@@SuperSnakePlissken yeah you're mistaken let's hook up 20,000 lb to the 8.1 l in whatever you think has power and that b**** will run circles around you it has 500 foot pounds of torque off idle. Okay so it only made 360 horsepower all of the time.
What year model excursion was used for this test? They did eventually get the 362 hp version of the 3valve 6.8L V-10, did they use the two valve version of the Triton V-10 for this test? Nevermind, I just found out that the excursion never got the 362 hp version of the V10!! What a shame as that version with the optional 430 gears would have smoked the Suburban or Yukon XL. I had both the 8.1 vortec and 6.8v10 Triton (the 2V and 3V engines). Loved em both but that 3V with 430 gears was a STUD!!
I used to plow with a 02 chevy 2500hd with the 8.1l and allison trans with 4.10 gears. It would smoke the tires off a dead stop. It had an intake exhaust and tuner. Still runs great to this day with over 220k miles
Yea, they're bananas.. I think they look so similar to the 1500s that people that haven't checked one out, have no idea of the level the 2500 8.1s are at, especially with the 4.10 locker rear ends. Really, they are a marvel of machinery. Literally the only compromise made, was fuel economy- not a corner was cut.
I had a 2005 Lincoln Navigator with the 32v 5.4 engine. It was great until I was T-boned one day, but it got 9mpg on 87 octane and 11 on 92. What did your 8.1get? I'm inclined to believe it was worth the extra torque.
I have an 8.1 2500 HD. So many people rag on 8.1 gas mileage… You can tell those people have never towed with one… They are super Beasts🤘. If you’re not looking to tow more than a half ton truck capacity don’t buy it…And no of course I do not daily drive it… I have a $5000 beater that gets 26 mpg for that
@@jamesbeaman6337 I’ve had one. It got about what I expected for a big block. Nothing earth shattering. Oddly enough the best I ever got was 23 mpg from Heber City, UT to Ogden UT. Hand calculated. Overall stretch drops about 1000 ft in elevation. Typical was about 10-11.
My 8.1L GMC Yukon is same as the one here. On 33” tires and a 2” leveling lift I’ve taken it on the mining roads in Ouray CO at 13,000 ft with ZERO issues. I’ve ran it up Silver Cloud Mine on blast rock roads like it was no big deal. More than a few brodozer lifted Jeeps gave me the side eye as I passed them by on Engineer Pass, and the trails near Animas Forks. Plenty of low end torque, great towing, 40 gallon gas tank, and enough room to sleep comfortably with both back seats out. Never gonna sell it.
Same, have a 02 8.1 4x4 with the locker. I drove around stuck jeeps and pulled them out. Not sure what makes it so good off-road but for a big rig, it does the job. I've owned jeep cjs, Cherokees, 1/2ton pickups and f350s etc. 8.1 is a keeper.
@@wildbill23c growing up with the fam had a 97 gmc burban with the 5.7 we hauled the boat up north filled with beer coolers and seven people's week worth of luggage noooo problemo but damn we made quite a few stops and that's with the 20 something gallon tank lmao
In my opinion K2500 Suburbans aren't given nearly enough credit. Granted it is by no means a serious rock crawler but my '95 has always got me where I wanted to go. Short of almost, ALMOST getting stuck once on an unmarked trail off a forest service road in a couple feet of snow. Even that was because it was surefooted enough that I got overconfident. That's with stock-sized tires and a 350 too. I've got a 454 in the garage right now that I'm building for it and I'd love to do a solid-axle swap as well. But even as it is I have no complaints at all about its off road performance.
I have a 2002 Yukon XL 2500 with an 8.1 and this video is an accurate rundown. Took mine across the country towing a 30 ft trailer at 170,000 miles, and about to drive across the country at 205,000 miles. These were well made trucks
My family had an 05 8.1 suburban for a 13 years. Used to haul the family around and a 26ft boat from SLC to lake Powell weekly during the summer. It was an incredible vehicle with plenty of power, never felt like it struggled to pull anything and quite a bit of luxury for the time. Lots of fond memories with that vehicle.
@@CoyoteFTW intelligent comment. Bolt ons and heads the 8.1 makes 525hp and 580tq. A more aggressive cam/lifter setup with pistons and rods makes 610hp and 640tq, no boost. You won’t see a V10 make those numbers.
My Chevy crew cab dually has the 8.1 big block and the Alison transmission. Has hauled my 3 horse LQ Elite horse trailer across, up and down the US to the tune of 116,000 miles. NEVER left me sitting on the side of the road. Great comfortable interstate hauler hauler
@CoyoteFTW Typical ford dick rider goddamn. My mans is just stating his experience. You legit are attacking anyone in the comments who says anything good and GM get a life.
I don't think they will ike anything too old, I believe Tommy mentioned it in a previous video... for safety. Of course, I would love to see the V10 ike, they are built as a workhorse
I grew up with a 7.3 excursion, and my friends parents had the 8.1 suburban. They both were awesome but him and I had our Ford vs Chevy wars. Man what a time.
@@lmCIoudz I want a new F350 with the 7.3L big block. Dealership told me 8 months. This crap has become dumb. Yes, Chevy needs an HD truck with a big block and a 10 speed "Allison". Allison doesn't actually make the transmissions anymore for GM, it's just a branding deal. Bring back the 8.1L updated and throw 4.30 gears in it and a 10 speed and it would be a monster that could actually compete with Ford's new 7.3L.
Nothing can beat a 7.3 excursion that hasn’t been roached or rusted. Solid build trucks. Most people that still own them aren’t trying to sell. I’ve been looking for one for years now.
@@marcusmcpherson5296he’s saying he can’t find a nice one. Lots of garbage junk that you will spend $80,000 fixing and it will NEVER be nice ever again. You’re better off finding a Time Machine to take you back to 2002. That being said I’ve owned a lot of old junk and cummins and 7.3 arnt too bad with a lot of miles. I spent 12 grand trying to keep a lb7 duramax running and finally just had enough of dealing with it I sold it for $1500 and like three months later I saw it for sale again for $2500 saying the motor blew up after the guy fixed everything that was wrong with it when I sold it so if I hadn’t sold it and kept fixing it I would have easily been $30,000 into a rotted out lb7 that now needs a motor. You could replace the motor but then it’s a rotted out truck. By the time you’re done you spent $150,000 to have a $10,000 truck. That’s just been my experience buying old junk trucks thinking I can make them better and last. I’ve had 16 trucks and like 5 cars I think and these days I’m torn between a 2010 Nissan frontier 5 speed or a 8.1/v10 that’s actually nice. I kinda regret spending as much money as I have on just driving garbage and buying nonsense but Atleast I’ve never paid a mechanic to do anything but mount tires because I enjoy my time more then mounting tires 😂 I really hope who ever fully reads this can learn from my real world experience and not just get hustled because they didn’t have the real info presented to them
Back in 2001 I actually had a fully loaded 2500 Chevy Suburban with that 8.1L, was such a beast! In the snow 4 wheel donuts came easy. Drove an Excursion with the V10 before buying the Suburban, didn't need the extra space.
Wow donuts in the snow. The ultimate measure of power. Oh wait I’m pretty my grandma does donuts in the snow in her wheelchair. It’s not even an electric one
My 1.8L golf alltrack will also do effortless 4 wheel snow donuts, though you certainly have one up on interior space. With 4.5x more displacement the 8.1 only has 1.5x more power and torque (i do have a stage 1 tune). I would rather take a 6.0 or 8.1 burb over a V10 excursion though. Except for the newer lariats, Ford truck interiors suck.
I had a 8.1 Yukon XL before. I had to say overall it drove much better than Excursion with the IFS. Also felt lighter on its feet. Excursion drove like an old bus. And the 8.1 actually got decent MPG for what it was (14MPG)
I have an excursion. The previous owner didn't need to convert those. They convert themselves. The vacuum activated hubs stop working, and then they are just manual.
Yeah, they really haven’t been entirely “converted” as they would’ve come with a manually selectable “auto” and “locked” settings from the factory. I assume they built them that way in anticipation of failure lol. This has not gone away, either. 2022 super duties still have selectable hubs.
@@denniswobbe3157 it’s usually the control solenoid under the hood that fails more than the seals at the hub. I’ve replaced it on my 2008 F450’and many customers trucks. $80 part
The 6.8 v10 triton is one of the most durable engine I have ever worked with.We had one at the job I was working at 5 years ago in construction with 700 000 kms and it was still running like a champ towing a 10 000lbs trailer everyday of the week.
Thank you for accepting the criticism and admitting the 'mistake' on your first comparison. The 8.1 was the king of the hill for gas SUVs. GM wins on gas engines, interior, and the G80. Ford wins on the diesel option and the tailgate.
The interior is where I disagree. Ford has always been just slightly ahead of its interior choices i feel. Early 2000s GM vehicles just have this incredibly cheap look and feel. Not to mention the terrible quality that has shown up with cracked dashboards and peeling dashes as well.
@@RandomHeroGames man you might want to get your eyes checked because the Super Duty interiors look like a Playmobil set of "My First Interior by Ford™" GM's sucks too but def not as bad
@@RandomHeroGames i respectfully disagree with you . I find the plastics seem nicer on the early 2000s chevs . I just have to compare the econ vans compared to the express and the fords just seem to me like they have aged alot worst for style. I dont really like the balloonish roundish kids plastic style that they put commercial light grey color on. The steering wheel is bubbley and the switches are all bubbles also.
@@theyeetus1428 Lol....build your own truck and show him how it's done. But ill give you a little hint: Gearing can easily make up for less torque....weight isn't as easy to compensate for. I'm certain he'd rather have 500 pounds less in deep silt....but he'll check with you next time.
I had an '02 2500 Avalanche with the 8100. By far my favorite vehicle that I've owned over the past 28 years. Fuel mileage was surprisingly good, reliability was top notch.
I love both of these vehicles, but I know from witnessing it that those V10’s have no issues pulling stuff around and lasting a long time with only regular maintenance.
Lol. Right....as long as you consider spark plugs blowing out or breaking off in the cylinder head and fuel pump drivers falling off the truck as normal maintenence...
The 6.0 was one of the worst engines ever put into a vehicle. Not that it's bullet proof it'll be a good engine, but the fact that it had so many problems out of the gate, just not ok
@@denniswobbe3157 Supposedly the 05 on up 6.0s were a lot better. Bunch of minor improvements. Only having 4 head bolts per cylinder didn't help. I know of a good number of guys that have had minimal problems on the 6.0s.
I’d love a new production/designed Excursion with the 7.3 gas/10 speed. A SUV is ideal for my needs but I also have to tow 10K. Don’t feel comfortable doing that with the newer Expeditions/Yukon XLs. I’m a full float axle/heavy duty frame fan. Wish GM still made the new 2500 Suburban/Yukons available to the public…
@@RatchetTrashPanda it wasnt for towing but for specific payload capacity for gov use. Some agencies use them for up armor and some use them to carry specific payloads/equipment.
@@csh000 why? They weren't made up or fake. Vehicle was made for carrying specific payloads. Ever see a gov 3500 towing anything behind the pres or important officials? Ever see one doing specific tasks towing a trailer? No. With that being said, it simply wasn't tested/certified for towing as it was unnecessary for it's purpose.
@@mracer69 you're correct it likely was not tested for towing. That's the only reason why it's rated towing is 'made up'. It's the only vehicle I would tow 3x it's rated limit and not worry about.
Let me tell you 294k miles isn’t anything she still has a long way to go. I have an 02 silverado 2500hd with the 8.1 and I got 439k on it and its all the original drivetrain still runs great and has amazing oil pressure. most reliable vehicle i have ever owned
Got to second the love of the recliners in the gmc. I've had my 2003 duramax for 15 years and it's my favorite road trip vehicle mostly because of how comfortable the seats are.
I have 2006 Suburban 2500 with the 6.0 V8. 4.10 rear and Bilstein 5100 shocks. Averaged 16 mpg road trip Seattle to Banff to Glacier and back. Had no trouble off-roading. Now has 180k. Will keep it forever.
I own a 6.0 PSD Excursion and a 6.0 gas 2500 GMT800 Suburban. The Suburban is hands-down the better vehicle. It’s absurdly reliable (it’s even towed the Excursion home after an inevitable 6.0 Powerstroke break down), the seats are ridiculously comfortable, it rides great, it tows great, it looks great- I LOVE it. But… I’m selling it. The Achilles heel of the GMT800 Suburban for me is that it’s always managed to feel cramped inside, even though it’s huge. With 3 kids loaded up with luggage, camping gear, etc. it just never feels “enough”. I took the fam on a long road trip in the Excursion a couple months back and it’s just so bloody cavernous inside. All the room in the back seat, cargo area, etc PLUS vastly more knee, elbow, shoulder and head room. The seats are nowhere near as good, but I’ve got room to shift around in my seat and find a comfortable position!
@@casselts1 I can only imagine how clean the outside is due to no snow. My 02 is pretty rusty due to salt in winter which I would have clean off but I bought it that way.
I purchased a brand new Excursion Limited 4x4 with the V10 all options in 2001. I test drove both the Excursion and the 1 ton 8.1 GMC. I loved the GMC but it was about 50K out the door so i decided to test drive the Ford. I did not even get across the parking lot and fell in love with that giant Excursion. The choice was either the 4.10 axle on the 3/4 ton version and the 4.30 axle ratio was the 1 ton version. I bought the 4.30 one ton. It ran like a jackrabbit out of the hole. always drove city and got 10mpg just used to go to work and back. once on the highway i checked it got 15mpg and i was running it hard. at 80mph it zipped along like a slot car with the 4.30 gearing. The cost with Ford family friends discount and 6% tax was $40K out the door. I loved that vehicle and drove it 84K miles over the 15 years ownership without issue. The only reason i got rid of it was the age so i traded it in on a new 2016 Wrangler. They gave me 5300.00 for it on trade. It was basically still like new. BTW all these beasts have manual locking front axles. They were as old school as it gets like me. I loved the 44 gallon gas tank and only had to fill up once a month.
My foster parents hated their excursion more than I knew anybody could hate a vehicle, they needed it for everything and they hated the fact that they had to have it. They complained about the gas mileage the ride the utility, the size and weight, The fact that they had room for their friends kids but couldn't legally carry them in any given situation, everything. They also absolutely hated their kids even more than their foster kids.
I have a 2001 Silverado 2500hd, ext. cac, long bed, 8.1L/Allison, 4wd, 4.10:1, G80 diff. My wife has a 2002 F250 SD ext. cab, short bed, V10/4R100, 4wd, 4.30:1 gears (4x4 off road package). On paper, the 6.8 is the more "efficient" of the two; having more HP & torque per cube then the 8.1. But, there is no comparison, the 8.1 blows it away. This is actually the second 8.1 truck I've owned, and Haven been without one in 16 years. I've driven a G2500 van with the 8.1/4L80E and didn't really care for that combo, but I don't know what the gear ratio was. I do know that if I owned an 8.1 Suburban I would do an Allison swap.
@@3katd the Ford won with the solid front axle and 7.3 if they would of had a d Maxx option for the suburban it would of been sweet the gm also wins with the Alison transmition they put behind the 8.1 if they would of offered a d Maxx with the suburban it would be a real even match
@@3katd I would like to refraze a little bit it would of been real even match up with the 6.6 and 7.3 both of which r bullet proof from the factory the 6.0 not so much
Just to clear that up at 16:10 about the navigation screens, someone has updated that 2003 to the 2005 style. The reason your 03 escalade doesn't have a touchscreen is because that style radio didn't come out until 05, someone has upgraded from the 03 nav.
I'm a gm guy all the way being a construction worker had an 8.1 in the truck configuration and an f350 with the v10 and in my opinion there's no comparison gm was so much better in the sense of reliability.
My dad has a 2000 excursion with the v10 and about 250k miles. The back glass was shattered years ago by a tree branch and it has been parked for probably 3-4 years at this point and is sinking into the dirt it is parked on. He gets regular offers placed under his windshield wiper yet he stubbornly refuses to part with it.
I owned my burban2500 8.1 for 8 years. 201000 miles on it. Never missed a beat. Towed 9800lbs camper and it towed just fine. Now I own a f350 with a v10. It does have tons of power but it seemed that the low end torque isn’t as much as the burban8.1. It’s hard to pick a winner.
Another thing to consider, after 2005 ford introduced the 3 valve head into the v10 increasing it to around 360hp and 460lbs. This only applies to ford trucks facing the vortex, the excursion didn’t get the v10 after 2005. The 3 valve head also dealt with the spark plug issue in the modular line. I have a 2006 f-350 with the updated v10, it’s powerful, thirsty and makes sweet ten cylinder music
except it wasn't any of the standard Dana 60 Axles. It was this garbage dana 50 with little interchangabality with a standard D60, and little to no upgrades available. still stronger than Chevy's IFS, but also not a D60. The Chevy IFS still drives better on the highway, and for seriuous offroad you'd still have to swap a proper D60 into the excursion, so it's no solid winner IMO.
@@cavenderandrews9098 I wouldn't call the Dana 50 garbage, it'll handle 37-38 inch tires with a locker, and even if you do swap it, a Dana 60 out of a F350 is literally a bolt in swap, where anything GM made after 1988 has to have serious fabrication done to be able to take abuse offroad.
@@ramaswamynarayanaswamy4806 not the excursions, they kept the leaf springs on the front, the coil springs with track bar is more prone to death wobble
I love both but the GMC suburban will always hold a special place in my heart because my grandfather bought his first one in 1982 as he needed a 4x4 to get to the hospital in wisconsin winters as he was an OBGYN. He would buy the next generation everytime it came out until his last one which was a 2011 1500 Denali which he custom ordered with every option. He owned that truck until he died. Then it was sold to my uncle who's house burned down with that suburban in the garage and totaled it out. I miss that suburban and my grandpa so much, so many memories were in the passenger seat of that truck.
Just retired our f250 with the triton......220k miles of hard construction work with a utility bed since new. Only retired it had 387k miles and the seats were toast along with the rear end. Loved it enough to buy another
Ok, real life comparison... in 2020 my boss and I both bought new to us work trucks. Boss bought a 2001 Chevy 2500HD with the 8.1 with 145k miles on the odometer, he paid $9000. I bought a 2000 Ford F-350 with the 6.8 with 112k miles and paid $5000. Both trucks started off just fine. But, 6 months later I needed a radiator and water pump. Then a month later a couple of coils quit, so I replaced them all. 2 months after that 2 injectors quit. A month after that I developed a mean misfire in the #5 cylinder. A leak down check indicated burnt exhaust valve. 3 days after that diagnosis the right side, passenger side, timing chain broke. I replaced the chains and tried to start it and it barely ran..... bent valves on the right bank. So my truck lasted a year and made it to 145k miles. My bosses Chevy now has 225k miles on it and has only needed oil changes. Oh and I should also mention the MPG. The 6.8 couldnt pass a gas station, getting the best MPG of 9.2 with an avg of 7.1. Bosses Chevy with the 8.1 got best MPG of 13.6 with an avg of 11.2. And Ford calls their trucks Super Duty! HA! They should be called Stupid Duty. And Chevy should call theirs Superior Duty! P.S. I still own the truck and will be removing the engine to do a complete overhaul. I figure since I didn't pay much for it I can afford to fix it. Besides, I do like the way the truck drove. I just wont think it's a Super Duty, I treat it like it's an F-150 that gets really bad gas mileage. Oh, last thing, the only real plus to the Ford is the interior space. Both trucks had buckets in front and sat 3 in the rear. But, the Ford sat 3 adults much more comfortably than the Chevy.
im sorry but i have spent 20+ years in automotive parts sales and service and i can tell you for a fact the spark plug issue with the triton 3 valve engines are sooooo much worse than anything you can imagine. there are literal ford dealerships around me that i can but will not name that will 100% refuse to do tune ups, or fix the broken spark plug issues with these 3 valve engines. if you had one that needed this repair good luck finding a backyard mechanic that was stupid enough to try and do it.
I've never owned a Ford personally, but we had the v10 in our work vehicles, but also converted to propane for the tax perks. It did a good job and we had several in the fleet with over 450k miles. Both of these do the work!
Thanks for shooting the RPO codes on the GMC it also has the GT4 = 3.73 gears. Which means lower towing capacity, but I also wonder how that would effect the 0 - 60 time. For nearly 300k that is a very nice truck!
Towing capacity is irrelevant because you will run out of payload well before you run out of towing capacity. Payload is about 2k which is eaten up fast by passengers, cargo and the tongue weight of the trailer (this alone will be more than half if you’re pushing the upper limits of towing capacity) I
@@toddsickinger3934 You could add a weight distributing hitch for about $1K from etrailer and add a couple thousand pounds on the tongue (transferring more to the front).
Well, I have one of both sitting in my driveway. A 2002 V10 excursion 4x4 and a 2003 suburban 8.1 4x4. There is no comparison in pulling power or comfort. The Chevy is miles ahead in both departments. When we are taking a family trip with the travel trailer we always take the suburban. There is just something about the excursion though that makes me keep it. They just have a better ‘cool’ factor. And I do love to hear that v10 moan. I still want a set of Banks headers for mine but I just can’t justify the cost. I actually prefer the v10 to the diesels in every situation other than towing. They are just zippier around town.
@@rustyrutledge9094 Well, having owned mine for 22 years, I disagree. The stock triton solved the expansion contraction differential of the cast block with aluminum heads blowing the bolts/gasket after about 200k on my Tbird, but having the block and heads from aluminum, but the issue with the cast iron manifolds on the aluminum block remained, notably the end bolts blowing off, then the possibility of the manifold warping and needing to be ground to fit again, simple solution was to bolt on the JBA shorty headers, the steel attachment has enough give in it that it no longer blows the bolts, and allows the engine to breathe much better. You could immediately feel the difference in the power, and as I tested the pig when I bought it, 0-60 in 12 seconds, then after putting the headers on, 0-60 in 9 seconds. The cast manifold blew about 70k, I now have 340k on it. Another advantage of the JBA shorties, is they are a straight bolt on between the engine and the Y exhaust.
I bought my 8.1 from Tyler too, such a great guy, love mine. I took the back seat out and put in a fridge and such. Easily my favorite towing vehicle I have ever owned.
My best friend’s family growing up had multiple excursions and hummers (before they went bankrupt thanks to 2008). Made me always have a soft spot for massive ridiculous SUVs, but the Excursion was always my favorite. V10 or 7.3 powerstroke for the win!
I’ve been in one Excursion and it was awesome! That was about 15 years ago maybe longer. I wish they would have kept going with it and maybe it’ll come back one day
Great Video! Need an Excursion with 4.30 gears to get that acceleration! I believe yours has 3.73s There were also 4.10s available in diesels. My 2wd v10 was optioned to 4.30s and is quicker than you would expect. Keep these videos coming!
Been towing a 13K # 5th wheel since new in '03 with our 8.1 2500HD Silverado. Still going very strong. The Silverado with the 8.1 was available with the Allison 1000 tranny. The 8.1 was used also in I/O marine applications. A very stout engine.
I see on your RPO codes on the GMC the GT4 code which means it comes equipped with the 3.73. Just imagine the 0-60 with the 4.10s! Both badass vehicles. Not going to lie, Tommy was not my favorite TFL member at first but he is quickly growing on me as he produces more videos, especially badass ones with these old monster SUVs!!
@@wretchedrider2157 you said it was staying that way only 500 miles like that is like less than 20 hours of driving . Seems like such a waste. A machine cant be amazing just siting . 20 year old vehicle with 500 miles on it .
We have a 2003 GMC 3500 dually with the 8.1 V8 and the Alison transmission. It was the predecessor of the Duramax. And I can tell you our GMC can haul anything. And I mean anything. I can dump 10 yards of much in the dump bed and you wouldn’t even know there was anything there. It is certainly the holy grail.
I’m a GM buyer but I love the 7.3 powerstroke Excursion, only thing I would change about Chevy and GMC trucks is not having round finders and the IFS has got to go on the 2500 4x4 and 3500 4x4 trucks .
I have to agree with your comment regarding GM independent front suspension. I have a 2005 GMC 3500 4x4 duramax with 180k miles. I have had the front suspension rebuilt twice. The last time was about 10k miles ago. Hit a pothole and blew the upper ball joint. I also have a 2001 Excursion 7.3 with 270k and a 2004 Excursion 6.0 with 10k after restoration. Both Excursions set on F350 suspension. I also owned a 2015 Yukon Xl with 5.3 and sold it after 2 years. The Ford solid front axle set up is more reliable. Less moving parts, it's just plain heavy duty. The Fords also have more comfortable seats. The seats are more comfortable, better seat heaters and ride better than my 3500 GMC. The 2015 Yukon beat them all in ride quality, but the suspension was easily maxed out in towing or cargo hauling. In my opinion the Excursion should have been offered with a heavy duty leaf spring / towing option. The suspension the factory suspension is too soft for heavy trailering, but it still beats GM overall. JMHO !
@@farmtruck9414 you are completely out in left field. No way in hell does the furd ride better. The chassis stiffness if the gm trucks easily dictates that. Cv joints are way stronger than u joints. My friends that bought new trucks in 03 like me rebuilt their front suspension before i did. Remember furds twin traction beam??? That was one tire wearing pos. The only real extra moving parts is one set of bushings......but not having death wobble at all ever is ftw.
Yes the twin I beam suspension was an expensive set up to keep on the road. I had a 95 Bronco and I agree it kinda sucked replacing front end parts regularly.
I own a 2000 limited excursion, 6.8. First, put the JBA headers on it. My excursion stock did 0-60 in 12 seconds, with headers, 9 seconds. Apples to oranges comparison on interiors, 2003 vs 2000, XLT vs top end GMC. My excursion, leather seats. What's with the go slow over the rough stuff? Excursion in 4 wheel low will crawl over anything, hubs are locked, so not a chance you would have had wheel spin on that flat wimpy ground if it was set right.
Didn't you realize that this is a Ford Bias channel. Always taken low grade Ford's and compare them to the top of the line GMs. Watch enough of these idiot's you will see what I mean.
My dad had a V10 Excursion, fast it was not, but was definitely a torque monster down low. Had it been in better shape when I inherited it I might have tried turning it into an overlander, but it was in need of a ton of body work and I sold it to a guy who collected them and had a stash of parts ready for it
I guess depends on what you’re using it for, in most cases you’re going to want the suburban, I just love the look of the excursion, the size, and the amount of customization that can be done to it. And tank size is really nice when you’re on a trip.
The Excursion is awesome for my family of 5 and 2 dogs! I have the 5.4 and I tow my TT, it's not going anywhere fast, but it does just fine cruising at 65. I am very comfortable and safe while I watch the gas gauge....
@@workct4102 I have the 6.0L powerstroke Excursion and can just make it from my house just west of Denver to Flagstaff on a tank. It's great, except the price of diesel right now.
My dad's 2002 8.1 L Suburban is still running great and driven most weeks. That vehicle is absolutely wild, especially after the full on hot-rod style rebuild of the engine.
My dad bought a 8.1 yukon xl brand new in 2002. Still has it to this day with 247k on it. Pulled a trailer almost its hole life. Was a great rig. His got every option and chose some interesting choices lol. It has the 4.10 rear end gear, lift rear hatch, sunroof, second row captain chairs.
I’m a ford and mopar guy through and through and as much as I love the expedition I gotta say that a buddy of mine has a Chevy truck with the 8.1 liter and that thing always impressed me, it would boogie. And he’s still got it to this day and it still runs good, couple trannies later. I would prefer the 7.3 powerstroke any day to the v10 gas, I’ve had several 7.3s and they’re just torquey and bulletproof Edit: yeah my buddy also always said the 8.1 got 9mpg on a good day not pulling anything
Great vid! I have an 03 8.1 dually with 80k miles and it tows and shifts like nothing else - can’t beat the vortex with the Allison. It’s still mint condition! I think about selling, but always come to my senses when I see how terrible the diesel emissions are and there’s def no other gasser that even comes close.
Just curious what gear ratio each of those had? The V-10 needs the optional 4.30, even unloaded the 3.73 V-10 Excursion was a dog, it always felt like the trans didn’t know what to do!
The suburban came out in 1935 that was 87 years ago, the Excursion only had a 5 year run, I've been driving suburbans for the last 20 years nothing else. How many vehicles can say they been on the road since the 1930s, Chevy/GMC all day for me
The touch screen wasn’t available until 2005. Someone added it. Even my 04 Platinum ESV was nonTNR (non-touch). I currently own 2 2500 Yukon XL GMT800 and 5 1500 GMT800. It’s the best platform ever produced. The GMT800 went through an update in 2003 (electronics and aesthetics) and again in 04 (all models went to returnless fuel system) then again in 05 (electronics only).
@@LotsOfPaypa cluster programming, amp draw sensing, variable charging (2 wire alt vs 4 wire on the 04), different BCM programming, are all different between yours. And more differences been the 1500 models.
I looked for months and months until I found an old 2500 suburban 4WD. Found one. 2003 LT 6.0L with 157,000 miles. $7500. White on tan. Loaded. IM HAPPY!
The 8.1L is a beast. I own a yukon that is spec'd same as the one in this video. Tow 6k lbs with it almost every day and it just shrugs it off. 8.1L burbs/yukons are a "unicorn" to those that know what they are... but the 8.1L burbs/yukons that also had quadrasteer? That's like finding a unicorn, bigfoot and a living megalodon all in the same day. As for the ford v10s, I do fleet maintenance/repairs for an ambulance company that has a fleet of the ford v10s. My experience with them is that they don't hold up well to heavy abuse. Have yet to see one hit 200k miles. Most the ambulances seem to need an engine swap in the neighborhood of 150k miles due to low compression in a few cylinders.
Even Rarer is the Avalanche 2500. Of all the trucks I've owned and driven. It was my favorite. My only complaint was that it only had a 4 speed transmission.
That 8.1 is ridiculous, the Duramax diesels of the era tow the exact same 12,000lbs, while the Excursion maxed out at 11,000lbs and that's with the diesel....I'd take the 8100.
The V10 can pull the same 11,000 lbs. with the proper axle ratio, and it's some 700 lbs. lighter than the diesel, leaving you more payload capacity. I think the people clamoring for the diesel are just stuck in that diesel fanboy/fangirl mentality, because if you opt for the diesel in an Excursion, you only have about 1,200 to 1,400 lbs. payload capacity; but with the V10, 1,900 to 2,100 lbs. In a 1-ton pickup which can tow/haul significantly more, the diesel makes sense; but not in these 3/4 ton SUVs. The big-block gassers are definitely the way to go in these vehicles! Also, considering the fuel price difference from gas to diesel, and the more expensive, albeit slightly less frequent maintenance; I don't see a financial argument panning out either. Also, you kinda gotta hand it to the Excursion for being able to come within 1,000 lbs. the tow capacity of the 8.1 while doing it with 1.2 liters less engine! 😉 LoL j/k. I would have loved to have either of these rigs for pulling my 38 foot travel trailer, but the Excursion won out for me simply because it was easier to find in a configuration that could actually do the job. Do you know how rare the 2500 Sub/Yukon XLs are to find for sale??? Then on top of that, it HAS to be the 8.1 to pull that much, which is even more rare! The only version of the Excursion that couldn't do the job was the 5.4 V8, which is rare one anyhow, and if an Excursion is 4x4, you know it has the V10 or diesel, seeing as they didn't offer the 5.4 in 4x4 models.
If we are being fair, the later version of the 6.8L V10 might be better against the 8.1L. The later 3V V10 made 360 some odd horsepower and 450 ish lb ft, and I believe also got the Torqshift 5 speed auto vs the old 4 speed. And the ride was better when it ditched the leaf spring front in 05. Just sayin. 3V might not have been as reliable, but still. Amd the Excursion was just like the Superduty, coming with selectable manual locking or auto locking hubs.
'02 Suburban LT 2500, 8.1L, 340,000 miles on the original engine and transmission. Everything still works, including the air ride suspension. Had to replace a fuel pump about 5,000 miles ago but, I also ran it with less than a quarter tank a lot. So, really can't complain, considering that I've put about 50k miles on it since I purchased it and I only paid $2,800.
You are correct, had to because the automatic 4 wheel drive doesn't work in the excursion, never has even when they were New .. motortrend found that out testing them when they first came out
As an Excursion V10 owner, I must say, it tows fine. This said, but I can acknowledge that 8.1L from GM. “No replacement for displacement.”
Too bad that 8.1 is a gutless underpowered turd 👎
@@CoyoteFTW they're built to last. Not for mpg or power. A 1969 car makes double the hp this thing does
@@SuperSnakePlissken yeah you're mistaken let's hook up 20,000 lb to the 8.1 l in whatever you think has power and that b**** will run circles around you it has 500 foot pounds of torque off idle. Okay so it only made 360 horsepower all of the time.
What year model excursion was used for this test? They did eventually get the 362 hp version of the 3valve 6.8L V-10, did they use the two valve version of the Triton V-10 for this test?
Nevermind, I just found out that the excursion never got the 362 hp version of the V10!! What a shame as that version with the optional 430 gears would have smoked the Suburban or Yukon XL. I had both the 8.1 vortec and 6.8v10 Triton (the 2V and 3V engines). Loved em both but that 3V with 430 gears was a STUD!!
my 04 excursion says in the manual it can tow 16500# wonder why its different?
I used to plow with a 02 chevy 2500hd with the 8.1l and allison trans with 4.10 gears. It would smoke the tires off a dead stop. It had an intake exhaust and tuner. Still runs great to this day with over 220k miles
Yea, they're bananas.. I think they look so similar to the 1500s that people that haven't checked one out, have no idea of the level the 2500 8.1s are at, especially with the 4.10 locker rear ends. Really, they are a marvel of machinery. Literally the only compromise made, was fuel economy- not a corner was cut.
I had a 2005 Lincoln Navigator with the 32v 5.4 engine. It was great until I was T-boned one day, but it got 9mpg on 87 octane and 11 on 92. What did your 8.1get? I'm inclined to believe it was worth the extra torque.
@@holdover8199 averages around 10 whether its pulling or not.
@@kylefitzherbert9381 and if anyone claims otherwise, they are lying lol. 9 when towing a heavy load, 10.5 empty at 70mph.
Damn my old 5.3 it's pushing 660,000 and still chugging along they don't make them like they used to that's for sure
I might be a Ford guy but any GM product with a 8.1 is a beast.
I have an 8.1 2500 HD. So many people rag on 8.1 gas mileage… You can tell those people have never towed with one… They are super Beasts🤘. If you’re not looking to tow more than a half ton truck capacity don’t buy it…And no of course I do not daily drive it… I have a $5000 beater that gets 26 mpg for that
@@the_truck_farmer the gas mileage is terrible as would be expected, but the biggest issue is the oil consumption.
@@alexs3187 I believe the 8.1 is actually more fuel efficient than the 454 it replaced in these GM trucks and SUVs.
@@jamesbeaman6337 I’ve had one. It got about what I expected for a big block. Nothing earth shattering. Oddly enough the best I ever got was 23 mpg from Heber City, UT to Ogden UT. Hand calculated. Overall stretch drops about 1000 ft in elevation. Typical was about 10-11.
I think GM called the 8.1 ‘the beast’ if I remember lol
My 8.1L GMC Yukon is same as the one here.
On 33” tires and a 2” leveling lift I’ve taken it on the mining roads in Ouray CO at 13,000 ft with ZERO issues. I’ve ran it up Silver Cloud Mine on blast rock roads like it was no big deal. More than a few brodozer lifted Jeeps gave me the side eye as I passed them by on Engineer Pass, and the trails near Animas Forks.
Plenty of low end torque, great towing, 40 gallon gas tank, and enough room to sleep comfortably with both back seats out. Never gonna sell it.
Same, have a 02 8.1 4x4 with the locker. I drove around stuck jeeps and pulled them out. Not sure what makes it so good off-road but for a big rig, it does the job. I've owned jeep cjs, Cherokees, 1/2ton pickups and f350s etc. 8.1 is a keeper.
That thing puts the "pass everything but the gas station" mantra to shame sending prayers for your billfold
@@wildbill23c growing up with the fam had a 97 gmc burban with the 5.7 we hauled the boat up north filled with beer coolers and seven people's week worth of luggage noooo problemo but damn we made quite a few stops and that's with the 20 something gallon tank lmao
@@wildbill23cooof then you gotta cry twice at the pump too 😂😂😥😥😥
In my opinion K2500 Suburbans aren't given nearly enough credit. Granted it is by no means a serious rock crawler but my '95 has always got me where I wanted to go. Short of almost, ALMOST getting stuck once on an unmarked trail off a forest service road in a couple feet of snow. Even that was because it was surefooted enough that I got overconfident. That's with stock-sized tires and a 350 too. I've got a 454 in the garage right now that I'm building for it and I'd love to do a solid-axle swap as well. But even as it is I have no complaints at all about its off road performance.
I have a 2002 Yukon XL 2500 with an 8.1 and this video is an accurate rundown. Took mine across the country towing a 30 ft trailer at 170,000 miles, and about to drive across the country at 205,000 miles. These were well made trucks
that and its pretty hard to stress it just driving it
i have same... 650,000km but it looks like i need new headers cause it leak exhausts and its not the gasket
What was your average mpg for that trip?
I heard somewhere that the block head and internals on the 8100 are capable of up to 1k HP. It's seriously over built.
Mate where did you got it from? i saw one excursion for sale in Canada for 13,000. IT had 617,000 kms on it.
My family had an 05 8.1 suburban for a 13 years. Used to haul the family around and a 26ft boat from SLC to lake Powell weekly during the summer. It was an incredible vehicle with plenty of power, never felt like it struggled to pull anything and quite a bit of luxury for the time. Lots of fond memories with that vehicle.
The 8.1 496 is the only engine to survive the "marine dock test" , wide open throttle for 300 hours !! Enough said !
WOT for 300 hours? Do you know if it was stopped, oil changed and then kept going? That’s insane.
Would do great as a boat anchor Too I’ll take the V10,
@@guitarfreak2105 I believe it's run wot for 55 min. then idle for 5 min. then back to wot for 55 min. and so on , no stops .
Also the only engine to attempt
@@CoyoteFTW intelligent comment. Bolt ons and heads the 8.1 makes 525hp and 580tq. A more aggressive cam/lifter setup with pistons and rods makes 610hp and 640tq, no boost. You won’t see a V10 make those numbers.
My Chevy crew cab dually has the 8.1 big block and the Alison transmission. Has hauled my 3 horse LQ Elite horse trailer across, up and down the US to the tune of 116,000 miles. NEVER left me sitting on the side of the road. Great comfortable interstate hauler hauler
I mean that’s not really impressive maybe for a Chevy.
@CoyoteFTW Typical ford dick rider goddamn. My mans is just stating his experience. You legit are attacking anyone in the comments who says anything good and GM get a life.
I would love to see a max tow up the IKE with both of these.
Yes we need to see this
I don't think they will ike anything too old, I believe Tommy mentioned it in a previous video... for safety. Of course, I would love to see the V10 ike, they are built as a workhorse
I've been asking for them to do an old vs new ike gauntlet
Seriously!
Pretty simple, the V10 loves to rev so it will do a good run. The 8.1 will bog down, them the tranny will overheat. It may even run out of oil!
I grew up with a 7.3 excursion, and my friends parents had the 8.1 suburban. They both were awesome but him and I had our Ford vs Chevy wars. Man what a time.
You dragged him around the lot didn’t you? Lol
@@robertwilk-WabbieWasabi666 we had to help them tow stuff when their suburban struggled too much
The GM 8100 is legendary. It was also used pretty heavily in offshore power boats.
So legendary that it lasted.....5 years?
@@workct4102 C.A.F.E. regulations...
@@richfarfugnuven6308 Adapt and overcome, oh wait it's a Chevy, they don't do that.
@@workct4102 yes they can go over million mile. Cadillac dealership here in town had a service one over million.
@@lmCIoudz I want a new F350 with the 7.3L big block. Dealership told me 8 months. This crap has become dumb. Yes, Chevy needs an HD truck with a big block and a 10 speed "Allison". Allison doesn't actually make the transmissions anymore for GM, it's just a branding deal. Bring back the 8.1L updated and throw 4.30 gears in it and a 10 speed and it would be a monster that could actually compete with Ford's new 7.3L.
G80 for the win! Would love to have either a 7.3 Excursion or an 8.1 Suburban, they are both awesome.
I have the 7.3L Excursion. I love it.
@@Toxically_Masculine_Crusader I’ve had both and both are great! Prefer the seats in the suburban to the excursion though.
I would love to see these two do a Super Ike! I can't recall seeing an 8.1 powered truck run the gauntlet...
Never had one on it .be cool though
Nothing can beat a 7.3 excursion that hasn’t been roached or rusted. Solid build trucks. Most people that still own them aren’t trying to sell. I’ve been looking for one for years now.
Fb market
@@marcusmcpherson5296he’s saying he can’t find a nice one. Lots of garbage junk that you will spend $80,000 fixing and it will NEVER be nice ever again. You’re better off finding a Time Machine to take you back to 2002. That being said I’ve owned a lot of old junk and cummins and 7.3 arnt too bad with a lot of miles. I spent 12 grand trying to keep a lb7 duramax running and finally just had enough of dealing with it I sold it for $1500 and like three months later I saw it for sale again for $2500 saying the motor blew up after the guy fixed everything that was wrong with it when I sold it so if I hadn’t sold it and kept fixing it I would have easily been $30,000 into a rotted out lb7 that now needs a motor. You could replace the motor but then it’s a rotted out truck. By the time you’re done you spent $150,000 to have a $10,000 truck. That’s just been my experience buying old junk trucks thinking I can make them better and last. I’ve had 16 trucks and like 5 cars I think and these days I’m torn between a 2010 Nissan frontier 5 speed or a 8.1/v10 that’s actually nice. I kinda regret spending as much money as I have on just driving garbage and buying nonsense but Atleast I’ve never paid a mechanic to do anything but mount tires because I enjoy my time more then mounting tires 😂 I really hope who ever fully reads this can learn from my real world experience and not just get hustled because they didn’t have the real info presented to them
Back in 2001 I actually had a fully loaded 2500 Chevy Suburban with that 8.1L, was such a beast! In the snow 4 wheel donuts came easy. Drove an Excursion with the V10 before buying the Suburban, didn't need the extra space.
Wow donuts in the snow. The ultimate measure of power.
Oh wait I’m pretty my grandma does donuts in the snow in her wheelchair. It’s not even an electric one
My 1.8L golf alltrack will also do effortless 4 wheel snow donuts, though you certainly have one up on interior space. With 4.5x more displacement the 8.1 only has 1.5x more power and torque (i do have a stage 1 tune).
I would rather take a 6.0 or 8.1 burb over a V10 excursion though. Except for the newer lariats, Ford truck interiors suck.
I had a 8.1 Yukon XL before. I had to say overall it drove much better than Excursion with the IFS. Also felt lighter on its feet. Excursion drove like an old bus. And the 8.1 actually got decent MPG for what it was (14MPG)
I have an excursion. The previous owner didn't need to convert those. They convert themselves. The vacuum activated hubs stop working, and then they are just manual.
That’s why most owners switch to Warn hubs….myself included
Replace the seal on the back of the hub and they should start working again
Yeah, they really haven’t been entirely “converted” as they would’ve come with a manually selectable “auto” and “locked” settings from the factory. I assume they built them that way in anticipation of failure lol. This has not gone away, either. 2022 super duties still have selectable hubs.
@@denniswobbe3157 I could, but they just fail again. I just treat them as manual.
@@denniswobbe3157 it’s usually the control solenoid under the hood that fails more than the seals at the hub. I’ve replaced it on my 2008 F450’and many customers trucks. $80 part
The 6.8 v10 triton is one of the most durable engine I have ever worked with.We had one at the job I was working at 5 years ago in construction with 700 000 kms and it was still running like a champ towing a 10 000lbs trailer everyday of the week.
Thank you for accepting the criticism and admitting the 'mistake' on your first comparison. The 8.1 was the king of the hill for gas SUVs. GM wins on gas engines, interior, and the G80. Ford wins on the diesel option and the tailgate.
The interior is where I disagree. Ford has always been just slightly ahead of its interior choices i feel.
Early 2000s GM vehicles just have this incredibly cheap look and feel. Not to mention the terrible quality that has shown up with cracked dashboards and peeling dashes as well.
@@RandomHeroGames lol the interior of this generation f250 was worse than the dash of a school bus.
@@cinder9950 having dealt with F250s and Excursions, I respectfully disagree. The interiors of GM vehicles are cheap and ugly compared to Ford.
@@RandomHeroGames man you might want to get your eyes checked because the Super Duty interiors look like a Playmobil set of "My First Interior by Ford™" GM's sucks too but def not as bad
@@RandomHeroGames i respectfully disagree with you . I find the plastics seem nicer on the early 2000s chevs . I just have to compare the econ vans compared to the express and the fords just seem to me like they have aged alot worst for style. I dont really like the balloonish roundish kids plastic style that they put commercial light grey color on. The steering wheel is bubbley and the switches are all bubbles also.
Just saw recently that Matt (MORR) is going to use an 8.1 to power the off-road wrecker. Looking forward to seeing it go.
I've been watching and keeping track of that too, I still think he should have used a diesel inline 6
I have an 01 2500hd with the 8.1. I love Matt's off road and I'm really looking forward to seeing how a well built and fresh 8.1 runs.
@@danielhershman6538 Big Block gas makes way more sense for an off-road tow truck
@@danielhershman6538 It was a foolish decision.
@@theyeetus1428
Lol....build your own truck and show him how it's done.
But ill give you a little hint:
Gearing can easily make up for less torque....weight isn't as easy to compensate for.
I'm certain he'd rather have 500 pounds less in deep silt....but he'll check with you next time.
I've got a 2001 8.1L 4WD Suburban and it's the greatest fking truck. What an absolute monster.
00 ford excursion XLT V10 real monster!!!!!
I had an '02 2500 Avalanche with the 8100. By far my favorite vehicle that I've owned over the past 28 years.
Fuel mileage was surprisingly good, reliability was top notch.
Now that’s just cool
I had one also. I miss it
I love both of these vehicles, but I know from witnessing it that those V10’s have no issues pulling stuff around and lasting a long time with only regular maintenance.
We rented an RV two years ago, they are still using that V10, at least up to 2019
Lol. Right....as long as you consider spark plugs blowing out or breaking off in the cylinder head and fuel pump drivers falling off the truck as normal maintenence...
@@bdd1469 V10’s after 02 didn’t have the spark plug problems. And I have never heard of whatever fuel pump issue you are talking about.
@@Powerman2417 all engines have piston slap. Some just have less.
@@workct4102 the new 6.8 v10 has over 400bhp and like 500lb feet torque in commercial grade!
There's a reason why the secret service is still using those old gmc/chevy suv's.
I have the 03 Excursion with the 6.0L Powerstroke. Spent as much money getting it bulletproofed as I did on the vehicle. Runs great now...
That's better: turbo diesel engine
The 6.0 was one of the worst engines ever put into a vehicle. Not that it's bullet proof it'll be a good engine, but the fact that it had so many problems out of the gate, just not ok
@@denniswobbe3157 the 6.4L 08-10 was worse...
@@richfarfugnuven6308 I said one of the worst, not it was the worst!
@@denniswobbe3157 Supposedly the 05 on up 6.0s were a lot better. Bunch of minor improvements. Only having 4 head bolts per cylinder didn't help.
I know of a good number of guys that have had minimal problems on the 6.0s.
I’d love a new production/designed Excursion with the 7.3 gas/10 speed. A SUV is ideal for my needs but I also have to tow 10K. Don’t feel comfortable doing that with the newer Expeditions/Yukon XLs. I’m a full float axle/heavy duty frame fan. Wish GM still made the new 2500 Suburban/Yukons available to the public…
Yes I own one and am holding onto it forever!
Sure wish someone would bring back an HD SUV! Great for towing!
I never believed the tow ratings on the 2019 Suburban 3500. It's at least the same as the 2016 Suburban 2500.
GM has a Suburban 3500, 1ton, govt only. But terrible tow rating
@@RatchetTrashPanda it wasnt for towing but for specific payload capacity for gov use. Some agencies use them for up armor and some use them to carry specific payloads/equipment.
@@csh000 why? They weren't made up or fake. Vehicle was made for carrying specific payloads. Ever see a gov 3500 towing anything behind the pres or important officials? Ever see one doing specific tasks towing a trailer? No. With that being said, it simply wasn't tested/certified for towing as it was unnecessary for it's purpose.
@@mracer69 you're correct it likely was not tested for towing. That's the only reason why it's rated towing is 'made up'.
It's the only vehicle I would tow 3x it's rated limit and not worry about.
Let me tell you 294k miles isn’t anything she still has a long way to go. I have an 02 silverado 2500hd with the 8.1 and I got 439k on it and its all the original drivetrain still runs great and has amazing oil pressure. most reliable vehicle i have ever owned
Got to second the love of the recliners in the gmc. I've had my 2003 duramax for 15 years and it's my favorite road trip vehicle mostly because of how comfortable the seats are.
I have 2006 Suburban 2500 with the 6.0 V8.
4.10 rear and Bilstein 5100 shocks. Averaged 16 mpg road trip Seattle to Banff to Glacier and back. Had no trouble off-roading. Now has 180k. Will keep it forever.
I own a 6.0 PSD Excursion and a 6.0 gas 2500 GMT800 Suburban. The Suburban is hands-down the better vehicle. It’s absurdly reliable (it’s even towed the Excursion home after an inevitable 6.0 Powerstroke break down), the seats are ridiculously comfortable, it rides great, it tows great, it looks great- I LOVE it. But… I’m selling it. The Achilles heel of the GMT800 Suburban for me is that it’s always managed to feel cramped inside, even though it’s huge. With 3 kids loaded up with luggage, camping gear, etc. it just never feels “enough”. I took the fam on a long road trip in the Excursion a couple months back and it’s just so bloody cavernous inside. All the room in the back seat, cargo area, etc PLUS vastly more knee, elbow, shoulder and head room. The seats are nowhere near as good, but I’ve got room to shift around in my seat and find a comfortable position!
How much are you selling it for and what year is it?
@@dougiefresh3767 2001 and I'm going to advertise it for $9k obo. It's an extremely clean west coast truck with 180k miles.
@@casselts1 I can only imagine how clean the outside is due to no snow. My 02 is pretty rusty due to salt in winter which I would have clean off but I bought it that way.
Same here! The space in the X is amazing! I’m selling my Yukon
I purchased a brand new Excursion Limited 4x4 with the V10 all options in 2001. I test drove both the Excursion and the 1 ton 8.1 GMC. I loved the GMC but it was about 50K out the door so i decided to test drive the Ford. I did not even get across the parking lot and fell in love with that giant Excursion. The choice was either the 4.10 axle on the 3/4 ton version and the 4.30 axle ratio was the 1 ton version. I bought the 4.30 one ton. It ran like a jackrabbit out of the hole. always drove city and got 10mpg just used to go to work and back. once on the highway i checked it got 15mpg and i was running it hard. at 80mph it zipped along like a slot car with the 4.30 gearing. The cost with Ford family friends discount and 6% tax was $40K out the door. I loved that vehicle and drove it 84K miles over the 15 years ownership without issue. The only reason i got rid of it was the age so i traded it in on a new 2016 Wrangler. They gave me 5300.00 for it on trade. It was basically still like new. BTW all these beasts have manual locking front axles. They were as old school as it gets like me. I loved the 44 gallon gas tank and only had to fill up once a month.
Many 8.1L generator engines run day in and day out using natural gas. Big torque at low rpm.
My foster parents hated their excursion more than I knew anybody could hate a vehicle, they needed it for everything and they hated the fact that they had to have it. They complained about the gas mileage the ride the utility, the size and weight, The fact that they had room for their friends kids but couldn't legally carry them in any given situation, everything. They also absolutely hated their kids even more than their foster kids.
I have a 2001 Silverado 2500hd, ext. cac, long bed, 8.1L/Allison, 4wd, 4.10:1, G80 diff.
My wife has a 2002 F250 SD ext. cab, short bed, V10/4R100, 4wd, 4.30:1 gears (4x4 off road package).
On paper, the 6.8 is the more "efficient" of the two; having more HP & torque per cube then the 8.1. But, there is no comparison, the 8.1 blows it away. This is actually the second 8.1 truck I've owned, and Haven been without one in 16 years. I've driven a G2500 van with the 8.1/4L80E and didn't really care for that combo, but I don't know what the gear ratio was. I do know that if I owned an 8.1 Suburban I would do an Allison swap.
Is the Allison a 4 speed also back than?
@@jameshowey9958 5 speed. 2006 was the start of 6 speed Allisons.
The ONLY downside of the Suburban 2500 with the 8.1 is you couldn't get it with the Allison 1000.
There were 3 trim levels on the Excursion, XlT, Eddie Bauer and Limited. Both GM and Ford were based on 3/4 ton trucks.
All though ford won in suv (with 7.3) the avalanche 2500 is badass
@@3katd the Ford won with the solid front axle and 7.3 if they would of had a d Maxx option for the suburban it would of been sweet the gm also wins with the Alison transmition they put behind the 8.1 if they would of offered a d Maxx with the suburban it would be a real even match
@@jjlawnservice5229 i agree
@@3katd I would like to refraze a little bit it would of been real even match up with the 6.6 and 7.3 both of which r bullet proof from the factory the 6.0 not so much
You have to make the V10 scream to get power out of it. 8.1 has low end torque for much more pleasant towing experience.
Just to clear that up at 16:10 about the navigation screens, someone has updated that 2003 to the 2005 style. The reason your 03 escalade doesn't have a touchscreen is because that style radio didn't come out until 05, someone has upgraded from the 03 nav.
I'm a gm guy all the way being a construction worker had an 8.1 in the truck configuration and an f350 with the v10 and in my opinion there's no comparison gm was so much better in the sense of reliability.
My dad has a 2000 excursion with the v10 and about 250k miles. The back glass was shattered years ago by a tree branch and it has been parked for probably 3-4 years at this point and is sinking into the dirt it is parked on. He gets regular offers placed under his windshield wiper yet he stubbornly refuses to part with it.
Don't let it fall apart. Sitting does horrible things to a car
@@bldontmatter5319 I let one of my cars sit a month or 2 and it causes all kinds of fits. Don't let a vehicle sit due to broken glass.
GMC/Chevy all the way with the 8.1L That is the Grand Daddy of the Gas motors!
I owned my burban2500 8.1 for 8 years. 201000 miles on it. Never missed a beat. Towed 9800lbs camper and it towed just fine. Now I own a f350 with a v10. It does have tons of power but it seemed that the low end torque isn’t as much as the burban8.1. It’s hard to pick a winner.
I have an 03 Avalanche with the 8.1L and I got to say. I do love me some old fashion "No replacement for Displacement!"
Another thing to consider, after 2005 ford introduced the 3 valve head into the v10 increasing it to around 360hp and 460lbs. This only applies to ford trucks facing the vortex, the excursion didn’t get the v10 after 2005. The 3 valve head also dealt with the spark plug issue in the modular line. I have a 2006 f-350 with the updated v10, it’s powerful, thirsty and makes sweet ten cylinder music
For these SUVs, torque is king. Nothing you can do about the gas mileage other than to deal with it
Keep up the good videos! Tommy I wonder how many of the 5.4 and 6.8 triton excursions get picked up for the intentions of being Cummins swapped.
Yes sir , there is one here locally, first time I heard it , had me confused for a second..
I think it's awesome that the Excursion still had a leaf spring solid front axle with manual hubs, a reliable set up for going off the beaten path
except it wasn't any of the standard Dana 60 Axles. It was this garbage dana 50 with little interchangabality with a standard D60, and little to no upgrades available. still stronger than Chevy's IFS, but also not a D60. The Chevy IFS still drives better on the highway, and for seriuous offroad you'd still have to swap a proper D60 into the excursion, so it's no solid winner IMO.
@@cavenderandrews9098 I wouldn't call the Dana 50 garbage, it'll handle 37-38 inch tires with a locker, and even if you do swap it, a Dana 60 out of a F350 is literally a bolt in swap, where anything GM made after 1988 has to have serious fabrication done to be able to take abuse offroad.
@@hunterharrell7491 mostly solid points. I owned one 5 years ago, i switched to warn hubs. I couldn't find lockers.
@@hunterharrell7491 Solid axles after 2005 have the death wobble.
@@ramaswamynarayanaswamy4806 not the excursions, they kept the leaf springs on the front, the coil springs with track bar is more prone to death wobble
I'm not a ford guy, but I can say that the excursions are pretty Cool,
Although that GMC is just a friggin tank
I love both but the GMC suburban will always hold a special place in my heart because my grandfather bought his first one in 1982 as he needed a 4x4 to get to the hospital in wisconsin winters as he was an OBGYN. He would buy the next generation everytime it came out until his last one which was a 2011 1500 Denali which he custom ordered with every option. He owned that truck until he died. Then it was sold to my uncle who's house burned down with that suburban in the garage and totaled it out. I miss that suburban and my grandpa so much, so many memories were in the passenger seat of that truck.
I’m being honest, Yukon for me.I do own 04 Tahoe and really like that generation body style. I do prefer the Yukon nose over the Chevy.
We have a 05 Hummer H2 with 6.0l. Great riding truck!
The GMC's definitely have nicer noses, 2005 Sierra 1500 owner.
The v-10 is a good Motor but backed by a horrible transmission. Now the 8.1 is a really good motor with one of the best transmission ever made!!!!
I've got a 2005 GMC sierra slt 2500HD 8.1 vortec that just rolled over 60,000 miles. When I bought it it only had 47,000 2 years ago.
Great vid. I bought a new Avalanche 2500 in 2004 with the 496ci. One of the best trucks I’ve owned. Should’ve tucked it away.
The 8.1 big block is far superior to the Ford V10
Just retired our f250 with the triton......220k miles of hard construction work with a utility bed since new. Only retired it had 387k miles and the seats were toast along with the rear end. Loved it enough to buy another
I owned a 2002 Suburban with the 8.1. Loved it!
Ok, real life comparison... in 2020 my boss and I both bought new to us work trucks. Boss bought a 2001 Chevy 2500HD with the 8.1 with 145k miles on the odometer, he paid $9000. I bought a 2000 Ford F-350 with the 6.8 with 112k miles and paid $5000. Both trucks started off just fine. But, 6 months later I needed a radiator and water pump. Then a month later a couple of coils quit, so I replaced them all. 2 months after that 2 injectors quit. A month after that I developed a mean misfire in the #5 cylinder. A leak down check indicated burnt exhaust valve. 3 days after that diagnosis the right side, passenger side, timing chain broke. I replaced the chains and tried to start it and it barely ran..... bent valves on the right bank. So my truck lasted a year and made it to 145k miles. My bosses Chevy now has 225k miles on it and has only needed oil changes. Oh and I should also mention the MPG. The 6.8 couldnt pass a gas station, getting the best MPG of 9.2 with an avg of 7.1. Bosses Chevy with the 8.1 got best MPG of 13.6 with an avg of 11.2. And Ford calls their trucks Super Duty! HA! They should be called Stupid Duty. And Chevy should call theirs Superior Duty!
P.S. I still own the truck and will be removing the engine to do a complete overhaul. I figure since I didn't pay much for it I can afford to fix it. Besides, I do like the way the truck drove. I just wont think it's a Super Duty, I treat it like it's an F-150 that gets really bad gas mileage. Oh, last thing, the only real plus to the Ford is the interior space. Both trucks had buckets in front and sat 3 in the rear. But, the Ford sat 3 adults much more comfortably than the Chevy.
im sorry but i have spent 20+ years in automotive parts sales and service and i can tell you for a fact the spark plug issue with the triton 3 valve engines are sooooo much worse than anything you can imagine. there are literal ford dealerships around me that i can but will not name that will 100% refuse to do tune ups, or fix the broken spark plug issues with these 3 valve engines. if you had one that needed this repair good luck finding a backyard mechanic that was stupid enough to try and do it.
Excursions never got the 3 valve engines.
I've never owned a Ford personally, but we had the v10 in our work vehicles, but also converted to propane for the tax perks. It did a good job and we had several in the fleet with over 450k miles. Both of these do the work!
Thanks for shooting the RPO codes on the GMC it also has the GT4 = 3.73 gears. Which means lower towing capacity, but I also wonder how that would effect the 0 - 60 time. For nearly 300k that is a very nice truck!
Towing capacity is irrelevant because you will run out of payload well before you run out of towing capacity. Payload is about 2k which is eaten up fast by passengers, cargo and the tongue weight of the trailer (this alone will be more than half if you’re pushing the upper limits of towing capacity) I
@@toddsickinger3934 You could add a weight distributing hitch for about $1K from etrailer and add a couple thousand pounds on the tongue (transferring more to the front).
What triton v10 is it? The 2 valve or 3 valve? Quite a difference!
Well, I have one of both sitting in my driveway. A 2002 V10 excursion 4x4 and a 2003 suburban 8.1 4x4. There is no comparison in pulling power or comfort. The Chevy is miles ahead in both departments. When we are taking a family trip with the travel trailer we always take the suburban. There is just something about the excursion though that makes me keep it. They just have a better ‘cool’ factor. And I do love to hear that v10 moan. I still want a set of Banks headers for mine but I just can’t justify the cost. I actually prefer the v10 to the diesels in every situation other than towing. They are just zippier around town.
What gearing do you have on the Excursion?
Put the JBA shorty headers on your excursion. Straight bolt on to existing system. 30% HP increase, 0-60 in 9 seconds.
@@kentwilkens3435 BS, shorty headers offer nothing over regular manifolds
@@rustyrutledge9094 Well, having owned mine for 22 years, I disagree. The stock triton solved the expansion contraction differential of the cast block with aluminum heads blowing the bolts/gasket after about 200k on my Tbird, but having the block and heads from aluminum, but the issue with the cast iron manifolds on the aluminum block remained, notably the end bolts blowing off, then the possibility of the manifold warping and needing to be ground to fit again, simple solution was to bolt on the JBA shorty headers, the steel attachment has enough give in it that it no longer blows the bolts, and allows the engine to breathe much better. You could immediately feel the difference in the power, and as I tested the pig when I bought it, 0-60 in 12 seconds, then after putting the headers on, 0-60 in 9 seconds.
The cast manifold blew about 70k, I now have 340k on it.
Another advantage of the JBA shorties, is they are a straight bolt on between the engine and the Y exhaust.
Who asked?
I bought my 8.1 from Tyler too, such a great guy, love mine. I took the back seat out and put in a fridge and such. Easily my favorite towing vehicle I have ever owned.
My best friend’s family growing up had multiple excursions and hummers (before they went bankrupt thanks to 2008). Made me always have a soft spot for massive ridiculous SUVs, but the Excursion was always my favorite. V10 or 7.3 powerstroke for the win!
The family went bankrupt buying Excursions and Hummers😉😂? Sorry. Sometimes I can't help myself.
@@willb3018 that sure didnt help, especially when you add expenses of speed boats, sports cars, and a 5000 sq ft house
GMC 496 all day. It’s a Ls based and extremely reliable.
i feel like both will get the job done. so id choose the one that costs less
I’ve been in one Excursion and it was awesome! That was about 15 years ago maybe longer. I wish they would have kept going with it and maybe it’ll come back one day
Great Video! Need an Excursion with 4.30 gears to get that acceleration! I believe yours has 3.73s There were also 4.10s available in diesels. My 2wd v10 was optioned to 4.30s and is quicker than you would expect. Keep these videos coming!
Yeah, but then you option the 8.1 with the available 4.10’s and the 6.8 still gets smoked.
@@rustyrutledge9094 the gm is quicker because the suburban is a lot lighter, not because it makes another 20hp.
Been towing a 13K # 5th wheel since new in '03 with our 8.1 2500HD Silverado. Still going very strong. The Silverado with the 8.1 was available with the Allison 1000 tranny. The 8.1 was used also in I/O marine applications. A very stout engine.
I see on your RPO codes on the GMC the GT4 code which means it comes equipped with the 3.73. Just imagine the 0-60 with the 4.10s! Both badass vehicles. Not going to lie, Tommy was not my favorite TFL member at first but he is quickly growing on me as he produces more videos, especially badass ones with these old monster SUVs!!
This comment just helped me realize I got the 4.10s with the GT5 code 😮
From 2000 to early 2007 was the best years for trucks. You still see a bunch driving on the road today.
We've got an 8.1 with under 500 miles and it's staying that way! Simply amazing machines...
not that amazing if it just sits collecting dust and rotting away slowly .
Haha
@@morgancoldfirecoldfire8256 Oh, it gets used and started up regularly, just not that many miles. Why the h8? Dang.
@@wretchedrider2157 you said it was staying that way only 500 miles like that is like less than 20 hours of driving . Seems like such a waste. A machine cant be amazing just siting . 20 year old vehicle with 500 miles on it .
It probably ran out of oil!
We have a 2003 GMC 3500 dually with the 8.1 V8 and the Alison transmission. It was the predecessor of the Duramax. And I can tell you our GMC can haul anything. And I mean anything. I can dump 10 yards of much in the dump bed and you wouldn’t even know there was anything there. It is certainly the holy grail.
I’m a GM buyer but I love the 7.3 powerstroke Excursion, only thing I would change about Chevy and GMC trucks is not having round finders and the IFS has got to go on the 2500 4x4 and 3500 4x4 trucks .
Why?? The ifs works great. The gm trucks ride and drive way better. The ifs holds up just as well as far as i can tell.
I have to agree with your comment regarding GM independent front suspension. I have a 2005 GMC 3500 4x4 duramax with 180k miles. I have had the front suspension rebuilt twice. The last time was about 10k miles ago. Hit a pothole and blew the upper ball joint. I also have a 2001 Excursion 7.3 with 270k and a 2004 Excursion 6.0 with 10k after restoration. Both Excursions set on F350 suspension. I also owned a 2015 Yukon Xl with 5.3 and sold it after 2 years. The Ford solid front axle set up is more reliable. Less moving parts, it's just plain heavy duty. The Fords also have more comfortable seats. The seats are more comfortable, better seat heaters and ride better than my 3500 GMC. The 2015 Yukon beat them all in ride quality, but the suspension was easily maxed out in towing or cargo hauling. In my opinion the Excursion should have been offered with a heavy duty leaf spring / towing option. The suspension the factory suspension is too soft for heavy trailering, but it still beats GM overall. JMHO !
@@farmtruck9414 you are completely out in left field. No way in hell does the furd ride better. The chassis stiffness if the gm trucks easily dictates that. Cv joints are way stronger than u joints.
My friends that bought new trucks in 03 like me rebuilt their front suspension before i did. Remember furds twin traction beam??? That was one tire wearing pos.
The only real extra moving parts is one set of bushings......but not having death wobble at all ever is ftw.
Yes the twin I beam suspension was an expensive set up to keep on the road. I had a 95 Bronco and I agree it kinda sucked replacing front end parts regularly.
I own a 2000 limited excursion, 6.8.
First, put the JBA headers on it. My excursion stock did 0-60 in 12 seconds, with headers, 9 seconds.
Apples to oranges comparison on interiors, 2003 vs 2000, XLT vs top end GMC. My excursion, leather seats.
What's with the go slow over the rough stuff?
Excursion in 4 wheel low will crawl over anything, hubs are locked, so not a chance you would have had wheel spin on that flat wimpy ground if it was set right.
Didn't you realize that this is a Ford Bias channel. Always taken low grade Ford's and compare them to the top of the line GMs. Watch enough of these idiot's you will see what I mean.
Locked hubs and locked diffs are totally different. The hubs were locked. They never came with a diff lock.
The 8.1 was the duramax killer in its day!
Haha maybe a LB7 with failed injectors
I have a 03 f250, why would you get the excursion with a v10 when you could get it with the 7.3 power stroke 🤷♂️🤷♂️
We had an 8.1 dually had a concrete saw that weighed 2000lbs and 275 gallons of water and it would do 115 no problem
My dad had a V10 Excursion, fast it was not, but was definitely a torque monster down low. Had it been in better shape when I inherited it I might have tried turning it into an overlander, but it was in need of a ton of body work and I sold it to a guy who collected them and had a stash of parts ready for it
I guess depends on what you’re using it for, in most cases you’re going to want the suburban, I just love the look of the excursion, the size, and the amount of customization that can be done to it. And tank size is really nice when you’re on a trip.
The Excursion is awesome for my family of 5 and 2 dogs! I have the 5.4 and I tow my TT, it's not going anywhere fast, but it does just fine cruising at 65. I am very comfortable and safe while I watch the gas gauge....
@@workct4102 I have the 6.0L powerstroke Excursion and can just make it from my house just west of Denver to Flagstaff on a tank. It's great, except the price of diesel right now.
@@richfarfugnuven6308 hows the six blow
@@cesarurzua8234 600HP and 1100 lbs feet. More reliable than my 7.3L one ton now.
My dad's 2002 8.1 L Suburban is still running great and driven most weeks. That vehicle is absolutely wild, especially after the full on hot-rod style rebuild of the engine.
I’ve owned 2 excursions. The 4x4 has 3.73s and the 2wd has 4.10s. The 4.10s are way faster in the 0-60.
I thought you can get them with a 4.30 rear end as well
@@BrownBomber92181 I think you are right about the 4.30s. I’ve been shopping Marauders with 4.10s and they threw me off! Thanks man.
@@HammerWrench no prob man. I know those are really sought after for people that tow
What gears came in diesel‘s? I have a 6.0 excursion
My dad bought a 8.1 yukon xl brand new in 2002. Still has it to this day with 247k on it. Pulled a trailer almost its hole life. Was a great rig. His got every option and chose some interesting choices lol. It has the 4.10 rear end gear, lift rear hatch, sunroof, second row captain chairs.
I’m a ford and mopar guy through and through and as much as I love the expedition I gotta say that a buddy of mine has a Chevy truck with the 8.1 liter and that thing always impressed me, it would boogie. And he’s still got it to this day and it still runs good, couple trannies later. I would prefer the 7.3 powerstroke any day to the v10 gas, I’ve had several 7.3s and they’re just torquey and bulletproof
Edit: yeah my buddy also always said the 8.1 got 9mpg on a good day not pulling anything
Odd, my 8.1 burb 4x4 got 13
@@rustyrutledge9094 I’m guessing his truck probably had lower gears than what they put in the suburbans so he’d be running higher rpm
Great vid! I have an 03 8.1 dually with 80k miles and it tows and shifts like nothing else - can’t beat the vortex with the Allison. It’s still mint condition! I think about selling, but always come to my senses when I see how terrible the diesel emissions are and there’s def no other gasser that even comes close.
Just curious what gear ratio each of those had? The V-10 needs the optional 4.30, even unloaded the 3.73 V-10 Excursion was a dog, it always felt like the trans didn’t know what to do!
The suburban came out in 1935 that was 87 years ago, the Excursion only had a 5 year run, I've been driving suburbans for the last 20 years nothing else. How many vehicles can say they been on the road since the 1930s, Chevy/GMC all day for me
The touch screen wasn’t available until 2005. Someone added it. Even my 04 Platinum ESV was nonTNR (non-touch). I currently own 2 2500 Yukon XL GMT800 and 5 1500 GMT800. It’s the best platform ever produced. The GMT800 went through an update in 2003 (electronics and aesthetics) and again in 04 (all models went to returnless fuel system) then again in 05 (electronics only).
Also, all excursions had that style locking hub. They act as auto for forward motion when “unlocked” and obviously lock all the time when in “locked”.
I have a 2004 and 2007 classic 2500HD what where the difference in electronic components? I haven’t been able to find any yet…
@@LotsOfPaypa cluster programming, amp draw sensing, variable charging (2 wire alt vs 4 wire on the 04), different BCM programming, are all different between yours. And more differences been the 1500 models.
@@joeculpepper2235 wow that's very interesting stuff...
The suburban/Yukon 1500 in 04 also got the Hydro boost brake system
I looked for months and months until I found an old 2500 suburban 4WD. Found one. 2003 LT 6.0L with 157,000 miles. $7500. White on tan. Loaded. IM HAPPY!
Love seeing Brendan on the channel, such a solid guy!
Had a v10 excursion put a superchips tuner on it banks cold air intake and exhaust system thing moved so much better
The 8.1L is a beast. I own a yukon that is spec'd same as the one in this video. Tow 6k lbs with it almost every day and it just shrugs it off. 8.1L burbs/yukons are a "unicorn" to those that know what they are... but the 8.1L burbs/yukons that also had quadrasteer? That's like finding a unicorn, bigfoot and a living megalodon all in the same day.
As for the ford v10s, I do fleet maintenance/repairs for an ambulance company that has a fleet of the ford v10s. My experience with them is that they don't hold up well to heavy abuse. Have yet to see one hit 200k miles. Most the ambulances seem to need an engine swap in the neighborhood of 150k miles due to low compression in a few cylinders.
not sure where you work most of the Ambulance around have 200 place with the same motor
So how many miles are on the engine if you add idle hours ??
What is it , something like 1hr = 34 miles?
Even Rarer is the Avalanche 2500. Of all the trucks I've owned and driven. It was my favorite. My only complaint was that it only had a 4 speed transmission.
That 8.1 is ridiculous, the Duramax diesels of the era tow the exact same 12,000lbs, while the Excursion maxed out at 11,000lbs and that's with the diesel....I'd take the 8100.
The V10 can pull the same 11,000 lbs. with the proper axle ratio, and it's some 700 lbs. lighter than the diesel, leaving you more payload capacity. I think the people clamoring for the diesel are just stuck in that diesel fanboy/fangirl mentality, because if you opt for the diesel in an Excursion, you only have about 1,200 to 1,400 lbs. payload capacity; but with the V10, 1,900 to 2,100 lbs. In a 1-ton pickup which can tow/haul significantly more, the diesel makes sense; but not in these 3/4 ton SUVs. The big-block gassers are definitely the way to go in these vehicles! Also, considering the fuel price difference from gas to diesel, and the more expensive, albeit slightly less frequent maintenance; I don't see a financial argument panning out either.
Also, you kinda gotta hand it to the Excursion for being able to come within 1,000 lbs. the tow capacity of the 8.1 while doing it with 1.2 liters less engine! 😉 LoL j/k. I would have loved to have either of these rigs for pulling my 38 foot travel trailer, but the Excursion won out for me simply because it was easier to find in a configuration that could actually do the job. Do you know how rare the 2500 Sub/Yukon XLs are to find for sale??? Then on top of that, it HAS to be the 8.1 to pull that much, which is even more rare! The only version of the Excursion that couldn't do the job was the 5.4 V8, which is rare one anyhow, and if an Excursion is 4x4, you know it has the V10 or diesel, seeing as they didn't offer the 5.4 in 4x4 models.
Love my 3/4 ton suburban absolutely hated my excursion
If we are being fair, the later version of the 6.8L V10 might be better against the 8.1L. The later 3V V10 made 360 some odd horsepower and 450 ish lb ft, and I believe also got the Torqshift 5 speed auto vs the old 4 speed. And the ride was better when it ditched the leaf spring front in 05. Just sayin. 3V might not have been as reliable, but still. Amd the Excursion was just like the Superduty, coming with selectable manual locking or auto locking hubs.
'02 Suburban LT 2500, 8.1L, 340,000 miles on the original engine and transmission. Everything still works, including the air ride suspension. Had to replace a fuel pump about 5,000 miles ago but, I also ran it with less than a quarter tank a lot. So, really can't complain, considering that I've put about 50k miles on it since I purchased it and I only paid $2,800.
Love the classics! Just a FYI, Ford always had manual locking hubs! Even on the newer F-250 -550
You are correct, had to because the automatic 4 wheel drive doesn't work in the excursion, never has even when they were New .. motortrend found that out testing them when they first came out
@@hughwolfe8524 huh? Mine works just fine...always has....220k miles
I had one (Suburban) with the 8.1L motor. I sold it in 2006 and bought a Mini Cooper S. To this day I miss that beast.