[SilverStar]

Has Anyone with the Medium Roof Height ever had ANY luck using public parking garages? Or No Go in every case? I know my Econoline (much shorter), was often very close, with the rattle of the antennae being the proverbial canary gasping in the coal mine.

Transit Med Roof height:
2015: 100.8"or 8'5"
2016: 99.2" or 8'3.2"
stock, will vary with tires and load.

"According to code, minimum required clearances are 8'2” = 98" for van accessible parking, and 7'0” for regular and other accessible spaces"

So it sounds like the Med Roof is not Parking Garage friendly At All, Ever? May be another argument for High Roof.

Thanks.

 

[Taz Pengra]

I need to measure mine to be absolutely certain before I go into a parking garage. We were at a place today that stated 8'6" clearance but I didn't risk it. When walking through it I was pretty certain that it was a foot taller than the van, maybe the absolute lowest point was 8'6". My Sprinter is 8'8" tall, and that excludes a lot of covered parking around here.

 

[highaltitudelife]

So it sounds like the Med Roof is not Parking Garage friendly At All, Ever? May be another argument for High Roof.
Thanks.

There are many reasons to prefer a medium over high roof. However, if the only attraction (for you) of the medium roof is access to parking garages, you should get the high roof.

Some other advantages of the medium roof are:
- Lower cost
- Lower weight
- Lower center of gravity
- Marginally better fuel economy
- Marginally better cross-wind behavior
- It has more attractive lines (in my opinion)

 

[Michael Ophus]

(low underpasses) i have saw where they resurface roads/underpasses with 6 inches of new asphalt and forget to change the clearance signs!

 

[SilverStar]

We were at a place today that stated 8'6" clearance

...that's great to hear a mid roof should just make it, sometimes a garage is the only place to park within miles and much safer than city streets. I've heard a few reports of inaccurate "safe height" bars leading to crunches, and being careful on up-ramp entries.

i have saw where they resurface roads/underpasses ...and forget to change the clearance signs!

...that's a great point to watch out for, wouldn't have thought of it.


In my Econoline, I could stand in the door and peer over the roof while navigating the shallows, allowing as little as a snails breath...:nerd:

Maybe I'll install some feeler tentacles on the roof of the Transit.

 

[joefromga]

All I'm concerned with is drive thrus and the medium roof has fit in every one I've used. The high would not fit in any of them as far as I've seen.

 

[CrewVanMan]

Always used the radio antenna on my 2000 Econoline to determine if it would fit under the barrier as it was about 2" taller than the height of the van. I am having a new antenna made for the Transit to use in the same manner. Just pull up to the barrier and if it touches the antenna, it is too low to continue. You could measure the total height and know exactly how tall would be safe to fit through the barrier.

 

[james madison]

I was driving a 2005 E series in Miami....I have been in parking garages before, but this one looked smaller...I was going slow, looking at the antennae inching my way, when the attendant, got out and said just drive, plenty of room....I just nicked a fire sprinkler glass sensor or something and the next thing I knew I had 20,000,0000 gallons of water washing my van...turn the wipers on and saw the attendant with his head down and shaking....turned around and left and thanked him for the van wash.....wouldn't even try a transit!

 

[sschefer]

I did measure my 2016 fully loaded and it was 99 to the top of the vent cover. The VA hospital at Fort Miley has a sign that says 8' 2" (98). It's actually 8'6" but to many people figured that it was under the actual so they changed the sign.

 

[RandomJoe]

All I'm concerned with is drive thrus and the medium roof has fit in every one I've used. The high would not fit in any of them as far as I've seen.

I knew I wouldn't be doing many drive-thrus with my high-roof but I was thinking I'd be okay at my favorite place as they had no overhangs on the building and no awnings.

A week after I got my van they put up awnings over the order board and the windows - at 9 feet! :blush:

Oh well... I need to lose weight anyway, I just walk inside for my food now - and I don't go as often either!


As for parking garages, I haven't seen any around here that I'd be comfortable driving a regular low-roof van in - let alone any a mid-roof would fit. I was walking through a pretty new one recently where the full-size pickups were just a few inches from touching!

 

[HCSGuy]

Speaking from experience, a medium roof will not fit through the parking garage at Treasure Island in Vegas Scraped through the hanging sign and had to turn around in the middle of the entrance ramp. I was optimistic that my new, shorter (than my Sprinter) van would make it. I have reverted to my old policy of no garages, no drive-thrus.

When I was 16 I took our E-350 Econoline to SAC airport to drop my mom off, and it cleared the entrance sign and the first few concrete beams in the parking garage. Then it started scraping and I ended up letting most of the air out of the tires to get back out, then driving around for an hour trying to find a gas station with a working air hose. Didn't tell my dad about that day until I had moved out.

 

[BabyBuffy]

There are many reasons to prefer a medium over high roof. However, if the only attraction (for you) of the medium roof is access to parking garages, you should get the high roof.

Some other advantages of the medium roof are:
- Lower cost
- Lower weight
- Lower center of gravity
- Marginally better fuel economy
- Marginally better cross-wind behavior
- It has more attractive lines (in my opinion)

What you are saying then is that it's a chick magnet, right?

 

[highaltitudelife]

What you are saying then is that it's a chick magnet, right?

Only time will tell...

 

[Thinksnow]

The parking and drive thru height issues were exactly why we went with the low roof.

 

[sschefer]

The parking and drive thru height issues were exactly why we went with the low roof.

When you're 6'3" tall the medium roof is a reasonable trade off in my book.

 

[Captain Ron]

...and then there's fitting into automatic car washes... I've tried 4 locally with my medium roof - and it ISN'T going to happen.

 

[sschefer]

Truck stop car washes get it done. I have a car wash nearby that advertises that they can do tall vehicles but haven't tried it yet.

 

[thegreatgumbino]

Always used the radio antenna on my 2000 Econoline to determine if it would fit under the barrier as it was about 2" taller than the height of the van. I am having a new antenna made for the Transit to use in the same manner. Just pull up to the barrier and if it touches the antenna, it is too low to continue. You could measure the total height and know exactly how tall would be safe to fit through the barrier.

That's a great idea. Where are you having the new one made?

 

[breeze]

Walk more, measure less, is Karma speaking.

The only bad thing is no Sun coverage for the single layer white paint jobs

I just saw the 'tricolor met' paint jobs of the Flex are the same pearl metal-flake paints on my Kawasaki (then you know it has 3 coats, except touchup painting get complicated.) I'd love that in almost any light color: very nice, but the Flex is the only (over-charged) model (that I saw, just for the nice paint job.)

 

[thegreatgumbino]

Always used the radio antenna on my 2000 Econoline to determine if it would fit under the barrier as it was about 2" taller than the height of the van. I am having a new antenna made for the Transit to use in the same manner. Just pull up to the barrier and if it touches the antenna, it is too low to continue. You could measure the total height and know exactly how tall would be safe to fit through the barrier.

Can you share where you're getting the custom antenna, please?