Project Toy Hauler

The Excursion has pretty terrible suspension from the factory, and the 5" lift on mine improved it slightly, but not much.  Ancient leaf spring technology used in trucks and horse carriages since the beginning of time.  It's rough and bumpy on the road, and it's not at all enjoyable off the road, both of which are a problem for me.  A couple years ago we used our previous SUV, a Nissan Armada, to do the magnificent 100mi White Rim Moab bike ride with the family, including our 6mo old baby.  The Armada was amazing for this, an SUV doesn't get much better than the capabilities of the Armada with a great V8, plenty of clearance, true 4wd system with low range, and suspension that works well on and off road.  Fun Fact for everybody, the Armada has a higher tow rating than a Suburban!  Unfortunately the Armada was sold while the wife and I had a downturn in jobs and had to cut back on expenses.  Although we really wanted another Armada, we decided to buy a large toy hauler