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6K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  IanCH 
#1 ·
Hello everyone!

My wife and I are looking to buy our first van. After looking at all the options (Sprinter, Promaster, Transit + Quigley, etc.), I believe we've landed on the 2020 AWD Transit. We're stoked, but also completely overwhelmed!

We are going to do most of the upfit ourselves with the help of a soon-to-be-retired and highly-proficient engineer friend.

We've been to the dealer to test drive and go through all of the options. As I'm sure many people here can attest, that ford ordering system with all of the options is abysmal. Thinking about joining that Matt Ford BOB system I see here only to start making sense of it all.

We are currently looking at going all-in and just getting the 3.5L EcoBoost, high roof, extended length, 350 gasser since we plan to live in our van full time.

My concerns are:
Are we buying too much van for our needs?
Cost of all the options
Will it be able to tow a jeep wrangler? (I need to investigate towing more)

Looking forward to learning more on this forum.
 
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#2 ·
Well, I'll ask you this question: What are your reasons for buying the AWD? Snow work? Off Road?

I just went through the purchase process and decided to buy a 2019 on the lot instead of a 2020 based on my personal needs and upfit plans.
 
#5 ·
I was completely sold on the extended length until just reading the thread about restrictions at some of the national parks and roads. I'm now definitely second-guessing that decision. Going to have to work on some layouts to see if we can squeeze in a smaller length, but it's going to be tough since a bathroom/shower is a must for full-time living.
 
#17 ·
I'm not sure I'm convinced as to the benefits over getting new, other than 4wd vs AWD of course. A brand new 2020 EL HR AWD with all the safety features you could hope for plus warranty is under $60k. That 4wd van is $7k-$10k over a new AWD but with no warranty.
 
#18 ·
no warranty? http://www.quigley4x4.com/Product-Support/Warranty/Overview

I can see it both ways, not trying to impose my viewpoint on you, but for me if I was living in the van and going to remote places, I would want the features of the Quigley.

My van is for weekend trips, mostly on paved roads (at least that's the plan for now)
 
#19 · (Edited)
This summer (with my extended length van) I parked at a trailhead parking lot that was down a steep little hill. When I got parked I wondered if the approach angle would let me get back out.

After a little consideration I realized that the geometry is the same for ascending and descending (i.e. it's just a change of reference). With a bit of a run I did get out, but I did scrape the hitch (when I didn't scrape it on the way in).

I really appreciate the extra garage space that the extended length provides, but I do have to think about approach angles now.

P.S. I notice that Baxter State park (with Katahdin, terminus of the Appalachian trail in Maine) lets in 22' vehicles, but when I was buying the van I thought the restriction was 20' and I would be excluded. In any case it's good news.
 
#20 ·
I have the HR and EX T350 HD.

My favorite hamburger joint is at the corner of two, busy four lanes. Getting into their parking lot takes commitment and there won't be any backing out. The lot is doable but not in a way that is convenient for me or especially for anyone following close behind. I no longer go there during peak lunch. I still go as often as I ever did, just not between 11:30 and 1. The back up camera, even with the dinky display, is great any time there is enough room to maneuver.

Otherwise, everything else is pretty much common sense. You can safely get in and out of just about any modern retail facility. The only time I bottomed out was leaving a municipal lot adjoining a McDonalds. I'm not sure who actually controls that ramp. I was surprised, I saw how I needed to avoid it and it won't happen again. Speaking of McDonalds, as an example, most drive-throughs are now off limits due primarily to height restrictions.

I am 6'2 and 240. Anything less than HR + EX felt too confining. I'm also single. I would think any couple, especially full timers, will adjust to the occasional sacrifices the bigger living area will bring. I can't speak to the 4x4 vs AWD debate because I don't have either and I fully intend to steer clear of inclement weather and unpaved roads whenever possible. The whole point of my conversion is comfortable accommodations while I wait out the storms.

And speaking of weather . . I'll have to see if there's a thread on this . . I'd be more concerned about the substantially increased sail area in high winds on slick roads. I don't think any four corner solution, short of chains, is going to help if the wind starts pushing you around.
 
#21 ·
We just returned from a 2 month road trip that took us out West into the National Parks, Mountain passes, Canada, and through the middle western states Utah, Arizona, Colorado etc... Our van: MH 130" WB T-150.

It was obvious on this first long excursion that we had made the right choice on going with a short wheelbase, medium roof vehicle for our campervan. If we wanted to be an RV, then we could call ourselves an RV, especially when there were no other parking spaces available. (only happened a couple of times) Conversely, we can fit into any regular parking space since the length of the van is about the same length as my F-150 pickup.
We did see in Glacier NP the 21' length restriction like someone mentioned earlier. At a couple places (Vancouver) it was a good thing our van was short because they had us packed in like sardines in (Indian Reservation urban campground) - If we'd had a larger van, there would have been no place for us that day... We were able to negotiate many tunnels and narrow roads (Needles Highway) for instance with no problem. Our van is about 8'6" or so with solar and kayak racks.

All in all. Having a short wheelbase van proved to be a great option. When we did cave-in for a commercial campground, we were (sometimes) able to get a dry site (tent site) since we are totally self-contained.
Getting gas at any of the truck stops and gas stations was also a breeze due to the short length of our van.

I'll just add... me and my wife did surprisingly well on the trip.
Don't get hung up too much on having an extended van. Yes, the extra room is always welcome, but you really don't need it unless you are going full-out on a pseudo RV build with shower, kitchen, etc... if you're going to do that, you might as well consider getting a Class-C rig instead of a van since you want to haul a Jeep Wrangler behind it too... Kinda defeats the purpose.
As I've learned over the years... "There's ALWAYS a trade-off in life" no matter what. Good luck to you.
 
#23 ·
"Strange, short of personally measuring a van at my nearest dealer I'm still only seeing at most 70" across the widest part of the cargo area.
https://www.caranddriver.com/ford/transit/specs"

Goodwood,

That's because they're taking the measurement from the narrowest point. If you have floor to ceiling load protection panels installed, you will only get about 69-70". I just re-measured mine at the bottom of the windows (or window cutout if you didn't have windows, shouldn't be more than 1/2" difference, same body) and it's 77" where my bed is located, 33" off the floor. Below that about a foot, it narrows to 68 1/2" between the lower load protection panels. My van is a cargo with windows all around so I only have the lower load protection panels.
Basically if you want your bed east/west, it need to be elevated somewhere between the bottom of the window cutouts to the top of that same cutout.
Cheers
JP
 
#27 ·
On the topic of sideways sleep, it seems that if you use thinsulate you can just compress the section where the mattress is and fit 74-75in long. Users who have done it have reported no noticeable cold spots from doing this.

I'm about to install my bed platform this week/weekend so I will tell you guys how it goes. Maybe I should start a build thread...

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
 
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