck. He was lucky and got one of the good ones with zero issues in 43,000 miles. It was fully loaded and if not for just plain being scared of dealing with the 6.0 it would be mine today. Maintenance costs about twice what it does for a Cummins though. Anyways, I've said for years, and I'll say it again, if Dodge made a big SUV with a Cummins I'd be driving one today. Heck, if Chevy would put a DMax in a Suburban I'd buy one of those.
Since neither of those things are happening right now I am considering moving into a loaded Megacab and just putting a nice cap on it. That is the next best thing to a big diesel SUV and it's still got our beloved Cummins in it....

dieselJon

I am putting a stack on my project Suburban

It is a 4" dia 48" long stack that my bro used to have on his 86 F250 6.9L Diesel but he went to 6" dual mitres. I am going to use it as a side pipe, shooting soot right before the wheel but it goes all the way forward to the back of the 1st passenger door. Kinda hidden but you still catch a glimmer of chrome....

Dave88LX

Oh man, have fun with that exhaust. The guy who owned my truck prior dumped the exhaust right in front of the wheel b/c he didn't feel like fabricating piping to go over the axle...that wheel was completely black, all day long. Wash the truck, that wheel was black the next day.

Lary Ellis (Top)

Whatever you decide will be the right thing to do, just come home safe

12valve@heart

It won't help with the toolbox or the stack but if you decide to go with the Excursion (or Suburban/Yukon), consider picking up one that you can convert to CTD.
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=176490

haloman

What about making a tonneu cover work?

ofcmarc

Tonneus can be cut arround obstacles like stacks/ boxes. Kids in car seats are fun no matter what you drive.

Mama has an '06 Town & Country and I still have to lift the littlest one in and out of it.

Dean Snow

I think you would be better off with a tonneu cover over your bed. My brother has one and it doesn't leak or anything, Totally sealed if you wanted to put luggage in there.

Both of my parents owned excursions. They were both diesels. I do have to give them credit for trying but they don't hold up like you would think. My moms was a daily driver and after 60k miles she got rid of it due to all the problems the thing had with it. My dad kept his as he only puts 1-2k on it a year on it but with the maintenance you would think he drove it every day. I just don't think they are worth the money you would have to pay for one. Others experiences may be different but we had bad luck with ours.

Dave88LX

Dean, what kinds of issues was she having with her Excursion?

It's still up in the air, whether to get say an '03+ common rail quad cab, or go the Excursion route.

I'm still weighing the pros/cons of it. Either way, my '97 is going to have to go. No problems with the Cummins, but at 304K, I don't want to have to worry about the Dodge around it falling apart, with a wife, kid, and dogs, on a road trip.

It's been a great truck though.

kthiemann

My solution was to put a camper shell on my truck with an inside the bed tool-box... works pretty good and also got a few extra mpg outta the thing.
Take care of yourself over there and come home safely.