Differences

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--- rv:ford_transit [2022/12/06 19:58]
princess_fluffypants [Dimensions]
+++ rv:ford_transit [2022/12/13 01:35]
princess_fluffypants [Known Issues]
@@ Line 143: / Line 143: @@
 The Diesel engine does get noticeably better fuel economy (23mpg+ is widely reported at 65mph), however this is offset by their higher purchase cost, more expensive fuel, and long-term reliability problems that are [[rv:diesel|endemic to all modern diesel engines]].
+----
+===== Ordering a brand-new Van =====
+FULL DISCLOSURE: This section is mostly a rant about one person's experience trying to custom-order a brand new Ford Transit. It is documented here to serve as a warning to others attempting the same thing.
+> //The ordering process for a new van from Ford is a byzantine, stupid, frustrating process that is a shining example of why people hate car companies.//
+> First of all, remember that you can't actually buy a van from Ford; you have to buy it from a dealership, who acts as a middle-man between you and Ford. In the olden-days this was a useful thing, but in the modern era dealers serve no real function aside from [[https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2013/02/12/171814201/episode-435-why-buying-a-car-is-so-awful|needlessly inflating the cost of vehicles]]. But because of this, Ford doesn't need to pay very close attention to their website; Remember that to Ford the website only exists to generate leads and send people to dealerships, where they can (theoretically) place an order. You can't actually buy a van on the website.
+> But because Ford sees the website as little more than a fancy brochure, the website is usually hilariously out of date or incorrect. They didn't even update it for the 2023 Transit until //after the ordering window for the Transit had already closed// for the 2023 model year.  Furthermore, the configuration tool is missing almost all the information you really need to make an informed decision on what you're ordering and will frequently let you "build" a van that isn't actually possible to order due to option incompatibilities or part shortages. For example, the website still lets you configure a 2023 Transit with a Power Sliding Door even though Ford has told the dealer network that option is not available for 2023 due to part shortages.
+> What's worse is that most dealerships aren't particularly knowledgeable about the vans either. The Transit is a very complex vehicle that has more options that almost any other vehicle that Ford makes, and most "salespeople" at dealerships are not hired for their technical knowledge. They exist only to push you into financing and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2LLB9CGfLs|undercoating packages]]. If you have deep technical questions that you need answered, your only realistic chance is finding a dealership who specializes in commercial and fleet sales, or selling to upfitters. In reality, I found it far easier to simply ask people on the Ford Transit Owner forums.
+> To really get useful information on what options are what, you need to  get the Ford Transit Order guide. Googling can find it, it's usually updated pretty often through the model run and ends up posted all over the Ford Transit USA forums. [[https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/2023-ford-transit-order-guide-and-pricing-sheets-released-today.90355/post-1184045|There's an older version here]].  You'll also want to get your hands on the BEMM, the Body Equipment Mounting Manual, which has a lot of useful information for upfitters and people who are making modifications to the van. Again you'll need to google for it, as it's model-year-specific and changes locations on Ford's website frequently.
+> To make it even worse, many dealerships can't even order new Transits; At the beginning of a model year, Ford makes a guess at how many of each type of vehicle it can build and then splits all of those manufacturing slots between all of its franchisees.  It does this by giving its dealers an "Allocation" of how many of each specific type of vehicle they're allowed to order.  Higher-volume, better performing dealers are usually rewarded with more allocations while problematic dealerships get fewer. Some dealerships that mostly deal in passenger cars and trucks may not get any allocations for Transits at all. (Of course, don't expect the sales people to be honest with you about if they have any allocations. Sometimes they themselves don't actually know; this information is sometimes held closely by the sales managers.)
+> The dealership has to then decide how many of these allocations to use for "stock" vans that they can order to sit on the lots to use for test drives or impulsive buyers, and how many to hold in reserve for people who want to make custom orders. Once these Allocations are all sold to customers, the dealership can still keep placing orders but it has no assurances that it will actually be built. And at least for the 2021/2022/2023 model years, most dealerships completely sold out of allocations for the upcoming model year by the end of September!
+> What this means is that the window for being able to order a van and have some sort of hope that it will actually be built is vanishingly narrow; sometimes only being open for a few weeks per year.  For the 2023 model year the order window opened on August 24th and closed on September 11th; it was open for //just three weeks!//
+> Some of these problems are, in no doubt, due to production limitations brought about by the computer ship shortage and exacerbated by the war in Ukraine; the majority of Ford's wiring harnesses were produced in Ukraine.
+> But because of this, do not expect that ordering a van will be a simple or fast process; many buyers for the 2022 model year waited 9+ months after placing thier orders only to be finally told by the dealership that the order had been "Balanced Out"; Ford-speak for "Canceled".
 ----
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 FarOutRide did an excellent write-up on what the options are for more aggressive off-pavement oriented tires for SRW (Single Rear Wheel) vans: https://faroutride.com/ford-transit-larger-tires-upgrade/
-For Dual Rear Wheel vans, tire options are even more limited. The factory tire size is narrower than the SRW vans, at 195/75-R16 (RWD) or 205/75-R16 (AWD). Because of this, the front wheel clearance is not a problem but the limiting factor is space between the rear wheels.
+For Dual Rear Wheel vans, tire options are even more limited. The factory tire size is narrower than the SRW vans, at 195/75-R16 (RWD) or 205/75-R16 (AWD). Because of this, the front wheel clearance is not a problem but the limiting factor is space between the rear wheels. [[https://www.uswheeladapters.com/shop/transitwheelspacers350hddrw/|Wheel spacers]] can help give more room in between the rear wheels if you do try and run a wider tire.
 Groupthink for DRW owners looking for a little more ground clearance, lift and traction off pavement is a **215/85-R16** tire. These are a common light truck tire and have a multitude of options available that have more aggressive tread for off-pavement use. They are significantly taller than stock, and will greatly increase the final drive ratio as well as throwing off the speedometer and stock MPG calculator.  Switching the differential gears to **4.10** (instead of the stock **3.73**) will return the final drive ratio to almost identical to factory, and should make the speedo and MPG-meter accurate again.
 Owners have reported mixed results with these tire sizes, with some fitting acceptably and some not.  Some owners have reported that the **Toyo Open Country A/T III** or the **Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac** both run slightly narrow, which is advantageous for fitting the DRW rims. [[https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/drw-tire-sizes-that-fit.19082/|This thread]] and [[https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/upgrade-tires-on-2015-transit-350-drw.54986/|this other thread]] on the Ford Transit Forums have more information, as well as pictures from owners.
 ==== Lifting ====

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