Talk me out of a Transit RB150?

[SoonerDave]

Hi - second post. I didn't see another forum that this would necessarily be appropriate for, so I apologize in advance if this is mis-posted.

My wife and I are on the production schedule for a 2018 Transit, doing the low roof and PH top, RB150 floorplan, just slightly tweaked. Deposit paid, but van is not yet ordered, will be ordered shortly after 2018s drop. So, we could get our deposit back if wanted to, but have zero present intention of doing that.

Plan is the 3.5 ecoboost. I have driven the 3.7 and the 3.5, and obviously the power of the 3.5 is . . . . tasty.

Two questions:

1. Anything I'm missing about the 3.5/3.7 engine selection that perhaps should make me lean toward the 3.7? They both seem highly reviewed, and . . . that power of the 3.5!

2. Any lingering concerns on this board or in the SMB community about the Transit? Our decision for Transit over MB has been largely driven by cost of repair/maintenance over time, and the fact that the Transit seems to be an enormously well-rated vehicle overall.

Any other tips/info for where we are in the process would be welcome as well.

Thanks all. And happy Saturday.

-SD

[MadScience]

Did you test drive the transit in all the engines, as well as sprinter? Easy enough to do with an empty van at a dealer.

Factory 4x4 would push me towards a sprinter between the two.

Edit: Without 4x4 I'd lean towards the Ford as well, for the same reasons.

[mgmetalworks]

We LOVE our Transit!!! The 3.5L Ecoboost has been awesome and delivered 17+ mpg over 10k miles (mixed city/hwy. Best tank was 19+).

We have a medium roof and really like the extra headroom. For our build-out plans, the higher roof makes more sense.

Mechanically the Transit is great. I'm in the process of designing a 4x4 conversion for these rigs and I've got tons of technical info and CAD files from Ford and I've had a good chance to be very hands on with the suspension and drivetrain parts. I've been impressed that parts are high quality, inexpensive and easy to find.

I'm fully committed to the Transit as a platform for new products for our business. It is such a pleasure to drive and such a solid vehicle. I plan to know every square inch of these rigs and every nut and bolt. I believe the Transit is going to be very popular in the adventure van world

[MountainBikeRoamer]

@mgmetalworks:

Very cool to hear!!! It's awesome to know that you are giving the thumbs-up to this new generation of Ford vans. And that you optimistically see a whole new world of opportunity that others will likely be enthusiastic to embrace.

Must say, the demise of the E-series was (and is) really tough to accept....but it's really cool to hear that the underpinnings (and possibilities) for the new Transits look promising. If you have been able to acquire all sorts of technical files/3-D data to work with from Ford, then it sounds like they are truly playing their cards right, supporting the aftermarket as soon as possible to build a strong new enthusiast community.

Bring on the new wave of kickass adventure vans!

[carringb]

Only major common problem was the Guibo driveline joint, and Ford finally started putting in real U-joints.

How full of a build are you planning? A T150 may not be the best option for a full build, purely for weight reason.

[mgmetalworks]

Originally Posted by carringb

Only major common problem was the Guibo driveline joint, and Ford finally started putting in real U-joints.

How full of a build are you planning? A T150 may not be the best option for a full build, purely for weight reason.

I just heard about a recall of the Guibo joint. I can't see that thing lasting long with the the Ecoboost. I already feel some wonkiness in it but I'll be ditching it soon enough.

I haven't seen any difference in the unit body CAD files between the 150, 250 and 350. Most of the suspension parts are the same except between the SRW and DRW. About the only parts I've found to be different are the springs and different spring rates.

[carringb]

Originally Posted by mgmetalworks

About the only parts I've found to be different are the springs and different spring rates.

Yeah, and only rear springs at that. All models have the same front springs. But for the nominal cost difference new, why bother with the spring swap later? Personally, I'd take the oversprung van pre-build over an undersrpung van post-build.

[mgmetalworks]

Originally Posted by carringb

Yeah, and only rear springs at that. All models have the same front springs. But for the nominal cost difference new, why bother with the spring swap later? Personally, I'd take the oversprung van pre-build over an undersrpung van post-build.

yeah, the rear springs in our 150 are overloaded quickly. That's about my only complaint about the van in stock form.

[86Scotty]

I have seen the light and am leaning towards building a Transit myself. While I haven't driven an Ecoboost yet I would recommend it still. It's got v10 power at 17 or so mpg and it's been reliable in the F150 for a few years. I've been talking possibilities with MG and I can stand up in the mid roof! I'm 6'2" and it's 6" inside but it's actually ok. If I keep my flooring rise and ceiling drop to a minimum it should be fine and only about 8'5" high in 2wd form.
Yes, the nose takes a little getting used to but the wheels and aftermarket support are growing fast.


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[deserteagle56]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

I have seen the light and am leaning towards building a Transit myself. While I haven't driven an Ecoboost yet I would recommend it still. It's got v10 power at 17 or so mpg and it's been reliable in the F150 for a few years. I've been talking possibilities with MG and I can stand up in the mid roof! I'm 6'2" and it's 6" inside but it's actually ok. If I keep my flooring rise and ceiling drop to a minimum it should be fine and only about 8'5" high in 2wd form.
Yes, the nose takes a little getting used to but the wheels and aftermarket support are growing fast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Now that I've lived with my 3.5 Ecoboost in my F150 for 14 months, I can unequivocally say - I love it! Whereas the V-10 in my van has to have high rpm to develop any power, this Ecoboost is diesel-like in that by 2000 rpm it is putting out its full torque and doesn't need to rev any higher than that. I recently came over Monarch Pass in Colorado (11,312 feet) and was just plain grinning when I topped the summit. With those turbos packing air into the engine it just loafed up that grade - might as well been driving on the plains of Kansas.

I've been logging my fuel purchases into an Excel spreadsheet since the day I bought the truck. Overall mileage for the 12,000 miles I've owned the truck has been 20.6 mpg. That lie-o-meter in the dash keeps telling me I'm getting around 22. But not one single problem with the engine or the truck in that time.