Ford Transit Connect Van?

[DogHaus]

I saw and checked out a 2015 Ford Transit Connect Van last weekend and it looks like a really good TV for someone like me, with my dogs and my Scamp 13'. The towing capacity is 2,000 lbs., it has a spacious cargo area with built in tie down points, no rear seats at all, Good mileage - 29 mpg reported (not towing), the driver's seat and position is very comfortable and a lot nicer than I expected, no carpeting in it, a low jump-in height for the dogs, Front Wheel Drive with Traction Control, comes with a tow hitch and optional larger HEATED towing mirrors. The only drawbacks I could foresee: Not AWD (not a deal breaker), and I suspect a lot of road noise since it does not have insulation in the roof or side walls. Just wanted to mention it in case anyone had experience with these and wanted to share.

[Jon in AZ]

I agree. They seem promising as tow vehicles for the smallest eggs. I'm sure you could add insulation and some kind of lining to the cargo area. If you weren't up to a DIY, an auto upholstery shop could do it.

[stevebaz]

Make sure you drive one uphill in your test drive. The transit connect van is very common out west here for small service vehicles but everyone I talked to about says they are just OK and are real dogs. I was impressed with the design and wanted to use one to hold my Quad and then tow the 13 Scamp. But I was looking when they first came out and maybe the power is better now. The service guys using them really weigh them down. I see the eco boost is now available and would definitely take that option. It gets 1 extra mile per gallon but uses premium fuel. It brings peak torque down to 2500 rpm which makes better sense if towing.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

Make sure you drive one uphill in your test drive. The transit connect van is very common out west here for small service vehicles but everyone I talked to about says they are just OK and are real dogs. I was impressed with the design and wanted to use one to hold my Quad and then tow the 13 Scamp. But I was looking when they first came out and maybe the power is better now. The service guys using them really weigh them down. I see the eco boost is now available and would definitely take that option. It gets 1 extra mile per gallon but uses premium fuel. It brings peak torque down to 2500 rpm which makes better sense if towing.

A lot better than the first generation as far as power, still no stick and I like the looks of the first gen better.
I have towed my Scamp13D with a 2.3L (predecessor to the 2.5) for 9 years with great satisfaction. It is an Escape stick.
I would sure consider a Transit Connect for a new TV if I could stomach the BS which comes on all new cars(read Smart phone with wheels)

[Bob Miller]

Ford has a very extensive chart for towing with the Transit Vans and Wagons. here's a link: http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...nsit_Apr22.pdf


But it appears that the smaller Transit Connect vans are much lower, about 2000 lbs.
http://www.ford.com/commercial-truck...ct-commercial/

[Brentsdeal]

Drove one for work, wouldn't be my choice!

[Uplander]

Trailer Life Magazine just did an article featuring that Ford vehicle.
Are you aware it is available with a number of different engines including a
275 HP V6 ? That combo would tow something like 5,000 lbs.
It seems like an interesting vehicle with a lot of space and many body combinations.

[Bob Miller]

Don't confuse the Ford Transit Vans with the Ford Transit Connect vans. They are two entirely different vehicle lines. The OP was asking about the smaller, Transit Connect models. See post #5 for links to both lines

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Brentsdeal

Drove one for work, wouldn't be my choice!

Was it the first or second generation? The second brought some significant drivetrain upgrades.

[Roger C H]

Notice the weight ratings go down when you have a passenger version vs the plain truck. This is because of the extra weight of seats, wall liners, carpet, etc. So the weight you carry IN the van deducts from the weight you can tow with the van.


Plus I like how they say, "Impressive Towing Capacity," and then show the vehicle towing one of the lightest trailers you can find. LOL


BTW: Aren't the Transit Vans one of the models that are made overseas, shipped to the US with seats behind the front seat, and then have the seats removed and sold as trucks in order to avoid the tax on foreign made trucks?
It is called "The Chicken Tax."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax

[Brentsdeal]

I was in the original, went home at night feeling beat up!!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

Notice the weight ratings go down when you have a passenger version vs the plain truck. This is because of the extra weight of seats, wall liners, carpet, etc. So the weight you carry IN the van deducts from the weight you can tow with the van.

Which is true of every vehicle, but often overlooked. The owner's manual for mine even includes a detailed chart showing how the tow and hitch capacities are reduced based on the number of 150 pound people in the vehicle. It even specifies 15 pounds of personal effects per person. Pretty sure my wife's purse covers both of us...

[Roger C H]

Originally Posted by Brentsdeal

I was in the original, went home at night feeling beat up!!

Fords ride rough.

[CampyTime]

I was looking into the transit connect as both a tug and wheelchair accessible vehicle for my brother a short time ago. With the 2015 model I got the towing I needed, but they dropped the roof height by 7-1/2". Would no longer work for my paralyzed brother.

Ended up getting an 07 chevy express 1500 with wheelchair lift, 39,000 miles and 4.3 vortech. Surprisingly, gas use isn't too bad at all but I don't get anywhere too fast. Not a lot of punch, but hey, I'm in no race when my brother is in the vehicle, nor when I'm towing Shrimp Scampi.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[john madill]

this is from Wikipedia:

"The Transit Connect was assembled by Otosan in an all-new production facility at Gölcük, near Kocaeli, Turkey. After September 2009, additional production began in Craiova, Romania.[3]"


I like Turkish taffy but don't think I want a car made there.

Ditto Romania. Probably not far from Serbia or Croatia, the people that brought us the Yugo.

The Yugo is famous here in Michigan as one of them blew off the Mackinac Bridge some years ago.

[Bob Miller]

The Yugo was also featured in the 1980 Danny DiVito/Bette Midler movie Drowning Mona and the NY School of Design sponsored a touring show called something like "What to do with a Used Yugo", that was toured with national autoshows. They made them into everything from a Confessional to a Grand Piano, to a Hunting Lodge Fireplace. At least they had some value in their after-lives. LOL

[Lee Senn]

The rant, back in the day , was if purchasing a Yugo be sure to get one with the rear window defroster... keeps your hands warm when pushing it ( if working ). Lee

[Bob Miller]

Also sez that they are assembled in Spain:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Transit_Connect


Not that that is a whole lot better answer.....

[Rzrbrn]

Whatever you get for towing, please consider buying the towing package, if it is offered. This usually includes a transmission cooler and larger brakes among other things.

Living in TN, some of our hills are rather steep with switchback: It is one thing to go up the hill, quite another going DOWN the hill. I have encountered brake fade a number of times driving in both the East and West: Brake fade while locked in first gear, that is (using vehicles with manual and auto transmissions).

In Idaho, I drove a small pickup (two wheel drive) on a gravel road so steep that the truck could not continue to go forward. I had to back down the mountain. Rock face on one side, sheer drop off on the other; as a result I may be a bit overly sensitive about such things, however.

[Uplander]

Dummy me ! I thought Ford was an American company....seems Toyota makes more vehicles in the U.S.A. than ford and GM !!!

If buying a vehicle made in Turkey and assembled in Spain concerns you keep in mind that GM loves to make them in Mexico, while Volkswagen also uses Mexican plants to make their cars. All this might explain our unemployment problem...Mexicans on both sides of the border are taking our jobs!!!
(not a political statement...just a fact).