Ford Excursion

Ford Excursion
2000-2004 Ford Excursion
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford
Production	1999–2005
Assembly	Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size SUV
Body style	4-door SUV with lift gate and 2 dutch doors[1]
Layout	Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Related	Ford Super Duty
Powertrain
Engine	5.4 L Triton V8 gas 6.8 L Triton V10 gas 7.3 L Powerstroke V8 turbodiesel 6.0 L PowerStroke V8 turbodiesel
Transmission	4-speed automatic 5-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	137.1 in (3,482 mm)
Length	226.7 in (5,758 mm)
Width	2000–01: 80.0 in (2,032 mm) 2002–05: 79.9 in (2,029 mm)
Height	4WD: 77.2 in (1,961 mm) 2WD: 74.8 in (1,900 mm)
Curb weight	7,688 lb (3,487 kg) (Turbodiesel) 7,230 lb (3,280 kg) (Gas)
Chronology
Predecessor	Centurion C350 Classic (unofficial) Ford Bronco Ford Expedition
Successor	Ford Expedition EL/Max

The Ford Excursion is a heavy duty (Class 2), Extended-length sport utility vehicle that was produced by Ford from 1999 to 2005 for the North American market (to 2006 for Mexico).

Based on the Ford F-250 Super Duty line of pickup trucks and with a bumper-to-bumper length of 226 inches, the Ford Excursion was the longest and heaviest SUV ever produced by Ford (as it was in all of North America during its production). A 3/4-ton chassis vehicle, the Ford Excursion competed primarily against the 2500-series of the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL.^[2]

All Ford Excursions were produced at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Kentucky. The last vehicle was produced on September 30, 2005. For 2007, the Excursion was largely replaced as Ford introduced the Ford Expedition EL (Expedition Max in Canada and Mexico). As with its namesake, the Expedition EL/Max is based upon the Ford F-150.

Origin

1989 Centurion Classic C350 XLT 4x4

Although Ford would not produce a factory-built competitor for the Chevrolet Suburban on an official basis until the introduction of the Excursion for 2000, the functional predecessor of the Excursion was the Centurion Classic, constructed by Centurion Vehicles, a converter specializing in Ford trucks based in White Pigeon, Michigan.^[3]

To create a four-door Bronco, Centurion mated the bodywork of two vehicles onto an F-Series chassis shortened to a 140-inch wheelbase;^[4] an F-Series crew-cab body was mated to the rear bodywork of a Bronco (aft of the door openings). Following the Suburban, the Classic was designed with three rows of seating, with up to nine-passenger capacity (depending on seating configuration).

Two models of the Classic were produced: the C150, based on the F-150, and the C350, based on the F-350. In contrast to the Suburban (and later Excursion), the Classic C350 was produced on a one-ton chassis instead of a 3/4-ton chassis. The C150 was produced with the 5.0L and 5.8L Windsor V8s while the C350 was produced with the 7.5L V8 and 7.3L diesel engines. Both variants were offered with two and four-wheel drive configurations.

Following the discontinuation of the Ford Bronco in favor of the four-door F-150-based Ford Expedition after the 1996 model year, the Centurion Classic ended its production run. Closer in size and function to the Centurion C350, the Ford Excursion was introduced for the 2000 model year.

Design overview

Chassis

Ford Excursion Limited next to 1992-1996 Toyota Camry

The Ford Excursion is produced sharing the platform architecture of the F-250 Super Duty pickup truck. Sharing nearly all of its chassis components, the Excursion shares a common width, front and rear track, and wheelbase. Along with the common drivetrain, the Excursion shared its front and rear suspension and steering gear with the F-250. The rear axle for all Excursions was a Sterling 10.5 axle. The four wheel drive models were equipped with a NV273 transfer case and Dana 50 front axle.

Although using the 3/4 ton chassis of the F-250 (its indirect predecessor, the Centurion Classic C350 used the one-ton F-350 chassis), the Excursion was rated with a GVWR of 8,900 lb (4,000 kg) when equipped with gasoline engines, and 9,200 lb (4,200 kg) with equipped with diesel engines. Its GVWR was above 8,500 lbs, exempting it from EPA fuel economy ratings; reviewers cited fuel economy in the range of 12-15mpg.^[6]

During the development of the chassis, Ford learned that its initial design caused smaller vehicles (such as a Ford Taurus) to become severely overridden in a head-on collision. In the test, the tire of the Excursion tire drove up to the windshield of the Taurus, reducing the chance of survival for the Taurus driver.^[7] As a response, Ford modified the chassis to include an under-bumper "blocker beam"; the device was initially tested by the French transportation ministry in 1971.^[7] For the rear of the chassis, Ford chose to include a trailer hitch as standard equipment in production to reduce underriding in rear-end collisions by smaller vehicles.

Body

2000-2004 Ford Excursion Limited

2005 Ford Excursion XLT

Aside from the Chevrolet Suburban and its GMC/Cadillac counterparts and the International Harvester Travelall, the Ford Excursion is among one of the only regular-production sport-utility vehicles produced with four full-length passenger doors (shared with the Super Duty Crew Cab). As with the Expedition, the Excursion received an eggcrate in place of the gray grille seen on its F-Series counterpart. In place of a liftgate, the cargo door of the Excursion was designed with a 3-way door: an upper liftgate paired with two dutch doors (similar to later models of the Chevrolet Astro). In one change from the F-Series, Ford added the larger taillights of the E-Series van to the Excursion.

Most of the interior was largely shared with the Super Duty trucks, although the Excursion was designed for three-row seating for up to nine passengers. As with other Ford trucks, the Excursion was sold in XL (sold nearly exclusively for fleet sales), XLT (standard trim), and Limited. In 2003, Ford added the Eddie Bauer trim package sold on other Ford SUVs to the Excursion.

For 2005, the exterior changed for the first time, as Ford replaced the eggcrate grille, replacing it with the "3-bar" grille introduced on Super Duty trucks.

Reception

The Excursion was introduced in 1999 as a 2000 model-year vehicle. It was described by Popular Science as the "biggest sport utility on the planet."^[8] Sales were initially good, peaking in the 2000 model year with over 50,000 sales. However, as gasoline prices rose, sales declined.^[9] The Excursion's large size and poor fuel economy led to it being dubbed the Ford Valdez by The Sierra Club,^[10] in reference to the Exxon Valdez supertanker, and in 2007 TIME Magazine selected it as one of the Fifty Worst Cars of All Time.^[11]

The vehicle was parodied in the Simpsons episode "The Last Temptation of Krust" with the 65-ton, 35-passenger Canyonero SUV.^[11]

Variants

Ford Excursion wedding stretch limousine

Ford Excursion as fire chief vehicle (of FDNY)

F-250 Tropivan

From 1998 to 2012, a second-party SUV conversion of the Ford F-250 was sold in Brazil. Similar in design and layout to the Excursion, the F-250 Tropivan differed primarily in its being a second-party conversion (similar to the Centurion Classic). In contrast to the Excursion, two different wheelbases of the model were produced.

As with all Super Duty trucks in Brazil, the Tropivan had a different engine selection throughout its production run that included the 4.2L Essex V6 as the only gasoline-powered option, while the Diesel offering consisted of a 3.9L Cummins B-series and the 4.2L straight-6 MWM Sprint 6.07TCA.

Aftermarket

Although out of production since 2005, the rear bodywork of the Ford Excursion has remained popular in the aftermarket in the United States for various conversions related to F-Series vehicles, including medium-duty (F-650) limousines and the Hennessey VelociRaptor (Excursion bodywork mated to a Ford SVT Raptor).

From 2009 to 2016, second-party SUV conversions were produced by CABT based in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Using the existing rear body panels of the Excursion, the conversion was mated to bodywork of newly produced Ford F-250 Super Duty crew-cabs (the Super Duty trucks shared a common platform with the Excursion from 1999-2016). While not a factory-produced vehicle, the use of existing Ford bodywork made the vehicle similar to the 1980s-1990s Centurion Classic C350.

Yearly U.S. sales

References

External links

Media related to Ford Excursion at Wikimedia Commons