ron.dittmer wrote:
The Transit is more car-like with easier access, both concerning inside and outside access. It is like stepping into a minivan rather than stepping up into a standard van like the E350 and Sprinter. It will also yield roughly a 20% improvement in fuel economy compared to the E350 with the new V8 as long as the house it carries has excellent aerodynamics. If the Transit has a large wind-catching over-head cab bunk, then the gap in fuel economy closes.
The Transit diesel has been dropped by Ford for some time now, replaced with a twin turbo gasoline engine. This change in the power plant drops it's fuel efficiency significantly, bringing it down to that 20% improvement over the current-day E350 with 7.3L-V8 engine and 6-speed transmission. I personally would rather have the E350 with it's normally aspirated engine. The slight drop in fuel economy compared to it's benefits in power and chassis rating, it is something to think about.
If your goal is to be as "car-like" as possible, the Transit is the one to consider. But it would concern me, after owning it a while, you might say something like......
"Why didn't I go for piles more power & capability for just a slight drop in fuel economy? My engine works so dang hard just to maintain cruising speed. The turbo is always singing in boost-mode. My fuel economy is not what I expected.
My chassis is always over-loaded! Why didn't I just get that E350? I would have gotten used to its inconveniences."
It took some effort and about $4000 to get our 2007 E350 to a good place with some suspension upgrades and front coil spring reduction. I wouldn't know how the ride and handling compares to a Transit, but compared to a stock E350 motorhome, it is a monumental change for the better. The house is not getting all shaken up and it handles very nicely. It climbs up mountain passes while towing our Jeep Liberty. It does everything it should without feeling like it's being over-worked. Our 2007 E350 with 6.8L-V10 engine fuel economy "trip average" without towing is 10.5mpg. Reports of the current more powerful 7.3L engine are coming in at 1mpg better....more power, better fuel economy, and more quiet too. That is a 3x win for the 2022 E350.
So what is most important to you?
What is most important to me is a small MH without a tow car. When I was younger I had several Hi-Top vans that we would travel in and camp with. Really enjoyed those vans. When I retired several friends with MHs said just get a Class A because you will end up with one eventually. So I bought one in 2006 and put 100,000 miles on it. Enjoyed the room but not the break downs and finding shops willing to work on one. This Transit base MH is larger than a Class B but smaller than most 24 ft Class C's and lest expensive. At my age I don't want to spend $4000 and the effort in suspension mods to make the ride good. Having said all that the new Ford engine in a small MH, with more FW and more capacity is a trade off that one must consider. Something like BT Cruiser 5210 would be close and give you the 7.3 engine, but less storage, shorter WB, less FW and jackknife sofas.
