This summers tow to Infineon in my mostly trusty 1984 Ford F250 with approx 270,000 miles on the clock through what seemed to be the Northern California Sahara with temps reaching 104+ and no A/C physically wiped us out. We did 1500 miles round trip with half of that feeling like your sitting in front of an enormous hot blow dryer. It is a good solid truck but needs a lot of that old truck TLC though. More than I am willing to continue shelling out.

So now I'll park it and get on with comfort, power, and style in the new '05 Excursion. 6.0l diesel, 325hp-560ft/lbs stock should do a decent job of hauling the toys.



I got a great deal on it. I bought it privately from the previous owner who bought it for a tax write off and then his accountant didn't use it. It has 4k miles on it. Just barely broken in. This should get us back to Mid Oho next year.

Here is some other shots hosted by johng.
http://jellybeanracing.com/Joh...1.JPG
http://jellybeanracing.com/Joh...2.jpg
http://jellybeanracing.com/Joh...3.JPG
http://jellybeanracing.com/Joh...5.JPG

I feel hooking up the trailer and just driving around.

Rick

 

Big Ballin!

I'm going to be driving the car to the track for a while...

Then again it's going to be a while before I'll ever be able to do w2w racing.

 

Very nice Rick. I'm looking forward to doing battle with you at Mid Ohio next season if all goes right!

Great tow rig/ family monster van!

 

NICE!

You have two vans running now?

 

You absolutely will not regret owning a Ford Superduty. Congrats. Sounds absolutely cherry.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I feel hooking up the trailer and just driving around.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You won't even know its back there.

 

Really like the monochrome package on the front grille. Looks great.

You'll love having an Excursion. There's room for EVERYTHING. It's practically like driving around an enclosed trailer. You can change in it, all your friends can change in it, you can all leave the track and go to the bar in it. They're a bit large (okay, a lot large) but the utility is hard to argue with. Enjoy

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by prkiller &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Very nice Rick. I'm looking forward to doing battle with you at Mid Ohio next season if all goes right!

Great tow rig/ family monster van! </TD></TR></TABLE>

Caught me. Yeah it is mostly for hauling around kids to soccer, basketball, horse riding lessons, softball, etc. But when I kick the racers rationalization in to high gear, it sure makes sense to have one.

Hmmm...I better figure out its percentage of my house value


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jisu009 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You have two vans running now?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Close. Just have to get someone trained and earning dollars.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by krshultz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Really like the monochrome package on the front grille. Looks great.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree. It really does makes it look sharp.

I have been thinking of getting one for a couple of years now but I have always held back because of the sheer cost of buying one. The pickups just don't suit us well being a family of 5 and often toting other peoples kids around with ours.

Plus it is the last model year for the Excursion. Last one rolled of the production line Sept. 30. Figured I better pull the trigger.

This does free up a great '93 Suburban with low miles (for the model year) for anyone who looking for great open trailer tow vehicle. I'll make a great deal to someone.

Rick

 

Very nice. I love PSD's!!!!!!!

 

The pictures don't do it justice. The thing is immaculate inside and out. The Eddie Bauer 2-tone leather interior is ultra plush, and it's got all the DVD player stuff in the back. We need to find out if we can connect our video cameras into it

Have you figured out that fancy Gear Vendor OD system yet?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by johng &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The pictures don't do it justice. The thing is immaculate inside and out. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Wait up now! With a tow rig that nice you might have to wash the trailer!

Oh, oh oh, and the best part is truck, trailer, and car all match... er well sort of. Rick what do you say you convince a couple of E30's to make a BMW sandwich out of the tow rig so it will match the race car Even better is we can review the video from the chase car in the tow rig.... Yes it all comes togther!

Nice rig Rick!

Dave
#76 IP2 GSR

 

I couldn't see from the interior shot - did Ford grace the 05 X with the integrated brake controller?

 

my 05 super duty dualie has the integrated controller...best thing on the damn truck, seriously. i love it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by redzcstandardhatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">my 05 super duty dualie has the integrated controller...best thing on the damn truck, seriously. i love it. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, the controller is on the pickups. I've seen mixed information on its existance on the 2005 Excursions, which received only a subset of the 2005 improvements...was just wondering if the brake controller made it.

 

It didn't come on Rick's X. Maybe it's a option? Rick's does have a pretty cool OD lock out system though. I'm sure he can describe it more when he gets back in.

 

Nice!

You'll love the room! I have it's little brother (Expedition) and the interior hauling room with seats folded is nice for racing weekends. I can haul a set of tires, tool box and 3 large spares bins with room to spare. I sometimes take an air matress and sleep in it at the track .

 

I heart lots of lockable space. I haul around 3 sets of tires, 2 ez-ups, tools, spares and such in the truck when I'm towing and I still wish I had more space, but I would be hurting for room without my big *** rolling storage shed. And yours has seats and carpet! OMG!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by IP2GSR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Wait up now! With a tow rig that nice you might have to wash the trailer!

Oh, oh oh, and the best part is truck, trailer, and car all match... er well sort of. Rick what do you say you convince a couple of E30's to make a BMW sandwich out of the tow rig so it will match the race car Even better is we can review the video from the chase car in the tow rig.... Yes it all comes togther!

Nice rig Rick!

Dave
#76 IP2 GSR</TD></TR></TABLE>

Very funny. I actually washed it before heading to Infineon. I should've taken a picture of it after it was coated with that yellow/green pollen.

When we went to Laguna earlier this year. They have a funky way of corraling everyone outside the paddock until they are ready to allow everyone in. We were 3rd in line and drove that dirty ugly beast past 40-50 of the nicest motorhome and trailer packages that I have ever seen at a Regional event. Made me want to park on street corner, hold a carboard sign saying, "Please give, nearly homeless".


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by krshultz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I couldn't see from the interior shot - did Ford grace the 05 X with the integrated brake controller?</TD></TR></TABLE>

No. Not in there. It would be nice if they would've just stuck it in there. On the flip side, some owners with it are complaining about some of its functions and are going aftermarket anyway. I am going to get a Prodigy.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by johng &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It didn't come on Rick's X. Maybe it's a option? Rick's does have a pretty cool OD lock out system though. I'm sure he can describe it more when he gets back in.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I haven't quite figured it out, yet. But it is basically an overdrive unit that functions between each gear, 2nd through 5th reducing the standard rpm drop between gears. At 70mph, I see a 500rpm drop to 1600.

Here is link to Gear Vendors for anyone who is interested. http://www.gearvendors.com/

Rick

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turfer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Made me want to park on street corner, hold a carboard sign saying, "Please give, nearly homeless".

I am going to get a Prodigy.


Rick</TD></TR></TABLE>


HAHAHA!!!
That is some funny stuff Rick!

You wont be sorry with the Prodigy. It is the best TBC on the market for the money!
The cheapest place for one is ebay. I paid a little under 100.00 bucks shipped for mine!

 

The downside to racing is that you have to own one of these stupid things.

I thought they were supposed to be discontinuing the Excursion?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ross R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The downside to racing is that you have to own one of these stupid things.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Not always

Drive it to the track!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ross R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The downside to racing is that you have to own one of these stupid things.

I thought they were supposed to be discontinuing the Excursion?</TD></TR></TABLE>


I don't consider it a downside. I like the hugeness. The shear size of the vehicle is going to better protect my family from the unaware 19 year old that is aiming for Bimmers.

The last one rolled of the production line September 30th. I think they are planning to stretch the Expedition for those with the cargo area needs. Diesels will only come in pick ups from here on out.

Rick

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turfer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I don't consider it a downside. I like the hugeness. The shear size of the vehicle is going to better protect my family from the unaware 19 year old that is aiming for Bimmers.

The last one rolled of the production line September 30th. I think they are planning to stretch the Expedition for those with the cargo area needs. Diesels will only come in pick ups from here on out.

Rick</TD></TR></TABLE>

Trucks and SUVs don't conform to the safety standards that cars do. So if you get into a side impact crash with something high enough to hit your door, you're in trouble.

Don't listen to me, though....my other car is a motorcycle.

 

it's very simple.

From an article in the New York Times. "People driving or riding in a sport utility vehicle in 2003 were nearly 11 percent more likely to die in an accident than people in cars, the figures show."

The reasons are really simple, most vehicle deaths occur in single vehicle crashes, NOT in accidents with other vehicles. So when you hit a tree or bridge abutment, which one of these would you rather be driving&gt;


good article. http://www.bridger.us/2002/12/...dF150


Modified by drkarrow at 8:36 AM 12/2/2005


Modified by drkarrow at 8:39 AM 12/2/2005

 

Dang.. and i thought getting 10mpg in my truck was bad

Congrats!