Tow Monster – Page 2 – Modern Anachronist

The Son of Fessick

So now I need a vehicle to replace the Excursion.

I need something smaller to navigate city streets.

I need something big enough to fit the family. My kids are about to be teenagers, so I need a reasonable back seat. My brother’s boys are older than my kids, and they don’t really fit in the back of his Nissan Titan.

I need something that will tow my utility trailer. It has a weight rating of 3,500 pounds, so I don’t really need a tow monster.

The Ford Maverick actually does most of what I need, but the back seat isn’t big enough for the kids. I actually recommended that my brother buy a Maverick for his boys to share, the oldest just got his license.

I cycled through the midsized trucks and really none of them had a backseat that was useable.

I started looking at the full sized trucks, and the prices for new trucks are just stupid.

But then I stumbled across a dark horse – the Honda Ridgeline.

It’s mocked as NART (Not A Real Truck), but the capabilities of the Ridgeline meet my needs.

Test drive is scheduled.

Keeping the ratchet straps from becoming a wretched mess

So when you buy the nice straps they have all kinds of sweet extra features

Reusable case
Velcro straps
Built in soft shackles*

So satisfying…
to pull this out of the tongue box

Ladder (Ger) rack for the trailer.

So, I CAN fit our entire camp setup in & on the excursion, but doing so means loading some heavy bits on the roof. I’m starting to see that this is not worth the risk.

It also means squeezing the kids onto the left & center seat and they’re starting to require a bit of space between them. (Teenagers apparently require more personal space than toddlers.)

So I bought the trailer. And now it’s time for the second phase of the modular trailer to be built.

Adding tie downs to the utility trailer.

Everything is ~~ball bearings~~ eyebolts these days

When I bought this trailer almost three years ago, I was amazed by how few good tie down points there were (just four). After an unfortunate accident on I-295 over a decade ago, I have an obsession with securing my cargo.

Modifying the utility trailer

Last year I bought a utility trailer. Mostly because I was tired of putting Yurt bits on the roof of the Excursion. But also because I knew I was going to need to haul things I didn’t want inside my baby.

Today, I needed to hail a cubic yard of gravel, but the open sided utility trailer was just the wrong tool for the job.

I think I’d get home with almost zero gravel.

Tow mirrors (part 1)

I replaced the factory paddle mirrors with some eBay special towing mirrors this weekend.

The stock mirrors had power and heat when Fessick left the factory. By the time he came into my life, the heat was completely non-operational. The left mirror moved correctly, but the right only moved left to right. It wouldn’t move up and down.

The replacement mirrors have marker lights and turn signals behind a smoked lens as well as turn signals mounted in the glass. Additionally, I can pull the mirror further away from the truck to increase the view when I’m pulling a trailer

New mirror above with built in blind-spot mirror and marker light & turn signals.
Old mirror below — Look at all that space for (viewing) activities!

Upfitter panel, or don’t get ahead of yourself

Conversely, when you see a deal, grab it!

I’m a child of the eighties and as such, nothing looks more bad-ass to me than A LOT of cool switches. (Have you ever seen the space shuttle cockpit?)

At the same time, nothing looks worse than a mish-mash of unaligned switches of different styles.

Luckily, the lazy engineers in Dearborn came to my rescue.

Tow monster (part one (of many, I’m sure))

First time towing with the Excursion.

Had to rent a boom lift in order to take down a tree between the house and the garage.

Honestly, I didn’t even know it was there.

Suspension Thoughts

The factory suspension on the Excursion was a mess the day it rolled off the factory floor.

Now that the factory sized wheels and tires are installed, the four inch “lift” on Fessick looks as bad as it drives.

And it’s not just because of the simple lift kit. The lift consists of just blocks on the rear axle and drop shackles on the front. Nothing was done to correct the defects in the factory suspension.

Continue reading “Suspension Thoughts”

I’ve been given a deadline

This morning we’re discussing next year’s vacation budget, and the wife tells me she wants to go to Disney in Oct 2021.

And she wants to tow the travel trailer (that we don’t yet own) and stay at Fort Wilderness.

That gives me three years to turn the Excursion into a tow monster while saving enough cash to purchase a trailer and fund a two week stay at the Magic Kingdom.

Realistically, I want to buy and be able to tow the trailer in two years so we can do some local shakedown trips.

Luckily, the Excursion left the factory with a 10,000 pound towing capacity.

Let the shopping begin!

Legal jibber-jabber

As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn commission if you purchase something linked from this page.
Product reviews – unless stated otherwise, I have purchased all reviewed products with my own money.
“Manufacturers claims” are exactly that. Their claims. If my text says “manufacturer claims” it means I haven’t checked it and I probably don’t have a way to check it. Hydrostatic ratings, R-values, Temperature ratings, etc.
Follow these instructions at your own risk. I’m not a professional anything. I’m just some random human you encountered on the internet. I may or may not have any idea what I’m doing. I certainly have no idea what you’re doing. I accept no liability for injury, property damage or any other direct or indirect damages you may incur from anything on this page or any other pages I may or may not have authored.
Copyright Reserved Creative Commons – Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike . If I’ve inspired you, link back to this page. Don’t steal my text or photos. Feel free to modify my designs in any way you see fit. Don’t try to make yourself money from my ideas.
Comments will be moderated. Those that add to the discussion will be allowed. Those that add nothing will be deleted. If you don’t agree with my decisions, get your own website.
DON’T PANIC