[Todd]

After exhaustive research and the owner of 8 vans in my lifetime and the driver of another 14 different vans for work.

My next purchase is a new Promaster!

Currently I own three vans plus other cars and trucks.
I will be buying a new Promaster 2014 if the dealer and I can agree on a price or I will order a new 2015 in the next two weeks.

 

[zwarte]

Care to share your process of elimination and selection?

 

[Todd]

Sure, but it was a long process. That started in 2003 in Bath, England while on holiday with SWMBO. We left our bed and breakfast heading up to shoot some photos of the great crescent at dusk when I say my first Ford Transit. Nothing like it over here on this side of the pond. Needless to say I took lots of van pictures the rest of our vacation.
When MB brought the Sprinter I was a huge fan but couldn't spend the dough on one. I like the diesel but a lot of my work can be at 2 am and -20° F not the best time to get a Sprinter to run. I have to have my stuff run when it's cold.
Ford started bringing the Connect over and I was interested but they are too small and I liked my smaller cube vans that I was using. Being able to stand up in my van was helpful in keeping it cleaner.
Still loved the Sprinter but then saw the rust and electrical problems. I don't like rust and MB didn't seem to care about the problem. Reminded of the SILVER paint peeling of GM pickups. **** I'm fussy.
Three years ago my E150 window van got totaled and I decided I didn't want a van for personal use since I only had one child at home and maybe a pickup would meet my needs. I still had Three cube vans that I could use and I was tired of 13 mpg. I bought a 2010 Chevy extended cab pickup which was to get 21 mpg, never has and It doesn't ride as nice either.
I've been looking for a van to replace the Chevy off and on for 30 months now and the last was I almost bought an E250 but the dealer wouldn't give me a fair number on the pickup. Plus the Ford finish really sucked, the dash and plastic was rough and cheap looking.

I decided to wait, only driving the truck a day or two during the week and it sure was nice when I got horse manure for the garden each spring.

Now I've got guys using the cubes and I can't haul 10 foot pipes to the job site with out them sticking out the camper shell. Ford is ramping up the assembly line in Missouri and I wait. Last winter was brutal on my hands, cold as **** and I'm holding ice cold tools! All my stuff is cold and I'm cranky as teenage girl having a crush on a boy while having my period.
Where is my van of the new millennium? The big three gave the rest of the world a much better van! Sold us an antiquated design for huge profits and no R&D.

I really want a full sized Transit I told myself and I waited and waited.....

To Be Continued....

 

[keithwwalker]

I'ma gettin' my popcorn, this is good!

 

[Todd]

Yes a Full sized Transit and I checked the web everyday as to when Ford was actually going to start making them here in the good ole USA!

Did you know this was going to be the 8th generation of Transits. I was so excited a van that used modern technology and better gas mileage. Oh better gas mileage, yes I wanted a diesel like the Brits and 30 mpg.

But then Ford decided to Americanize this van for US, yep an engineer who probably never lugged a toilet into a house, hauled a leaking water heater out of a basement half full of sediment and tried to put into a work truck. The guy who thinks you want the bed of your F150 46 inches off the ground. He leads the design group that wants me at 5'-7" not to be able to see over the top of a closed tailgate.
I liked my van low to the ground so I could almost fall into after having too much fun.

I'm a van guy through and through and I like to say I've evolved from being a pick up guy even thou they don't make country songs about guys like me. >
I'm the one who fixes your **** when it doesn't work.

I was still waiting for intel on the Transit. Heck I was thinking Ford sells over 110,000 Econolines each year they should be bragging up a storm to the 90% of guys like me who drive white cargo vans 365 days a year.
I would drive it more but Caesar didn't put anymore days in a year except on leap years.

While I was spending my evenings searching the internet on the full sized Transit.

Fiat was building Promasters in Mexico.....

to be continued......

 

[Brian P]

I spent the day moving furniture, and I'll take the low floor height of the PM over the insane floor height of a pickup any day. You're probably typing the next instalment ...

 

[offtrack]

Here is a country song for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-N7aiNRG3o

 

[uncubed]

I'ma gettin' my popcorn, this is good!

Where is the popcorn?

 

[Pete's PM Plumbing]

Yeah, this story is getting good. Kinda reminds me of my quest for a new van.

 

[keithwwalker]

too bad our forum doesn't have popcorn emoticons...
:nerd:

 

[keeponvaning]

The worst collections I've ever seen anywhere!

 

[Allhandsondeck]

When does this story come out in paperback? I would buy!!

 

[MsNomer]

Eerily similar to my quest, too, except I was salivating over European campervans. Stumbled across the van of my dreams while waiting to settle on the Transit.

 

[Todd]

I saw my first Promaster while waiting for my friend Jeff a MB mechanic to show up for a sunday breakfast date. We talk about our work, kids, cars and racing. I was looking over the Promaster and he walks up and says is that your new ride? Nope, I said, I'm buy those new made in America Ford Transits.

Right now I've got a Crow pie baking in the oven it seems.


We had a lovely breakfast and when I left the Promaster was gone and jumped in the Chevy truck, that I loath to drive, home to check the internet for intel on...

You guessed it a FREAKING Transit.

About a week later the Transits start showing up to the dealers. Saw it on the internet and had to call to verify that the dealer really had one.

They now list incoming shipments as on the lot inventory.

Spoke to the internet sales guy, Peter, told him I was gonna drive 60 miles one way to check it out. He tells me he's rather busy on Saturdays and he won't be able to spend much time with me. I say no problem Peter, I know my way around this van I'll see you Saturday.

I drive up to the lot, they have THREE Transits! What I drove past 4 dealerships in the 16th largest metro in the national and none of those Ford Stores had one but these guys had THREE.

I park next to them and holy cow batman one is unlocked. I proceeded to climb, crawl and sit all over this van. I checked out the unibody looked good. Sat in the drivers seat nice feel. Had a spot for my left arm to rest. I'm about ready to say lets get the deal done and no darn cruse control. What no cruse! Who orders a window van with power windows and NO cruse.

I look a Peter and say I must have cruse. He looks at me as says gee I don't know. I Leave and send Peter a few emails asking if they can add cruse. Peter doesn't seem too interested in selling me this van. I gave up and decided I would wait. I checked last week and the van without cruse is sitting on the dealer lot still, five months later.

Now I'm busy with work, family and life so I just search the internet for clues at to which dealer closer to me had a Transit to drive.

and I wait for Transits to show up on the lots. I want to drive before I buy. and I wait.
SWMBO asks me every night, what are you looking at on your iPad. I say my new van.

Now I'm building them on Ford's website. I've got three perfect vans for myself built and ready to order.

Still haven't driven a Transit yet.

Still I haven't stopped at a RAM dealership. Why cause I'm buying a Transit.

to be continued....

 

[Jmgasior]

Todd

What made you go to the transit!!!i can't decide between the transit and the pm,if dodge hadn't screwed me on my sprinter would have gone that way,but don't ever exspect any help from Chrysler corporate,complete jerks,thanks

 

[30 Ounce]

Todd, don't sell yourself short! Go check out the ProMaster. I looked at the Transit and wasn't impressed. I didn't drive it though.

Jmgasior, I've had to deal with Chrysler on a few items (missing button for heated mirrors and a parking brake issue) and must say they have been great to deal with. It's a slow process but they will resolve it.

 

[uncubed]

 

[Todd]

So I start to waffle. Low roof or medium roof or medium roof extended body. Still want a diesel but adding dog pee isn't going to happen.
Now a high roof extended diesel shows up at Ford dealer number two and ask to drive it home to see if it fits on my parking pad. I love it! Drives way better than any van I've driven and the diesel is so quiet.
BUT I don't want the high roof and it's white. I'm sick of white after my last 7 vans/trucks have been white.
Matt the new Ford salesman is gonna get back to me soon. Like never.

These Ford guys really did drink Henry's koolaid, the model T comes in any color you want as long as it's black. White must be the new black.

So on to Ford dealer number Three! Mitch can email and I told him I don't want my work day interrupted so email me. Mitch tells me they only have white vans. Fine then I'll take white I'm sick of this POS Chevy truck I'm driving. I send Mitch my list of must haves and he calls me back, twice.

Then emails me and I respond saying I really need what's on the list. I went online and found the van I want but it's in Wisconsin not Minnesota. I call that dealer and confirm it's got everything I need.
I tell Mitch that he can get this van and where it's at. Mitch says it would be easier to order what I want. I told Mitch that Ford is having trouble shipping vans and they are sitting in Kansas for months after being built. I'll just take the one I found can you price it out. He does at $3000 higher than the other dealer.
Mitch and I part ways......

I've still got those vans built on the Ford website....

My best friend Jim also a mechanic starts to say buy a van that fits in the new garage you built with the 8 foot door. That medium roof won't fit in your new garage. Get one you can take through an carwash not a wand wash.
Dang if Jim doesn't start to use logic on me. He's working my practical side.

Yep your right Jim. Low roof it is!

BUT I want to stand up in it AND that is when I had the epiphany of checking out the Promaster.

So long Ford.

 

[keeponvaning]

I'm liking where this is headed!

 

[Todd]

What made you go to the transit!!!i can't decide between the transit and the pm,if dodge hadn't screwed me on my sprinter would have gone that way,but don't ever exspect any help from Chrysler corporate,complete jerks,thanks

IMHO Ford Corporate would treat you the same as Chrysler. What you need to do is develop a relationship with a local dealer. One that understands your gonna buy more vehicles and use their service techs to work on your stuff long term.

Jmgasior I'm buying a Promaster NOT a Transit for reasons that I will post soon