Ford Transit Van replacing Econoline for Sportsmobile?! - Page 2

BrianW · 04-09-2013, 07:03 AM

I, for one, am looking forward to the Transit full-size van coming to the USA. But, I'm a 2WD SMB guy. I like my E250 EB, but I think the Sprinter/Transit type platforms offer a lot of advantages for those who don't need 4WD.

I would guess that any converter, SMB or otherwise (Roadtrek, etc.) that currently builds on the Sprinter platform will jump all over the Transit when it's available, due to the lower pricepoint (I assume) and vast network of Ford dealerships as compared with the Sprinter.

If Ford does a decent job with the US version of the Transit, I'm sure it will decimate Sprinter sales in the US. Having driven both van in Europe, they have similar road manners and driveability. I'd say the Sprinter is a bit nicer, but not hugely so.

ABXGuy · 04-09-2013, 09:55 AM

We were on hold deciding when we wanted to order our SMB, considering the timeline for retirement, etc. Once I heard of the demise of the Econoline, we ordered our 2013 E-350.

akfiredude · 04-18-2013, 07:54 PM

I spoke to Lynn at Sportsmobile West a couple weeks ago and she stated that she saw a fax floating around the office that talked about the Ford E350 being available through Ford until 2015! About a week ago I spoke to Alan the owner- (I think I got his name correct?) and he stated that he could not confirm the 2015 extension date but that he did acknowledge that Ford is offering the E350 into the beginning of 2014 at this time. I told him I was not retiring for another 3 years and that I wanted to wait as long as I could to buy my SMB. He told me to check back with SMB West every 6 months to check the status of the E350 from Ford. This is great news for me as I have been debating about buying a used SMB or sort of being forced into buying a new one soon. I just did not want to buy one now and have the warranty close to expiration before I could really get out and use the rig. Hope this info helps others who are contemplating a new E350 and might feel pressured to buy one right now.

I was all set to buy a later model used SMB but was really discouraged to find out that SMB's warranty (conversion & 4X4) does transfer from the original owner even if the rig only has 100 miles on it. That being said if the right used SMB came along I would be very tempted to finally become a SMB owner.

Paul

pffan1990 · 04-18-2013, 10:48 PM

That's great news on the E350 extension! I have read official word from Ford from some article(s) a while back saying that it would be extended to 2015 to allow seamless as possible transition to Transit. However, it would be the E350 Cargo only as the Wagon would be dropped. So with Lynn's comment, it appears that SMB will continue to offer packages for the E350 for as long as Ford makes it: 2015 for now!! I did get word from the Facebook Sportsmobile (West???) page that they WILL offer packages for the Transit!! Just not sure when.

Post edited: Also, congrats on your upcoming retirement and I think it's a good idea to wait as long as possible for warranty purposes right when you retire in three years. I won't be surprised if Ford even extends the E350 Cargo a little longer since they do plan on making the Econoline Cutaway for as long as possibly the end of the decade! And speaking of the Cutaway, SMB are working on creating their own packages with the exterior B-pillar-back shells!! It would be a while before that gets reveals so maybe consider that, too?

bratworst · 04-18-2013, 11:44 PM

I contacted the dealer that supplies SMB West and they said the Econoline will be produced into the 2014 calendar year, to ensure that seamless transition.

mlts22 · 04-25-2013, 04:56 PM

I am extremely interested in what Transit can bring. The diesel one especially, if coupled with a flat plate water heater, Webasto stove, diesel furnace, and a Powertech generator. At the minimum, there will be a lot more places on the map that can service the vehicle as opposed to the finger-pointing done by Mercedes and Freightliner in some areas. (I'm lucky... Austin has a good M-B dealer and a good FL dealer that know what they are selling and servicing mainly because of the SMB factory here.)

As another aside, there is also the Dodge ProMaster van which is debuting this year, which gives some competition to the Transit, although it is essentially a Fiat Ducato with a baa-baa badge. In Europe, this is a very common chassis for motorhomes.

pffan1990 · 06-06-2013, 11:35 PM

Bad news for those of you who were looking forward to the new Ford Transit. I just found out that Ford has decided to postpone the production start of the Transit until Summer 2014 for Model Year 2015. This was due to supplier issues and the fact that the mini Transit Connect was coming out soon and didn't want to conflict the sales of two vans. Not sure if this site is usually reliable but announced the news apparently a month ago without much mainstream coverage, such as Car & Driver, Truck Trend, etc. The Econoline, as previously reported, has already been extended to 2015. My personal guess is that it may even be extended to 2016 if necessary to allow more seamless transition.

Since we already know that SMB has plans to do conversions for it, I guess they can concentrate on the Econoline Cutaway project!

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/0 ... ntil-2015/

pffan1990 · 06-20-2013, 04:52 PM

There is a new article online Truck Trend magazine for the August 2013 issue, where the upcoming Transit diesel engine is discussed in lots of detail. The only unknown info at this time is the power and fuel ratings. The article details the changes the engine will undergo for the American market in comparison to the one already in use of the global Ranger. Quite interesting read and I'm not sure of the Truck Trend credibility, but the article does say a possible 25% increase in fuel efficiency in Transit diesel compared to the existing Super Duty PowerStroke diesel engine. Happy reading!

http://www.trucktrend.com/roadtests/163 ... irst_look/