5 - Ford Transit First Impressions

I had not driven any Transit RV previously. I was quickly and favorably impressed with the smoothness, ride, and power. The Orion comes with the basic 3.7 liter V6 gas engine, six speed transmission, and dual rear wheels. The motorhome version of the cab chassis is fairly basic with only a few upgrades, but is decently equipped. The upholstery and radio are base (no Bluetooth, navigation, or info options). You do get the big side mirrors and top GVWR rating.

The seats and seating position are really good. It is tight for moving to and from the seats to the rear of the coach, and you learn quickly what you hit your head on overhead, but it is doable for this 6'-1" person. The seat bases and tracks seem bigger than they need to be and rob maneuvering room, and I wish the parking brake was somewhere else out of the way. Forward and side visibility is superb, but I am going to see about a tint band for the top of the tall windshield because a lot of heat and sun comes in.

The Chevy Express and Ford E-series represent the old school of chassis for RV use. They are sturdy and capable but are really dated and obsolete. The newer van chassis like Transit, Promaster, and Sprinter are as different as a new Ford Explorer SUV is different from a 1960's station wagon. But would the smaller engine (V6 vs. big block V8 or V10) and lesser weight rating do the job? We will be be loading significant supplies, food, consumables (fuel, water, propane), personal stuff, and towing a Smart car. The rating numbers are OK, but will our Transit perform?

And here I will state my bias against a diesel powered unit for our needs. Diesel is obviously the right option--pretty much the only option for coaches of great weight (e.g., >10 tons) or trucks towing big trailers. In the weight and size class of the Orion (smaller Class Cs and most Class Bs), I say it becomes a matter of preference. I have owned a 5th wheel trailer and Ram diesel pickup, and that combination was just right. Then we had a 35' Class A with a 8.1L gas V8 engine that weighed more than the pickup and trailer together. It performed very well and was amazingly economical to maintain. I might have liked a diesel motorhome even more, but for the time we owned our Class A, I calculated that I would have never made up the difference in purchase cost from the difference in fuel mileage and maintenance. I believe the same holds true for our situation now. Given the premium for the diesel over the base gas engine in a Transit, I wouldn't expect to recover my investment in more years than I plan to be using it. Years out, resale difference wouldn't be significant, and any performance benefits would be largely underutilized. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. This Transit Orion is capable for our needs.