Hooray!

 

Hey Paul,
Where did ya ski? I was at Heavenly today.

How long were you in 4wd and where? I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to get snow tires and chains for this winter or just wait on driving the transit in winter conditions till next year once I have the 4x4 conversion done. Got a date with quadvan in august at this point.

 

I skied at Alpine Meadows! I was in 4WD during entire trip from home to Alpine via the 89 (16 miles; had not been plowed for hours). On the way back I only used 4WD for the first several miles down Alpine Meadows Road. You will need the winter tires anyway after your Quadvan conversion. Might as well start enjoying your Transit now!!! (I have cable style chains for emergencies).

 

Paul vP,

Thanks for the encouraging report. I've used the 4WD a few times on my (~3 mi.) gravel road, to reduce wear on the wet road, but not yet on snow or in a situation where 4WD would have been necessary to get through.

I, too, find getting in and out of 4-high easy, as easy as on any of the four other 4WD vehicles I've owned. 4-high causes a mild whirring sound that is more prevalent in a negative torque (down-hill, engine-braking) condition, but not unhealthy sounding.

Paul and all, keep the reports coming.

Best,

-Frank

 

Glad to hear your experiences with 4WD have also been positive thus far, Frank! 4WD High does not sound unhealthy to me either under the conditions you described; it is a pleasant, audible reminder that both axles are at work.

 

Interesting. We don't see anything close to MPG like that.

Did you all get the 4x4 from the factory? Our can is 2 wheel drive and we would really like to get 4x4 put in. We didn't know about the option until after we took ownership.


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Sadly, there is no factory 4WD for the Transit (yet). There are currently two companies that convert the Transit to a 4X4: Quigley (Pennsylvania) and Quadvan (Oregon). The cost is ~12K; both companies tend to have a long waiting list.

 

Did your conversion costs include tires? Did the tires go up in size with the lift or stay stock? Can I still use stock tires with the 2" lift that seems to be standard with quigley and quadvan? If so I will go and get a set asap along with chains to use this winter.
Thanks!
Let me know if you ever ski at any of the vail resorts. Love to hook up and make some turns, but no squaw/alpine pass here..

 

Are you in CO? I ski at Vail.


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Here are photos from a few more angles so that you can better see what the stock tire size looks like on a Medium Roof/Long van with 2" lift.

 

Looks great. Having off roaded extensively, I think you've got it set up perfect for the snow. If you head over to Pyramid Lake you probably want to stay out of the deep sand. Mine was a little dicey on the beach but I don't have 4WD just a big arse Bubba Rope... LOL..

 

How does Quigley compare to Quadvan? Pros and Cons?

 

I’ve never owned or driven a Quadvan, so can only give you a limited answer to your question. Hopefully other Quigley and Quadvan owners will chime in as well.

The main cons to a Quigley Transit that I see are the expense and waiting period. It should be noted that a Quadvan is similarly expensive but that turnaround time at Quadvan may be a little longer than at Quigley; Quigley has quite a large production facility, appears to be well staffed, and has been converting Ford vehicles since 1966. There is also a possible geographical con to Quigley: if you live on the West Coast, it will be more time consuming and more expensive to take delivery of your vehicle from Quigley after conversion (as well as getting it there in the first place, unless dealing with a brand new vehicle that is drop shipped/shipped through by the Ford factory).

As several forum members have noted, Quigley excels at customer service. There is always somebody on hand to answer questions related to timelines, current status, and technical details of the conversion. My Quigley has performed flawlessly since day 1, so I have no experience with the way in which the company handles warranty repairs. Indirect reports suggest warranty repairs are as simple as having your Ford service rep call Quigley for parts and any guidance that is necessary. Quigley then refunds the Ford dealer for any work performed. Quigley appears to be quite responsive in dealing with the warranty repair aspect of their business.

After six months of ownership and heavy use of my Quigley Transit, I can tell you that I am as pleased with it today as I was on Day 1. The system is easy to use and has proven to be reliable, robust, and a joy to drive.

Finally, I suggest you use the “search forum” function to read through the various threads posted by Quigley and Quadvan members to familiarize yourself with any issues that have been encountered thus far. If you haven’t done so already, both the Quigley and Quadvan websites are worth studying in detail.

 

I took mine (Quigley MR 148) on some ridge trails above the lake today (actually received some cellular text messages up there, no voice capability though) I have to say I have run into nothing challenging yet as far as mud holes, inclines, deep soft sand, and unmaintained fire/logging/hunting roads. It's length is a bit different so I am still trying to get into the mindset with the backup camera. As I took delivery in mid-April I look forward to next winter (except that I'll be that much older).

 

Current wait for a build for QuadVan is March, 2018. I sent an email inquiry and got a reply four weeks later. Multiple phone calls went unreturned. My emails to Quigley are answered within a day. I'm picking up a Quigley high roof on Friday

 

I'm picking up a Quigley high roof on Friday

Congrats! Should serve you well in CO.

 

Any Quigley van owners in the New England area? I'm curious to see if it is worth getting, given the investment. I have a 350 HR 148" extended 3.5 EB on order, and was wondering if the cost is worth it. I am a plumbing contractor and find myself out late at night doing repairs during our winter season. Am already paying a premium for the van an additional 12,000.00-13,000.00 is a sizable chunk of money to finance. Please advise.

 

It is a big investment, for sure! I would not have survived the winter in my area without the Quigley upgrade (we had >50 ft of snow at the higher elevations). I did a number of experiments with my van which, by the way, was equipped with Continental snow tires last winter. Basically, I tried to drive it with and without the Quigley engaged in a variety of different conditions. Here is where I got into trouble without engaging 4WD: deep slush, leaving a parking space under icy or packed snow conditions, stopping and starting on an incline on packed snow. You will be fine without 4WD for 99% of the time, but if you need to rely on your van under all conditions, I would strongly advise you to go with the Quigley. I used the system daily for 5 months; my Quigley van never let me down, even under extreme conditions.

 

I feel it. I probably could not have afforded it going your route. I am fooling around with just getting my on-the-lot-bought van usable now with basic flooring and a partition, etc. But you are fooling yourself thinking it will be usable for winter work. While waiting for my Quigley slot I had the chance to use mine over the 16/17 MN winter and it was a joke gently put. I think I've mentioned before having to back up and get a run at it to navigate a bump-up in my own parking lot. Some will come back at me and say I just need the right tires but let's get real folks.

Only as an observer (not counting my trip out to Quigley where I just barely got out of the area before a major storm hit) I have noticed the the global warming phenomena seems to be especially hard on your area.

 

Paul vP
Thank you for the reply. I greatly appreciate the advice. I have contacted the Quigley dealer near me and will hear from them tomorrow in regards to my inquiry about their system. Hope the price is doable and they can coordinate with my dealer to have the van shipped there to do the work. I will keep the community posted as to the progress of this new development. I am getting excited to get this vehicle done and go off to make money with it!! I have to wait till October before they build it, cutting it close but Ford is in control at this point.

 

A wise decision. Another way to avoid having to invest in a Quigley is by keeping your van in your driveway until the roads are nicely plowed, salted/sanded, and the sun has come out. It doesn't sound like you can afford to do that though with your work schedule. Oh yeah, there's also the tire chain option (ugh).

 

Yes Paul vP,
Customers will call until they get a heart beat on the other end around here. My guess is its all the same just geographically different as far as customers go LOL. But if called to either job I need to get there wether its heating plumbing or firefighting. I have lived here all my life so driving around in the white stuff is not much concern as the people all around me, they scare me to diversion at times.
Thank you again for the pointers and puns!! I will keep the forum informed as to my adventures with this whole ordering and getting 4x4 done. seems as though I have talked myself into it already. have always had the thought to do this with my work van. It's going to be great!!

 

Great news please keep us posted on your experience. Are you going to handle it yourself after delivery? It was a very enjoyable winter diversion for me even at my 1100 mile distance. You're right in the neighborhood!

BTW get your slot the minute you get your VIN.

 

keweenawbee
I have myVIN I also have a build date of Oct. 2nd I will be chatting with the Quigley rep tomorrow at some point. I will post tomorrow after work if I have some info to share. The Quigley rep also asked for the dealer info and said he would call to arrange the reroute of the delivery to their shop to do the work. This was in the email reply he sent to me in response to my inquiry earlier today. fast reply for a Sunday email.
thank you for the advice.
Miketheplumber61

 

Hello All
I have just finished a phone conversation with Quigley. The order of things would be,
When you order a new van you and the salesman need to have a conversation about 4x4 conversion. With this being done at the dealer, Ford will finance the conversion along with the van purchase. This can be added as an option like item. Then Ford would have your new van shipped directly to Quigley, where it will sit in yet another production lot. Once there it can take 3-4 weeks to convert. Quigley is currently booked into Jan 2018 working 60-65 hour weeks.
I can still have it done but I'd have to bring it to them in PA. Because I wouldn't be going through Ford there is also the PA sales tax to pay as well 6.0% on top of the conversion. Prices vary a little with different engines and rear ends, but only minimally. Quigley is great to deal with from my limited experience, The sales man was up front with me and this was greatly appreciated. so now for the number you all have been waiting for LOL. Quoted to me for a 3.5EB 3:31 non LS $12,695.00 plus 6.0% sales tax for a total of $13,456.70 installed. Like the salesman said let that digest. Guess I'm doing just that as I type this Post.
Comments

 

Because I wouldn't be going through Ford there is also the PA sales tax to pay as well 6.0% on top of the conversion.
Comments

Would you be able to deduct the PA sales tax from any tax you would have to pay in your home state?

Wow, looks like Quigley is doing a very brisk business these days!

 

Paul vP
I would have to look into that. Good question. Knowing how the Governors want their pound of flesh from us all, I'd not be optimistic. Also wonder about the final sales tax due on the vehicle once the total cost is factored in. Then there is the minor matter of insurance for the more pricey upgrade too. I guess there are many factors to be considered when taking in the complete cost. Now my head is spinning. Need to think about this for a day or so, but my knee jerk reaction would be to not have it done. The cost outweighs the benefit at this moment in my mind. The hurdles would seem to be too great to undertake this at this time. Ultimately it would be best to have all your ducks in a row to make this happen before you order the van.

 

I ordered my Quigley upgrade through the dealer. Definitely easier to have the dealer handle everything, including shipping to and from Quigley. I don't think your insurance will be affected that much, but something to look into as part of your evaluation process. Good luck with your decision; take your time. Snow tires will get you a long way, but for me not having to chain up during storms was the deciding factor for the huge expense of 4WD.

 

keweenawbee
I am thinking the logistics of this are heavy. I would really want to have this for the winter around here, I have seen posts in the order of how bad the transit is in the slush and snow. So with the length of ownership I'd be looking at (10 years) and this hoping to be my last van that I will need in my business career. My thought would be to go for it. I'd have to finance the whole nut and see if I can extend the term of my loan with a total amount being borrowed upwards of $60,000.00. Also will the dealership allow mw to retain my current van while the new one is being converted? I will have to look deeper into this whole matter very carefully.
Paul vP,
I am not sure the rear axel part would be replaced with the conversion. My van is ordered without LS on the 3:31 and this is why the whole idea has come to be. I had talked to my salesman and cannot change my order at this time. I have a build date and the VIN. so I am locked in. My mechanic of many years has told me he would be able to convert my current axel to a LS for me. I am sure at far less of a cost than the dealer will charge me. Again My head is spinning. and I will need to think this all through.
Thank All of you for the valuable input. I'll keep you posted about my decision.

 

I crawled under my van and can confirm there is no guibo on the quigley conversion. It is a conventional u-joint coming off the transfer case.

 

That was my assessment as well. Nice to have this confirmed! Wonder if we will get the recall notice despite nonexistence of giubo on our vehicles.

 

I finally got my threaded concrete inserts for my shop floor so I can anchor my 4 composite ramps. All they had up here were the lag shield inserts so I had to order them. I thought I would try 5/16" reg threaded bolts w/knurled thumb screw tops for quick work of it. I also got some low profile button head bolts to keep the grime out when not in use. The plan is to anchor the ramps furthest in, drive in partially so my front tires are past where the rear ramps will be, then anchor the rear ramps and drive up onto all four same time in Quigley low range. (Now that's a true low range!) I've had problems with them moving around on me so hope this works. Plan to finally snap some good photos of the underside Quigley stuff.

Also hoping that one position for them will handle either direction of the van and still give me walking/working room around it. It seems close but I'll find out soon enough. Worse case is 8 more holes and 8 more anchors inset. (or another set of L brackets on the ramps I guess)

 

I get the same confidence just with true snow tires on my cars, racing 4x4 pickups on non-snows from stoplights and once stupidly racing a pickup on a freeway during a snowstorm. Probably a big factor in why you see so many SUVs and 4x4's in ditches after a storm.

 

Question: Given some of the comments on this post, there seems to be a market for a 4x4 upfit option that does not require it to be part of the dealer purchase transaction. I.e. A situation where you could take in your "used" Transit (maybe under 25k miles) and have it upgraded at a later time, one that suits your schedule more and -- perhaps most importantly -- let's you try your 2-wheel drive for a season to see if it was sufficient. Any options for an after-purchase upgrade to 4x4?

 

I had inquired with Quigley after I heard of their policy change. It was only due to the recent ramp up in demand, and if the load lightens they will go back to offering customer conversions. I was given full concurrent warranties by delivering it to them with under 5000 miles on the clock.

I can’t wait for another winter storm. It seems I need some more justification!