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Old 07-02-2019, 10:43 PM   #1
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Default Non diesel, 4x4?

Looking for the industry to recognize the demand for gas powered, 4x4 class B.
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Old 07-03-2019, 03:09 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charlie's mom View Post
Looking for the industry to recognize the demand for gas powered, 4x4 class B.

Welcome to the forum Charlies Mom!


4x4's are indeed rare. In other discussions here, few people think they're really necessary. But I agree there should be more choice. Necessity is in the eye of the beholder.
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Old 07-03-2019, 03:23 AM   #3
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Default Need for 4x4

Many, many SUVs have 4x4, why not the class B? Marketing shows these vans in the outdoors, in places most 2WD will have difficulty. I live in the SW, many dirt roads, ruts, rocks. Low clearance is a hazard to the bottom of the van with so much stuff there. I just don't get it. Also diesel is a problem. Sometimes the mix isn't right, sometimes in small out of the way towns you can't find it and there are states that you can't get the required MB diesel mix.
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Old 07-03-2019, 03:56 AM   #4
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Ford made some nice upgrades in their latest Transit. Too bad they don't offer a true 4x4 option as a step up from AWD. Looks like they are the only possible player in the gas 4x4 game due to Promaster being FWD only. Let's hope the realize their missing a unserved market.
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Old 07-03-2019, 05:46 PM   #5
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If the new 2020 AWD Transit isn't enough there is always the Quigley 4x4 Transit. They use Ford F-series front axles.

https://www.ford.com/trucks/transit-...an-wagon/2020/

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a2...n-photos-info/

Quigley 4x4 Ford Transit Models
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Old 07-11-2019, 03:56 PM   #6
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Only small percentage of vans ever get converted to RV's so vehicle manufacturers design primarily for the commercial market. Commercial fleets prefer diesel for longevity, durability and mileage.
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Old 07-11-2019, 09:47 PM   #7
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Default 4x4/AWD: Yes and No...

I really WANT a 4x4/AWD camper van for no other reason than to get myself out of a stuck situation, whether in deep sand, muddy roads, or a sudden snowfall after accessing less crowded boondocking spots. But, on the other hand, there is no better way to get oneself into a world of trouble than to take a top-heavy vehicle with cupboards and storage spaces full of rattling stuff down a deeply rutted track or into deep sand/mud/snow miles away from the nearest paved road... Too many people would treat 4x4/AWD as an invitation to get into trouble rather than reserve the capability for extricating themselves from it, IMO.
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Old 07-12-2019, 10:33 PM   #8
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Folks, the easiest and best way to achieve this is to simply buy a 4x4 truck and get a large slide in camper.
It is also possible to convert any american made van into a 4x4 fairly easily, but it's not cheap.

A truck w a slide in is the best option and affords the benefit of being able to off load the camper at a campsite and then be able to go off with the truck separately.
The power levels available in trucks are also much higher, so you could then also pull a boat or a trailer with ATVs and a boat etc.

Resale value of trucks is also good and if you're really into boondocking, which desiring a 4x4 would seem to suggest, slide in campers are a LOT cooler without ac than class bs. They have more windows to open and they are completely isolated from all of the trucks running gear which creates heat, unlike a class b.
They are also roomier for a given size because they are wider.
I have both an extended chassis high top class b Ford van and a larger slide in inside a 1996 dodge w a v10 gas engine. In almost every imaginable way the dodge setup is preferable. The only exception would be in a family situation where you do a lot of traveling, sightseeing out windows, because in the class b everyone is together in the camper and in the pickup truck arrangement the driver may be alone while everyone else is in the camper, and in that case the class b is also safer.
However for the single or couple that boondocks a lot versus sightseeing on the road a lot, the 4x4 pickup arrangement is almost always better, and it's also far cheaper if buying used and they're easier and cheaper to work on ESPECIALLY IF GAS POWERED. I never have trouble w my v10 gas, nearly 200 thousand miles and I just change the oil and antifreeze and it still runs like a raped ape. My friends got the newer hemi and it's the same story. The newer pickup diesels all tend to be lots of trouble and cost.
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