4WD Ford Transit - Quigley

[Haf-E]

So I looked on Quigley's site and it turns out they had one of their 4WD Transit vans at Moab during the Jeep Easter week - anyone seen it?

Here is the report from their website:

http://www.quigley4x4.com/NewsandEvents/NewsEventsDetail/tabid/78/anid/45/Default.aspx

04/09/15 - The final component we have been waiting for has arrived. This will allow us to build our 3 prototypes to the same design. Then off to testing to verify our final design. We are looking at the end of the month for testing.

04/01/15 - Took it out for its final run in Moab. Joined the group for the Full Size Run on Gold Bar Rim. However we could only go in the first 30 minutes because we had to take it back to PA for a prior engagement. Our VP Todd drove it the entire way from Moab to PA. We are thrilled with how well it performed.

03/31/15 - Took Red along with 10 other Quigley vans to Fins and Things run for Cancer. Again no issue, it maneuvered over obstacle thrown at it along with all the other Quigley vans!

03/30/15 - Red went to the Arches National Park for an easy relaxing day.

03/29/15 - Took out the Red Transit for its first Moab trail, 3D with the Pickle. It work great!

03/27/15 - Red Transit was taken off the trailer in Denver to pick up our CEO Mike, his wife and CFO Faye and their daughter and VP Angie from the airport. They drove it to Moab.

 

[dtessman]

So I looked on Quigley's site and it turns out they had one of their 4WD Transit vans at Moab during the Jeep Easter week - anyone seen it?

Pictures!

 

[Keyne]

Cool! I hear/read that the Ford Transit is more reliable than the new Sprinters so this would be very nice.

 

[mhiscox]

Can you post a link for whatever you read? With the low number of US Transits on the road so far, it's not been easy to find empirical information

I could, however, find a year-old link showing the Transit to be the UK's most reliable van, while the Sprinter had fallen to seventh, which is worse, but not bad. In the prior-year's survey, the Sprinter had been second behind the Transit, but as the article said, "The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has fallen five places compared with last year’s survey, which could be an indication that some of the class-leading technology introduced on the model in 2013 could have made the van slightly more prone to faults than its predecessor."

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2014/11/5/ford-transit-crowned-most-reliable-van/53997/

So it doesn't sound like there are major problems with the Sprinter, rather that it fell due to pushing the envelope with things like crosswind compensation and other electronic stuff (kind of like Ford tanked in the J.D. Powers surveys mostly because their Ford Touch infotainment system was half-baked). It may or may not be fair to think ill of the Sprinters because they have failures of stuff other vans don't even have.

For me, the bigger issue is be the vastly larger number of places to find mechanics for a Transit versus the much smaller number of service sites for Sprinters. I don't have any numbers, but ten times as many Ford dealers would seem to be the right order of magnitude.

FWIW, the Fiat Duceto (the Ram Promaster in the US) didn't make the top ten in the article linked, and there were no ratings given below that.

 

[njtacoma]

Sort of related to this thread - those short roof Transit vans look funny to me in real life, but throw some decent tires on it and it looks better!

I am starting to see more transits on the road, still vastly outnumbered by e350 vans though. It will be interesting to see where the quigley comes in on price. The current builder on MBUSA says about $7500 for sprinter 4x4 (didn't check to see if that was with low range).

I'm just glad to see the van market updating, although I am a used market guy so it will be a few years until they trickle down to me.

 

[Haf-E]

The list price of the sprinter van before the 4wd option is higher than the transit - so even if Quigley charges more for their conversion, it probably will come in cheaper in the end.

On the sprinter, the 4WD is only offered with the V6 diesel engine option BTW. I've also heard they are shipped in from Germany so the lead time is longer than if you just did a regular van order.

 

[Keyne]

Can you post a link for whatever you read? With the low number of US Transits on the road so far, it's not been easy to find empirical information

I could, however, find a year-old link showing the Transit to be the UK's most reliable van, while the Sprinter had fallen to seventh, which is worse, but not bad. In the prior-year's survey, the Sprinter had been second behind the Transit, but as the article said, "The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has fallen five places compared with last year's survey, which could be an indication that some of the class-leading technology introduced on the model in 2013 could have made the van slightly more prone to faults than its predecessor."

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2014/11/5/ford-transit-crowned-most-reliable-van/53997/

So it doesn't sound like there are major problems with the Sprinter, rather that it fell due to pushing the envelope with things like crosswind compensation and other electronic stuff (kind of like Ford tanked in the J.D. Powers surveys mostly because their Ford Touch infotainment system was half-baked). It may or may not be fair to think ill of the Sprinters because they have failures of stuff other vans don't even have.

For me, the bigger issue is be the vastly larger number of places to find mechanics for a Transit versus the much smaller number of service sites for Sprinters. I don't have any numbers, but ten times as many Ford dealers would seem to be the right order of magnitude.

FWIW, the Fiat Duceto (the Ram Promaster in the US) didn't make the top ten in the article linked, and there were no ratings given below that.

Mike

I may have read it here on Expo or on the Sprinter forum (I looked but couldnt find it again). It was a post from one of the European members that had traveled extensively in a Sprinter and was just finishing a multi-month (6 or 8?) Africa trip in a Ford Transit. Only problem he had was blown shocks. The post gave me hope for US options other than the Sprinter, but it was based on a European Transit not a US version. Sounds like it correlates with the article you found but I am interested to see how things go now that they are available in the US.

It would be great if Ford brought the factory Transit 4x4 to the US... just when you thought it was safe to go to the van forums... another hope that another one of these European vans will come to the US with factory 4x4. :sombrero:

 

[mhiscox]

I've also heard they are shipped in from Germany so the lead time is longer than if you just did a regular van order.

Sprinter delivery times have always been an issue. The vans are built in Germany, and then disassembled to avoid a 25% import duty on completed trucks, put on ships and sent to Ladson, South Carolina, to be reassembled. So that takes a good long while. (MBz is planning on building a South Carolina Sprinter manufacturing plant; groundbreaking is expected in 2016.)

But the 4x4 situation is reported to be worse because of issues in getting the necessary components from suppliers. The last report I had was that any order placed now will get you a 2016 in about 6 months.

 

[EMrider]

Very glad to see some progress on this from Quigley.

At some point in the next 5 or so years I will be in the market for a new 4x4 van. Based on the research I have done thus far, a Ford Transit with the Quigley 4x4 appears to be the best package.

R

 

[sg1]

I am the European (more Canadian than European in reality) with the AWD Transit who has traveled extensively with almost no problems. I have an older (2010) Transit which was never available in North America. I bought it in Europe and registered it in Germany because in 2010 when I wanted to start our trip to Europe; Africa and the Americas I could not get what I wanted in Canada. I wanted a new 4x4 diesel chassis without diesel particulate filter requiring low sulphur diesel (which is not available in the 3rd world). When I was just about to give up and think about a plan B I discovered that in Germany I could still get a new Transit chassis without DPF. At that time Ford was the only manufacturer who still offered a DPF delete and 4x4 as an option in Europe. I am very happy with my choice. A Transit is a good choice for extended overland trips because it is simpler than the Sprinter, easier to repair and is sold in almost all markets worldwide.
I do not think that the 4wd used in Europe will come to the US. European Transits only have 2.2l diesel engines and standard gear boxes and it has no low range. The European 4wd seems to have limitations with respect to torque because it can only be ordered with the 125hp engine not with the stronger versions. To modify it for the US drive train with much more powerful engines and automatic is probably too expensive. I hope the Quigley will have a low range which I am really missing. Once it is available it will be as far as I know the only 4wd drive van with a gas engine and therefore the only vehicle in its class which can be taken on a trip to the 3rd world without extensive modifications of the engine.
Regards Stefan

 

[tk3]

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2015/04/quigley-motors-now-offers-ford-transit-4x4.html

Short write up and pics...

 

[haven]

Nice than Quigley's Transit conversion has a two speed transfer case. The conversion lifts the van almost 4 inches, making room for 32 inch tall 235/85R16 tires.

The Pickuptrucks.com article goes to some length to complain about the 3.5L turbo V6 power delivery coming on too strong in low traction situations, resulting in unexpected/undesirable wheelspin. Driver error?

 

[Haf-E]

Nice to finally see pics of the front suspension. Doesn't look like it has a 4 inch lift on it - I guess its the taller tires.

They finally give a price of $12,000 for the conversion - which, as expected, is consideably higher than the 4wd option on the Sprinter. But I guess that is the nature of a afterwards conversion compared to a factory built 4wd option. Still probably lower price for the Transit than the Sprinter and you have more choices on engine (Sprinter is only the V-6 diesel).

Nice to see its getting closer.

 

[haven]

"Our Transit van had about 4 extra inches of lift..."
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2015/04/quigley-motors-now-offers-ford-transit-4x4.html

It's true that the Quigley-modified Transit seen at Moab is a prototype, and the final commercial product may vary in the details.

 

[e350vegas]

I am sorry but....

I think those Transits look terrible. IMHO.

I know my van is old and dated looking....but....."beauty is in the eye of beholder" for sure!