vacuumdude
Well-known member
Anybone had good experience with the excursion I want a 2003 7.3 power stroke or, a 1990-1998 international 4300
im stuck between a ford excursion and a international 4300
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vacuumdude
Well-known member
4300 T44e navistar turbo diesel
It may be crazy but, im 16 and I want one of these as my first vehicle
It may be crazy but, im 16 and I want one of these as my first vehicle
super-sweeper
Well-known member
Find something with more Tail-Fins!!
vacuumdude
Well-known member
haha I need something that has horseys
AND that can haul
AND that can haul
marks_here
Well-known member
Don't ya need a CDL for the 4300?
marks_here
Well-known member
I like the Navistar International 7300 CXT now that is a hauler!!!
vacuumdude
Well-known member
I think so but I think if its 2600 gvw then you do
The engine is basically the same as a ford 7.3 power stroke exact same engine as the T444E
The engine is basically the same as a ford 7.3 power stroke exact same engine as the T444E
super-sweeper
Well-known member
Sign me up too, Sonnydad!
While I won't pretend to be an expert on cars, it looks like we're around the same age, so we probably have a similar amount of driving experience. Personally, if I had the purchasing power to afford such a large vehicle, I would go with the Ford simply because it's not a commercial vehicle and can be driven with an entry level license. What exactly do you need to haul? There are so many smaller cars that have alot of towing capacity. The newer Subaru Outbacks have a towing capacity of almost 3000 pounds. Even a Toyota 4Runner can get you up to 7,300 pounds. My family has a similar vehicle to the the Excursion, the Toyota Sequoia, which is nice to drive at highway speeds but a bit of pain to park. Unless you legitimately need such a large amount of towing capacity, go small. You'll save money on gas and a good amount on maintenance.
Whatever vehicle you get, be sure to look into safety reports/features as well. You just never know when you'll be in an accident, and you want to be safe. You can be the safest driver in the world but you are still interacting with other vehicles that can, and will, make mistakes.
Whatever vehicle you get, be sure to look into safety reports/features as well. You just never know when you'll be in an accident, and you want to be safe. You can be the safest driver in the world but you are still interacting with other vehicles that can, and will, make mistakes.
I have driven every class 5 - class 8 truck sold in the US and Internationals are by far the worst. Their bodies are cheap in the extreme, interior room is limited, the steering wheel has very little adjustment, the wheel and steering column usually block one or more important guages, interior fittings are likewise cheap and nasty, they are noisy, rough riding and all around pure misery to drive. Their sole virtue for the fleet owner is their low purchase price.
An employer of mine replaced their comfortable and quiet Sterling tractors with brand new Internationals, big class 8 tractors but the drivers compartment was the same as that on the 4300. International uses the same basic cab structure with longer hoods and different fenders on their heavier chassis to save on manufacturing costs and allow a lower sales price. The mirrors mount to the door frames and the whole door structure was so weak that the shaking of the mirrors would pull the door frame away frame away from the rubber seal on the door opening allowing rain to sprits me as I drove, and the shaking made it hard to see anyting clearly in the mirrors. Junk! Of course if the things rode better the mirrors wouldn't shake so hard. On top of that, there is no leg room and your legs are further crowded by the intrusion of the engine binnacle and the steering column. I was always banging my right knee on the steering column moving from the accelerator to the brake pedal. The wheel is way too close to the driver, but so is the panel. I had to be careful not to jam a finger on the panel turning the wheel while backing into docks. A couple of times I jammed fingers pretty hard.
Older International 9000 series tractors were so rough on LA freeways it was often hard to keep your hands on the steering wheel. The front axle was bouncing over the expansion joints and the whole steering column would shake fore and aft violently. I called that tractor the "Penalty Box". It was a gasoline tanker. The 9200s were so cheap they didn't have spring loaded detents to hold the doors open, just a canvas strap from the door to the door frame so you couldn't open the door too far. Any little breeze would blow the door shut on you (we usually did our paperwork on the passenger side floor with the door open as we made our deliveries, but with a Corn Binder the door is always slamming on your back). Every Corn Binder of every vintage I have driven going back to the 1970's has been awful.
An employer of mine replaced their comfortable and quiet Sterling tractors with brand new Internationals, big class 8 tractors but the drivers compartment was the same as that on the 4300. International uses the same basic cab structure with longer hoods and different fenders on their heavier chassis to save on manufacturing costs and allow a lower sales price. The mirrors mount to the door frames and the whole door structure was so weak that the shaking of the mirrors would pull the door frame away frame away from the rubber seal on the door opening allowing rain to sprits me as I drove, and the shaking made it hard to see anyting clearly in the mirrors. Junk! Of course if the things rode better the mirrors wouldn't shake so hard. On top of that, there is no leg room and your legs are further crowded by the intrusion of the engine binnacle and the steering column. I was always banging my right knee on the steering column moving from the accelerator to the brake pedal. The wheel is way too close to the driver, but so is the panel. I had to be careful not to jam a finger on the panel turning the wheel while backing into docks. A couple of times I jammed fingers pretty hard.
Older International 9000 series tractors were so rough on LA freeways it was often hard to keep your hands on the steering wheel. The front axle was bouncing over the expansion joints and the whole steering column would shake fore and aft violently. I called that tractor the "Penalty Box". It was a gasoline tanker. The 9200s were so cheap they didn't have spring loaded detents to hold the doors open, just a canvas strap from the door to the door frame so you couldn't open the door too far. Any little breeze would blow the door shut on you (we usually did our paperwork on the passenger side floor with the door open as we made our deliveries, but with a Corn Binder the door is always slamming on your back). Every Corn Binder of every vintage I have driven going back to the 1970's has been awful.
vacuumdude
Well-known member
I ride in a 3800 t444e
Its a pretty smooth ride but the engine is loud but I like that
Its a pretty smooth ride but the engine is loud but I like that
Drive a Freightliner M2 106 and tell me if you still think the Navistar is a better truck. I'm serious. Freightliner makes a truly comfortable and quiet truck. The ride comes close to that of a car and the cab is roomy, quiet and everything you touch has a nice high quality feel to it. They have the best air ride suspension in the business and the best air ride seats. Volvo comes oh so close, but isn't there. Peterbilt, Kenmore, International and the rest aren't even in the hunt. Petes ride hard (Air Trac II just beats you to death) and the Kenmore 8-bag suspension while soft allows huge body roll, which requires you to tip toe around freeway ramps and to exercise extra care making tight turns. It also allows a side to side rocking to develop as the product sloshes in the cargo tank, something you never see in a Freightliner.
The panel layout in Frieghtliners is superior, the wheel never blocks any guages, the steering column has a much greater range of adjustability, there is more leg room and the steering column does not intrude on your knees. I can get the seat back far enough to drive with straight arms and my legs fully extended. In the Navistar my knees are always bent uncomfortably and the wheel is too close to allow straight arm driving. You feel like you are hugging the wheel. Mercedes Benz bought Freightliner in the early 1980s and it shows in their product. Superior in every way.
The panel layout in Frieghtliners is superior, the wheel never blocks any guages, the steering column has a much greater range of adjustability, there is more leg room and the steering column does not intrude on your knees. I can get the seat back far enough to drive with straight arms and my legs fully extended. In the Navistar my knees are always bent uncomfortably and the wheel is too close to allow straight arm driving. You feel like you are hugging the wheel. Mercedes Benz bought Freightliner in the early 1980s and it shows in their product. Superior in every way.
super-sweeper
Well-known member
Kenmore 8-bag suspension? LOL time for the ATK, the All-Terrain-Kenmore!
