Ford Transit 350 diesel

mlts22 wrote:
I hope Ford comes out with an EB V8 to replace the venerable V10. Otherwise, I just don't see what will move the larger Econoline E-450 chassis. Sprinters go up to 24 feet, but no longer, so the four-banger or V6 with those just wouldn't do the job when it comes to 31+ feet of rig, especially with class "A"s.

I'm hoping Ford does make some RV upfitter friendly features like what Fiat did with their Ducato cutaway chassis offerings (www.fiatcamper.com for example.) Maybe even go a step further and take battery technology from their hybrids, so the chassis ship with a lithium battery bank.

I think you will see the 5 litre Cummins turn up Lithium Bateries getting common here
Lithium batteries becoming Common in Australia for RV's

In truck tune, the recent 6.2 V-8 puts out more power than the 6.8 V-10 about 90% of the torque across the whole powerband. I don't know that it fits in the T-series (it doesn't fit in the E-series) but it would certainly fit in F-5x bare chassis family. But that doesn't have much to do with the original question.

Sportsmobile will sell you a conversion on a Transit diesel. Bring your own or buy it from them at their dealer cost. Unlike most others with only standard models, you get to design your own van.

I know that since other companies have come to dominate B sales, people don't think of Sportsmobile as a camping van converter, but they've been doing it continuously since 1961, starting with the first-generation VW transporter and the first-generation Econoline (doing that one in-house at the Ford assembly plant). Starcraft, Coachmen, Frank Industries, CoachHouse Winnebago, have been in and out of the B business (Winnebago several times, now back in) but Sportmobile keeps plugging away in the custom conversion niche.

Diesel is an extra $5111 over the standard V6 (Ecoboost is $1590). About $30,000 for the van, another 40,000 for the conversion, you would not be far away from the out-the-door price for something like a Travato, maybe $40,000 under the price of a Roadtrek 210 Popular, $50-60,000 under many Sprinter-based B's.

I hope Ford comes out with an EB V8 to replace the venerable V10. Otherwise, I just don't see what will move the larger Econoline E-450 chassis. Sprinters go up to 24 feet, but no longer, so the four-banger or V6 with those just wouldn't do the job when it comes to 31+ feet of rig, especially with class "A"s.

I'm hoping Ford does make some RV upfitter friendly features like what Fiat did with their Ducato cutaway chassis offerings (www.fiatcamper.com for example.) Maybe even go a step further and take battery technology from their hybrids, so the chassis ship with a lithium battery bank.

What Mumkin says. It looks like Ford is going to start production of their RV spec T-series chassis as the very last "heavy duty" available alternative.
I know Winnebago for one is all ready to go with the Transit when Ford finally lets go of them.

Thus far I haven't seen anything on offer on the Transit (gas or diesel) from any of the usual B converters.

Only Sportsmobile and probably some of the smaller converters. If you go on the Transit board, many are doing their own conversions.

I think Sportsmobile (sportsmobile.com) in Austin Texas will convert almost any van to your specifications at a reasonable cost. There are also several other converters.