Ford Transit van with3.5L Ecoboost

[Garandman]

Today at work we took delivery of a 130" wheelbase medium roof Ford Transit. Headroom is about six feet. Options included the Ecoboost, limited slip 3.31 axle, trailer package, interior [cargo area] trim, LED cargo lights, Navigation. Drove it a little over 100 miles thus far with a few hundred lbs load.

 

[Piston]

Please tell me your going to turn this into an adventure van!



Do you know how much it can tow? Can you get removable seats for the back in case you wanted to use it for passengers too?

 

[jeff9366]

I am not quite ready to buy a new vehicle, but I keep looking at the Ford Transit and the Nissan NV200 short wheelbase van, set up as is yours. The Nissan is produced in Mexico, as was my current 2014 Ford Fusion car.

LINK: 2015 NV200 Compact Cargo Van | Nissan Commercial Vehicles

I had a Chevrolet (full size) Express cargo van, which I sold after building our retirement home. I find myself hauling more stuff in retirement than I expected and find car trunk, even with trunk-extending folding rear seats, limiting or inconvenient. The Nissan can take a pallet.

I do not want a van as large as the Chevrolet Express in retirement. Tractor and RTV500 utility vehicle + trailer are in the garage, so our two road vehicles must live in the driveway.

 

[Garandman]

Please tell me your going to turn this into an adventure van!

Do you know how much it can tow? Can you get removable seats for the back in case you wanted to use it for passengers too?

It's a work van but I've borrowed our other vans for motorcycle trips. The extra height makes this one a lot better for that.


Transit 250, MWB, Medium Roof Van with Ecoboost and 3.31 axle ratio has a GVWR of 9,000 lbs, GCWR of 11,200 lbs, conventional hitch trailer tow capacity of 5,600 lbs, and payload rating of 3,850 lbs. With the 3.73 axle GCWR is 12,600. 2015 Ford Transit Commercial Full-Size Van | Towing Specs | Ford.com

On the Transit forum people are towing way more. The Ecoboost has 400 ft lbs of torque and develops a lot at low rpm so power is not a problem. Because it's a unibody Ford is very conservative with the ratings, it seems.

 

[newbury]

Keep us posted.

SWMBO is due for a new Ford vehicle (Ford ONLY, don't bother discussing) and she mentioned a minivan. This seems a good replacement for our 1993 Dodge Caravan short body 4cyl stick.

 

[bucktaker]

fugly .....sorry

 

[Garandman]

Keep us posted.

SWMBO is due for a new Ford vehicle (Ford ONLY, don't bother discussing) and she mentioned a minivan. This seems a good replacement for our 1993 Dodge Caravan short body 4cyl stick.

The Transit Connect is more that size.

2015 Ford Transit Connect | Ford.com

fugly .....sorry

It's a tool. It rides and drives better than the Express, holds more, tows more, accelerates faster, and gets better mileage.

 

[jeff9366]

Can you get removable seats for the back in case you wanted to use it for passengers too?

Ford offers a six passenger, center aisle, version of the Transit but it is not too popular. I have never seen six passenger version on the road. Whether or not the rear seat hardware is default throughout the Transit line I cannot say.

During the one or two occasions I wanted to carry more than two passengers in my Chevrolet Express cargo van I put a couple folding camp chairs behind the two front seats.

 

[HHR]

I am not quite ready to buy a new vehicle, but I keep looking at the Ford Transit and the Nissan NV200 short wheelbase van, set up as is yours. The Nissan is produced in Mexico, as was my current 2014 Ford Fusion car. LINK: 2015 NV200 Compact Cargo Van | Nissan Commercial Vehicles I had a Chevrolet (full size) Express van but I sold it after building my retirement home. I find myself hauling more stuff in retirement than I expected and find car trunk, even with trunk access folding rear seats, limiting or inconvenient. The Nissan can take a pallet.

Check on parts availability before you buy. I know that as of last year you could only get the correct "load rated" tires from the dealer for around $190 a pop.

 

[Garandman]

Can you get removable seats for the back in case you wanted to use it for passengers too?

There are a number of crew seat options available, including removable bench and swiveling captain's chairs. I'm told they are easier to mount than the Sprinter but haven't looked into it. On a previous van I had a local outfit who was certified to install bus seats put in a second row bench and seat belts: four bolts and it all came out.

A picture being worth one thousand words, here's a comparison of the Transit and Chevrolet Express. Overall length and width are relatively close.

4 LED lights were $70 option, very bright and don't draw much.

Cargo door has a nice strong steel grab handle to step up: nice touch.

Got the side vent window. It's not very big but it's something.

Cargo area came with nine tie down loops.