These replies are geared to others received in a similar thread I started intending as an introduction to this forum, not necessarily as the discussion thread it became, and this is my attempt at conjoining the two to a centralized venue.
See the other thread (here).
Everyone's input in both this thread as well as the other has been invaluable! I can not express enough the appreciation I have for all your candor and the time you guys have put in to help educate me! This has truly been a pleasurable, and quite unexpected, experience for me!
I've looked at what must be a good 50/60 different campers (albeit online only thus far.... sucks being stuck 8000 miles away in Afghanistan), but out of all of them there have been very few that would work for my family, or knowing myself and my wife as i do, would keep us happy over the long run.... We've done a LOT of traveling and pretty much have a handle on the things we need, and the things we want in a camper. Unfortunately, all the campers I can find that would work for us all require a TV with similar capabilities to that of Ford's F-350 (ish) and similar class.
This is what has led me to look at the Excursion, as the "X" is the only SUV with the engine, drivetrain, and wheelbase capable of pulling the 35.8' monsters we're looking at - at least with safety and absolute security.
I've looked at similar campers from some of the other brands, and every one of them are missing something or the other that we want to have. Either will be missing a bunk in the back (that we need), don't come in the 3 bunk + trundle config and only have that stupid couch in the rear under the 2nd bunk ( ..ahem.. Premier series... cough... ).... Or they don't have a bathtub in the bathroom (ever try washing your dogs, that don't want to be clean, off in a shower? I have, and it's NOT fun).. Granted a bathtub isn't a deal breaker, but it's something I want a lot. Or the trailers dont have a quality outdoor kitchen (that's a much have).... The list keeps going on...
I've found a few Campers that will work for us, but they are either CRAZY expensive, or look like they were built out of legos (KZ's campers - also crazy expensive).
All the trailers I've found that wouldn't leave us wanting (too terribly), all require a beast of a TV to yank the sucker down the road, or are 5ers!!!! It's annoying..
I haven't dismissed the Excursion as the TV of choice just yet.... It appears the only thing the truck is missing is the requisite gross cargo capacity. If that wasn't an issue the Excursion would be the ideal TV by all other standards, wouldn't you say?
What I'm trying to find out now is if it is possible to swap out (or beef up) the 2005, 6.0-L, Diesel, Excursion's suspension to the same specs as that of a similarly powered F-350. There's plenty of junkyards with totaled F-350's that I could buy the suspensions out of. I just don't know how involved it would be to port that suspension over to the Excursion and what it would do to the X's unhitched ride quality.
I assume I would only have to do that to the rear end as the trailer even with a quality WDH like the Hensley or Propride, would not add any weight to the front axle. If anything physics dictate it would take weight away from the front tires/axle. But I'm only an ex High school student (many years ago), so what do I know? :-)
I'm also looking into the Ford Econoline F-350 Pax vans as referenced by a fellow "bored" member lol.
What are all your thoughts on this? You guys think it would be hard to swap out the suspension springs and shocks/struts/etc.. for those of a F-350 slick-side? I wouldn't think so as the X is essentially a neutered F-250, and I'm pretty certain the suspensions are mostly interchangeable between the 3 vehicles (but I'm NOT a "car guy", so I actually don't know squat about what I'm talking about...)
Thanks again, everyone!
Doug
Doug