Purchaser Demographics Thread

16344 Views 48 Replies 28 Participants Last post by sleboa, Oct 16, 2014

DearbornDude

Discussion Starter · Sep 16, 2014

As the new Transit is a very different van from the outgoing Ford van, my question is who exactly is buying the new Transit? Are you buying the van for yourself, or for a small business you own, or for a corporate fleet?

Let's talk a bit about ourselves in this thread so that everyone can gain an understanding of what sorts of people are the early adopters on this great forum.

Me:

Mid 30s
Co-own a handyman / property management service
The Transit is for me to drive and use
Enjoys golf, cycling, family, and activities with my Siberian Husky in his spare time

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Longboard

· #2 · Sep 16, 2014

Replacing my '08 Sprinter cargo that I had converted to family travel van/stealth camper. Will put boards & bikes inside and sleep in it with various family members depending on the trip.
Primary purpose will be to escape MI Winters for two weeks at a time by driving down to
FL three times per Winter and stealth camping in it.
Also will dry camp along with 30,000 others at EAA Airventure Oshkosh every July for longer than a week.
Will also be used as transport and nap room/locker room/bathroom at a half dozen or more running races throughout Spring/Summer/Fall.
At plenty of other special events it will get us there and provide the option of stealth camping for the night before or after or both.
Will function fine as a spare vehicle if needed when others are down for repairs, and works great at tale gates with a giant cooler and potty always available.

Reactions: 1

Jefferson

· #3 · Sep 16, 2014

Age 51 carpenter.always driven pickups and vans. My every day vehicles.Gotta be comfortable and up to date.Work and leisure for me.

Campervan Man

· #4 · Sep 16, 2014

age 52 engineer. Rented a Sprinter campervan for a spring vacation and loved it, but can;t justify all that money for a seldom used van. Now my wife is going to expand her business and has a reason for a weekday company van and I (we) can use it for a weekend campervan. How cool is that. She is going to pay for my toy.

Reactions: 1

SuprMover

· #5 · Sep 16, 2014

my demographics

I'm in my early 30s. I started an audio production company a few years ago, and I was looking for a van larger than an E-250 Extended but smaller than a box van. And lo and behold, Ford introduces the Transit. My largest shows fill the truck top to bottom and front to back, but I only get a few of those a year.

Zyzzyx

· #6 · Sep 16, 2014

Can't say that I'm a purchaser yet, or ever, but certainly interested.

My girl and I (mid-40s) are looking for something for a combined use. She has her dog trips; agility trials and dog shows (thankfully with Italian Greyhounds, small dogs). I have my cycling trips; drive out and for a one or two day ride somewhere. And we'll combine at times as well.

General idea is a DIY RV-ish setup that will allow for some basic stealth camping. But also need to leave room for the bikes (recumbents, so they take up a bit more space) and/or for some dog crates. We're still working to agree on what we want inside, but I've been reading lots of stuff from the Sprinter forums for DIY setups, and am especially thankful of all the information provided by GraphiteDate/Orton.

If anything does get purchased, it probably won't happen until sometime in the spring.

Reactions: 1

dado6

· #7 · Sep 17, 2014

Married Couple Mid 30's
Both are professionals, Healthcare and Consulting
6 Children ages 13yr - 7 months
Take alot of family road trips
Replacing the family suburban with 300k on the dial

We are buying it as a family mover, grocery shopper, every day driver for the wife, road trip machine extraordinaire and club sports team mover.

Reactions: 1

Todd

· #8 · Sep 17, 2014

Me
Artisan tradesmen
Business owner with three full time service vehicles
Work and work and some pleasure van
Almost half a century

Need to get keep my snowboard and tools warm in the winter.
Children....yep but none I can deduct on taxes anymore.
Todd

Chad

· #9 · Sep 17, 2014

Mid 30's

I own an aquarium servicing business

Will also use for family road trips occasionally

Replacing my 2002 E350 v10 15 passenger van which has over 310k mikes on it now.

My business has been growing and I wanted something comfortable that I can stand in and that will look really professional as my business continues to grow!

rondo

· #10 · Sep 21, 2014

30, building out a gear hauling RV for ski and climbing trips.

Reactions: 1

Menotomy

· #11 · Sep 21, 2014

60, Will use as family daily driver by wife & myself, some camping, & maybe even some stealth camping during travels. Ordered a 130wb low roof 10 seat passenger w 3.9L.

Bigt420

· #12 · Sep 27, 2014

Ultimate Yard Sale Ride

I replaced a 2001 E450 18foot Uhaul Type Body with a 7.3 Power stroke with the new Transit 3500 with the Diesel option, Other than that a stripped down truck.

I was looking for a ride to go to the yard sales with my wife that would give us more room than our Town and Country Mini Van. We just got back from the Worlds Longest Yard Sale in August and left a lot of things behind because of the lack of space.

My old truck was still in good repair but too old to trust for long trips. I had all but decided on the Nissan but they wanted to steal my old truck. The ford dealer bit so hard-I was afraid not to trade.

I have just installed a Clarion NX604 in the well on the dash--a fair install but I am looking to improve the look and I replaced the factory radio area with a plate that mounts the 2 lights on a K40 built in radar detector. It all looks pretty good and works well.

I am looking for wall liners and head liners to complete every thing and hopefully a rear seat to make it a crew cab! Pretty cool van, seems a little top heavy at highway speeds, I have the extended high roof. Hopefully they will finally come up with adds ons you can buy to improve the van. Gets great MPG and will go faster than I want to drive it.

I am 57, self employed insurance agency owner, and licensed auctioneer.

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Reactions: 1

scottyrugs

· #13 · Sep 28, 2014

I'm 59 and I own a small business in NYC. I'm just ready for a change...I've owned GMC Savana's for the past 20 years and I'm bored with them. I ordered my 2015 Transit 250
with every option I can think of including navigation and back up camera and sensors. Leather power seats- the works! I ordered it on June 10,2014 and as of today, I have no vin # and no build date. Because of the navigation, I have to wait till the second build sometime in December

PeterR

· #14 · Sep 28, 2014 (Edited)

Thanks scottyrugs, curious to know which wheelbase and roof height you ordered for city use. With the low roof able to go into most parking garages, did you opt for this? I see from your other posts that this is a cargo van. Did you order, by any chance, an additional bench seat with side glass in the door and behind the driver's seat (like a Crew Van)? [edit -- also see that you got the medium height -- short time frame for editing about to end]

Thanks,

Peter

PS -- When you get your VIN, build date, etc., please let us know in this thread if you feel like it:

http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/purchasing-ordering/3594-tracking-build-dates.html

LongRide

· #15 · Sep 28, 2014

Couple going to tour this great land. From Nova Scotia to Baja,from Key West to Alaska...Age 54 & 57 but hope that we can still retire in another 5 years. Plan to build on the EL High Roof to allow us to take our dogs with us and if/when we can't find a dog friendly place to stay they can sleep in the LongRide...or we all can. Also want to be able to stay on that 2-4 day boon docking tip or a coupleof nights on a paddling trip. Gotta have that Ford.

packerbacker

· #16 · Sep 28, 2014

I am 49, I own an Auto Glass Business in N W Wisconsin, I am a GM Man, All my other rides has always been GM except for my work Vans, I have drove every make and model (Vans) out there in the 24 years I have been slamming Windshields and Ford has always been my favorite, Less problems than all the others and I like the way Ford Vans ride, so no surprise I dropped 38K on a vehicle I Never test drove or even seen before. My Vans are a rolling billboard for my Business, They turn heads and I will drive this Transit until the wheels fall off. I went with the Mid roof, Regular length, Ecoboost with many extras. Cant wait to get her.

Longboard

· #17 · Sep 28, 2014

PeterR said:
I see from your other posts that this is a cargo van. Did you order, by any chance, an additional bench seat with side glass in the door and behind the driver's seat (like a Crew Van)?

You're going to confuse people Peter R, you know that option doesn't exist!

PeterR

· #18 · Sep 28, 2014 (Edited)

Longboard said:
You're going to confuse people Peter R, you know that option doesn't exist!

Your definitive statement "that option doesn't exist" confuses me. Do you work for Ford and can safely make such a clear-cut statement?

Secondly, it is pretty clear from all the discussions here that even if an option is listed, dealers are having a hard time being clear about them, and guarantying what does or does not come with each one.

Thirdly, Ford is certainly free to add or subtract options, or to put them into "Job 2" at any time.

Fourth, what do you mean by "that option" when I listed at least three or four?

1. Fixed glass in the passenger-side side door of a cargo van is an existing option, at least I have seen a few, and driven one such Transit cargo van.

2. Fixed side glass behind the driver's seat may not be listed yet (or may be, I refuse to trust Ford's build site for any accurate information), but it is not far away IMO.

3. An additional bench seat in a cargo van, it seems to me, is an existing option, and I swear that this has been mentioned on this forum before. Also, I believe that photos of such an interior in a cargo van have been posted here. If not, this option is soon coming . . . IMO.

4. If by "that option" you are referring to the Crew Van, then I would ask you to re-read my post and note the words "LIKE a Crew Van." [emphasis added]

Please clarify, Longboard, if I have not covered this adequately.

Thank you.

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PeterR

· #19 · Sep 28, 2014

PS -- "Job 2" does contain a passel of window options, most for the Wagon I believe, but trusting what Ford says about any options to be finalized and built after New Years (probably) seems premature at best.

Brad

· #20 · Sep 28, 2014

What option code do I use to order an additional bench seat in a cargo van?

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