Ford Transit USA Forum banner

Anyone have a Transit as their one and only daily driver?

1886 Views 23 Replies 22 Participants Last post by  Danny Salas
I have a 1 ton Long box crew cab truck, and a minivan for 1 person. Getting tired of the insurance/maintenance of two older vehicles.

Ordered a 148 WB as my 1 and only daily driver.

Pro's/Con's folks?
  • Like
Reactions: 1
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
I have a 1 ton Long box crew cab truck, and a minivan for 1 person. Getting tired of the insurance/maintenance of two older vehicles.

Ordered a 148 WB as my 1 and only daily driver.

Pro's/Con's folks?
I've always had a truck for the last 30 years. Last summer I traded in my 2018 F150 on the Transit 350 EL EB Cargo.

We still have my wife's car for "family" outings. But whenever I'm by myself I always take the van. It will become a camper over time, but right now it is still empty.

In its current "empty" state the only advantages it has over the F150 is the dry cargo area, which doesn't come into play that often.

While the van is comfortable to drive, it's nowhere near as comfortable as the F150 Lariat was. It's 3 ft longer than the truck, and a high roof so parking garages are almost always out of the question. At certain facilities (like a hospital complex) I need to hope for an "over height vehicle" lot, with some empty spaces. And every so often it's a really tight squeeze into a regular parking lot, possibly no different than your long bed crew cab.

I really like the upright seating position and I'm hoping it will quiet down with the camper buildout. It will always need to be able to haul small quantities of lumber, plywood and maybe some furniture, even as a camper.

If I found myself single and still needed the camper functionality, I would most definitely have the van as my only vehicle. If no camping was in my future I would go back to a midsize 4-door truck (Tacoma?) as my only vehicle.

If I needed 6+ person capacity then it would have to be the van.
See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: 1
If I didn't need it in my business daily no it wouldn't be my daily driver I'd drive something smaller, probably a truck. Most people only have one car. I prefer driving my van rather than my wife's 22 Tucson which is a pretty nice loaded car. Mine's a 19 MR with EB and 8k invested outfitted for a contractor with a stereo system so it's not like I'm driving around in an empty metal box.

I don't mind maintenance and doing upgrades but when it starts needing parts and breaking down it's gone because I'm done repairing cars.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I have motorcycles, but the van is the one and only car.
  • Like
Reactions: 4
I drive mine every day. SWB mid roof so no longer than a crew cab pickup but a bit taller. Works fine, useful for bikes, gear, moving stuff, bags of mulch, straw bales, even people and road trips sometimes. In my view more useful than a crew cab. I do have a short 15 minute rural commute though, I might change my tune if I was in a big town.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I drive mine everyday to work and any other places I need to go, as my only vehicle. Love having it with me. It is fixed up as a camping van, not a glamping van. Homemade bed, cooler plugged into a power station, bucket commode, propane grill, etc. No insulation as of yet. I have put a fan on top and a set of windows on the side. There are several clothes inside and coats hanging up for emergency changes. Also lots of snacks and small food items are in containers which I hope are mouse smell proof.

We go camping at different parks at least once a month around the state, unless it gets too hot or cold. Planning on going out West this Fall.

Yes my wife does have a car, but I don't drive it. Seems like a little go cart after driving the van.
  • Like
Reactions: 3
I have way too many cars but find myself mostly using the Transit, as I'm more often than not, hauling stuff.

Right now its loaded up with all my tools and a generator as a mobile workshop (and cool down zone) as I'm doing repairs and updates to my boat. In our current weather, I can stand about 90 minutes suited up in Tyvek, respirator, hood and gloves, doing composite work. When I'm at the yard, I have the awning deployed and the van is a life saver - somewhere to cool off for a few minutes.
I honestly don't know how I would get my boat done without my Transit.
  • Like
Reactions: 4
Mine is my daily driver. 20% of the time i wish i had a smaller car
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I have a 1 ton Long box crew cab truck, and a minivan for 1 person. Getting tired of the insurance/maintenance of two older vehicles.

Ordered a 148 WB as my 1 and only daily driver.

Pro's/Con's folks?
I sold my f350 crew. Never looked back. Van keeps things hidden and safe from thieves. I’m a cabinet maker and still haven’t done anything to inside. I like it empty.
  • Like
Reactions: 2
The van is my daily driver for everything. I designed it for minimal camping but still able to haul building materials, trees, plants and other things. In the 6.5 years I have put 90k (in town, trips all around West coast and Houston) on it and still love it. We also have a 22 4Runner that I do not like to drive cause of less comfort, visibility and difficulty to get in with a bad back.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
148 WB (long not extended) HR. Daily driver since March. It's great. Medium sized city.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I’ve got a medium roof 250, 148 cargo as my daily driver. It just took over duties for my Econoline 150 cargo van that was my daily driver for 18 years.
I have motorcycles, but the van is the one and only car.
Same.
I also own 5 & 8 year old boys.
42k mixed driving since Feb. 2021
I am just getting started driving mine daily. Sold my pickup last week, so it is all I have now. I do like it so far but only have 1300 miles on it.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Have a 130" on order.
Currently have a 163" F-150 and a Focus ST. The truck and the car are a fantastic combo, but I am tired of parking something in the driveway. My pending Transit will be my daily driver, but I am also working from home and some days I do not drive daily. I know I will miss that fun little car, and some days I will miss that great truck, but I am thinking the 130" Transit will be a reasonable compromise. We have a 148" at my wife's business I have driven enough to have a reference point.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
daily driver here...traded a gmc crew cab 2500 for my 130wb low roof 250

no regrets. size is very comparable to the truck. i use the back alot more than i did with the truck. hated climbing in the back to chase things that slid forward, or got wet, or even stolen. i used the back seats to haul stuff alot more than the bed. find the back of the van alot more useful than the truck. towing the boat is about the same, gas mileage is about the same (if not a tiny bit better)
  • Like
Reactions: 1
My Transit is a daily driver.

Besides the obvious benefits I find most everything else too small and claustrophobic.

About the only other things I would consider is a Tesla Semi RV or a Rolls, both a bit above my current cash flow abilities.
I have a medium roof 148. No different than driving the 1/2 ton crew cab pickups you see everywhere. The extended may be an issue in some tight spots.
I have a 1 ton Long box crew cab truck, and a minivan for 1 person. Getting tired of the insurance/maintenance of two older vehicles.

Ordered a 148 WB as my 1 and only daily driver.

Pro's/Con's folks?
They're not well suited for long (2+ hour) drives due only to no foot/leg room. Otherwise they're ok.

My '15 Honda Accord easily has much more foot/leg room, and I have driven it 15 hours a day with no problems. That would be unthinkable in the Transit.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
They're not well suited for long (2+ hour) drives due only to no foot/leg room. Otherwise they're ok.

My '15 Honda Accord easily has much more foot/leg room, and I have driven it 15 hours a day with no problems. That would be unthinkable in the Transit.
One thing that helps is installing swivels. Some of them raise the seat up a n inch which helps quite a it. I have a 34" inseam and drove west coast to east coast in 2 1/2 days with no problems.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
Top