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The Transit van/wagon was brought to the US to solve a couple of problems.

  1. The Transit, at that time, was in desperate need of an update and so was the E-Series. 
  2. Neither were capable of passing US front and side impact US crash standards for "light duty" vehicle (up to E350/T350).
  3. Ford simply did not want to spend the money on major redesigns of BOTH vehicles that had such a close target market

At the same time, the Sprinter was making it mark on the US scene, so the timing was right.

 

Probably the biggest mistake was putting Ford of Europe in charge.  The whole project was at least 1 year late, because FoE, could not redesign it to meet crash standards (experts from the US were sent to EU to take the lead on that portion of the design).  EU had no need for the load/towing capacity that the E350 had (and still has).  EU has notoriously narrow surface roads so width is a key issue.

 

Keeping the "global" design, in theory, reduces costs as suppliers have higher target volume.

 

Last, you have to understand there are really THREE different Transits.  The FWD version (not sold in the US), the "typical" uni-body Transit with multiple wheelbases and heights and then the chassis cab/cut away, which DOES have a frame.  Yes, there are a lot of common parts, especially between the last two.  I agree with the decision to NOT build the FWD version here (I don't think it would pas crash standards anyway).  The 3 things I think they should do to the Transit is put a real frame under the T350 to increase load/towing capacity and put the second set of tires on the dually version OUTSIDE of the body (like they do on the dually version of the Super Duty) !  Last, how about a DECENT set of seating for the passenger version, like the old E-Series Club Wagon Chateau !

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2 hours ago, theoldwizard said:

The Transit van/wagon was brought to the US to solve a couple of problems.

  1. The Transit, at that time, was in desperate need of an update and so was the E-Series. 
  2. Neither were capable of passing US front and side impact US crash standards for "light duty" vehicle (up to E350/T350).
  3. Ford simply did not want to spend the money on major redesigns of BOTH vehicles that had such a close target market

At the same time, the Sprinter was making it mark on the US scene, so the timing was right.

 

Probably the biggest mistake was putting Ford of Europe in charge.  The whole project was at least 1 year late, because FoE, could not redesign it to meet crash standards (experts from the US were sent to EU to take the lead on that portion of the design).  EU had no need for the load/towing capacity that the E350 had (and still has).  EU has notoriously narrow surface roads so width is a key issue.

 

Keeping the "global" design, in theory, reduces costs as suppliers have higher target volume.

 

Last, you have to understand there are really THREE different Transits.  The FWD version (not sold in the US), the "typical" uni-body Transit with multiple wheelbases and heights and then the chassis cab/cut away, which DOES have a frame.  Yes, there are a lot of common parts, especially between the last two.  I agree with the decision to NOT build the FWD version here (I don't think it would pas crash standards anyway).  The 3 things I think they should do to the Transit is put a real frame under the T350 to increase load/towing capacity and put the second set of tires on the dually version OUTSIDE of the body (like they do on the dually version of the Super Duty) !  Last, how about a DECENT set of seating for the passenger version, like the old E-Series Club Wagon Chateau !

When you refer to a "real frame" I gather the Transit frame is not a typical "C" channel but rather some fabricated box section?

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I always wonder when I see a Transit cutaway (pretty rare thankfully) what the person/company was thinking buying it over an Econoline. Maybe cost wise some savings can be had in the short term?

Such a failure on Ford’s part to “replace” a vehicle and not actually do it for lot’s of applications (motorhomes and ambulances to name a few).

Edited by Steve557
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11 hours ago, Steve557 said:

I always wonder when I see a Transit cutaway (pretty rare thankfully) what the person/company was thinking buying it over an Econoline. Maybe cost wise some savings can be had in the short term?

Such a failure on Ford’s part to “replace” a vehicle and not actually do it for lot’s of applications (motorhomes and ambulances to name a few).

 

I do not believe it is a failure and Ford didn't "replace" E-Series, more like augmented it with Transit. E-Series as a van was always limited as other makes began to surpass it in size and ride quality for passenger variants. By going to a "two van" strategy for the full-size market, Ford continues to dominate the van segment. E-Series is best suited for the market she now serves and is a cost effective entry in the CoE market that is serviced by the likes of Hino and Isuzu, but I feel it could do more with "Transit-ized" cab structure and make a T-550 and T-600 to further augment the class 4,5 and 6 market. Transit "as is" cannot be made to handle that heavy of a series due to the limitations of the unit-body construction methods to buil it...but E-Series and her classic C-channel frame and Twin-I-Beam front suspension can dutifully serve the market and when fitted with a beam axle for entry into the upper end of class 5 and into class 6, you've got a winning combo of trucks that Ford is famous for. The previous E-550 was a gem indeed, but didn't stay in production for reasons I can only conclude is that it may have been bumping into F-550 sales.

 

In class 2 - Transit wins hands down and is worthy successor to E-150 and E-250. But in chassis/cab configurations it is E-350/E-450 all the way....

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E-150 by virtue of being under the 8,500 lbs GVWR was going to fail the newer light vehicle crash safety standards and drag down Ford's CAFE so it had to go.

 

Transit is actually a far better vehicle for what people used the E-150 and 250 vans for - they tend to "cube out" before it "weight out" so Transit with more cargo volume but same or lower GVWR actually made a lot more sense.

 

The cutaway and cab chassis market was always different and the GVWR is the only thing that matters. It made sense for Ford to give the market what it wants... two different vehicles each specialized for the intended usage. If E-series wasn't around, I'm sure Ford would have put a lot more effort into making Transit cutaway and cab chassis more robust but it didn't need to spend the money - someone made the right decision to keep E-series around just for the medium duty cutaway market.

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6 hours ago, bzcat said:

Transit is actually a far better vehicle for what people used the E-150 and 250 vans for - they tend to "cube out" before it "weight out" so Transit with more cargo volume but same or lower GVWR actually made a lot more sense.

 

Thats the truth-the Transit Connect can do 75% of what the E-150 did

 

The Transit is FAR better vehicle in the upper ranges-its a far better passenger van then the E-150/250 ever was.

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I would also have to think that keeping E series cut aways and chassis was needed to support the move of 650-750 from Mexico to OAP.  No development costs  involved-just the added benefit of added plant utilization.  E may be old but it does the job-and I'm assuming the 7.3 will go in it as well so that will be another big plus.

 

As noted, starting with TC, Ford has a lot of options for  the van buyer with the current line up.  As Steve noted-for those that are turned off by the Transits "euro" look-and small tire/wheel options, the  E can be had with plenty of aftermarket service bodies that come close to what an old school E-350 van would have offered.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Bob Rosadini said:

-and I'm assuming the 7.3 will go in it as well so that will be another big plus.

 

7.3L is slated for install in E-Series.

 

http://fordauthority.com/2019/03/new-2021-ford-e-series-chassis-cab-debuts/

 

Quote

Ford’s new 7.3-liter pushrod V8 engine, which is found in the line of Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks, is also available in the new E-Series.

 

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43 minutes ago, twintornados said:

 

7.3L is slated for install in E-Series.

 

http://fordauthority.com/2019/03/new-2021-ford-e-series-chassis-cab-debuts/

 

 

   thx TT for posting This should do well-power wise great option I would think for the ambulance market.   Question I would have though is 14,500 GVW enough these days.  It seems these emergency responders just keep going for bigger equipment.

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55 minutes ago, Bob Rosadini said:

   thx TT for posting This should do well-power wise great option I would think for the ambulance market.   Question I would have though is 14,500 GVW enough these days.  It seems these emergency responders just keep going for bigger equipment.

 

1498163295_ESeries2021GCWR.thumb.jpg.58ace77b6421b2560317ed85f8cbc905.jpg

Edited by twintornados
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On 10/26/2019 at 7:28 PM, Steve557 said:

I always wonder when I see a Transit cutaway (pretty rare thankfully) what the person/company was thinking buying it over an Econoline. Maybe cost wise some savings can be had in the short term?

Such a failure on Ford’s part to “replace” a vehicle and not actually do it for lot’s of applications (motorhomes and ambulances to name a few).

There ARE Ford Transit Class C motorhomes !  That niche of the market is dominated by the Mercedes Sprinter.

 

The rest of the Class C motorhome market is "owned" by E350/E450 !

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23 hours ago, twintornados said:

 

1498163295_ESeries2021GCWR.thumb.jpg.58ace77b6421b2560317ed85f8cbc905.jpg

TT- that figure (22,000) is GCW.  The E plus trailer and load.  Typical Ford double speak.  Instead of clearly stating the GVW is 14,500, they are asking you to back into the GVW.  And then you can determine the max trailer weight.  Which for a 450 is....22,000-14,500= 7500.

 

And speaking of ambulances, I found a neat website that lists every Cape Cod fire department with an equipment list for each.  Click on the unit number and a picture of the truck and basic specks pops up.  F-450 rules but quite a few International Terra Stars and old school  GM 4500's

 

My bet is the F-600 at 22,000 gvw with the 7.3 is going to do very well.  The  new competition will be the  6500 22,000 gvw Chevy and its International twion.  Unless money is no object in which case you will see a lot of Freightliners.

 

Remember when an ambulance was a  Cadillac with a bubble gum machine on the roof??

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On 10/27/2019 at 7:19 AM, twintornados said:

 

I do not believe it is a failure and Ford didn't "replace" E-Series, more like augmented it with Transit. E-Series as a van was always limited as other makes began to surpass it in size and ride quality for passenger variants. By going to a "two van" strategy for the full-size market, Ford continues to dominate the van segment. E-Series is best suited for the market she now serves and is a cost effective entry in the CoE market that is serviced by the likes of Hino and Isuzu, but I feel it could do more with "Transit-ized" cab structure and make a T-550 and T-600 to further augment the class 4,5 and 6 market. Transit "as is" cannot be made to handle that heavy of a series due to the limitations of the unit-body construction methods to buil it...but E-Series and her classic C-channel frame and Twin-I-Beam front suspension can dutifully serve the market and when fitted with a beam axle for entry into the upper end of class 5 and into class 6, you've got a winning combo of trucks that Ford is famous for. The previous E-550 was a gem indeed, but didn't stay in production for reasons I can only conclude is that it may have been bumping into F-550 sales.

 

In class 2 - Transit wins hands down and is worthy successor to E-150 and E-250. But in chassis/cab configurations it is E-350/E-450 all the way....

 

Meh I still prefer the E vans for reliability over the Transits along with a slew of other things. Would have been nice if they kept one of the Vans (350?) around for those who prefer and don’t feel like spending the money on a cutaway body ( $$$$ versus the old vans). Could have even dropped the 5.0 in.

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 Wow- so we have a big recall campaign to fix the "wobbleplate" couplings ("guebo" sp??).   And now we are going to go back to old school u joints?

 

 

Ford recalls Transits for second driveshaft fix

 

Automotive News  /  October 29, 2019

 

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. issued three safety recalls Tuesday in North America, including 319,000 Ford Transit vans to replace crack-prone driveshaft couplings that were the subject of a 2017 recall.

 

Ford said it's not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the problem but that flexible couplings installed under the June 2017 recall can crack, creating vibrations that can cause the driveshaft to separate with continued driving. That can result in a loss of power or unintended vehicle movement while in park, as well as damage to adjacent brake and fuel lines, Ford said.

 

The automaker said it plans to swap the flexible couplings for mechanical U-joints, but until the necessary repair parts are available it's telling dealers to install a new coupling every 40,000 miles.

 

The recall covers 293,558 Transits in the U.S., 22,960 in Canada and 2,744 in Mexico from the 2015-17 model years.

 

Ford also announced two smaller recalls Tuesday: 431 2019 Edges for incorrectly crimped seat-belt pretensioner anchors and 18 2019 Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators due to a rear toe link fastener that was not properly tightened during assembly.

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Just now, Bob Rosadini said:

 Wow- so we have a big recall campaign to fix the "wobbleplate" couplings ("guebo" sp??).   And now we are going to go back to old school u joints?

 

 

Ford recalls Transits for second driveshaft fix

 

Automotive News  /  October 29, 2019

 

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. issued three safety recalls Tuesday in North America, including 319,000 Ford Transit vans to replace crack-prone driveshaft couplings that were the subject of a 2017 recall.

 

Ford said it's not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the problem but that flexible couplings installed under the June 2017 recall can crack, creating vibrations that can cause the driveshaft to separate with continued driving. That can result in a loss of power or unintended vehicle movement while in park, as well as damage to adjacent brake and fuel lines, Ford said.

 

The automaker said it plans to swap the flexible couplings for mechanical U-joints, but until the necessary repair parts are available it's telling dealers to install a new coupling every 40,000 miles.

 

The recall covers 293,558 Transits in the U.S., 22,960 in Canada and 2,744 in Mexico from the 2015-17 model years.

 

Ford also announced two smaller recalls Tuesday: 431 2019 Edges for incorrectly crimped seat-belt pretensioner anchors and 18 2019 Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators due to a rear toe link fastener that was not properly tightened during assembly.

Sorry-wrong forum.

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Meantime more Hino news.  They just keep expanding the line up.  Note last item...18,000 lb front axle for municipals.

Looking forward to 2021 650/750  order guides..maybe some good news??

Did see a sharp 650/750 today. Dump, red cab, black fenders and decent aluminum body- looked like heavy rubber on it so guessing it was a 750.

 

Jeff Crissey, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ)  /  October 29, 2019

On the heels of its Class 7 and 8 XL Series launch in 2018, Hino Trucks has announced new cabover and conventional models for its Class 4 through 7 product offerings for the 2021 model year.

The new Hino M Series Class 4 and 5 replace the Hino 155, 195 and 195h models. The three-truck M Series now includes the M4, M5 and M5h. But the changes don’t stop with new nameplates.

Exterior updates include a bolder chrome grille and new headlight design with LED daytime running lights, low- and high-beam headlights. The M Series also sport an available OEM-integrated lane departure warning system to enhance driver safety.

On the interior, the steering wheel features standard controls for cruise control and hands-free calling, as well as controls for a 4.2-inch LCD multi-information display. All models also include a driver seatbelt status monitoring sensor.

Under the hood, the M Series trucks feature a new HD 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission with gear hold functionality when operating on inclines.

The current Hino 258, 268 and 338 models are replaced with the L Series conventional trucks, which includes the Class 6 L6 and Class 7 L7 models. Both trucks receive a new fascia and grille, optional LED headlights and an aerodynamic spoiler under the bumper.

The L Series also benefit from many features from the XL Series, including availability of active safety systems with electronic stability control, collision mitigation, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control.

New wheelbase options for the L Series expand from the previous-generation models from 271 inches to 301 inches.

On the interior, the L Series feature an all-new interior that matches the XL Series automotive stylings with carbon-fiber accents and premium textile seating. The driver can control many functions through a new 7-inch LCD monitor. The gear selector has been positioned for better ergonomics and more legroom, and the HVAC system can deliver twice the airflow compared to previous models.

Both the L Series and XL Series will be available for order next spring with five-seat extended cab (+30 inches) and six-seat crew cab (+44.8 inches) configurations.

“Having extended and crew cab choices will help us better serve our customers’ operational needs and open up new markets for our trucks,” said Glenn Ellis, Hino Trucks’ senior vice president of customer experience.

By midyear 2020, the XL7 and XL8 will be available with a snowplow package that includes a heavier 18,000-lb. front axle and front frame extension and heated windshield.

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2 hours ago, ausrutherford said:

The Ford-UAW contract confirmed a new product for Ohio Assembly to join the E-Series, Medium Duty, and Super Duty!

 

Chances the Cargo comes back just went up!

Now that is good news..  Before we get too excited they seem to have a habit of counting electrification of existing models as "new vehicles"' or so it seems to me.

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Just did a little search for OAP news articles and found this in Cleveland  paper;

 

"According to the UAW, the Avon Lake plant will make a new product that will be added in 2023. The plant will also begin producing an all new Super Duty Chassis Cab. The Ohio Assembly Plant will continue to produce a medium truck and the E-series Cutaway and Stripped Chassis. 

 

The expenditure at OAP will be 900 million!.  To put that in perspective, Hino spent 100 million to expand in W.VA to upgrade current class 6 and 7 trucks as well as enter the class 8 market including tandems. And these class 8's are not "large car" sleepers but rather vocational conventionals.  A market Ford did very well in during the old KTP era.

 

The bold is my emphasis but as I read that, "all new Super Duty chassis cab" is current 4540/550.  ..."continue to produce a medium truck" is current 650/750..." E series Cutaway and Stripped Chassis" is likewise current.  

 

So "new product " is....??

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