We bought our van on December 15, 2017 in Kansas City, MO. Only a few miles from where they built it at the Kansas City Assembly Plant. We drove it over 600 miles home and were extremely pleased with our decision to buy a Ford Transit. In the following weeks we’d cross 7 states, drive through narrow mountain roads, begin the camper van conversion and complete our first van camping trip with our dogs. 

First Year of Ownership

Our first year of ownership has been quite uneventful in terms of any van issues. We’ve logged almost 16,000 miles on our 2018 Ford Transit 250. Our only maintenance has consisted of a couple of oil changes, at $40 a pop at our local Ford dealership, and patching a tire that picked up a nail.

Exterior

We personally like the exterior styling of the Ford Transit and the Ingot Silver paint color gives it a little bit of uniqueness without showing much dirt. Most vans are white due to their commercial applications. However, many of the colors available are darker and tend to increase the cabin temperatures in direct sunlight. We’ve only hit the car wash once so far this year for a little spring cleaning and a coat of wax.

There’s not a whole lot to speak of in terms of exterior features. From the factory we did opt for heated power folding mirrors and have found them to be a great addition. We’ve been in a few tight spots where quickly folding the mirrors in have helped to squeeze through without any unnecessary scratches. The added benefit of removing the thick layer of ice that coated our van one morning was made all the more easier.

One annoying item that I’ve not found a solution for yet is that the sliding side door has no drip rail. Expect to have a noticeable amount of rain water dripping in on the floor or the inside of the sliding door if you open it during or after a rain storm. Another item worth noting that we, and other owners, have encountered is when driving at highway speeds in a sturdy cross wind, the cab doors can open slightly causing for an annoying wind noise. This has occurred once for us when crossing Kansas with 25+mph cross winds.

It’s worth noting that a Ford Transit 250 High Roof (non-extended) can fit in a standard parking space. 

Interior

The interior of the Ford Transit is very utilitarian since it’s primarily a commercial vehicle. A lot of plastic is used in the door panels and dash components. However, with the Premium Interior Package you’re provided with a really nice leather wrapped steering wheel with stereo, cruise and in dash system controls. We opted for 10-way power and heated leather seats. With two pups riding on board for almost all of our excursions, we’ve learned that the fur quickly becomes messy on cloth seats and that moisture or stains can occur quickly from sweaty bike riders. The leather seats are easily cleaned with some leather wipes.

The 10-way power seats add a lot to the comfort of the seats for long drives, and surpass the base manual seats from our test driving experience. Also, if you add a seat swivel you can lower the seat quite a bit with the power controls to make up for the added height of the swivel adapter.

Over head storage is limited with the factory storage tray but with some added bungee cords it can be very useful and prevent stuffed jackets from falling on your head while driving.

Performance

We opted for the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost drivetrain. If I had to sum up our experience in one word and quote Jeremy Clarkson: “POWERRRR!” The base 3.7L V6 is an okay drivetrain and can get the job done, but it pales in comparison to the EcoBoost. We climbed Pikes Peak in Colorado with little effort and the 14,000+ feet of elevation wasn’t that noticeable in terms of power output.

You can see our full build sheet here for more specs on the drivetrain options we selected. We wouldn’t have changed a thing in this area if we had to do it again.

A fairly well recorded issue is the rear brakes have a bad habit of eating pads for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with many reporting needing to replace pads at 15,000 miles or so. If you wait until you hear the squealing of the rotors being consumed for dessert, then you’ll be stuck with the task of pulling the rear axles in order to remove the rear brake rotors.

From what I’ve found while researching the topic, the rear brakes take a fair bit of the load in braking to assist in the weight distribution and stability of the van. Our van will be getting new pads around 17,000 miles. While I’m not happy with this shorter than average lifespan it’s not that difficult to change pads yourself at quite a low cost. However, going to a dealership can get quite expensive especially if new rotors are involved.

Fuel Economy

Our van, with the 3.5L EcoBoost with 3.31 limited slip differential, averaged between 14.5-15.5 mpg on combined city and highway driving over the first 15,000 miles. We ran basic unleaded gasoline (87 octane) and 66-68 psi in all 4 tires. We’ve easily added over 1,000 lbs in our conversion process plus gear.

Conclusions

We researched several options before buying our van and thus far feel very happy about our decision to go with the Ford Transit. We’ve had no mechanical issues, enjoy the performance and drivability of the vehicle. We purchased the Transit van for the purpose of building our own DIY camper van conversion. With our build near complete and many trips under our belts we can confidently say that we love our van.

Afterword

Update March 7, 2019: Ford just announced the 2020 Ford Transit with a number of new technology improvements, safety features, powertrain changes and most notably an AWD system. There are a number of new features that I wish were options at the time we bought our 2018. I do not have any buyers remorse though. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our Transit so far and it got us our exploring and enjoying adventures immediately. Be sure to check out the Ford website for the latest on the new 2020 Ford Transit if you’re currently in the market to buy. Also, be sure to visit the Ford Transit USA Forums if you live in America for tons of great owner info, conversion advise and even more reviews on Ford Transits from all years.