If you need to transport a dozen or so people regularly or you need a cleverly outfitted work vehicle, or you make deliveries of medium and large things or you want a mobile tool box or you crave taking to the open highway like a turtle – with your home on your back – then the Ford Transit cargo van might be your new set of wheels.
Interestingly, this Ford model was conceived, manufactured and sold with great success in Europe before coming to America. The original design was conceived by Ford Motor Company’s divisions based in Germany and the United Kingdom in 1965. In four years, production topped a million, and 49 years after it was introduced across the pond, Ford’s Kansas City assembly plant began manufacturing the Transit in the U.S. Seven years later, the one millionth Transit rolled out the door.
David Duncan, dealer principal-general manager of Duncan Automotive, says the Transit design has been influenced by the Mercedes Sprinter. “It’s a versatile platform with a wheel base a little longer and wider for enhanced stability and a very large windshield,” he states. “We are finding painting contractors, plumbers, cabinet makers and other businesses incorporating the Ford Transit into their fleets.”
Transit for Fun
One adventurous pair, who can be found at Wandering Out Yonder on Facebook, chose the Ford Transit after a couple years of research. The photo shows a neatly organized space with twin beds and baskets underneath and a vertical locker. They purchased it the day they took it for a test drive. Among many reasons, the most important may well have been the ability to find a Ford dealership wherever they go. Its first life was as an Enterprise rental van, and their philosophy on buying used was to spend money on adventure not their vehicle.
Transit for Work
Closer to home, Sci-Tech Carpet Cleaning in Christiansburg added a Transit van to its fleet in 2018. “We selected this model for the spacious interior, extra height and maneuverability,” states Michael Surratt, who started the company in 1999 with Robert McCutcheon. The two men were working separately out of their own vans and decided to merge and create Sci-Tech. The name is a clever merger as well of science and technology. Carpet cleaning and floor care is a chemical and technologically-based process, they point out.
This extended cab [higher, not longer] Ford Transit was purchased new locally from Duncan Automotive with only the front passenger and driver seats. “It was a blank slate for us to design the optimum placement of all our equipment,” McCutcheon explains. “We installed a Prochem Everest 650 hp floor cleaning machine, which provides 220-degree heated water for steam cleaning and hot water extraction and 700 cvm of suction power. It is also capable of power washing at 3000 psi.”
The company also installed a hose reel, fresh water source, waste water tanks and shelving for chemical storage. “The extended cab height allows us to store tools in an up-right position instead of laying them down to be dragged out and set up,” Surratt says. “And the sliding side door offers vastly improved accessibility.” The equipment is securely bolted to the floor.
Bobby Mitcham of Blacksburg Plumbing, Heating & Electrical loves his Ford Transits (plural!) and will buy more for his work fleet as soon as he can find another one.
Transit for People
When the elders at Blacksburg Christian Fellowship decided to replace an old van, they tapped Bill Schiffer for recommendations. “After looking at several van types and models, the Transit stood out as the best choice for our needs,” he says. They’ve become very popular and are hard to find. Bill kept looking around and when on a visit to Connecticut a year ago, he found a new one on Long Island, bought it for the church and drove it home.
“We purchased it with the 15-seat capacity,” Bill says, “and the only change made is adding a tow hitch. It’s quiet, smooth and handles really well. Passengers love the windows, and the driver has an expansive view.” The only issue they have experienced, which apparently is common, is the sliding side door being hard to open. “It needs some adjustment, and after watching a youtube video, it was fixed in 10 minutes.”
The Transit comes in three heights. Sci-Tech loves the highest one for its equipment and storage, while the church is happy with the medium height. The shortest height would be challenging for people ducking in and out of a 15-passenger van, but it works perfectly for many other Transit owners.
The dilemma at hand is for Ford to ramp up production of its wildly popular Transit van to meet the demand.
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
Photos by Tom and Christy Wallace
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