With almost 10,000 mi. of travel experience, am I still happy with the Transit's performance as a RV chassis? Yes.
I have not yet weighed our rig when loaded in our usual travel configuration--clothing and personal items, food, camping gear, etc. The Smart car that we pretty much always have in tow weighs about 1,900#. The most challenging route we have encountered so far is several trips over Raton Pass between CO and NM. Raton has a 6% grade at 7,800' elevation. I can maintain the 55 mph speed limit either direction. I have not tried Vail Pass yet (7%, 10,666'), but I expect that would slow us down. The 3.7L Transit V6 revs freely and the 6-speed transmission shifts as needed, so I have no concern being able to handle most any driving situation. Also, going up steep mountain grades is a small portion of our travels anyway. We once owned a Minnie Winnie Class C that had a Dodge big block (400 c.i.) V8 that barely pulled the same grades at 30 mph in low gear, and not towing anything.
As far as gas mileage, that has been pretty consistent at 12.5 loaded, towing car, and running A/C. I have not driven much unloaded (no towing, no A/C), but when I do, the ScanGauge and dash computer both indicate 14-15 mpg consistently.
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteVery good, detailed information. I’m feeling better about the mountain passes we often trek when leaving CA and getting to family in Arkansas and Ohio. Thank you so much! I shared your blog with my husband and he’s really enjoying all the information and ideas too. It’s also making him feel better about our purchase since I had done most of the research and he got the info 2nd hand. The only decision we made prior to purchase was a smaller coach on a Ford Transit. I’m only 5 feet tall so the cab suits me perfectly.
I’d like to know more about modifying the receiver and your setup for towing your car. I’d love to see some photos.
I do most of our recreational driving and I’m not great at driving a stick, so I’m exploring options for towing an automatic Smart car. We’ve never towed before and don’t have one to tow - but we are looking to purchase one if we can make it work. The hardest part is that whatever we do, I have to be able to handle it solo (our 10 lb poodle is of NO help) because I sometimes drive to/from our destination for an extended stay and husband flies in/out later. (I’m retired, he’s not)
Also, I’m sure this is a silly question, but they had already filled the fresh water tank at the dealer for me because I planned to boondock on the way home (from Manteca dealer to Lodi Flying J) to check stuff out and all the RVs I’ve owned to date had a separate gravity fill for the fresh tank, so I’m a little unsure of the process. It looks like you fill fresh water in the same spot as city hookup and just flip the switch to freshwater fill. Is there an easy way to tell when it’s full? I’m really worried about overfilling it and putting pressure on the pipes. (The manual says be careful not to overfill, but doesn’t explain how not to!) I plan to use a regulator when filling, but is there anything else I might want to aware of when filling fresh water tank?
Thanks,
June
No regulator is needed to fill the tank. The tank has an overflow tube that goes through the floor and dumps excess water on the ground. You really know when the tank is full. I use a regulator if the faucet pressure is over 60 psi (I carry a gauge). Less than 60 is about what the pump provides, so the regulator is your preference.
ReplyDeleteHello Bob
ReplyDeleteThis is the information I have been looking for. I will be a new 2018 Orion 20CB owner in couple days or when ever the dealer is ready to close
I live in Sacramento CA and there is a mountain I have to climb in every direction I go. After reading your blog it gave me more satisfaction that I have made the right purchase with this smaller engine and smaller RV.
Do you have any advice on what to look for during the walk through?
Thank you
Zaldy
I suggest you have your rep. show you the operation of every system. They should have water in the tank and demonstrate the water pump and flow through every faucet, hot and cold, including shower and outside shower if equipped. Flush the toilet. They should supply a full tank of propane. Then see the cook top operate as well as the furnace and hot water heater. Find out where the propane shut-off is, as well as all the tank and water system drains. Make them demonstrate how to hook up the sewer drains and where the dump valves are if not actually draining the holding tanks. Check heat and a/c thermostat functions. Look for two complete sets of keys and all applicable manuals. Understand the electrical system including location of circuit breakers and battery shut-off. Check the land line cable and see if there is a transfer switch, or if you need to manually plug in the cable to the generator outlet (that's how mine works). Run the generator and make sure the coach is properly powered from it. Where are the aux. batteries and what maintenance is needed for them? Check operation of all entertainment systems (TVs, radios, remotes). Understand what power switches need to be on to get antenna TV reception. Check awning operation, all lights, location and function of all switches. If you haven't driven a Transit, then get a run-through of the cab systems. The radio and cruise control are different from my other vehicles. Look at the tires and wheels and find out if they installed valve extenders on the rear inside duals, or if you have to have a special air nozzle to add air. Make sure the tire pressures are correct.
ReplyDeleteThese are some things that I have learned from experience. If you have owned RVs before, you probably already know most of them too. Just put your eyeballs on everything and think about whether you know about that thing or have a question.