Class B Ford Transit?

rtz · 03-02-2015, 02:54 AM

Out of Winnebago, Roadtrek, Pleasure-Way, and Leisure Travel Vans; who will be first to release a Transit? Will they eventually all have Transit models? I find it hard to imagine none of them have one yet and are not working on it. Even more so; that we haven't seen or heard a peep from any of them.

markopolo · 03-02-2015, 12:31 PM

Out of those 4 builders I'd guess Pleasure-Way or Winnebago would lead. Winnebago was way out in front of the pack with the Promaster. Pleasure-Way has a long established relationship with Ford.

There may already be some Sportsmobile Ford Transit based B's out there. If not, there soon will be. New West in Quebec has semi B Transit Van named Liberté. Safari Condo might offer a Transit based Class B - they love to innovate.

Great West might be one of the B manufacturers to build on the Ford Transit platform. They were quick to offer a unit on the Promaster chassis.

gerrym51 · 03-02-2015, 12:46 PM

Ford kept delaying the Transits for various reasons. I'm sure B's will be made from them. I just don't know when.

wincrasher · 03-02-2015, 03:08 PM

Honestly I think it will not see any prototypes until the fall 2015 shows at the earliest - maybe by Hershey, but I'm not holding my breath. My guess is that one of the smaller outfits who haven't spent alot of R&D funds on Promaster to be showing. I'd guess Pleasureway, since they've only really developed the one Promaster van, and they did that last year. Roadtrek has probably blown thru their funding on Zion and are probably in a wait and see mode on that new product. Maybe an altogether new player that hasn't invested in developing a Promaster?

I doubt you'll see a Transit B any time soon from a big outfit like Winnebago. There is a lot on the back-end to work out for a new product launch that they probably measure in the millions of $.

I say look for the Transit in the B+ and C space. That would be your lowest cost segment to convert, and you don't really have to change much on the house - just plop it down on the chassis. With the econoline going out, and people wanting better MPG on these rigs, there is definately an opportunity to sell alot of units almost immediately. Look for a B+ on a Transit cutaway with the V6 ecoboost to be a big hit at the fall shows. That's what I'd bet my money on.

booster · 03-02-2015, 03:30 PM

I would certainly agree that the Transit may be very desirable for the B+ and C crowd compared to the other vehicles available. The biggest would probably be the very large power advantage it will have on everyone else. We also hear about the Ford V10 going away in the near future (of course that has been going on for a while) so there could be a lot of open market for the engine into the F450 and 550.

mlts22 · 03-02-2015, 07:32 PM

I wouldn't be surprised to see ProMasters be at the low end, Sprinters at the high end for a few years, until Ford ramps up production and RV companies get upfits.

I know one company upfitting Transits, and has some experience -- Sportsmobile -- but I am admittedly biased, mainly because I want to do something different, and a Transit has 1000 pounds more carry capacity than a PM.

I wouldn't be surprised in a few years to see Ford roll out a T450 and T550, on an EcoBoost V8 chassis. However, I think Ford has learned from its past mistakes, and wants to thrash the bugs out of the T150-T350 lines first.

rectalogic · 03-03-2015, 11:46 PM

I asked Sportsmobile about the ProMaster (their site has "TBD" for all ProMaster related pricing/options info) - they told me they have had a lot more interest in Transit and will be working more on those vans than ProMaster (and also that the ProMaster drop floor was causing problems with some options).

rectalogic · 03-04-2015, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlts22

and a Transit has 1000 pounds more carry capacity than a PM.

Is that true? 2015 Transit GVWR is 10360 payload 4560, and 2014 ProMaster GVWR is 9350 payload 4280. I can't find 2015 ProMaster specs though. So GVWR is 1010 more, but payload is only 280 more.

https://www.fleet.chrysler.com/commerci ... _Specs.pdf
http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/t ... fications/

Fastpaddler1 · 03-04-2015, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlts22

I wouldn't be surprised to see ProMasters be at the low end, Sprinters at the high end for a few years, until Ford ramps up production and RV companies get upfits.

I know one company upfitting Transits, and has some experience -- Sportsmobile -- but I am admittedly biased, mainly because I want to do something different, and a Transit has 1000 pounds more carry capacity than a PM.

I wouldn't be surprised in a few years to see Ford roll out a T450 and T550, on an EcoBoost V8 chassis. However, I think Ford has learned from its past mistakes, and wants to thrash the bugs out of the T150-T350 lines first.

Yes and with Pleasureway not now producing the E350 based Pursuit, which I was considering, what next for that really nice floorplan on a short C Class. The LWV Transit maybe?
AL

rectalogic · 03-04-2015, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rectalogic

2015 Transit GVWR is 10360

Hmm, actually that is for the dual rear wheel Transit, single rear wheels is only 8600 GVWR.

markopolo · 03-04-2015, 02:35 PM

If you're comparing the largest Promaster to the largest Transit then the Promaster is "smaller". The longer and taller Transit will have greater GWV and that would affect payload.

Length
Promaster: 250" --- Transit 266.1"

Interior cargo height
Promaster: 76" --- Transit 81.4"

Exterior height
Promaster: 99.4" --- Transit 109.2"

That interior height in the Transit should help with giving it a feeling of more space inside and that will be a selling feature for a Class B RV.

Fastpaddler1 · 03-04-2015, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markopolo

If you're comparing the largest Promaster to the largest Transit then the Promaster is "smaller". The longer and taller Transit will have greater GWV and that would affect payload.

Length
Promaster: 250" --- Transit 266.1"

Interior cargo height
Promaster: 76" --- Transit 81.4"

Exterior height
Promaster: 99.4" --- Transit 109.2"

That interior height in the Transit should help with giving it a feeling of more space inside and that will be a selling feature for a Class B RV.

Yes. You have nailed a prime reason for favouring the Transit. That extra room should help with front swivel seats for the Transit and more mid cabin space as well. Pleasure-way and others might consider them as long as the unit price is favourable so competition between Dodge and Ford will likely determine sales. Plus, PW, Roadtrek,LTV need to have some LOWER priced, spacious RVs as their prices have been growing to the exclusion of those of us with more modest budgets. Which is why I am agonizing about the LTV Unity TB which my wife loves and mention once a week!!

GeorgeB · 03-08-2015, 03:50 AM

I saw the New-West Ford transit conversion at the Montreal RV show. Nicely proportionated on the outside, but what's the point of building it on the medium roof Transit. With the finished ceiling, you can't stand up inside if you are more than 5'6" tall, except where the skylight is. That's the problem of the Transit chassis for van conversions: strange roof heights. Either a very high roof with a weird profile or an unusable medium and low roof. The high roof ProMaster offers an interior stand up height with the same exterior height as the unusable medium roof Transit. We got used to the elegant high roof profile of the Sprinter, but the high roof Transit feels way too top heavy.

The Liberté New West Transit conversion

The big question (which could start a new thread) is what will GM offer?
Their eurovan market partners are building the Renault Master /Opel Movano. Will it be built in North America? Or will they buy time to let the market mature and keep offering their reliable, but outdated vans, designed 20 years ago.

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