Forum Discussion
24 Replies
- I think it's more a Tourer, than a camper. Maybe as an alternative to the more expensive Class B's
- I love the Transit chassis, I love the Leisure Travel Vans brand, I don't like the LTV Wonder floor plan. Hopefully they will offer others that are more live-in friendly.
- As I remember, Transit chassis costs less than E350 and a lot less than E450. Not much carrying capacity as noted above, but I think it's close to the '70's-'80's E350's and probably the Chevvies as well. That can make for a pretty satisfying small Class C. It's possible LTV is using "cheaper" materials that also help keep the weight of the coach house within limits.
I think there's room for an entry level Class C that does not come at the price premium required to put a Sprinter chassis under it. And that has better capacity than the RAM Promaster-based ones. - My impression looking at the floor plan and photos is that this is a lower cost version of the Unity. Looks like they're using fabric and laminate instead of leatherette and real wood. Maybe they're trying to duplicate the success of the Unity line in a new line at a much lower price to attract a different set of buyers. If so I'd expect to see other floor plans in this new line that parallel the Unity and Serenity.
It's a shame they dropped the Free Spirit but maybe it just wasn't attracting enough buyers. But maybe building multiple lines with similar floor plans will allow them to catch up on production. Sure would be nice to see them reduce their lead time in manufacturing. The last time I checked it was about 8 months which is a LONG time to wait for an RV you've placed on order. - True... but the payload is 4500 lb.
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As I understand it, the "payload" of the Transit cutaway *chassis* is listed as 4500 pounds, but this means to me that whatever is built on that chassis, i.e., the "house box" that the manufacturers loads on that chassis and whatever passengers, equipment, supplies, options, fluids, etc., that are in it or on it, counts toward the 10,300 pound gvwr. I suspect that the 4500 pounds of "payload" would be eaten up very quickly by whatever box the manufacturer loaded onto the chassis. Some may take a coach manufacturer's numbers as reassuring "gospel"; I want to see the four-corner numbers on the scales. :) - The Transit is so much better than the ancient Ford. Ride, cab comfort & ergonomics, leg room, gas mileage, safety, etc, etc. Some people don't like change, and that's OK.
LTV makes quality RV's and I bet the seats are more comfortable than they look.
Looks like you can squeek by to the bathroom with the bed down. coolmom42 wrote:
The dash actually looks like something that belongs in the 21st century instead of 1950.
Hhhhmmmmm ... I really, really like the good old analog controls with big knobs on my motorhome's E450 dash.
We just had a brand new state-of-the-art Lexus hybrid teeny weeny car for a couple of days. Good grief ... if I wanted to pilot a spaceship I'd applied for astronaut training. What a confusing, over-engineered array of gadgets, joysticks, pretty colored graphic readouts, touch/reach screens, etc.! I was more depressed than impressed.
My E450 dash offers everything I need ... simply. ;)JT wrote:
I wonder what it's CCC is?
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I don't know, but I suspect that it's very limited. The gvwr of the Ford Transit is a maximum 10,300 pounds; I'd want to weigh the rig with fluids, optional equipment, and two occupants while it's on the lot; I would not rely on a manufacturer's numbers being accurate.
True... but the payload is 4500 lb.
I like the Transit vans MUCH better than the old E-series. I ride in a vanpool to work that swapped out last year. The Transit is much more better riding and quieter than the E-series. The dash actually looks like something that belongs in the 21st century instead of 1950.
But good grief, LT has totally screwed up this floor plan. There is plenty of room for a full-time bed, if they had used the space better. And those chairs look incredibly uncomfortable.- Im guessing it's just a prototype, (something ready for the shows) with changes to come, then there should be some specs on their web site.
Ford Transit cut-away DrewE wrote:
pnichols wrote:
BTW, can Ford car/truck dealers everywhere service and repair the Transit chassis yet?
I would not worry about that part of things. Ford has sold a great many transit vans already—almost 120,000 last year in America. (That's Transits, in their various forms, but not Transit Connects.)
Ford truck dealers will handle service. Car-only dealers will have the same issues with large vehicles built on the Transit cutaway as they had with those on the E-series it replaces: service bay sizes and lift capacities.
