2019 22' Ford Transit vs 2019 24' Sprinter

[LosAngeles]

Hi all

We were hoping that the gas 2019 Sprinter would be available in 4x4... but some new info indicates that the USA gas Sprinter 2019 may be 2WD only.



I really dont want Diesel for a number of reasons.....

My question is - if we decide to forgo the 4x4.... then we might look at the 2019 22' Transit with the bigger engine. I hear it is pretty nice engine.

I think 22' is the longest we can get in a Transit....

How does the 22' Transit compare, overall, to the 24' Sprinter?

We want as long and as big as possible as we want a queen-ish bed in the rear, with a fold up single bed cot above it, plus bathroom, plus kitchen stuff, etc. and a 3rd (captains) chair for our child.



thanks for any and all thoughts.

oh and from what I could understand from the Quigley website - they no longer convert vans other than vans they are selling as new. Unless I misunderstood...

4x4 Vans : Quigley Motor Company, Inc. > Quigley Products > Quigley 4x4 Ford Transit Vans > Convert Used Van

John

[wincrasher]

Well it's smaller and lighter of course. If you get a Transit, you really have 2 choices in the mainstream manufacturers - the Winnebago Paseo or the Coachmen Crossfit. People report liking the floorplan and cabinet quality in the Crossfit, but it doesn't have the turbo engine. The Paseo has complaints about the short beds and the quirky cabinets, but raves about the engine. But you'll have to buy one off the lot, as WGO stopped taking orders for them (rumoured discontinued).

Your other option is a custom, like Sportsmobile. Besides the long wait time, you have the more spartan design aesthetic (some people like). It's kinda apples and oranges though if you comparing these to WGO & Coachmen.

If you want a large van though, it's hard to beat a Sprinter. That extra 2 feet doesn't sound like much, but it is a huge amount of extra space. Have you looked at the Era models from WGO? The A model is a pretty nice van. The Coachmen Galleria is also a tremendous value. I haven't heard of any availability issues with either - you probably can find plenty to choose from sitting on dealer lots.

[BBQ]

.

The Crossfit has been offering the 3.5L ecoboost engine since the beginning of the year.

Yay to 400 lb-ft of torque.
But prayers to the universal joint.
(Ford has a special name for their rubber thingy, I don't remember the term).

[LosAngeles]

thanks for the good info.

to clarify - we'd likely go SMB as we need sleeping for 3, and seats (including sholder seatbelt) for three.

a very nice person on another forum came up with this in the SMB custom builder..... in the 22' Transit.

needs FlarePods and a transverse Queen.... then the single fold up bunk on the passenger side - running front to back

SMB west can do all this, i believe. (not sure who would install the FlarePods. )

[angelmroman]

It has yet to be announced Officially, but Litchsinn RV in Indiana, one of the largest volume WGO Dealers, is NO LONGER accepting Orders on new Paseos. Being discontinued due to slow sales. It will open up Capacity for the Revel, which has a wait list approaching a year. We’ll see....

[LosAngeles]

FWIIW - I just read:

The 2019 Transit is expected to receive the turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 paired with the 10-speed automatic transmission, which will give the large cargo hauler better fuel economy and better performance.

The turbo V6 won’t be the only engine option – expect a less powerful V6 and five-cylinder diesel to carry over into the new model year.

[dhuff]

My take would be to go for the Ford, if only for ease of access to service (so many more Ford shops around than Mercedes). Ford maint costs will also be lower. I also don't have warm fuzzies about MB reliability for gas engines, tho' maybe they're better for commercial vehicles ?

[Phoebe3]

I chose ford and I'm happy with the choice. But it's only 22 ft and the extra 2 ft you can get with a Sprinter amounts to a huge increase in interior space - I wouldn't discount what that will get you when you are trying to fit more than two people in a van.

[booster]

Originally Posted by LosAngeles

FWIIW - I just read:

The 2019 Transit is expected to receive the turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 paired with the 10-speed automatic transmission, which will give the large cargo hauler better fuel economy and better performance.

The turbo V6 won’t be the only engine option – expect a less powerful V6 and five-cylinder diesel to carry over into the new model year.

It will be interesting to see what output/boost they run with the Ecoboost. In the past, it has been pretty common for the vans to have less power than the corresponding engine pickups due to induction and exhaust packing limitations, and the ability to get the extra heat out of the engine and engine compartment.

[mlts22]

Other than the guibo (funky rubber U-joint which is under warranty), I prefer the Transit, when comparing gassers to gassers. The EB V6 actually can make the van somewhat fun to drive.

[LosAngeles]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

I chose ford and I'm happy with the choice. But it's only 22 ft and the extra 2 ft you can get with a Sprinter amounts to a huge increase in interior space - I wouldn't discount what that will get you when you are trying to fit more than two people in a van.

Good thoughts...

Bummer the Crossfit does not have a 3rd captain chair.... our daughter would understandably refuse to sit alone way in the back.

plus do the seats way in the back have headrests? that is a must for us... safety. whiplash sucks.

[Phoebe3]

Originally Posted by LosAngeles

Good thoughts...

Bummer the Crossfit does not have a 3rd captain chair.... our daughter would understandably refuse to sit alone way in the back.

plus do the seats way in the back have headrests? that is a must for us... safety. whiplash sucks.

I have the dinette version (22D), which does not, but the sofa version (22C) does.

However, there is no good way to sleep three in that van (we've tried). If I was traveling with three people on a regular basis, I'd move up a size to a B+ or C if I wasn't going to go with the 24 ft Sprinter.

[dhectorg]

I'm planning to make a class B purchase in a couple years and I too have come down to the Sprinter or the Transit. The choice between gas or diesel is not the most important question for me. I'd be perfectly fine with either the Mercedes diesel or the Ford EcoBoost. I know a lot of people complain about the reliability of the diesel, but I don't think it's as big of an issue as people make it out to be. I owned a late model diesel with all the latest emissions tech and it ran perfectly for 80,000 miles. Then I sold it, still in perfect condition. The guy I sold it to still drives it everyday. I wonder if complainers are doing proper scheduled maint and using a quality diesel fuel additive, to mitigate the sometimes low quality of US diesel fuel. That's all I did and never had a single issue.

Anyway, I'm leaning heavily toward the Sprinter because it's the only way to get 4WD at present. I hope Ford will remedy this oversight and add 4WD to the transit 350HD because I really like the Crossfit (except for the small bed), but 4WD is a must for me, which limits me to the Sprinter for now. I know there are some good aftermarket 4x4 installers out there, but I don't think I want to go that route, as it's very expensive and will likely void at least some of the van's warranty.

[Boxster1971]

You can get a 4x4 Transit from Quigley, who work directly with Ford dealers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jon]

Originally Posted by dhectorg

I'm planning to make a class B purchase in a couple years and I too have come down to the Sprinter or the Transit. The choice between gas or diesel is not the most important question for me. I'd be perfectly fine with either the Mercedes diesel or the Ford EcoBoost. I know a lot of people complain about the reliability of the diesel, but I don't think it's as big of an issue as people make it out to be. I owned a late model diesel with all the latest emissions tech and it ran perfectly for 80,000 miles. Then I sold it, still in perfect condition. The guy I sold it to still drives it everyday. I wonder if complainers are doing proper scheduled maint and using a quality diesel fuel additive, to mitigate the sometimes low quality of US diesel fuel. That's all I did and never had a single issue.

My thoughts exactly back before I bought my 2015 4x4. I even bought the repaid maintenance from MB. The first year was great but the second year the problems started. First it was a different check engine light just after we started a long road trip. Then the stalling whenever we drove over a hill. It didn't do it all the time. Just enough to ruin about every vacation for the year. MB did fix it but it took about a year to for them to finally replace the correct part. I've limped over passes in Oregon on the shoulder and spent days in a rental car in California.

This could just be my luck, but seems there are a lot of people with my same luck so next van will be gas. I feel like I have a successful trip if I don't have check engine lights or stalling on the passes and that's just not right.

[dhectorg]

Originally Posted by jon

My thoughts exactly back before I bought my 2015 4x4. I even bought the repaid maintenance from MB. The first year was great but the second year the problems started. First it was a different check engine light just after we started a long road trip. Then the stalling whenever we drove over a hill. It didn't do it all the time. Just enough to ruin about every vacation for the year. MB did fix it but it took about a year to for them to finally replace the correct part. I've limped over passes in Oregon on the shoulder and spent days in a rental car in California.

This could just be my luck, but seems there are a lot of people with my same luck so next van will be gas. I feel like I have a successful trip if I don't have check engine lights or stalling on the passes and that's just not right.

Honestly, I think that was just bad luck. Vehicles are sometimes shipped from the factory with a faulty part or some other build issue and depending on what it is, it can be difficult to isolate, as it was in your case. The unlucky buyer who gets that particular vehicle will have to deal with the hassle of it all. That's not uncommon across the board. However, I don't think that's a diesel problem, it's a manufacturing quality control problem. With all the technology in these vans (and most newer vehicles), there are simply more opportunities for something to be faulty from the factory, it's the cost of increasing vehicle complexity, but hopefully the problems will subside over time, as supplier chains and manufacturing processes are continually refined.

I think the perception of Sprinters being unreliable can be explained. People who have problems are far more likely to talk about it on forums like this one than people who are satisfied are likely to talk about their experience. That's just human nature. Also, the Srpinters is one of the most common delivery vans on the planet, so statistically there are bound to be more complaints, relative to lower volume vans.

[LosAngeles]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

You can get a 4x4 Transit from Quigley, who work directly with Ford dealers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Can Quigley convert a new or new-ish (or 3 year old) Transit I take to them?

I left a voicemail.... asking this... no call back in a week of waiting.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by LosAngeles

Can Quigley convert a new or new-ish (or 3 year old) Transit I take to them?

I left a voicemail.... asking this... no call back in a week of waiting.

They did in the past, but Quigley no longer converts pre-owned Ford Transits. It was a news release by them last August. I suspect they have all the business they can handle converting new Ford Transits.

4x4 Vans : Quigley Motor Company, Inc. > All News & Events

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Probably a little more expensive...and maybe temperntal than the gas... BUT, the Mercedes Benz Sprinter is extremely smooth and pretty quiet for a diesel...the amount of power and torque is amazing.. fuel economy is 18 to 20...

Even going across the USA... engine performance was excellent, climbing hills ....and running everywhere....

My advice is drive both of them and make a decision...

Diesel engines are known for their longevity... many go well in excess of 500,000 miles...

Good luck.

[<<B-Guy>>]

We haven't made a purchase yet, but in my mind I ruled out anything on the transit as I don't believe you ca rotate the drivers seat due to the handbrake position.

Perhaps I am putting too much emphasis on a minor issue, but it seemed to me that in such a small RV as a B van, you need the most flexibiity and best use of all possible space and I do like the idea of two living areas, front and rear.

Just my thoughts and maybe I'm off base on this!

Brian.