2000 Ford Excursion Overlander

One of the best examples of a Ford Excursion you’ll ever find for overlanding is this 2000 Ford Excursion Diesel 4×4 owned and built by Chris Cordes. Chris has many years of experience in overlanding, and is the managing editor for Expedition Portal. Chris’ plan was to turn this low slung SUV into a versatile backcountry vehicle; one that could take the whole family camping, haul a 10,000-lb trailer, or set out on an around-the-world journey with equal ease. He definitely succeeded.

He started out by adding an Old Man Emu 2.25 inch suspension lift to this beast. Some may think that all new springs may be a drastic way to gain such a mild lift, but Chris researched all the options carefully. The Excursion’s stock suspension doesn’t offer the best ride, and the suspension tends to bottom out fairly easily on bumps.

How does Old Man Emu make old-fashioned leaf springs work so well? A lot of technology goes into each leaf, including shot peening to reduce spring stress, diamond cutting the ends to make them thinner and more flexible, and military wraps for less axlewrap and a margin of safety should a main leaf break. The springs also use bolt clamps instead of crimp clamps, and Teflon liners and graphite paint to reduce friction and provide a smoother ride.

The kit came with Old Man Emu Nitrocharger shocks which use low-pressure nitrogen and multistage valving. This eliminates oil starvation at high speed and greatly reduces heat and pressure build up. It also came with a new adjustable panhard bar to center the front axle under the Excursion.

Chris also decided to install an additional leaf in the rear, which helps compensate for the Excursion’s 44-gallon fuel tank

Old Man Emu 2.25 Inch Lift Kit Components:

Front:

2 x #CS018F Medium/Heavy Load Leaf Springs (0-300LBS) – LINK
2 x #N178 Nitrocharger Shocks
1 x #APRF250 Adjustable Panhard Rod – LINK
4 x #OMEU69 U-Bolt – LINK

Rear:

2 x #CS048R Medium Load Leaf Springs (0-1200LBS) – LINK
2 x #N179 Nitrocharger Shocks
4 x #ARBOMEU67 OME U BOLT, WASHER/NUT

The Old Man Emu suspension allowed room for the 315/75/R16 Falken Wildpeak M/T tires on the stock Ford rims.

An ARB Winch Bumper (P/N 3436030) was added to the front, along with a set of IPF Extreme LED Sport lights. The driver’s side light is a spot beam which illuminates a long and narrow stretch of the road ahead, while the passenger side is a touring beam for coverage to the sides of the road. This combination gives him far more visibility than the stock headlights.

A heavy beast like this requires a big winch if it should get stuck, so a Warn 16.5 Ti-S winch was added to the ARB winch bumper. The 16.5 Ti-S winch comes with 80 feet of Spydura Pro synthetic line.

The roof received a Pioneer Platform from Rhino Rack. A Foxwing 270° awning was added to it, along with mounts for sand ladders (traction mats) and bicycle racks. The Foxwing gives him an escape from the heat and sun, cover from rain and snow during bad weather, and a protected space for him to cook and work while living on the road.

Finding a snorkel for the Ford F250 / F350 / Excursion can be difficult, but Chris lucked out and found a new TJM Airtec Snorkel (P/N 011SAT0122F) that was listed for sale by a member on the Expedition Portal Forums. Some only see a snorkel as a device used to traverse deep water. But since the snorkel’s air supply is drawn from roof level, it provides cooler and cleaner air to the engine. This helps reduce the dirt and dust that accumulates on the air filter.

At the rear, Chris installed a new steel bumper with a dual swing out from Buckstop Truckware. This not only provides a location for the larger spare tire (to big to fit inside), but also features a 120 liter Alu-Box from Equipt Expedition Outfitters. The Alu-Box allows a convenient place to store the cooking supplies / gear.

With the exterior finished, the interior was upgraded with Scheel-Mann Vario XLs seats with heat and armrests. If you’ve had problems with your back while driving, then you’ll love these seats.