2014 / 2015 Ford Transit Van

[markopolo]

Some data to look at. Specifications still subject to change.
I'm already looking forward to seeing Class B campervans based on the 2014 / 2015 Ford Transit Van.

[markopolo]

and photos of the largest 2014 Ford Transit Van

[markopolo]

I can't find any real info re: weight ratings yet - only this:

The new 2014 Transit has a wide GVWR range from 8,600 to 10,360 pounds

[markopolo]

Ford Transit combinator tool from Ford:

Transit Combinator lets you explore all the ways to configure a 2014 Ford Transit cargo van, passenger wagon, chassis cab
or cutaway. You can mix and match the four available bodystyles, five wheelbases and four roof heights. It's as easy as 1-2-3.

http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/t ... ombinator/

Transit Van with Long Wheelbase and High Roof

• Carry tall cargo up to 6-ft./5-in. upright
• 11-ft./6-in. load floor length
• GVWR from 9,000 to 9,500 lbs.
• Models: 250 and 350 SRW

[Davydd]

Has anyone put together a side by side spec comparison with the Mercedes Benz Sprinter? Just a quick look, but it looks more comparable to the pre-2007 Sprinter models in size. That's not necessarily bad, either.

[markopolo]

Found a comparison article here: http://www.trucktrend.com/features/cons ... ewall.html





B builders might choose the Extended Transit as its dimensions are closest to the Regular Sprinter.

"Extended" Transit is 266.1 inches long, 81.3 inches wide & 109.2 high
"Regular" Sprinter is 273.2 inches long, 79.7 inches wide & 110.8 high

Other choices are:

"Regular" Transit is 237.6 inches long, 81.3 inches wide & 110.2 high (19.8 feet)
"Short" Sprinter is 232.5 inches long, 79.7 inches wide & 107.5 high

The "Extended" Sprinter is still the longest at 289.2 inches (24.1 feet)

[Mike]

Chassis price comparison? Some converters may see an opportunity to drop their retail prices if they can find a less expensive starting point.

[markopolo]

That would be good Mike. Mercedes have a price premium built into the brand so a Ford van should retail for less. Chevy needs to get into the high-roof van market as soon as they can. Competition will keep the prices in-line.

You have to wonder if the days of fiberglass roofed B's are coming to an end. I don't think you can make a wide-body Class B out of these uni-body vans so those type of models will technically be Class C's if built on cab-chassis bases.

A lower cost base van might even bring in some new builders. Ford dealerships are everywhere too. We even have one in our small town.

[Mike]

It would be nice if Ford took advantage of the conversion market and priced these things reasonably. If they're a decent MB Sprinter substitute, it could spell the end of the Sprinter as a base chassis. Particularly if the interior layout and specs are comparable. Converters could substitute them for the more expensive starting point. Keeping costs down, might allow lower retail prices, and increase sales volume.
Interesting that they don't have dual rear wheels? Wonder why? Or, are the pics simply an artist's conceptions or prototypes from the drafting table?

[markopolo]

Some Ford Transits will have Dual Rear Wheels. In the specs they are noted as DRW. Single Rear Wheels are SRW.

So an LWB EL HR DRW model is:
Long Wheel Base, Extended Length, High Roof, Dual Rear Wheels

[Mike]

Silly me. I figured the pics were it. Should have known better, considering the way the N/A car companies try to be flexible in their vehicle configurations.

[markopolo]

For DIY builds, the medium height roof would probably cost less and still give 5' 10"+ finished interior height. Not enough for some people but that would be OK for me.
A pro builder could maybe cut the floor and drop in a lower section like Roadtrek did to keep the overall height down and still give 6' interior standing height.

My guess is that the Class B manufacturers will go with the High Roof versions.
It doesn't look like there is a Medium Roof plus Extended Length version available. So, with the medium roof, you are limited to the almost 20 foot long van.

[Davydd]

If it is built anything like a Sprinter I doubt they will do any floor cutting to lower it. One of the nice features about Sprinter Bs is the continuous one level floor.

I do wonder if they will be more relaxed about what you can and cannot do in regard to cutting the body than Sprinter. For instance will Roadtrek be able to add actual clerestory windows instead of tacky decals?

[mlts22]

With the "B" industry moving to the longer Sprinter vans, I wonder if people would balk at at buying a model where 22 feet is maximum, while some Sprinters are easily 24 feet long, especially with the extended body and the long wheelbase. Since the "B" industry is caught in a "bigger is better" race, I would guess that the longer Sprinter offerings have an advantage.

The "long" wheelbase of the Transit is two inches longer than the "short" wheelbase of the Sprinter (and the only company making a "B" in the 144" Sprinter size is Roadtrek with the SS Agile model.)

[Davydd]

Hard to believe we have already been talking about the Ford Transit for a year now. I went looking for some solid information on dimensions Google and lo and behold was led right back here.

I found what I was looking for - the width. It won't be as wide as the ProMaster and about the same as the Sprinter unless the dimensions in this thread are out of date, so cross bedding might not be a design option.

[mlts22]

I wonder... with the high roof, long van, I wonder about doing the opposite -- raising the floor. The 9-10 inches of space gained might be useful for placing tanks completely inside the vehicle. This would allow for more freeze resistance as well as a bigger propane tank underneath. Even if the floor is raised about 1-2 inches, it would allow for an aisle shower and plenum space for furnace ducting. Having an aisle shower would mean a floor plan that is a lot more open since only the toilet and bathroom sink would take up length space.

[Davydd]

If the Transit is a unibody design would you be able to cut the floor like they do on Chevys? But I see you are suggesting a false floor to in turn get some pan depth for a shower. I'm not sure there would be a great need for furnace ducting in a small B but you do introduce the idea of a super insulated floor. As for overall height I would still rather have the 6'-3" height ala Sprinter now (haven't checked the Transit) because the AC, antenna crank protrudes in the space and upper shelves and cabinets would be diminished with less height especially over a kitchen counter. The shower in a wet bathroom really does not add that much space You still have to be able to stand in front of your toilet and that is where you stand in a shower. Nor do I want to sit on the toilet facing the aisle or stand in the aisle to pee. There are plenty of compact wet baths that will easily fit in this Transit. OK, I have thought through that one for myself. Others may not mind.

22'-1" is a nice length. That's just a tad longer than the older Sprinter (21'-11") and shorter than the new RB Sprinter at 22'-9". If all the capacity and weight factors work out they might be able to get by with a 4 wheel body instead of a 6 wheel dually. That would be a big plus. It looks like the Transit will be able to compete head to head with the Regular Body Sprinter. Sprinter still has the extended length to itself but my wife, and me to a certain extent, haven't reconciled to that length.

[bobojay]

David the Transit is a unibody design. Also the long body 3500 dually has shown up on their configuration website.

Another tidbit, as of today evidently, according to what's been posted over on the Transit USA forum, the dealers can now take orders. One guy has priced one out, and it looks?? like pricing might be pretty close to the Sprinter. Remains to be seen for sure

[mlts22]

I love what you design and think through. I tend to have ADD and flit from random topic to random topic.

As for the Transit, it is definitely a unibody design. I don't know how doable floor cuts will be, which is why I was thinking of a floor raise. Unless the floorplan calls for a drop-down bed (which makes the higher roof a must), having a higher floor is more useful in the high roof model than just having the ceiling space doing nothing but overhead cabinets. It also can make more room for a Danhard A/C so the high roof model doesn't have to be that much taller. Plus, as you mention, even if the floor is raised a small amount, that is more space for high R-value insulation.

I just see a lot of possibilities with this van. A conventional bathroom like the PW/RT "B"s can be put in and be quite useful.

Another nicety is that Quigley has promised a 4WD/AWD conversion of the Transit. I'm sure Sportsmobile will be doing the same. This would make things interesting for a "B".

-edited-

I'm curious about the pricing as well. I know it is a safe bet to think Ford will price between the ProMaster and the Sprinter, but I wouldn't be surprised if they end up closer to a Sprinter... Ford knows people will choose them for fleet sales because this is where Mercedes and Freightliner are very weak in. With this in mind, they don't have the price pressure like Chrysler does.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by bobojay

David the Transit is a unibody design. Also the long body 3500 dually has shown up on their configuration website.

Another tidbit, as of today evidently, according to what's been posted over on the Transit USA forum, the dealers can now take orders. One guy has priced one out, and it looks?? like pricing might be pretty close to the Sprinter. Remains to be seen for sure

The extended body Transit cargo van is still only 22'-1" from what I can tell. I couldn't find the dually configuration. I did find this which is probably old or European but you can start getting ideas. The biggest transit is almost a clone of the regular body Sprinter (my Legend size) but maybe about an inch wider and a couple of inches possibly higher inside. It seems the cargo length is about the same and the overall weight capacity is almost 700 lbs. less if not a dually. That's better than the old Sprinters. But like I said earlier, it is not going to compete in size with your ERA.

http://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprint ... n-2008.gif

BTW, Marko posted a lot of info on the first page of this thread a year ago that seems to still be fairly accurate.