Promaster / Transit

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
In my other thread I have been working out ideas for a cold weather unit. If I go with the build it myself idea I have it narrowed down to a 2016 / 2017, 2500 or 3500 model of either the Ford Transit or the Dodge Promaster. I would like a unit with some warranty but I don't think that I would go new as there are a number of lightly used ones around that I can save $6000 to $10,000 on.

So are there any big advantages or disadvantages to either one? Any year or size to stay away from.

I was thinking of a medium roof version but not a lot around so looks like a high roof one.
 

Len.Barron

Observer
You first have to decide whether you want front or rear wheel drive...
The Ecoboost and rear wheel drive combo would give you more options if you ever got into tuning or were considering towing large/heavy loads..
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
The FWD in the Promaster and Fiat umm er “quality” would drop it off my list real quick.

Especially if its going to be your home and only set of wheels. Ford is no wonder to perfect vehicles but they use proven running gear and their stuff the last few yrs has been good. Im impressed with our 16 Fusion Energy it sees 25k yr and its been rock solid.

The Transit has a pretty solid reputation.
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
That is my concern, I have a Dodge Journey that is the most comfortable vehicle on the planet BUT has issues that are not fixable. But I was not sure how the Transit weighs in for reliability.
 

Charles R

Adventurer
I'm a fleet mechanic for the USPS....We use promasters at my work....

Stay away from them. Period.

At my facility alone...
The front tires are going bald in 2k miles. (I think it's an ackerman(google it) issue that's not fixed by a simple alignment change)
We've lost one engine, and two transmissions so far.
The trans last night locked up in the middle of an intersection, with 7146 miles on the odo. (The others had even fewer miles)
The security system is possessed.
The door limiting straps are pathetic, and the weight of the door tears them out (and damages the door jam, and fender in the process)
Fit, finish, and trim durability is crap.

Stay away.
 

Herbie

Rendezvous Conspirator
The FWD for the Promaster takes it off my list.

We were camped at Kirk Creek last summer and I watched for like 20 minutes as a guy with a Promaster-based Itasca RV tried, and failed, to pull his rig up onto a pair of those stacked lego-style leveling blocks. The campsite spaces were "mostly level" graded dirt, but every time he tried to pull forward to put the rear tires onto the blocks, the weight of the big RV would shift aft and the single driven front tire would just spin in the dirt. Now granted, he was being dumb by trying to drive "uphill" onto the blocks instead of pulling forward and placing the blocks behind the tires to roll "downhill" onto them, but the fact remains, he was literally having trouble getting his tires up onto a 1" plastic block.

Pass.
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
Well that does it for Promaster, it looks like it will be a Transit body if I go with my own build.
 

zuke

Adventurer
Also, Though it isn't usually a big factor for me, when it comes to the Promasters, they are just God-Awful Ugly trucks!
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
Also, Though it isn't usually a big factor for me, when it comes to the Promasters, they are just God-Awful Ugly trucks!

The Transit is not a show stopper either :sombrero: I think for looks a GMC cargo van with a raised roof is nicer then the mega van look.
 

Weldtec Designs

Supporting Sponsor
The Transit is not a show stopper either :sombrero: I think for looks a GMC cargo van with a raised roof is nicer then the mega van look.

The GMC and Chevrolet platform are great over a promaster which we ugly and ^^^^^, while the transit is just ok. Always curious why for so many of you building a van want a unibody? Fuel economy? Which are great for the street. Of course im biased and love the Chevrolet with the Duramax....HEHE

Jeremy
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
Well not going with the Promaster has changed a LOT of things. Looking at most of the prebuilt units in the size of the Promaster/ Transit for getting the better ground clearance most are on Promaster so they are out. There are a few on Transit but the price is either crazy or the layout does not fit my needs. So a premade unit seems to be getting checked off the list REALLY fast! I realize that a standard RV would not have the insulation that I want but thought this would be a quick way to buy and start using and to add mods as I have time, but oh well. So I am looking for a Transit, locally selection is non existent so that will require travel so now I am doing ground work.

I had looked at doing a GMC Savana with a raised roof but where I am located getting a raised roof would require shipping then would require finding someone to put the roof on as I could not do it myself. As much as the finished vehicle would look better IMHO than a Promaster/Transit the added hassle and costs just are not worth it. A one piece van is just so much easier than adding a roof so that is why I am leaning that way.
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
Curious if you've considered the new Benz Metris cargo van.

Problem with anything Benz is that the closest dealer is 3 hours away so warranty work would be a pain. As well most of the areas that I go are not going to have a Benz dealer.
 

Accrete

Explorer
: ) i'm sharing as i pass through...

Whatever you choose i wish you many happy adventures.

I'll play the T or PM game.

I really, really tried to get myself wrapped around the Transit. Even had a Portland dealer having a Quigley T shipped from a Seattle dealer lot for me < < only to have the Seattle lot crew wreck the van trying to get it onto the flatbed. This latest Transit Fail got me to stop and take a breath.

Waaaay back in 2014 i was beginning to research for a replacement for our current Chevy AWD 1500 conversion (which we will put up for sale probably in December or January).
Part of the research included the new-to-US PM. There are as many peeps that dig the looks on both the T and PM that dislike them. For my wife and i we never liked the T looks, but were willing to live with it if need be. But we really dug the Euro look of the PM. And spent some time viewing the Euro YT videos of the conversions using the similar platform.

Since we are totally spoiled with the current rig's AWD it was the measure of road-handle-ability. We took two test drives in new Transits, but rear ends slipped on dry pavement (one was empty, the other had ~2K over rear axle). When we took the PM out in similar conditions and same course/roads it behaved like our AWD and was basically on rails. I've always been either a FWD or AWD guy from AWD Volvos to FWD Toyotas. The last RWD vehicle we had was a 2007 TACO 4x4. Before that? A 1980 Toyota Celica GT nearly 4 decades ago.

So it was the drive/handling that sold my wife and i on the PM. She never liked the T drive, even when we took the QT out and up a trail/forestry road with 4x4h engaged. Sure, it was cool to have the 4x4 on the side, but we had to admit that in all the driving of our TACO, we engaged the 4x4 twice. BUT FWD and AWD? We've had many instances when it was noticeable that it was working silently behind the curtain to keep us safe on the wet PNW roads.

The first thing i did was have BFG KO2s put all around on the PM to get it ready for winter driving.

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Time will tell if all of this was a good move on our part. For any given vehicle (volvo and toy included) there are issues. For us, we were totally into the nice fit and finish of our PM and the ability to have dual swivels and other things. On ground clearance? The only way to get it is to honestly go bigger tires. The Transit and PM and even Ford e and GM/Chevy are all within an inch or so of each other stock, and we've never had clearance issues on the groomed forestry roads we travel (the lift and all the trail bling on the current AWD Chevy is way more for cool factor and looks than out of need... even though it is very functional off pavement on such dirt/gravel roads).

Just a ramble and food for thought.
: ) Thom
 
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