For my next work vehicle... alarm and camera installations, service, site i nspections, etc... I was thinking of a 4WD/4x4 with good ground clearance t o get through Canadian winters, back roads, steep and icy driveways, reside ntial construction sites, etc. Of course, it would also need to be large e nough to hold a 6' step ladder in the back for everyday use with a rack on top for larger ladders for occasional use.
Now, however, I hear that my next vehicle may be a Ford Transit Connect.
Is anyone here actually using these for work? If so, I'd love to hear what you think of them and what you've done to make them work better.
inspections, etc... I was thinking of a 4WD/4x4 with good ground clearance to get through Canadian winters, back roads, steep and icy driveways, resi dential construction sites, etc. Of course, it would also need to be large enough to hold a 6' step ladder in the back for everyday use with a rack o n top for larger ladders for occasional use.
at you think of them and what you've done to make them work better.
There are several business use them around here great in city for getting a round and easy parking forget use in snow, country roads etc .
There are several business use them around here great in city for getting around and easy parking forget use in snow, country roads etc .
Hi,
A 4x4 will not help you on icy roads or driveways, but a 4x4 with studded tires will. Most provinces do not allow them. I do know that Alberta does or used to. If you have ever experienced studded tires on icy roads, you will never want to be without them.
I have nothing against Ford. I have owned a bunch of them over the years, but the Chevy 4wd trucks have auto locking differentials (stock, not as an option). I am pretty sure all the Chevy work trucks have auto locking differentials. In tough conditions this can really make a difference with a heavy truck. I am pretty sure they made that standard on all the WT models from 2002 on. Even my 2002 S-10 work truck had it.
I've seen plenty of Broncos and Toyota and Nissans sitting firmly on two wheels with the other two spinning and the truck going nowhere.
Currently my daily service vehicle is a 2012 2wd 2500HD with a utility bed, and my rough country truck is a 2007 2500HD 4wd crew cab short be with 11.5 inch wide tires. I run sand with the 4x4 at highway pressure, and I can run sugar sand all day long by dropping the tires to about 18-20PSI. On construction sites the 2wd will chatter a bit as the differential locks and unlocks in the soft stuff, but I haven't had it stuck on a jobsite yet. The
4x4 will shift on the fly to 4wd high range at 65 MPH or under. You do have to shift to neutral to go into low range, but low range is really only needed like the old granny gear for low end torque pulling out stumps.
In general, I've liked every Ford I've had. Every our last work van was a front-wheel-drive Ford Freestar, and it was a whole lot better than our cur rent Dodge Caravan. Nothing against Chevy's/GMC's either... although I don 't know why they can't just pick one brand and stick with it. The extra in ventory for every little thing with a logo on it must be huge, as they need a Chevy version and a GMC version.
I completely agree with the locking differentials. Most of the time if I'm only minorly stuck on ice, it's because the one tire that's spinning is on ice, while the other three are on snow/pavement. Apparently riding your b rakes is supposed to put enough friction into the mix that the other wheel will spin too, but I've never had any luck with that.
I get the technical necessity for a differential for everyday driving aroun d corners on pavement, but the ability to lock it up when needed would be g ood too. 2wd is bad enough, 1wd just makes a bad situation worse.
several business use them around here great in city for getting around and easy parking forget use in snow, country roads etc . So if I end up with on e of these, I should also get chains for it and have every local towing com pany on speed dial? - Chris
Might be better to just tow your snow mobile behind you during those really snowy days. That wouldn't help you if you got stuck but at least you'd kno w you could get home alright. Or, just get a trailer for your snow mobile a nd forget the truck. Hell .... that might be the better way to go. Rather t han getting hung up by all the other stuck cars. You'd probably get to wher e you wanted to go a lot faster using back streets and cutting through the woods anyway.
ly snowy days. That wouldn't help you if you got stuck but at least you'd k now you could get home alright. Or, just get a trailer for your snow mobile and forget the truck. Hell .... that might be the better way to go. Rather than getting hung up by all the other stuck cars. You'd probably get to wh ere you wanted to go a lot faster using back streets and cutting through th e woods anyway.
Jim,
I could just use a snowmobile and a backpack. Plus get a quad for summer. Then I could install systems doorknocker-style... No ladder, just enough s crews for the SimonXT/2gig panel, double-sided tape or silicone for everyth ing else, no cable ties, no electrical tape, no level, no installation manu al, etc.
It could be a lot more fun, but I don't know if it would work out too well.
inspections, etc... I was thinking of a 4WD/4x4 with good ground clearance to get through Canadian winters, back roads, steep and icy driveways, resi dential construction sites, etc. Of course, it would also need to be large enough to hold a 6' step ladder in the back for everyday use with a rack o n top for larger ladders for occasional use.
at you think of them and what you've done to make them work better.
We use thousands of them and they are a TOTAL PIECE OF SHIT!!!! Worse than the ASTRO ever could be, and that is saying something. In one local office alone we have had as many as half a dozen flat tires in a week, with several of the SAME tires going flat again and again after "r epair". The seat adjustment is a manual "pump" action. The batteries don't last and are all but impossible to jump, even with a fullsize E-150 V8 running at h igh RMP because of the battery/electrical connections on the "Transhit" "Di s-Connect" Dog Catcher Ice Cream Truck. No space for NOTHING, you cannot ge t inside the back. The key to the truck is what amounts to an Ice Pick in y our pocket, and you can't separate the key from the Fob to leave the truck running on cold mornings to warm up while you take the fob in the house and keep the running truck LOCKED. opening the hood requires the key and a deg ree in engineering to find the lock. The lower front apron or valance is br oken on all most all of ours from being too low to go past the curb in the front. The exhaust is too low in the rear preventing the same thing backing up to a curb or sidewalk, we have crushed several of them. If you are a bi g guy like me, you have to drop down into the "Cockpit" and raise your legs up and over the 5 inch tall foot wall well for the doors, getting out is t wice as hard, you can't just "turn" and slide your feet out the opening so if you have a big belly, trying to raise your feet high enough to clear the foot well and get out is a royal pain in the ass. The power inverters that we had them outfitted with were recalled for a safety hazard. Hmmmmmm......let me see....anything else....? I'm sure I missed SOMETHING.
te inspections, etc... I was thinking of a 4WD/4x4 with good ground clearan ce to get through Canadian winters, back roads, steep and icy driveways, re sidential construction sites, etc. Of course, it would also need to be lar ge enough to hold a 6' step ladder in the back for everyday use with a rack on top for larger ladders for occasional use.
what you think of them and what you've done to make them work better.
in a week, with several of the SAME tires going flat again and again after "repair".
nd are all but impossible to jump, even with a fullsize E-150 V8 running at high RMP because of the battery/electrical connections on the "Transhit" " Dis-Connect" Dog Catcher Ice Cream Truck. No space for NOTHING, you cannot get inside the back. The key to the truck is what amounts to an Ice Pick in your pocket, and you can't separate the key from the Fob to leave the truc k running on cold mornings to warm up while you take the fob in the house a nd keep the running truck LOCKED. opening the hood requires the key and a d egree in engineering to find the lock. The lower front apron or valance is broken on all most all of ours from being too low to go past the curb in th e front. The exhaust is too low in the rear preventing the same thing backi ng up to a curb or sidewalk, we have crushed several of them. If you are a big guy like me, you have to drop down into the "Cockpit" and raise your le gs up and over the 5 inch tall foot wall well for the doors, getting out is twice as hard, you can't just "turn" and slide your feet out the opening s o if you have a big belly, trying to raise your feet high enough to clear t he foot well and get out is a royal pain in the ass. The power inverters th at we had them outfitted with were recalled for a safety hazard.
er to just tow your snow mobile behind you during those really snowy days. That wouldn't help you if you got stuck but at least you'd know you could g et home alright. Or, just get a trailer for your snow mobile and forget the truck. Hell .... that might be the better way to go. Rather than getting h ung up by all the other stuck cars. You'd probably get to where you wanted to go a lot faster using back streets and cutting through the woods anyway. Jim, I could just use a snowmobile and a backpack. Plus get a quad for sum mer. Then I could install systems doorknocker-style... No ladder, just enou gh screws for the SimonXT/2gig panel, double-sided tape or silicone for eve rything else, no cable ties, no electrical tape, no level, no installation manual, etc. It could be a lot more fun, but I don't know if it would work out too well. Sure it's going off topic, but still amusing. :) - Chris
Off topic is the norm around here.
You could actually carry it to the extreme and just mail them the parts and walk them through the installation over the telephone ...... for an additi onal fee.
inspections, etc... I was thinking of a 4WD/4x4 with good ground clearance to get through Canadian winters, back roads, steep and icy driveways, residential construction sites, etc. Of course, it would also need to be large enough to hold a 6' step ladder in the back for everyday use with a rack on top for larger ladders for occasional use.
you think of them and what you've done to make them work better.
week, with several of the SAME tires going flat again and again after "repair".
are all but impossible to jump, even with a fullsize E-150 V8 running at high RMP because of the battery/electrical connections on the "Transhit" "Dis-Connect" Dog Catcher Ice Cream Truck. No space for NOTHING, you cannot get inside the back. The key to the truck is what amounts to an Ice Pick in your pocket, and you can't separate the key from the Fob to leave the truck running on cold mornings to warm up while you take the fob in the house and keep the running truck LOCKED. opening the hood requires the key and a degree in engineering to find the lock. The lower front apron or valance is broken on all most all of ours from being too low to go past the curb in the front. The exhaust is too low in the rear preventing the same thing backing up to a curb or sidewalk, we have crushed several of them. If you are a big guy like me, you have to drop down into the "Cockpit" and raise your legs up and over the 5 inch tall foot wall well for the doors, getting out is twice as hard, you can't just "turn" and slide your feet out the opening so if you have a big belly, trying to raise your feet high enough to clear the foot well and get out is a royal pain in the ass. The power inverters that we had them outfitted with were recalled for a safety hazard.
inspections, etc... I was thinking of a 4WD/4x4 with good ground clearance to get through Canadian winters, back roads, steep and icy driveways, resi dential construction sites, etc. Of course, it would also need to be large enough to hold a 6' step ladder in the back for everyday use with a rack o n top for larger ladders for occasional use.
at you think of them and what you've done to make them work better.
I could be wrong but I don't think the Transit Connect comes with 4WD does it?
No, it's front wheel drive only. There's a delusion that maybe Ford will m ake a 4WD version. I doubt it though, as two of the main features are the flat floor and the low loading height. These features don't lend themselve s well to drive shafts, and the ground clearance is already bad enough as i t is.
make a 4WD version. I doubt it though, as two of the main features are th e flat floor and the low loading height. These features don't lend themsel ves well to drive shafts, and the ground clearance is already bad enough as it is.
make a 4WD version. I doubt it though, as two of the main features are th e flat floor and the low loading height. These features don't lend themsel ves well to drive shafts, and the ground clearance is already bad enough as it is.
I like Fords (drive one myself) and they are cute little vans but but I don 't trust vehicles made in Turkey, imported with passenger seats and side wi ndows just to get around the "chicken tax"
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