Is the Ford Transit the Ultimate Van for Van Life?

Is the Ford Transit worth a second look, or should you just buy a Mercedes Sprinter to take you on van life adventures across the world? Find out the answer, along with the pros and cons of the Ford Transit, and whether the Ford Transit is the perfect van for you.

Ford Transit Camper Van, Van Life

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If the thought of driving a 4 tonne van with a measly 170 hp fills you with horror, then you should take a close look at the Ford Transit. With two V6 gasoline options, even the base model with 275 hp will help you beat the crowds as you overtake all your fellow van lifers on the way to the next national park.

Although the Ford badge may not be as glamorous as the three pointed star of its competitor, you should give it some serious thought as Ford has made the Goldilocks sized van for van lifers. If you are on a budget, the Ford Transit should also be at the top of your list, with affordable parts, and easy servicing. 

Ford Transit Camper Van, Van Life

Ford Transit – The New Kid on the Block (in North America)

The Ford Transit is a highly regarded van with a long history, at least in Europe that is. The Transit name was first introduced in 1965, and has been going strong ever since. In 2014, Ford decided to bring the Transit to North America, as a replacement for their E-Series van. This move seems to have paid off, as according to Ford’s marketing department, the Transit is now the best selling van in North America.

Although they look the same on the outside, there are a lot of differences between the European Transit, and the version built for North America. The biggest difference is that the North American version uses gas engines, and is only available with rear wheel drive. In contrast, the European version is only available with small 2.0L diesel engines, but can be had with either FWD or RWD, with the former being the most common as it enables a higher payload. 

Pros & Cons of Buying a Ford Transit Van

ProsCons
Reliable Gas EnginesEarly Generation EcoBoost Engines Unreliable
Affordable to Service/ MaintainRefinement Lacking on Early Interiors
Huge Dealer/ Repair NetworkFewer Van Building Resources
Cheapest AWD VanVery Long Rear Overhang on Longest Model
Tallest Interior HeightFuel Economy
RWD is Standard 

Length and Height Options for the Transit

The Ford Transit is available in two wheel bases and three lengths. The shortest Transit has a wheelbase of 139” and a max interior length of 126” (3200 mm). The longest wheelbase that Ford offers is 148” with two different options for length. There is either the regular 148” wheelbase or the 148” Extended. The regular 148” has a max interior length of 143.7” (3650 mm) and an exterior length of 235.5” (5980 mm). The 148” extended is most comparable to the 170” Sprinter (L3H2 model), and has an interior length of 172.2” (4374 mm). Each wheelbase can be had with either a low, medium or high roof, except for the 139” wheelbase which is only available with a low roof. For a van conversion I would strongly recommend the high roof as it gives you an interior height of 81.5” (207 cm), which is more than the Sprinter.

Ford Transit Size Options

Personally, I think the 148” regular wheelbase model is the Goldilocks choice. If you install flares, and make do with a 55” (1400 mm) wide bed, then you would still have a whopping, in vanlife terms at least, 88.6” (2250 mm) of floor space left to add in a kitchen, and toilet. To get that amount of space, and only be 19.6’ (5980 mm) long is a worthwhile compromise, especially if you intend on travelling through towns or cities. 

If you plan on travelling up steep driveways, or want to go a little off the beaten path, then I would avoid the 148” Extended model as the long rear overhang is going to take a beating, and may even stop you from exploring some roads entirely. In terms of the typical van build lay out, where your batteries and water tank are in the rear, the long overhang also means that a lot of your weight would be sitting outside of your wheelbase, which is not great for handling.

Ford Transit van, side view

Where to Get Your Ford Transit Van Serviced

This is an area where the Transit has a huge leg up on the Sprinter. Because both engines offered in the Ford Transit are gas engines, you can get regular maintenance items completed at practically any mechanic, or at one of the quick oil change franchises. If you need more involved work done on your van, you still should not have a hard time finding an independent mechanic that can work on either of the engine options in the Transit, as they are used throughout Ford’s vehicle lineup. Given that the Transit is manufactured in North America the lead time for potential parts is also going to be a lot shorter than the Sprinter. 

However, if you do want to take your van to a Ford dealership you will be spoiled for choice, especially when compared to Mercedes, as there is a Ford dealership in almost every single city or town across North America. 

Is the Ford Transit Reliable?

Although not perfect, the Ford Transit has proven to be fairly reliable, and when there are issues they rarely go into the thousands of dollars, unlike the Mercedes Sprinter. One caveat to this would be the early V6 EcoBoost engines. Those should be avoided, or at the very least treated with caution, as they have a well documented issue with their timing chains. 

Personally I would opt for the standard V6 gas engine, regardless of the year, as there are a lot fewer components to break. At the end of the day, van life is hardly a race, and 275 hp is still a huge amount of power when compared to the 140 hp diesel engines that power most of Europe’s van fleet.

How Much Gas Does a Ford Transit Use?

Your fuel economy will vary depending on whether you choose the naturally aspirated V6 or the EcoBoost V6 for your Transit. However, I would not be too swayed by the official fuel economy promises made for the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. Having owned an F-150 with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine before, I can attest that it almost never achieves what the marketing promises. 

According to user submitted reports on Fuelly, a Ford Transit 250 with the naturally aspirated 3.7L V6 can expect an average fuel economy of 14.1 MPG (16.68L/100km). For vans equipped with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine the reported fuel economy average was 14.4 MPG (16.33L/100km).

All Wheel Drive vs. Rear Wheel Drive Transit

This choice is a bit more interesting on the Ford Transit, as Ford ‘only’ charges you US$4,195 for the privilege of adding AWD to your van. Clearly that is not an insignificant amount of money, but it is a lot less than what Mercedes charges. Personally, I would opt for this feature if I lived in a snowy area, or simply wanted to have the maximum amount of flexibility to explore off the main roads. I also suspect that you would very easily recoup this investment when you sell your van.

The beauty of van life is the flexibility that it awards you, but it also means that your plans can change, and what was meant to be a drive to the beach could just as easily end up being a trip to a ski resort. With an AWD system you have a little bit of extra help in slippery conditions, and you can be a little less worried about getting stuck if you decide to take your van to the mountains or engage in some light off-roading. 

Ford Transit Van Life

Van Build Resources and Accessories for the Transit Van

In recent years the popularity of the Ford Transit has increased significantly. This means that there are now a lot of van build resources available if you decide to convert a Transit. For example Flarespace has developed flares to fit the Transit, in addition to the Sprinter. Agile Off Road has also developed several different suspension upgrades for the Ford Transit. 

Everything We Use for a Van Conversion Thinking about buying a van for a DIY camper build? Make it easier with the right van build tools and materials.
Van Build

As a whole I would venture to say that any product you want, has probably been developed for the Ford Transit at this moment. You may not have as many companies to choose between as you do with the Sprinter, but you definitely will not feel left out. 

Ford Transit Camper Van, Van Life

Can a Ford really be Better than a Mercedes?

For once, and against my better judgement, I am inclined to give a definite answer to this question, albeit with the obligatory caveat attached to it. If you live in North America, and if the interior space of the 148” wheelbase model works for you, then I would buy the Ford Transit over the Mercedes Sprinter. However, if you are in Europe, then I would buy the Mercedes Sprinter instead.

Likewise, if AWD is a must have for you, then you will save a lot of money by buying a Transit, compared to a Sprinter. But do keep in mind that a van will never be a Jeep Wrangler, no matter how much money you put into it, and if you smash it, you have also smashed your house. 

Although I think the 148” model is perfect, if you really need the extra 60cm of  interior space that the 148” Extended model provides, then I would choose the Mercedes Sprinter 170” wheelbase (L3H2) model instead, mainly in order to avoid the ungainly rear overhang on the Transit. 

At the end of the day the Ford Transit ticks a lot of boxes, with RWD as standard, a gasoline engine, easy servicing, and affordable parts. If you are starting van life on a budget, or want to avoid a payment then a used Ford Transit could be just the van for you. 

For a more detailed comparison, and ranking, of the Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, and Ram Promaster against 14 categories including reliability, take a look at our comprehensive ranking guide to discover which van wins the ‘best van for van life’ title.

If you want to learn more about the Mercedes Sprinter, then you can read our in-depth guide on the Mercedes Sprinter. For an in-depth overview of the ProMaster, check out our post on the pros and cons of buying a Ram ProMaster. If you are still undecided after reading this article, and want to get an overview of all the different vans that could be right for you, then take a look at this article on the Ultimate Van for Van Life, where we discuss the pros and cons of all the different vans together.

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Ford Transit Van for Van Life

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