Ford Transit RV from Leisure

[mikes47]

There has been much anticipation on this forum about what the manufacturers might do with the Ford Transit. Here is one of the earlier offerings.Leisure Travel Vans - Wonder

[bobojay]

4th manufacturer now, and undoubtedly the highest quality one so far

[Jostalli]

Love everything about it except it has no slide. I don't get why you would choose a small Class C that has no slide. LTV has a few others with no slide. How often are these buyers urban boondocking where they would not be able to put out the slide? They don't add that much weight and you will hardly need to service the slide mechanism during your ownership.

[mikes47]

Hmm ... now that I look more closely at the pictures, I wonder where they are hiding the cook-top/stove, refrigerator, microwave. Perhaps behind that tall cupboard?

[wincrasher]

Originally Posted by Jostalli

Love everything about it except it has no slide. I don't get why you would choose a small Class C that has no slide. LTV has a few others with no slide. How often are these buyers urban boondocking where they would not be able to put out the slide? They don't add that much weight and you will hardly need to service the slide mechanism during your ownership.

Actually, those slide boxes, body reinforcements and the mechanisms can add alot of weight - nearly a thousand pounds on some.

We don't know the OCCC on this one, but I suspect it's already rather low. A slide would make it worse I'm afraid.

The Navion's manage to include a rather big slide plus a heavy deisel generator but the payload on a Sprinter is a bit higher than a Transit.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by mikes47

Hmm ... now that I look more closely at the pictures, I wonder where they are hiding the cook-top/stove, refrigerator, microwave. Perhaps behind that tall cupboard?

There is a two burner propane cooktop, the fridge and microwave are behind a big white door next to the closet.

Leisure Travel Vans - Wonder

[bobojay]

We've had an RV with a slide. Never again. Pain in the a##

[Davydd]

If I ever went to a Class C I would never buy an either/or arrangement where you have to make a decision to sleep or stay up as this one requires. Looks like a Murphy bed.

They've done their best it seems to make the Wonder softer and more homelike in the interior though a bit Scandinavian European with a touch the the 50s modern.

Dry bath models almost beg to need a full hookup campsite to make them work as imagined. Electrical and tank capabilities will tell you if you are going to be driving mostly campground to campground.

As for a slide, a Class C is already a foot to a foot and a half wider than most all Class B vans. That alone, plus appearance, makes it tenuous to boondock on a street. Add a slide and you might as well give up the idea. Even in a parking lot you are announcing to the world your intent and attracting curious attention. There is no stealth or semi-stealth in a Class C. They are RVs, period.

One thing the converters are doing with the new Transit and Promaster is exploring different layouts than the ones we have grown accustomed to much of this past decade.

[Boxster1971]

More info on the Wonder.

The Wonder is built on a Ford Transit cutaway chassis with a 178-inch wheelbase, a GVWR of 10,360 pounds and is powered by a 3.2L I-5 Power Stroke turbo diesel with 185-hp, 350 ft-lb of torque and six-speed auto transmission.

Leisure Travel Vans Introduces ‘Wonder’ B-Plus | RV Business

[Davydd]

That's 670 less pounds of GVWR than a Sprinter. What are the ramifications?

[wincrasher]

No Ramifications. Only Transitifications.

Less stuff and junk in your cabinets I suppose.

[Robert Ryan]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

No Ramifications. Only Transitifications.

Less stuff and junk in your cabinets I suppose.

Here they build down to a 9,900lb GVWR , when they can do that, to make the Motorhome ,Car Licence viable. As a result the payload is much greater, as the GCVWR is considerably greater.
New Transit not favoured here as a conversion Renault Master that competes with it in the midsize Vans market, is becoming a lot popular.

[mumkin]

If I were still traveling as much as I did when I owned the Libero, I'd consider this unit... except that it is a diesel... and I have no interest in ever owning a diesel. But I love everything else about this new LTV. I love the style and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the closet!!

And the fact that it doesn't have a slide is a big plus to me. (one of the reasons that I bought the Libero)

[gregmchugh]

Unfortunately Ford has not starting offering the EcoBoost gas engine in the Transit cutaway so the diesel is what you get at this time. In terms of what you will not get due to the lower GVWR, it appears you will only be able to get the smaller LP generator rather than the larger LP or diesel generator option LTV offers on the other models. There is no small diesel generator from Onan. I like what I see but would hope the EcoBoost becomes available not too far in the future.

[Robert Ryan]

Originally Posted by gregmchugh

Unfortunately Ford has not starting offering the EcoBoost gas engine in the Transit cutaway so the diesel is what you get at this time. In terms of what you will not get due to the lower GVWR, it appears you will only be able to get the smaller LP generator rather than the larger LP or diesel generator option LTV offers on the other models. There is no small diesel generator from Onan. I like what I see but would hope the EcoBoost becomes available not too far in the future.

Which seems strange. I would think , there has to be a problem.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Robert Ryan

Which seems strange. I would think , there has to be a problem.

A problem with respect to the Ecoboost? My guess is that they are initially offering the diesel and the non turbo gas engines since they see those as the two most likely choices for most cab and cutaway applications. If there is a demand for the EcoBoost I expect they will offer it. Most commercial fleet buyers seem to stick with the base gas engine or the diesel. I think there will be a preference for the EcoBoost for many Class C customers who are not interested in a diesel and want the performance of the EcoBoost.

I could be wrong and there are other reasons they are not offering the EcoBoost.
I suppose there could be more demand than they have manufacturing capability at the moment, it is a popular engine in the F-150, so they are limiting it to the van and wagon models. I also read that they are in the process of increasing EcoBoost production for many of the versions due to high demand.

[stanw909]

I'm with David on the building a bed every night scenario. The rear corner bed corner bath setup with a dinette would be much preferred for my tastes but I'm sure it works for some people. Mumkin. Which floorplan did you have in your Libero ?

[gregmchugh]

Matter of personal preference I think, we currently have a rear power sofa in a Roadtrek and for us setting up a Murphy would be fine if we moved to an LTV. Nice if they had the fancier lounge chairs in the Wonder but weight and space is likely the issue and if those seats are comfortable it would work for us.

[Jostalli]

To me the best class B or small class C like the new Wonder from LTV is the one that has the most sensible use of convertible spaces. You are already compromising on space by buying a small RV so why not have the best you can get during the day? I guess I look at RVing as an adventure. I don't think about when I get to go to sleep. But, I do not fit in the demographic of a typical RV buyer. Perhaps retirees and empty nesters look at an RV as a mobile bedroom.

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Jostalli

To me the best class B or small class C like the new Wonder from LTV is the one that has the most sensible use of convertible spaces. You are already compromising on space by buying a small RV so why not have the best you can get during the day? I guess I look at RVing as an adventure. I don't think about when I get to go to sleep. But, I do not fit in the demographic of a typical RV buyer. Perhaps retirees and empty nesters look at an RV as a mobile bedroom.

I agree, the Murphy bed seems the best solution to me since it takes up little space when not in use and is easy to set up for sleeping since you don't need to make it up and a real mattress should be more comfortable than any of the power sofa options. May not work well in a Class B without the extra width you get in the small Class Cs like the Wonder.