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Old 10-07-2016, 07:14 PM   #1
TGK
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Towing with Ford Transit

Interested in hearing from anyone who has had any experience towing midsize to smaller Airstreams (or any trailer for that matter) up to 6,000 lbs max with the 3.5L Ecoboost engine. Looks like one can get tow capacities up to 6,800 - 7,000#'s. Specifically interested in the Transit Van, not the F150.
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:00 AM   #2
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Hey TGK,
I have the same question. My 2003 Ford Econoline is getting tired, and now I'm considering the Ford Transit. Maybe we can compare notes.

What have you heard about the Ecoboost engine?
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:13 AM   #3
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I don't have any experience towing with the Transit but I have done a lot of research into it. Two of the main things you need to be aware of, is Ford does not recommend using a weight distribution hitch with the Transit because of its unibody construction. Maximum tongue weight on a Transit is 750 pounds.

I would love to have a mid roof, mid length, eco-boost Transit to tow our Airstream. Some people are using them with a weight distribution hitch, but I wouldn't be comfortable doing that knowing they recommend not to. You would probably be fine with a smaller lighter Airstream, but our 28 foot Flying Cloud is just too big imho.
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:35 AM   #4
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Thanks for the heads up about the weight distribution hitch, Dan, that's good to know.

I found another recent thread, on vans as tow vehicles.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...le-156975.html

Here's some info. from that thread from @Harpo about his Ford Transit:

@Harpo says:

"I am now towing my 25' EB with 2016 3.2 L diesel Ford Transit van...

1. the tongue weight is approximately 800#s. This is according to the hitch I bought for the van which is called "failsafe" which actually has dial on it that tells you what the tongue weight is.
2. I think my wet weight is probably around 6500#s. Not real sure since I have never put it on the scales.
3. I am not using a wd hitch because the owners manual for the van says not to. I personally love the fact that I don't have to use wd hitch. I had an equalizer hitch previously and constantly was readjusting it plus it was really noisy. The first time I hitched up to the van I thought the back in of the van would really sag. It did not seem to to move hardly at all. I think it has to do with better weight distribution on the van than with my truck.
4. My van is 148" with the medium roof. This version, according to the ford towing specs manual, pulls the maximum amount for the 2016 transit van and that is 7500#. It is a 250 instead of 350. What is amazing also it can carry 3156# in cargo and passengers. This is a lot more than any truck I ever had."
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Old 10-11-2016, 11:47 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan_Rox View Post
I don't have any experience towing with the Transit but I have done a lot of research into it. Two of the main things you need to be aware of, is Ford does not recommend using a weight distribution hitch with the Transit because of its unibody construction. Maximum tongue weight on a Transit is 750 pounds.

I would love to have a mid roof, mid length, eco-boost Transit to tow our Airstream. Some people are using them with a weight distribution hitch, but I wouldn't be comfortable doing that knowing they recommend not to. You would probably be fine with a smaller lighter Airstream, but our 28 foot Flying Cloud is just too big imho.
Dan,
If I may ask about your research and how it looks compared to this configuration:

Transit Van 250 / 148 WB
Medium roof
3.5L EcoBoost® V6 Engine
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: 8600 GVWR
3.31 Limited Slip Axle Ratio

Thanks!
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Old 10-12-2016, 12:56 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kristiana View Post
Dan,
If I may ask about your research and how it looks compared to this configuration:

Transit Van 250 / 148 WB
Medium roof
3.5L EcoBoost[emoji768] V6 Engine
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: 8600 GVWR
3.31 Limited Slip Axle Ratio

Thanks!


That combination would give you a maximum trailer weight of 5400 pounds. Keep in mind that the gcwr for that combination is 11,200. If you are planning on carrying a heavy payload that will decrease the available trailer weight.
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Old 10-13-2016, 12:21 AM   #7
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Towing with Ford Transit

I've been considering a Ford Transit for towing my 1971 23ft Safari tandem axle. Gross weight for the trailer is 5,200 lbs. Published tongue weight is around 450# for this trailer, but could be heavier if loaded up max. I recently was able to rent a 2016 F150 Crew Cab 4x4 with tow package & 3.5L EcoBoost from the Portland Airstream dealer. I hooked it up to my trailer and put about 200 miles up and around Mt. Hood and back to Portland. I was very impressed with the truck and the EcoBoost. Towing, I got around 13 - 14 mpg with 2 adults and a dog. Trailer was dry. The next day I drove a similar distance with 4 adults and a dog but no trailer and got 20 mpg, mostly freeway driving. The EcoBoost outperformed the V8 gas engine on my '99 F250 SuperDuty. Better mpg, and quite a bit more oomph climbing up the mountain pass. The SuperDuty is at least 1,000 lbs heavier than the F150.

My interest in the Transit is driven by a desire to change up the mix of vehicles I currently own and find one that can serve as both a daily driver and also tow the trailer. Right now, I have 2 vehicles for those functions. One also can haul a light truck camper. If I bought a Transit, it would be the cargo version and I'd do a basic conversion for camping when not using the trailer. I was able to recently rent a 148" WB 15 passenger mid roof Transit from a local Ford dealer yesterday. Unfortunately, it had the 3.7L V6, not the EcoBoost. The latter was not available in any of their rental rigs. Very nice driving rig. The 15 passenger wagon is on the 350 or 1 ton platform. I got about 14mpg with just 2 adults and the dog inside. It did have 13 empty seats in the back. The 3.5L EcoBoost is available in the Transit and you can order a Tow Haul pkg. Both the F150 and the Transit offer the 3.73 ratio with limited slip. However, the limited slip can be locked on the F150 but not on the Transit.

So far, I'm leaning toward the F150 rather than the Transit for a variety of reasons. No vehicle is perfect, there are always trade offs. At this point, I'm in the process of weighing what's most important. The F150 offers better clearance for backroad exploration and also seems to come with more options. It can tow more, but that's not a huge issue as either are capable of handling my Safari. Seats were also more comfortable in the F150 vs the Transit. Once can also upgrade to a 36 gallon fuel tank on the F150. A 25 gallon tank is the only option for the Transit. There are a few other consideration that I won't go into.
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Old 10-13-2016, 10:36 AM   #8
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That Ford doesn't offer a blueprint for a custom built WD hitch receiver is the (likely) problem. Chrysler provided such from the mid-1960s onwards on all its lines.

The weakness of the hitch receivers on most pickups precludes optimum weight distribution. Body on frame is actually less strong. Cheaper to design and build, thus heavier and with a worse COG as a result.

Given the weight carrying capacity of these vans I rather doubt it can't do the job.


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Old 10-13-2016, 11:06 AM   #9
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Even Ford tows with a WD hitch from time to time (12:23):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v ecY0CvCHkZg

We've looked heavily into Transits, and there are too many minor things we can't stand about them. That ecoboost motor is sweet though.
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Old 10-13-2016, 03:58 PM   #10
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Explore More,

Watched your video where you discussed pros and cons of the Transit Van. You had many of the same concerns I do. In doing some research here in Oregon, I found that Newberg Ford (SW of Portland) actually had 4x4 Transit Vans on their lot. Primarily Quigley conversions. Likely gains some height with those. However, as one would expect, be prepared to open your wallet. One can also get factory 4x4 now with the Mercedes Sprinters, however, they have limited towing ability.

As noted above, I haven't made any final decisions but, if I do make a change in vehicles, I'm leaning toward the F150 EcoBoost with a heavy duty payload package. It can tow my trailer and also carry my Four Wheel Camper, just not at the same time as I currently do with my F250 SuperDuty. Need the FWC for those backroads I don't want to drag my Airstream down.

Looks like you guys are having some great fun.

TGK
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Old 10-13-2016, 04:29 PM   #11
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the quigley 4x4 transits are 2" higher than stock. Unfortunately they use 2" lift blocks int he rear, which really shouldn't be the case on a $13k addition.

Mercedes does make a 144" WB 4x4 dually sprinter that's capable of towint 7500 lbs. They're great, but when they need to be repaired, plan to spend thousands, not hundreds. And only a sprinter dealer can fix them (not even all MB dealers are sprinter dealers, so they can't all fix them).

We're having a BLAST. We're still thinking about a transit or a sprinter in the back of our mind, but in reality our current van is almost perfect. We're sold on vans though, we love 'em.
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Old 10-17-2016, 02:34 PM   #12
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I'm loving this thread and am intrigued to see what the end results are!
Dan- Thank you for the feedback on my specs for the Transit.

TGK- I'm glad your started this thread. Looks like you're leaning heavily to the F150, seems like a good choice.

explore more- Your van and videos are great!
I love towing with a van too. Mine is getting tired and needing repeated repairs, so it's time to make a change.

Me- I test drove the Transit and Sprinter last week. I'm going with the Sprinter. My focus is on the camper conversion, and we have many friends who absolutely love their Sprinters.

I'll be taking the winter to design the interior conversion, and plan to purchase the Crew Van in the new year. There's a great sourcebook online on DIY Sprinter van conversions that has already been super helpful. http://www.sprinter-rv.com

My specs: Crew van,144WB, High roof (my man is 6'4"). On the fence about the 4x4 and duallly's since I tend to tow lighter trailers and do a lot of van camping sans Airstream.

The Transit is still a tempting option, however!
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Old 10-17-2016, 07:00 PM   #13
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I really dig the high top 4x4 dually 144" wb. If I were to get a new van, that's probably what I'd end up with. I hear repairs are extremely expensive though.
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Old 10-17-2016, 10:39 PM   #14
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Me too. The thought of expensive repairs is a downside for sure. A car guru friend told me today Sprinters tend to have battery issues and one other issue he couldn't remember off the top of his head. More research!
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Old 10-18-2016, 02:07 PM   #15
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They have exhaust/emissions issues. And lots of little sensors. There are 2-3 generations of sprinters and they all have different issues unique to that generation.
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Old 10-22-2016, 03:43 PM   #16
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I'm definitely not a transit expert, and I highly recommend test-driving for yourself, but here were our thoughts:

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Old 10-23-2016, 06:20 AM   #17
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Decent video. Keep the cute driver. The big guy is usually selling fishing boats at Cabelas, right?

Vans are quick off the line as they're primarily urban metro vehicles. But, once loaded, it won't be the same. Don't expect too much once loaded and hitched when it comes to passing power. Drive smart, instead.

A van would be my choice, overall. I'm very impressed with how well the modern ones drive (my first experience was with a 1966 Ford with a 240-I6 between the seats, and a bolt action transmission). Electronic stability control, etc, is a comforting factor.

It's not a car. One doesn't "keep up" with traffic. Takes a period of adjustment to use it well. Let it tell you what is best. Biggest change for most folks is braking before turns. Any braking pressure still being applied into a turn is a FAIL.

Same for posted speed on ramps and such (yellow). That's max safe speed. Get used to using that whether solo or towing. Life is easier with new habits.

That out of the way, can we look forward to the cute driver (and her sister) doing more videos on other brands of modern vans?

One request is to include a little more tech info. Wheelbase, power plant, and door sticker info (axle ratings).

Thx to you both for the trouble to which you went in making the video.


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Old 10-23-2016, 07:44 AM   #18
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We won't be doing many other van comparison videos. It'd be fun to test every box van out there (sprinter, promaster, nv) but we dont have the time, energy, or bandwodth. We were only interrsted in transits due to our budget and a few other factors. We filmed a few more transit test drives, but that's it. We like the 4x4 sprinters, but tge 8 month wait, the $58k price, and the tales of costly repairs that only a sprinter dealer can make turned us away. We ultimately decided to keep our 7.3L E350 since it'll tow 10k, gets 16 mpg, and is extremely reliable and dirt cheap to fix.
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Old 10-24-2016, 12:03 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by explore more View Post
We won't be doing many other van comparison videos. It'd be fun to test every box van out there (sprinter, promaster, nv) but we dont have the time, energy, or bandwodth. We were only interrsted in transits due to our budget and a few other factors. We filmed a few more transit test drives, but that's it. We like the 4x4 sprinters, but tge 8 month wait, the $58k price, and the tales of costly repairs that only a sprinter dealer can make turned us away. We ultimately decided to keep our 7.3L E350 since it'll tow 10k, gets 16 mpg, and is extremely reliable and dirt cheap to fix.

I'm also tempted by the vans. But my 2004 Cummins is too easy to own (knock on wood). Good luck with the Ford. And, thanks.


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Old 10-24-2016, 12:49 PM   #20
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my buddy put a 2013 cummins in a 2013 4x4 Ford E350. Talk about the best of both worlds! But I'm plenty happy with my 7.3L 4x4 E350.
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