The Ford Transit RV Chassis Review | What We Think After 2000 Miles
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2024
- We just drove 2,000 miles in a Leisure Travel Vans Wonder RTB RV on the Ford Transit chassis. Here's our review of what we think of the Transit as an RV chassis.
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We're journalists Mike and Jennifer Wendland, and we travel the country in an RV doing RV travel videos about the RV Lifestyle. Please subscribe to our channel for more RV Lifestyle videos! We like to virtually take you with us and regularly do lIve reports from our RV travels and also post new RV videos a couple times a week. Pleas subscribe so you'll know when there's new content here.
DISCLAIMER:
Presently, we are driving a coach provided free for our use during a shire review time period by Leisure Travel Vans. All opinions expressed about that coach honestly reflects our own personal appraisal, good and bad, and Leisure Travel Vans does not control our content, writing, videos, podcasts or newsletter reports in any way. In addition to the coach, Leisure assists us in some expenses related to our travel.
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Thank you so much for this video. I have decided to go with the Transit Diesel. That 16.3 blew me out of the water and the ease of driving, along with finding someone to work on the Ford is very satisfying. Looking forward to your next video on the Wonder.
Great review, guys. We bought our (cheaper) Winnie Fuse 350 HD Transit RV two years ago and love it. What a dream to drive and live in, too! Powerful engine on the highways, and easy to maneuver in small parking lots. Of course it's not perfect, but as you say, the good outweighs the bad by a wide margin. Thanks for posting.
I was traveling through California, stopped to get fuel...and this man comes up and asked how I liked it,which I love...and he tells me he is a mechanic for Mercedes Benz. ..tells me that I made the right choice,so I asked him what he meant. .he says to get parts for the mercede,will take on average 3 to 5 days,just to get the parts from germany,then another 3 to 5 days while in the shop..while it will take the Ford transit 2 to 3 days on average for parts/labor. Costing much less,then the Mercedes Benz.
mike wilber Hi Mike . . . You just confirmed my suspension.
Ford for the win!
great video plenty of information, you folks do some great work on your videos and presentation. best of luck on your travels.
We have an appointment Sunday to test drive LTV Wonder RL. After much YT/internet search, you two along with Dean @LTV have helped us narrow down. If we love it, hope to order and wait for build!!!
Thanks for the honest review. We have been looking at motorhomes about this size to travel from our summer homes to a winter home. We will be driving close to 10-12 thousand miles a year as it is almost 5,000 miles just to central Florida. I’m fond of the Forest River Forester TS2381. I love the mpg you are getting because fuel for our journeys will be a big expense.
I enjoyed your video! Great to hear m see seniors like me ny wife! You guys really did a terrific video!!! It has been decades since we had a new RV! I miss the San Francisco Bay area n the redwood trees n beautiful.lakes. If any hear n see that type of video please notify me! But not if it's a hassle!! Great job! Thanks for your time!
I had my eye on a Roadtrek, but given the recent events I’ve crossed it off my list. Will give LTV a closer look. Thanks for review.
Great video. I'm thinking about that van as a possibility, but have been concerned about the Ford... Good to know you had a good experience. Looking forward to next week's video.
Thank you for providing driving opinions for both of you. Another single lady here.
Would love to try one. Thanks for sharing 😊
Thanks for your wonderful review of the Ford chassis Wonder! We are interested in the Unity TB or IB. Can’t wait for that review! We would also love an in depth comparison of the Ford and Mercedes chassis, pros and cons. Thanks 🙏
It’s always nice to see you both, I certainly do appreciate your knowledge and your honest reviews. I do believe the Transit Chassis will be a big hit now and in the future. It is comfortable and it looks nice as well. The price and also the servicing aspect is certainly appealing for so many. I’m however having a Tiffin Wayfarer built as I leave this comment. As you know it’s built on a Mercedes Chassis and I couldn’t be more happy and excited about that! I appreciate that there are choices for everyone who is in the market. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and adventures with us! I’m always looking forward for the next update!
We absolutely LOVE the Wayfarer... and the Tiffin family. Great people who build great motorhomes!
Greetings from a fellow Michigander...enjoyed your review. Safe travels.
Great pro and cons! Transit really is a comfy ride.
Great review 👍🏻
7:25 Bo looks happier when he's driving! My dog would be in the back laying on the couch/bed!
I absolutely love you guys videos
You always give this bar none review and have this lovely way of making you feel like you're just part of the family going for a ride thank you....
Tell Bo hello,
And God bless.
Bo probably hears you talking, and wants to be part of the activity. Nice discussion. Looking forward to your review of the interior.
Nice writeup & been following your progress. We are looking at buying a class C on the same chassis & towing a 2500# dinghy as it is well within the rated GCWR. We need the dinghy as not always do we want to break camp to visit the grandbabies down the street where the streets are narrow & parking limited. Our main concern is ground clearance. While we know this chassis isn't for remote 4x4 boondocking, we have parked in a lot of gravel turnarounds that trucks use that rival many many well-groomed forest service roads in presenting potholes from the Devil’s playground. I guess our lessons learned so far in 11 years of RVing is trust no mud puddle or highway expansion joint for depth or height of clearance. Keep up the good work!
I have one, I love it,I agree about the driver seat not being to swivel,cause where the emergency brake is located...easy fix..place the emergency brake somewhere else,like by the driver door,freeing the driver seat to rotate as well.
The new ones now can swivel the drivers seat
We have a 2010 Roadtrek Adventurous and have appreciated how quiet the diesel on the Sprinter is compared to a Ford Excursion we once had. Am wondering if the Transit is still the old noisy Ford diesel or if this has been improved in recent years. Love to watch Dean's LTV videos and appreciate you sharing your RV Lifestyle!
We love our Winnebago ford transit Paseo eco boost.
The new 2021 Ford Transit is AMAZING...
Great Information!
Ohio is a close second for the bad roads. Hi Bo, beautiful dog. He wants in Moms lap.
Love your videos, and BO, we have a yellow lab and she also wants up front. We have a LTV Unity TB on order and still have a few weeks to change things. What are your thoughts on either LP or Diesel generator? Any other must haves? We live in the Southwest.
I owned a Promaster B van AND a Ford Transit (Diesel) B+ van. My personal opinion: I LOVED the Promaster B ride...BUT...I LOVED the Ford Transit ride even better. I've driven a Mercedes B van but I felt BOTH the Promaster and the Ford Transit were better "rides". My B+ Ford Transit, in my opinion....is amazing. It drives like a car and has the "get up and go" of just about any vehicle on the road. But you're right about the tight cockpit. Getting out.....IS more difficult when compared to the Promaster and the Mercedes. But I've found if I'm moving from the back into the driver's seat (or vis-a-versa), it's much easier if you hold on to the shelf above the driver's seat and bring your legs, one at a time, down to the floor in front of the seat. Kinda like seating yourself in the cockpit of a fighter jet. But the beauty of a "more cramped" cockpit...the overall width of the B+ can be brought down to fit into standard parking slots...which it does very nicely. I drive my Ford Transit (23.8 footer) to the store and just about any place I can drive a standard car.Yeah...There are some things I can't do with it (Drive in windows...Outside Bank teller lanes...etc) but I can always find a place to park on the street and walk 1 or 2 minutes to get my business done.
I like the B+ camper versions much better than the B. More room. More storage space. And most B+'s have slide outs which expand the living space even more. My former B camper was OK. But it DID get cramped after one or two days. And, surprisingly enough, Many B+ campers are WAY cheaper than most B's.
I think this is the van for me. Thank you for the review! Any advice on options and how to get a good price on the van?
I am interested in possibly getting the wonder in the future, but it’s just me so I want the front twin bed. I love the full rear bathroom concept.
Thats the best part...floorplans have something for everyone!
Thank you for sharing everything!
Safe Travels!
Faye
This is the exact RV I’ve been seriously considering. As a solo female who is planning on retiring in a year or so, I was very curious about driving one. I really appreciate your comments, Jen, and look forward to test driving one before too long.
Check out the Creativity RV channel. Robin has been in one for over a year and just recently explained why she's going away from this brand due to well... watch her most recent. I don't want to poo poo this vehicle. It's lovely. I really want one but it's just Canadian with limited service centers for warranty work.
I have been following Robin and understand the issues she had with her Unity. But I figure any manufacturer, Canadian or US, will have issues and occasionally there will be a lemon in the bunch. I am also not going to be doing a lot of boondocking in remote areas. I am anxious to see what Robin purchased instead. And I am anxious to drive one to see how I like it. Thank you for recommending Robin-I definitely would appreciate looking at her reviews if I hadn’t seen them. ❤️
Me too! This was a great video.
love your unbiased reviews.
Nice van n video.
Love the LTV. Does it wobble when you walk in side? Is it stable?
I come to California to see how bad the roads is Joy your trip
Great info. How many hours could you comfortably drive it in one day? Looks like you guys are driving a big car. What was your cruising speed? We are seriously considering getting one of these. You are helping our decision immensely. We Love Beau.
Thanks its nice to get your take on it Mike and Jennifer
I noticed the speedometer dial was metric on the large numbers and of course you were traveling from Canada, but even though it looked like an analog meter can it be set to miles vs kilometer display? I know the smaller numbers are MPH but do you have control over that display? Being made in Canada KPH is standard.
Can’t wait
I’ve been looking at transits a lot more lately.
It is really becoming a very popular RV chassis. One night on the way back it got down to 30 below zero and the next morning, the Transit engine started right up.
You said you are getting a Sprinter in Utah next month. Seems easier to add auto gen start to a Sprinter than to add the driving features to a Transit ..... Anything else I am missing?
How comfortable is the driver’s seat? I am 6’4” and not what you would call skinny. It doesn’t look like the seat can be leaned back. It looks like it has one position and that is straight upright.
I’m curious how you handled leaving Canada in 0° temperatures. Were you still able to keep water in things in the RV or did you have to winterize and weren’t able to use the systems until you got to a warmer climate. I ask this because I’m trying to figure out we travel from Idaho to California quite a bit and I’m trying to figure out how I would handle The tanks when it’s only about 10° out during travel back-and-forth. Thank you
What are quality control issues the LTV has ? Thanks in advance.
Next you have to try a ProMaster.
How was the diesel starting in the cold weather
Now that you own a sprinter what is the diffrence you find? We just test drove a ford and found it very noisy at highway speeds.
What is the product called to keep you aware of the temperature in your van. I know it connects to your phone. Just worried about leaving our pet in the rv without one.
If Leisure Travel could do lithium battery with autostart and underhood generator, there would be no competition. But they dont have that, so Im going with Travato GL or KL. Can the Leisure Travel Ford Transits be retrofitted with Lithium and autostart and underhood generator?
I'm on board. I just wish they weren't so expensive. But, I respect the brand.
Stay with the Wonder and not the Unity. That Sprinter chassis cost a lot more
Great video. Being over 6 ft tall. I found the Transit seating not very comfortable and lack of leg room compared to Sprinter. Sprinter also has 16 tires giving it a little better stance and cab height.
Hmm. I thought an 18 wheeler barely had 16 tires?
lol...16 inch tires..lol
😆😆🚙🚙
Try MA roads if you haven't already. . THEY are the worst roads!!!! Also, thank you for reviewing the Ford Transit, It is my van life van I plan on getting for my first Vanlife/ RV. Good to know I picked a great one!
Can it tow like a sprinter yet?
Why was the vehicle so loud at the 5:00 minute plus mark??
Was there a TV show in the 80s called "Wish You Were Here"? A couple driving around in an RV.
Yes there was. It was great
What size class c and what engine?
Are you trading in your Roadtrek?
I think no one could answer my question better than the both of you. What would you choose as the best class B van for a couple with a large to medium size dog? The top 3 to 5 vans you would choose solely on this criteria?
Okay... here are the top five we like the best...in no particular order:
Pleasure-Way Plateau
Leisure Travel Vans (LTV makes Class B+ vans... I'd suggest either the Wonder or the one we'll try next, the Unity)
Coachmen Galleria Li3
Coach House Arriva V24
Winnebago Travato
For a full Class C I'd suggest the Tiffin Wayfarer or the Winnebago ERA or Navigon
My guess is that the Ford chassis can be serviced and repaired in more places then the Mercedes.
Yes for sure
I don’t know why they are putting so many RVs on the Mercedes Sprinter. Good luck getting that serviced in the middle of Utah or the Yukon.
Bio diesel is not recommended in the Mercedes Benz Sprinter engine. Kinda sours the idea of a owning one for me.
???How long did you keep the van???
This was a test drive? How did the dealer let you do that? My dealer only lets me “take it around the block” so to speak.
When can we see more of Bo?
Bo is in just about every shot... I think he likes the camera
The best ford transit ❤from thailand.
Hello from MICH
I'm surprised that Leisure doesn't offer the Ford Transit with the twin turbo Eco-Boost 2.7 liter V6 gasoline engine. More HP, more torque, and half the hassle of diesel. Coachman offers this engine option in their Crossfit, and from what I've read, users are amazed by it's performance.
isnt that a 3.5 liter ecoboost????
@@doctorisout now that you mention it, I'm not really sure. Pretty certain that the nmbers are 310 HP and 400 pound feet of torque, or there abouts
I will only buy the ford transit ecoboost motor hand down. love that motor. they won't used it because it would bankrupt the other two manufacturer. just joking.
So... LTV is not four-season-ready as I know. How did it bear with the cold weather? How did its plumbing system manage to stay useable throughout the winter trail? Thanks.
you all probably dont care but does someone know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account??
I somehow forgot the account password. I love any help you can offer me
@Jagger Valentino instablaster ;)
@Edwin Daxton Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and im in the hacking process now.
I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Edwin Daxton It did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thanks so much you saved my account :D
@Jagger Valentino You are welcome xD
Do you feel this Ford Diesel engine has equal power and torque as the Benz Diesel???
Its more, isnt it??
We Europeans have had Class C RVs based on the Ford Transit since the 1960s!!! My 2010 RV is based on the MK7 (former model not available in N America) but I shipped it to Canada and drove to Alaska and back in 2017 without problem. 12,000 miles in 3 months. 2.2L TDCi Diesel 31 mpg!!!!! BTW both my front seats swivel in the Chausson French design of my rig. facebook.com/smallhomebiggarden
Hey Bo!! Ford or Mercedes??
Thank you for your review. I would like to mention another TH-camr, Robin from creativity RV, She had some info on leisure RV’s that I believe would be interesting to you and anyone thinking of purchasing this brand. Always worth looking at all viewpoints before a big purchase . Mike and Jennifer, we value your info and love your channel!
If you watch that video from Creative RV....you would run not walk away from Leisure Vans....and especially that Wonder RV. Unless, you enjoy spending 100 days in their service department.
David Gabrie Except, if you actually monitored LTV forums you would see incredibly happy owners in the majority. You would also see almost universal praise of LTV repair support. And if you compare to other Class C’s, you would see superior quality and construction to most. This is why the bumper to bumper warranty is longer than most C’s and best resale I’ve seen in a C.
They give it three thumbs up.
Wondering about the Wonder and the transit. Will watch this in a minute: My questions are about the driving features vis a vis the Sprinter, especially the New Sprinter which is currently out.
Even the last generation Sprinters have upgraded headlights, Blind Spot, Lane Keeping and Adaptive Cruise control. I am curious about what you will report on these and other driving features. These seem like bare minimums in modern times.
I'll be trying one of the new Sprinter based B+ units in a couple weeks, so stay tuned :-) I'll let you know.
There is the matter of cost. The Sprinter is much more costly and probably more expensive to maintain.
@@RVLifestyle
I think that you have one of the best RVs ever! Have you been to Noah's Ark in Williamstown, Kentucky?
You’re in a leisure van, you shouldn’t have to peddle too hard. Looking forward to
the inside tour compared to the companies. So, are you testers or owners ?
I wonder how this would compare to a C Class with the ford 350 for drive-ability?
Rick 778 I have a class C, Fleetwood pulse, on a sprinter chassis and it does wonderfully. I get 15 to 16 miles per gallon even when I’m pulling a double motorcycle trailer. I have not had experience with the Ford based classy for comparison.
I think the Ford is better than the MB based on 1 parts and service availability, across America 2 Cost of said parts/service(Ford is cheaper) 3 Ford diesel is more flexible about the fuel burned.
As far as the lack of backup camera, my opinion......we have a 2000 Ford Excursion Diesel SUV with the original equipment, Sonar audible backup beeper. As you backup, it starts beeping 10 feet from the nearest obstruction.
The rate of beeping increases as the vehicle gets closer to said obstruction, and becomes a steady "beep" at 6 inches away.
We also have vehicles with backup cameras. I find the Beeping system FAR superior to the camera systems. BECAUSE 1 the camera requires one to look at the image and judge how close you are. The rate of beeping TELLS you how close you are. 2 The beep get your attention, if you forget to LOOK when backing, the camera goes along for the ride, till you hit something, IF YOU FORGET TO LOOK.
I wonder how good aftermarket backup audible (beeping) sensor systems are?
Overall the Ford looks like a great chassis/platform, that could be really OUTSTANDING with a few factory upgrades 1 Backup warning system 2 Swivel drivers seat and both front seats made easier to swivel.
The RV gets better mpg then my Lincoln Town car
Well it's diesel
It appears to be loud in the cab when driving
I thought the same.
The cameras pick up all the noise. It is much more quiet in the cabin than what the video shows.
The roads in Chicago look like a B-52 bomber dropped its bombs on the roads.
My street is complete garbage there is grass growing out of it
She needs to learn to keep her hands no higher than the 3 and 9 oclock position on the steering wheel. this is a safety issue with an airbag equipped steering wheel. If it activates when your hand is at the top of the wheel you may have serious injuries to your shoulder and face.
One of the best u can have in europe, but Mercees Benz is no 1
Kind people ,ESPECIALLY WOMEN DO PLENTY of RESEARCH because R.V repair shops charge $300.00 PER HOUR!! that's average USUALLY much higher'.... SOME RV repair shops only work on" freight liner"chases/ frames .AFTER you sign the dotted line the Dealer has NO LEGAL obligation to do ANY repair on newly purchased RV../ so loose water hoses or ANYTHING that you might not see ,dealers will NOT fix UNLESS you HAVE IT IN WRITING!! ! IT is NOT like buying a car where laws are on books to protect buyer!!.. READ ALL FINE PRINT / DO NOT SIGN anything unless you fully understand and have what you NEED in writing.WOLVES in sheeps clothing they are . BE VERY cautious !! IF you buy RV with "pull out" will you know what to do if "pull out" won't pull back in or won't pull out so you can access your bed?. . RENT the RV style you are considering buying first...Blessings
16 mpg is not that great. I'm told the MB gets 20 plus. Am I being lied to.
Yes for a class b+ or c mine gets between 15 and 16.5 mpg
@@georgek719 what size. And engine size
@@georgek719 gas or diesel?
@@snookrookie Robert, do yourself a big favor and forget about rv'ng. If 16 mpg doesn't excite you, then you are looking for heartaches and disappointment for the rest of your tv'ing days. We all want 20 mpg and total perfection, with no rattles, squeaks or service problems, but it's just not in the cards. 16 mpg is better than most!!!!!
Just curious. Actually I am full time and pull a toyhauler with a ram 3500 with a 5.9 Cummins..
See “creativity RV” recent video on her problems with her leisure travel van
Creativity RV may have had issues, but most were with her chosen dealership. Her issues with customer service are pretty much one off, with thousands of others claiming they've had beyond excellent service. She's also deleting any comments that say otherwise, as I myself as well as others I know have posted our excellent service we've received, and all the comments have been deleted. She claims to be truthful but in reality she's only giving half the true story, and censoring anyone who disagrees.
Yes... I saw Robin's video and was quite shocked at the appalling problems she had with her rig. Equally as shocked at the lack of service and run around she got from LTV. She is quite an intelligent and thoughtful woman, so I take her review quite seriously.
I posted this comment to Robin at Creativity RV, and she hasn’t deleted it:
You had a really bad experience all the way around Robin, no doubt. We are not full timers but we have 24,000 miles, 21 states, a Canadian province, and 100+ nights in our LTV with only a few small issues competently handled by phone/email with the good folks at the factory in Winkler. Parts arrived in days, not weeks; never a “customs” delay. If people want a more balanced view of LTVs (old and new) I recommend joining the Leisure Travel Van Enthusiasts Facebook site; it’s for existing owners and wannabes...not sponsored or controlled by the company. The members freely share all their views and knowledge. BTW - I love your channel, Robin. And we love our 2017 Unity MB, too!
@@DeltaGen42 Surprised!
@@DeltaGen42 where are you located generally (if you Carr to share), thanks.
Ford Transit is developed and build from european design inspiration. Mercedes Sprinter still is he best (comfort, tech and mileage). You just need to be good at maintaining it.
Bo needs a window to look out....
I agree that Michigan roads are horrible
2,000 mile review ?? that's NOTHING ! tell us how it works for you at 50,000 miles
Most auto reviewers are lucky to get 200 miles.
@Rose my 1972 REVCON is still going down the road like new,,, Only had to put tires, hotwater heater,batteries,hoses,belts, sink water pump,oil changes,1 new furnace ..shocks . Nice smooth ride class a,10miles per gal. pulling a U Haul..Front wheel drive easy on bad roads or icy roads...NEW isn't always better...Blessings
Thanks for the review. This has to be the worst rv made. Thanks for the warning
The Ford has pedals that aren't reachable by smaller drivers, and I'd just never consider an RV from this company after watching all the heartache experienced by Creativity RV, who went through all the trials with no good responses or fixes. Hard pass on anything from Leisure Travel, especially if you're an American buyer of this Canadian product. No service!!