EU versus US

european ford transit

I’ve been waiting for three months now on my 2016 US Ford Transit and still haven’t been able to find a version at a local dealership with the same color: Lunar Sky. Had to order from a color swatch and still hoping I made the right choice.

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For some reason, my friends in Europe had not problem, locating one and made a few pictures to prove it.
european ford transiteuropean ford transiteuropean ford transit

 

A few exterior differences make clear that this is the shorter version of the van and the all-around windows are missing. Partial wall panels are installed in the cargo area as well as a partition between it and the cabin.
european ford transit
The fog lamps are a sorely missed item in the American van.

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2 comments

  1. Hi:
    I recently took delivery of 2015 350HD, high roof, long passenger wagon here in Florida. I found this unit on dealer sales lot. Preference was to order but the wait time was unfavorable. We made the deal and I drove off the lot for a 400 mile trek home.. My wife driving Mercedes home. My decision was largely based on the beautiful Tuxedo Black with gold fleck. The windows, with flap openings front and rear, for cross ventilation, after I install our ceiling vent. After some hard work, I finally got the 13 unwanted rear seats removed. Also, removed the flooring revealing access to the rear seat attachments, the underfloor plastic venting for heat and air both above ceiling and wall and subfloor vents. Now the biggest problem, was and still is the removal of the “side curtain air-bags”. Wow, did not think about this when I made purchase. After scratching my head for hours and searching internet forums and dealers with not much direction but plenty of negative comments, I decided to use common sense and begin removal… After placing myself in tackle-block mode, head covered, goggles on I began clipping the wiring, one lead at a time, effectively disconnecting the power to three locations. Good so far, no explosions or bag deployments! With wire cutters and socket wrench I completed the removal of air bag curtains on both side, which had to include the portion covering the driver and front passenger seats. Not sure how many Federal, State or common sense laws I just violated, I was quite pleased that the removal went well. Oh, but forgot one small thing… What to do about the air bag dash light staying on? After exhaustive search on internet and calling local dealers I decided to use an internet (paid) Ask service. After spending over $50 to get my questions read by an “expert” I was told what I had already learned, that the removal required replacement at each location a “resister” of appropriate resistance. Ok, Ordered and installed them at each location of bag removal.. Well, no luck, the light remains on! Back to drawing board. I will just continue with my Van conversion, large rear bed, dinette, large refrigerator, shower-toilet combo, 30 gal black, 30 gal gray, 30-6 gal black water tanks, roof vents, roof a/c unit. Battery packs. Converter, Inverter, etc.. Conversion going well. My reference for my build is our experience with 60,000 miles put on our 2008 Dodge-Sprinter Winnebago ERA during past three years.

    1. I can understand that you had to travel 400mi to find your specific vehicle, as it is difficult to find one with your specifications. That’s why I choose to order, which ended up in a 3-1/2 month waiting period.
      The ‘side curtain air-bags’ are unknown territory, like so many little unknowns, that I’m discovering. I received TWO 12V outlets in the console of my basic Ford Transit, but found out that their current is disconnected after being parked for 30 minutes. Today, I found a small unknown box, inside the side wall near the brake lights; will have to open that up tomorrow, maybe to find some new surprises…
      Your conversion is similar to mine, except that I left out most of the 110V wiring and appliances, as I will primarily go the boondocking way of camping. More solar, more batteries, less fridge, etc. I still have to make a decision on the bathroom. With my non-extended length version, a bathroom really crowds the van, while its small size isn’t conducive to take a shower in it. I may decide to forgo on it and just use a porto-potti.
      I’d love to hear about your progress and to see some pictures. You can post them in the Van Conversion Forum.

      Wish you lots of success with your conversion!

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