Ford Excursion or Suburban 2500?

[ThumperX]

Sorry, I missed the whole "cut the roof" correlation when you said pop top. I was thinking of a pop up tent or something. I can't imagine buying/cutting a roof on a 7.3 Excursion and installing a permanent custom pop up would be anything close or under $20k. If that's the case, I'm changing my vote to a longbed pickup with a used bed length pop up camper to retain access to the hitch without having a funky extension.


Did I miss what you will be towing and how often as well?

We do Marine salvage and fabrication, it's not unusual to be dragging 7500-12,000lbs up the hill.
We also like to take extended trips into the desert and Mexico with a couple dirt bikes and a boat. 2 Betas and a Grady White.

 

[scootergmc]

In that case, my vote is:

Diesel longbed pickup with a bed length pop up camper. Pop up camper can be removed and sheltered when not in use. Truck bed versatility. Raise the budget for reliability and comfort. Final answer....

Good luck and have fun, no matter what you decide.

 

[ThumperX]

In that case, my vote is:

Diesel longbed pickup with a bed length pop up camper. Pop up camper can be removed and sheltered when not in use. Truck bed versatility. Raise the budget for reliability and comfort. Final answer....

Good luck and have fun, no matter what you decide.

:thumbup

This has been fun!

 

[Shaggy]

Most of the 6.0L Powerstrokes on the market will have already been Bulletproofed by now, so that should be less of a worry. A 6.0L with head studs and EGR upgrades is really reliable and a bit of a hole in the market because of the bad reputation the first 6.0Ls got off the assembly line.

I would have no concerns in buying a Bulletproofed 6.0L if it were my money.

Man you ain't kidding! Looking at the prices and mileage on these is cray cray.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/lp/search-Ford-Excursion-diesel-sc5_d332

The pre-DPF/DEF diesel market is absurd right now.

Earlier this year I told my 6.4L Powerstroke to CarMax and flew up to Spokane, WA to buy a 2006 Dodge Ram 3500. It was the ONLY crew cab, long bed, dually, 4x4, with under 120k miles that I was able to find West of the Rockies and I paid almost $30k for a 14yo truck. Drove it home same day, 14 hours straight and got back home at about 4am.

:loco