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  1. #1
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    Mar 2009
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    Updated Ford Transit w/ AWD

    Who's done the research on this thing? Searched and didn't find much

    I'd like something bigger than a sienna, but not really interested trying to go full van life camper conversion either. I have a short daily commute, a family of 4 and a large dog, plus lots of skis and bikes to carry around. Seems like this would be a great ski vehicle and family hauler now that starting with the 2020 there is an AWD option. There was a dealer close by doing true 4x4 quigley conversions, but it seamed like a pain to get it all lined up.

    A ton of configurations though, roof heights/lengths/seating/payload, plus multiple engine options with a diesel coming.
    after market wheels/tires look limited as well

    Do people put boxes on mid height ones and install side ladder?

    Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    General Sherman's Favorite City
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    35,237
    Is that tarp custom?
    I still call it The Jake.

  3. #3
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    May 2002
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    Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
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    3,807
    You are what you eat.
    ---------------------------------------------------
    There's no such thing as bad snow, just shitty skiers.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    2,248
    I've read a lot about them. I have a Transit Connect and have thought about getting a Transit at some point to have more space for hauling things and making a sometimes camper.

    There's a pretty good thread about them on Expedition Portal, though I'm not really interested in modifying much for more off road ability: https://www.expeditionportal.com/for...it-awd.203291/

    If I was buying one right now, I'd go LWB but not extended, crew cab, with the Ecoboost engine.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Dystopia
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    21,052
    Are they available?
    I gave up checking the web. Fall 2019 became spring 2020
    My ford dealer doesn’t even know.

    Have three transit cargo in the work fleet. Nice driving vans.

    Factory AWD is so much less hassle than a retrofit.
    . . .

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Aspen
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    3,058
    I’ve ordered two T350 med roof passenger vans in AWD for work. Dealer took the order in Dec and said we should get them by end of March.

    We have a T350 Cargo with Quigley that’s a tank.

    For our needs the AWD passenger ones won’t need to be as capable as the cargo van. I didn’t do much research into the capability of Fords system, but it will be more dependable for our needs than previous Econoline RWD ones.

    Since I have a variety of drivers using them, the AWD will be more peace of mind for our groups doing winter highway travel and accessing winter trailheads.


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    Fraggle Rock, CO
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    7,766
    I talked to a dealer around Christmas and he made it sound like it would be a while before they actually became readily available on dealer lots since they were anticipating doing a ton of volume and they still had plenty of 2019 2wd versions to sell through. That said, I'm certainly interested in one as a replacement for my aging excursion.
    Brandine: Now Cletus, if I catch you with pig lipstick on your collar one more time you ain't gonna be allowed to sleep in the barn no more!
    Cletus: Duly noted.

  8. #8
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    Mar 2009
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    Sweet Alpinevibes. Was your dealer willing to negotiate? I assume ordering two helped in any negotiation and you ordered all the specs you wanted...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Aspen
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    Quote Originally Posted by klauss View Post
    Sweet Alpinevibes. Was your dealer willing to negotiate? I assume ordering two helped in any negotiation and you ordered all the specs you wanted...
    We didn’t settle on a final price, but as a educational non-profit we have a good amount of discounts. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to negotiate beyond the special pricing they offer us.

    They were solid on price when I bought the Transit Cargo last year


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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Posts
    211
    Lots of info here:

    https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/

    There's a user there (CrewVanMan) that is a sales guy at a dealer very close to the factory. He updates on the forum daily.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
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    22,431
    AWD diesel Transit would be sweet. A friend in The Netherlands has been beating up diesel transit since long before the basic van was even available here. He has something like 200,000 miles on it and runs great. Nice to finally get some of the euro things over here.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    CA
    Posts
    448
    I have a 2WD Medium roof that I've done a fair bit of work on. I have 2 teens, and we haul ski gear in the winter and camping gear in the summer. The van is great for road trips, we did southern Utah this fall and slept in it for a week. I got it used for under $25k, so I'm willing to put chains on once in a while for that price difference.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    1,887
    Klauss, I got a dealer I can put you in touch with that hooked me right the fuck up on my truck. I know they deal a ton in Transits as well, as I was considering van life before determining camper life was way way better.

    That said, if you build a sick van, I'd totally rig swap with ya for a weekend so I can see if I'm wrong.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Access to Granlibakken
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    11,184
    Camper life is a great option if you already own a decent 4x4 truck. But a reasonably strong and insulated hard shell camper and truck gets you in the 12,000 lb zone loaded for a trip vs a 4x4 Transit Diesel campervan loaded for a trip at 6900 lbs.

    I think the AWD Transits will be a great fit for the on hiway snow and mild action dirt road driving most AWD Sprinters (which also use open diffs and electronic systems activating brakes to compensate, like an AWD Sienna or whatever) see. For my driving I wanted a true 4WD system with h/l transfer case and truetrac diffs. The Quadvan version has some advantages over Quigley conversion that the forum covers. I have 48k miles on my 3.2 Diesel, no issues other than a warranty uograde of the drainage zone at base of windshield. The main reason I’m stoked about the factory Transit AWD option is that it will reduce the crazy long waitlist for quigley or Quadvan conversions, while simultaneously meeting the needs of most.

    I’m curious to see how the small displacement high boost new diesel compares to my 3.2 L in terms of real world mpg.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    The Mayonnaisium
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    10,467
    Quote Originally Posted by Cruiser View Post
    That said, I'm certainly interested in one as a replacement for my aging excursion.
    If you're planning on selling the Excursion I'm interested.

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