Glad to see you're finally in the 'club'!!
I certainly love mine. It will actually be going out to them in the next couple weeks for a repair...it won't come on when it has been in the vehicle and it's been really hot or really cold out. They said it is a problem and gave me the address to send it to for a repair.
I'm interested to hear about your trans temps. When cold, mine won't shift into overdrive until it reaches 53, otherwise it stays out and then reves higher to warm up. Running on the highway in the summer empty is 130-140. Last trip home yesterday, it got to 125 and stayed there, and most of the winter will be 120-130 depending on wind/load. It has gotten close to 200 towing before, but I really haven't towed the 286 with it much since getting the SG since the F-450 has been around.
Water temps: 173-181 highway. Lower end in the winter, upper end in the summer, empty. Towing, it'll average around 190 but can climb toward 200+. I haven't found anyone who can figure out why mine are so cold. The '05 Excursion, like yours here, runs at 190 in general all the time. Ours will go between 188 and 191 most of the time.
Towing with the '05 this summer, while not the loads of the 286 but still a significant load, had water temps 193-203 (mostly stayed around 197) and trans temps in the 180s. This was highway of course. Trans temps did make it into the low low 200s at one point I recall. I had it get up above 220 once a couple years ago which prompted me to change the trans fluid before it was pulled back out again.
I do have one picture of the SG after pulling the 286 on some rural roads for about 15 miles, with six start-ups from a stop. After that, idling in park just after arriving to the destination, water temp was at 191 and trans at 176.
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2007 T-286SR Cherry/Granola, #6236, original owner, current mileage: 9473.8 (as of 6/18/21)
1997 T-2653 Blue Denim, #5471
1979 12 1/2' MC, Beige & Avocado, #4639
Past Sunlines: '97 T-2653 #5089, '94 T-2251, '86 T-1550, '94 T-2363, '98 T-270SR