The Transit eurovan has been sold overseas for decades but has only been offered in the US since 2015 as a replacement for the Econoline-series vans. It is currently the best-selling van in the US. Compared to the Econoline, the Transit offers noticeable increases in creature comforts, fuel economy, interior space, height, and build quality, with sacrifices made in towing and off-pavement capability. ¹⁾

The stock van offered in North America is RWD, but can be ordered as AWD from the factory starting with the 2020 model year. It is available in a dual-rear-wheel (DRW) for GVRWs above 9,550lbs.

See this video for a detailed breakdown of all the nuances of interior dimensions

The stock engine is a naturally aspirated V-6 (3.7L for 2015-2019, 3.5L for 2020+), with 3.5L Twin-Turbo Ecoboost and 5cyl diesels available. As of 2022, the diesel is no longer offered and has been replaced with the all-electric E-Transit.

The Ecoboost engine in all model years of Transits is the Gen1 engine, and does not have the additional enhancements given to the Gen2 engine found in the F-150 and other consumer vehicles.

Of particular interest to nomads, the Transit is available in medium roof (70“ to the spar, 72” to sheet metal) and high roof (79“ to spar, 81.5” to sheet metal) on the 250 and 350 models. ²⁾

Low/Medium/High roof models can be identified by looking for the deep crease above the cab line.

• Low roof is just above the windshield and there is no crease.
• Medium roof is just above the crease.
• High roof extends well above the crease.

The Transit is available in two different wheel bases, with three different lengths. The wheelbase can be identified be the relationship of the track for the sliding door to the back of the van.

• On the the 130“ Regular Wheel Base (RWB) the rear of the body ends right at the track.
• On the the 148” Long Wheel Base (LWB) the rear of the body extends a bit beyond the track.
• On the the 148“ Extended Length (EL) the rear of the body extends almost a track length beyond the track.

The cargo area lengths are³⁾

• 103” (Regular 130“ wheelbase)
• 123” (Long 148“ wheelbase)
• 152” (Long 148“ wheelbase, Extended Length).

Note that these measurements assume use of a bulkhead. No bulkhead will gain a few inches.Source

The Transit's cargo area walls are noticeably straighter than the Sprinter but not as square as the Promaster. The width is about 69”⁴⁾, tapering to about 62“ just below the roof beams.⁵⁾ Width between the wheel wells is 53.7” for a single-rear-wheel or 44.5“ for a dual-rear-wheel⁶⁾. Measured from “skin to skin”⁷⁾, a maximum width of 74” can be realized.⁸⁾

The van is Metric and intended to work with Metric fasteners. There's no rhyme or reason for how and where they're placed, and the spacing between them is seemingly random.

The majority of the holes in the cargo area of the van work perfectly with M6 rivnuts or plusnuts. The majority of pre-threaded holes are M8x1.25 thread, with a few being M10x1.5. See video here: https://youtu.be/mpoE20subxE

While some people have been able to force 1/4-20 rivnuts and plusnut into the factory holes, most holes will need to be enlarged slightly if you insist on using SAE fasteners.⁹⁾

Alternator versions have varied by year, option, and gas v. diesel. Known configurations:

• 150A – single starter battery¹⁰⁾.¹¹⁾ 30A continuous is available for use with single-battery systems.¹²⁾
• 210A, 230A, or 250A HD rpm vs current curve
• 2x 250A HD

Aftermarket alternators are available up to 360A.¹³⁾

By 2021 at least some of the Transit alternators were “smart” (variable voltage).¹⁴⁾ This will affect the voltage available on the CCP (see below).

The Ford Programmable Battery Guard (FPBG) option can vary engine idle to increase alternator cooling when drawing heavy current.¹⁵⁾ This option was dropped for the 2022 model year.

A CCP is a fused chassis power¹⁶⁾ distribution point that is optional from the factory by selecting the “Modified vehicle wiring harness” option when ordering a new van.¹⁷⁾ This 1-3 CCP¹⁸⁾ are mounted in a three-bay bracket; unused bays slots are empty. Vans that came with 1 CCP can be upgraded to 3 using part BK2Z-14S411-A¹⁹⁾, allowing for up to 180Ah of total current. See this post for currents >180A.

Known configurations²⁰⁾ include:

• single 60A CCP (always-hot) on units with a single starter battery
• triple 60A CCP installed with the dual-battery option²¹⁾
• single 60A CCP (always-hot) + 120A CCP (ignition-hot, 2x 60A bonded?).

Ignition-hot CCP may also have a timer to allow some runtime after last use.²²⁾

Fuses for the CCP are located under a cover below the driver's seat.²³⁾ Battery removal may be required/advised.²⁴⁾ Some add smaller fuses downstream in more accessible locations to avoid having to access/replace the OEM 60A fuses.

From 2015-2019, all engines used the same six-speed automatic transmission. Beginning in 2020, all vans switched to the new 10-speed automatic transmission.

The Transit has been offered with either 3.31, 3.73, and 4.10 rear differentials in either open or mechanical limited-slip options. For the 2022 model year, the 3.31 option was dropped. All factory AWD options use limited-slip differentials.

Ford offers a variety of GVRWs from 8,000lbs-11,000lbs, with dual-rear-wheel models for anything over 9,500lbs. If you're ordering a “dually”, Ford offers a 9,950lb GVRW option which is highly recommended as keeping the GVRW under 10,000lbs will frequently result in cheaper insurance and registration fees.

Dual Rear Wheel (DRW) vans offer advantages in load-carrying capacity which can be critical for heavier builds. They can also offer better performance in when driving in conditions with deep sand, gravel and mud (when equipped with proper tires) as the much larger contact patch prevents them from sinking into the surface. The wheel track of DRW vans is 2“ wider than SRW, and some owners report that it gives a more stable and solid feeling when driving on pavement. It also offers redundancy and control in the event of a sudden rear tire blowout.

Single-Rear-Wheel vans are preferred for vans that are frequently driven on snowy pavement, as the narrower contact contact patch can more easily press down through the snow and to the pavement below.

The costs of needing to replace 6 tires instead of 4 is mostly a wash, as the tire sizes used on the DRW are cheaper than the SRW.

See the All-Wheel Drive page for information on the limitations of the factory AWD system.

There is no appreciable fuel economy savings from the base engine vs the turbocharged “Ecoboost” engine.

Roof racks seem to have a significant on highway fuel economy, losing 2-3mpg at highway speeds. Empirical testing confirms this.

The biggest determining factor in highway fuel economy for the Transit is roof height and speed; the high and medium roof vans get significantly worse gas mileage than the low roof models (especially at highway speeds). Community consensus holds that a stock High Roof van with the Ecoboost engine and RWD will get 20mpg at 55mph, 18mpg at 65mph, and 14mpg at 75mph. Adding a roof rack can knock 2-3mpg off of this, and AWD removes another ~1mpg (reports are that the “Eco” mode helps). Lift kits and big tires can reduce it further, however the reductions are much less dramatic at lower speeds.

The Diesel 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 endemic to all modern diesel engines.

This has been moved to the Common Issues page.

Due to the design of the braking system, the rear brake pads on Transits can wear out more quickly than many owners expect. Replacing the brake pads yourself isn't hard, but you will want a Caliper Wind-back Tool.

Removing the rear brake rotors for replacement or resurfacing requires pulling out the axle. Many of the bolts involved are single-use, and must be replaced every time.²⁵⁾ Attempting to re-use the bolts will result in them breaking and the axle taking a horizontal exit from the van.

These are the part numbers and torque specs for the bolts that must be replaced if they need to be removed for service.

• W500540-S442 - Rear Caliper Anchor Plate/Bracket Bolt, Left Qty 2 & Right Qty 2
  • 85 ft lb
• W500463-S442 - Front Caliper Anchor Plate/Bracket Bolt, Left Qty 2 & Right Qty 2
  • 203 ft lb
• W714650-S442 - Front T50 Torx Wheel Hub Bolts, Left Qty 5, Right Qty 5
  • 46 ft lb
• W711141-S442 - Front Brake Rotor/Hub Bolt, 15mm head, Left Qty 5, Right Qty 5
  • 22 ft lbs Plus 90 degree additional turn
• W716084-S439 - Rear Brake Rotor/Hub Bolt, 15mm head, Left Qty 5, Right Qty 5
  • 46 ft lbs Plus 90 degree additional turn
• BK3Z4A332C - Rear Hub/Axle ORing Seal, Left Qty 1, Right Qty 1

EDIT: There has been some confusion about exact torque specs for the rotor hub/bolts when it comes to SRW/DRW vans. Please verify these numbers before attempting your own servicing.

The Transit uses a weird tire size and bolt pattern for the wheels, so aftermarket options are limited.

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.

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 throw off the speedometer and stock MPG calculator.

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 Firestone Transforce A/T 2 both run slightly narrow, which is advantageous for fitting the DRW rims. This thread and this other thread on the Ford Transit Forums have more information, as well as pictures from owners.

The AWD Ford Transit cannot be lifted very much. Van Compass has a good technical overview of exactly why, but the quick answer is that the CV joint of the passenger side front axle is extremely short and will start to bind when it is moved out of its intended range. This can lead to early (and very expensive) failures of the passenger side CV joint. The proper way to lift an AWD van is with a Subframe Drop.

The RWD Transit offers more options. There are four different methods of accomplishing a lift, with varying levels of reliability. ²⁶⁾

Note: The differences in all of these options are how the front end of the van is raised; raising the back end of the van is done the same in all situations (using blocks/spacers or progressive springs). Cost estimates show are to lift both the front and rear.

• Stiffer Springs & Strut spacers
• Cost $1000
• Pros: Cheap
• Cons: Messes up the suspension geometry. Puts more stress on the ball joints which might lead to early failures. Narrows the front end track slightly, and alters the suspension movement range. Can lead to strange or wayward handling, especially on bumpy sections because the wheel has less rebound travel available. Also results in the front wheels being more likely to lose contact with the ground when on very rough terrain.
• Can result in expensive damage to AWD vans (see above).
  • Some of the lift kits for AWD vans are slightly less than 2” which should theoretically prevent the CV joint from binding, however it is still being used very close to the limits of its range of motion for extended periods of time. This can make failures more likely.

• Replacement Control Arms
• Cost: $1,500 - $2,250, however installation is more expensive
• Pros: Maintains proper steering angle, suspension geometry, and wheel path travel.
• Cons: More expensive to buy, and more complicated to install. Bushings may not be serviceable, meaning that worn out bushings could require replacing the entire replacement control arm.
• Can result in expensive damage to AWD vans (see above).

• Lift Spindles
• Cost: $2,500 + Installation
• Pros: Largest possible lift. Raises the van 3“, and can be combined with replacement control arms to give a total of 5” of lift. Maintains proper geometry. Allows fitment of very large tires.
• Cons: Relatively new and untested²⁷⁾. Requires swapping out the ball joints, adding additional cost and difficulty to installation.
• Cannot be installed on AWD vans

• Sub-Frame Drop
• Cost: $3,500-$3,700, including installation.
• Pros: The only proper way to lift a factory AWD van that will not result in potential damage to the CV joint. The entire suspension system is unchanged, making any potential maintenance or warranty work from Ford much easier to accomplish. Handling will be identical to factory.
• Cons: Very expensive and still only gives a 2“ lift. Needs to be professionally installed by approved installers. Doesn't increase ground clearance in between the front wheels.

Mostly useful for Extended body vans which easily scrape the rear bumper on the ground due to the very long overhang. An Airbag kit can temporarily raise the rear end of the van by 2-3”, which helps a lot in terms of clearing the rear end. See a review here.

Low and medium roof Transits will need an awning that is mounted to the roof or a roof rack, taking advantage of the factory roof rack mounts. The Fiamma F80s is an example of a full-feature awning.

High roof Transits typically use a wall-mounted awning to the side of the van. This will require drilling holes in the van body. FarOutRide has probably one of the best installation guides on how to do this. It is possible to mount an awning to a roof rack on a high-roof van, but then the awning is nearly ten feet off the ground which can make it hard to access to extend/retract.

The Transit's roof is slightly bowed with stiffening grooves spaced every 15“. This can make installing a roof-mounted vent fan complicated, as the fan bases for RV standard 14”x14“ holes are flat and the roof is not.

To compensate for this, you need to use an adapter plate such as made by DIYVan: https://diyvan.com/products/ford-transit-high-mid-roof-vent-adapter. This will sit in between the fan mount and the roof, and give a good mating surface to use with plenty of sealing material such as butyl tape or window weld. A good video with instructions for how to use one of these adapters to install a van can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rkETMx6_Iw

Windows can be added to a cargo van for additional light, ventilation, or both. If you are replacing factory-installed windows with aftermarket windows (for example, to get windows that open for ventilation), use caution when ordering as not all aftermarket windows will fit into the factory cutouts (some are smaller)

Windows are a huge source of heat loss or heat gain in the summer. If you're adding windows to your van, make sure you also invest in some kind of shades or covers for them. Some links are here.

Replacing factory windows is best done professionally. The factory windows are glued in, making them extremely difficult to remove without specialized tools and solvents. Installation of aftermarket windows into cargo vans without factory windows is similar in difficulty to installing a roof vent (probably easier as you don't have to climb up onto the roof) and can be DIYed.

If you are adding windows to get some additional ventilation, one option is to install the factory Ford windows from prior model years. From 2015-2019, pop-out windows were offered as an option from the factory on the window in the sliding door, behind the driver, and in the rear quarter-panel windows for the Extended-length body. This option was removed for model year 2020. ²⁸⁾ But there have been no changes in the Transit's body around the windows since it was introduce in 2015, so a pop-out window from any model year should fit into any van. You can see about finding one from a scrapyard, or ordering a new window through a dealer. Part numbers can be found here. Pay attention to the color, “Privacy Glass” means the Dark Grey Tint.

Aftermarket windows offer larger opening areas and sometimes have integrated screens. Van Window Direct (VWD) and Campervan-HP offer a range of selections, however not all of them will fit the factory cut-outs.

While Ford does offer the factory option of an auxiliary fuel line pick up intended for use by aftermarket devices that need to draw fuel from the gas tank, this line is too wide to be used with low flowing devices such as auxiliary heating units.

Instructions for removal of the tank and sender for installation of a smaller line can be found here: https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/espar-m2-b4l-transit-install-standpipe-install-webasto-vs-espar.88175/

A convenient stash spot for mid and high roof vans. If you have the factory headliner storage cubbies, some brackets will allow you to make your own larger shelf above the factory ones. https://vancillary.com/products/ford-transit-headliner-shelf-diy-kit

Some have had success when installing the electronic locking differential from F-150s into the Transit.

Air lockers are available, but then require installing an air compressor system into the van as well.

The passenger vans come with rear sway bars, but the cargo vans usually don't. Adding the sway bar on the cargo vans isn't difficult, but is made much easier with a lift. The following parts will be needed:

• Stabilizer Bar – CK4Z-5A772-D x1
• Stabilizer Link – BK3Z-5C486-A x2
• Stabilizer Bar Bushing – GK2Z-5493-B x2
• Stabilizer Bar Bracket - BK3Z-5B484-A x2
• Stabilizer Link Bolt – W500745-S442 x2
• Stabilizer Link Washer – W715542-S442 x6
• Stabilizer Link Nut – W520214-S440 x2
• Stabilizer Bar Nut – W716275-S442 x4
• Stabilizer Bar Screw – W500633-S442 x4

Thread with info is here.

4-wheel-drive conversions are offered by Quadvan or Quigly Vans. The Quigly 4WD system has been approved by Ford, and if installed when new Ford will honor the full factory warranty on all non-Quigly components of your van. Expect to pay ~$15,000 to have a stock RWD van converted to 4-wheel-drive.

Can make going back and forth between the drivers seat and the back of the van easier if you swap in the "slim" center console.

Sections of the van body above the doors (and parts of the chassis) are made from boron steel, which is incredibly strong and nearly impossible to drill into. Unless you have a lot of patience and some very specialized drill bits, it's best to avoid trying to drill into these sections.

From the BEMM (Body Equipment Mounting Manual)

• The brake pedal is ~2” higher than the gas pedal. Owners report it feels weird at first but they get used to it.
• The rear shock mounts hang strangely low off of the rear axle and can easily be damaged when in bumpy off-pavement situations. Rear Shock Mount Relocation kits are common, however they must be installed in conjunction with a suspension lift.
• The factory AWD system can shut down if driven in difficult conditions for more than 1-2 minutes.
  • This isn't a problem, so much as an inherent limitation of AWD.
• The High Roof model is really freaking tall at 9'3“ in factory spec.
  • This is too tall to fit through most drive throughs. Vans with damages to the front roof line are common due to people smacking them into stuff; make sure to inspect this area very carefully when buying a used van to check for evidence of repairs.
• The vans have a high parasitic draw, Ford claims 50ma but some have measured higher.
  • Especially on newer vans with lots of electronics and cellular modem/anti-theft, users with single batteries have reported the van can completely discharge itself in as little as 7-10 days. 5w solar battery maintainers are recommended.
• The Extended-length vans have a very long rear overhang which makes it very susceptible to dragging the rear end on the ground when going over even small incline change, especially if equipped with the factory tow hitch.
  • For owners looking for more rear end ground clearance but still need a hitch receiver, and integrated bumper can gain you a few more inches.
  • Airbag lift kits can also be installed fairly easily, and are useful for being able to temporarily boost up the rear of the van by a few inches when needed.
• The 2020+ vans have “Smart” alternators which can cause problems for some house battery charging systems which depend on the changes in vehicle voltage to tell them when the engine is running or not.
  • To get around this, chargers such as the Renogy DCC50S use a signal wire. Here's some thoughts on the best way to hook this up.
• OEM backup camera is mounted low and in a rear door, limiting usefulness in 2019 and earlier vnas.²⁹⁾ It may be easiest to mount an aftermarket backup camera in the 3rd brakelight up high. For 2019 and newer vans, the factory camera is already mounted up high at the third brake light.
• The rear brake pads wear out very quickly, with some users reporting 20,000 miles in between changes.
  • This isn't a defect as much as it is an intentional design decision; in order to reduce front-end dive under braking, the Transit directs most of the initial braking force to the (smaller) rear brakes and only uses the front ones in harder stop situations.
• The Power Sliding Door (an option from 2020 onward) will close very slowly if left open for more than 2 minutes. This is intentional as a safety decision from Ford.
• The Power Sliding Door will not operate if the vehicle battery level drops below ~80% and the van is not running.
  • This is fairly easy to achieve as the door takes a lot of power, and some owners have reported that it will drain the battery to this level after as few as ~10 cycles with the engine off. Therefor it is highly recommended that owners ordering a van with a power sliding door should also order the dual battery option.

Direct-injected engines like the EcoBoost 3.5 available in the Transit can experience carbon build-up on the intake valves. Although uncommon in normal use, it could be more common for vandwellers (see below) and requires removal of the head to address:

“The only Ford-approved course of action at this time is to replace the cylinder head, though he also said, “Manual cleaning with a brush and various carbon dissolving products has been used with great success on vehicles out of warranty.”³⁰⁾

Fouling is worsened by running the engine at less than full temperature, which vandwellers may encounter when idling for long periods to charge from the alternator. Using known-quality fuels with minimal contaminants may help minimize the deposits.

The 2nd-generation 3.5 EcoBoost (not yet available in the Transit) addresses this issue by adding port injection to the direction injection:

The port fuel injection was partly added due to the fuel output needs on the 3.5L HO Raptor engine, but also has several benefits for the 3.5L EcoBoost. It will prevent buildup on the intake valves and keep them clean due to fuel passing over the valves. Under certain engine conditions such as low rpm and low loads the high-pressure fuel pump and direct injection system will turn off and the engine will only use the port fuel injection³¹⁾

The EcoBoost may shudder or enter limp mode in extremely humid conditions.

• Ford Transit USA forum
• https://www.faroutride.com