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Old 01-28-2025, 07:14 PM   #1
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Default What is more popular as a base : Ford Transit or Promaster?

Where I come from in Australia, Ford Transit is a very much non starter. Interesting to see the breakup in the US between the Transit and the Promaster.
Here the bases are primarily Sprinter and Ducato. Now get Renault Master and the LDV Chinese Van. Interestingly they appear to be everywhere, the VW Crafter has only one conversion done by Jayco at VW dealerships
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Old 01-29-2025, 01:54 AM   #2
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I think it depends on the area of the country. In the West, particularly the Southwest, particularly in areas where boondocking is common, there's a PM everywhere we look. We've seen as many as half a dozen in a small grocery parking lot. Transits are rare beasts there.

East of the Mississippi, we see fewer PM's, more Transits.
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Old 01-29-2025, 09:56 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by MsNomer View Post
I think it depends on the area of the country. In the West, particularly the Southwest, particularly in areas where boondocking is common, there's a PM everywhere we look. We've seen as many as half a dozen in a small grocery parking lot. Transits are rare beasts there.

East of the Mississippi, we see fewer PM's, more Transits.
I think the VW Crafter will become more popular as a base in the next couple of years
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Old 01-29-2025, 04:36 PM   #4
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I think the VW Crafter will become more popular as a base in the next couple of years
VW dealers are very rare, so I doubt this will ever be seen in the US.

I would say that Promasters are the most common for a few reasons. They got into the Class B market as soon as it appeared and won on price (and interior space... those few inches wider make it so much more comfortable). I haven't checked prices lately... since Promaster added all the mostly useless bells and whistles.

Then Transit verrry sllooowwly got in the B market. For long periods, there were just none available while the world waited for chips.
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Old 01-29-2025, 07:10 PM   #5
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VW dealers are very rare, so I doubt this will ever be seen in the US.

I would say that Promasters are the most common for a few reasons. They got into the Class B market as soon as it appeared and won on price (and interior space... those few inches wider make it so much more comfortable). I haven't checked prices lately... since Promaster added all the mostly useless bells and whistles.

Then Transit verrry sllooowwly got in the B market. For long periods, there were just none available while the world waited for chips.
Here the VW is like the current Sprinter but there is no 4x4 version. It has been surprisingly popular very common on Sydney streets. Sprinters have fallen off, Toyota Hiace very common, with the Chinese LDV. Ducato's less so, Ford Transit's, where are they? Ford Australia sells 90%Ford Rangers and the SUV version and a few small cars and Transits the rest.
Chinese LDV Van does it look familiar
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Old Yesterday, 03:44 PM   #6
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Here the VW is like the current Sprinter but there is no 4x4 version. It has been surprisingly popular very common on Sydney streets. Sprinters have fallen off, Toyota Hiace very common, with the Chinese LDV. Ducato's less so, Ford Transit's, where are they? Ford Australia sells 90%Ford Rangers and the SUV version and a few small cars and Transits the rest.
Chinese LDV Van does it look familiar
Ford apparently looked at the glutted market for vans in Oz and thought... why bother. lol Of those you listed, we only have Sprinter and our version of the Ducato.
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Old Yesterday, 07:40 PM   #7
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Ford apparently looked at the glutted market for vans in Oz and thought... why bother. lol Of those you listed, we only have Sprinter and our version of the Ducato.
There is actually more, the Hyundai Staria, Peugeot Boxer, which are similar in size to the Hi Ace( about the size of the Chevrolet) and of course the biggest Van you can get the IVECO Daily. It is used as a Class C and Expedition Vehicle Base. GVCWR is 23,400lb
Bit off my original question what is most used r the Promaster or the Transit, but Class B's in Australia are a bit more complex than in the US or Canada
This is the IVECO Daily as a Van an A 4x4 Expedition Vehicle
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Old Yesterday, 09:46 PM   #8
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That is a terribly long snout.
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Old Yesterday, 10:01 PM   #9
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That is a terribly long snout.
Slightly longer than the Sprinter. It is to do with crash safety
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Old Today, 05:28 PM   #10
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Slightly longer than the Sprinter. It is to do with crash safety
I agree with MSNOMER. We are used to the pug nosed Promasters. lol As to safety, Promaster does a very good job of protecting people in the cab without having a long snout. The woman who purchased my Roadtrek Simplicity got hit near head-on at high speed this past summer. The van was totaled, but she only got bruises from the belts. The driver who hit her in a car was badly hurt.

As to Promaster versus Transit conversions. Clearly there are more Promaster conversions. They got a head start. I'm not sure about Sprinter's position. It started way ahead of Promaster as it started way before, but the increasing issues after DEF requirements and other things that I didn't really have to understand. But a number of my friends dumped their Sprinter RVs because they were tired of dealing with their issues. (and high maintenance costs combined with a dearth of service facilities)
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