2020 Ford Transit Upgrades

[Chance]

Ford is making a lot of upgrades on Transit for 2020. AWD option, new 10-speed transmission, and new gas and Diesel engines plus a lot of electronics.

For RV use two upgrades that stand out are higher GVWR (11,000 pounds) and front captains chairs that swivel. They must have revised or eliminated the parking brake next to driver seat. This should allow much more flexibility in floorplan designs.

The old 3.2 inline-5 diesel is being replaced with more powerful and efficient 2.0L inline-4. Combined with 10-speed it may improve MPGs a significant amount.

And I almost forgot factory dual alternators. It was about time.



https://media.ford.com/content/fordm...d-transit.html

[Bob Denman]

Thanks for this information.
I wonder if the changes that Mercedes is making to their Sprinter chassis, has brought these changes?

[JamieGeek]

I bet the 700lb GVWR increase covers the increased weight of the AWD system and thus not much extra cargo capacity.

It would be very cool, however, if Thor offers an AWD Compass version.

In addition what is the "crew van" version? Does that mean you can get the cutaway chassis in "crew" style (e.g. the already suggested "4 door Class B" in another thread ! LOL).

[Chance]

I believe the upgrade to 11,000 pounds covers the Cutaway and Cab HD chassis only, and they should be available in RWD version. The chassis may weigh more due to reinforcement, but I’d bet on at least 600 extra pounds of cargo capacity. Still, that leaves Transit quite short of new Sprinter GVWR.

It’s possible AWD may not even be available on 11,000-pound Cutaway for RV motorhomes. I don’t recall if Mercedes offers AWD on Sprinter Cutaway. For van conversions to go a little off-road, AWD seems like a great option. We’ve seen AWD Sprinter van conversions built that way for the more adventurers who camp remotely.

It’s interesting that while Mercedes offers an optional alternator bracket, Ford specifically lists it as dual 250-Amp alternators on gasoline engines. This seems to exclude the diesel. For me, the naturally aspirated V6 with dual alternators and 10-speed seems a great choice for an RV.

As discussed previously, the biggest issue for me with gas engine is limited range. Let’s hope Ford addresses that with larger fuel tank.

[Bob Denman]

Perhaps that 10 speed transmission will boost fuel economy enough to make a nice difference.

[Chance]

The 10R80 gear range isn’t different enough from the 6R80 to make a big difference in my opinion. The advantage I see of having 10 gears is that they are close enough that drivers may not complain about the transmission shifting all the time.

In order to maximize fuel economy we need the transmission to shift frequently, but many drivers don’t seem to like it when transmissions downshift and RPMs increase significantly. With 10-speed transmission the top 7 or 8 gears are only spaced by about 20%, which should make it more seamless.

Because there are more transmission gears, Ford may choose taller final gearing for gas engine. Combined, these may improve MPGs a little. I expect the new engines will make a bigger difference, particularly the diesel which is going from 3.2L to 2.0L.

[Bob Denman]

That is a pretty broad spread: from top to bottom!
Three overdrive ratios too!

[Chance]

Yeah, the 10R80 is very nice; but the 6R80 was very good also, so improvement seems incremental.

A much lower 10R80 reverse gear is a big improvement for towing.

[Bob Denman]

I agree. Backing-up should be an exercise in precision: not speed!

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

I agree. Backing-up should be an exercise in precision: not speed!

When we had a pull behind I would put the truck in 4x4 Low to back into a campsite (especially with the 5th wheel). Only leveled a few trees that way

[Chance]

I was thinking about the tow rating since part of test is backing up trailer up a steep grade.

[mountainsam]

I will be intterested in how the new changes work out on the Transit. I would love the swivel drivers seat. And I think the increase in GVWR is a good upgrade. I really like the I5 3.2 engine so I will get my popcorn and watch the issues with a smaller power plant. That might not work out for a future upgrade for me.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by mountainsam

.....cut..... I really like the I5 3.2 engine so I will get my popcorn and watch the issues with a smaller power plant. That might not work out for a future upgrade for me.

It’s a valid concern in my opinion. The 3.2L is rated at 350 lb-ft, which is 475 Nm, and that exceeds the highest UK rating for the 2.0L EcoBlue Diesel by a significant amount.

In UK they offer three power/torque ratings, but for US the media release states the bi-turbo 2.0L will have more power and torque than the outgoing 3.2L. If release is correct and Ford will exceed 475 Nm, that’s quite a bump in torque. Not sure I like that, or having twin turbos on such a small engine. In Euro I think most buyers op for middle engine.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

When we had a pull behind I would put the truck in 4x4 Low to back into a campsite (especially with the 5th wheel). Only leveled a few trees that way

They normally throw the Fire Siren on in our Town; when they see me towing a trailer, and engaging reverse gear!
The number of snow ditches that I put our various snowmobile trailers into; is both long and embarrassing...

[vegasruv24.1]

Originally Posted by Chance

Yeah, the 10R80 is very nice; but the 6R80 was very good also, so improvement seems incremental.

A much lower 10R80 reverse gear is a big improvement for towing.

be nice to see the gear spread for the 10 speed, imo they need to leave 6th right where its at and put a gear @ 400 rpm drops as it is now i'm at only about 18-1900 rpms @ 65 mph...

[mountainsam]

By reading the reviews and comparison of the 3.2 vs the 2.0 there does seem to be a slight advantage to the 2.0. However longevity means more than a little faster 0-60 to me. That goes on untested at this point.

What amazes me, being the old fart I am is the preformance they get out of these small engines. I'm from the old school where bigger was better.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by vegasruv24.1

be nice to see the gear spread for the 10 speed, imo they need to leave 6th right where its at and put a gear @ 400 rpm drops as it is now i'm at only about 18-1900 rpms @ 65 mph...

Post #6 above shows gear ratios for 10R80, which should be the transmission with these smaller Transit engines.

Vehicle speed at any RPM in each gear depends on final gearing and tire size. You can make it whatever you want, but engineers normally try to set highest gear so engine can pull it efficiently at highway speed. And obviously that depends on motorhome size and weight.

What’s great about 10R80 is that there are 3 overdrive gears, and it would only increase RPMs by a little over 50% going to drive. So if gearing is set at 2,000 RPMs at cruising speed, the engine would only climb to just over 3,000 RPMs after three downshifts. I think most drivers will like that.

[Chance]

Additional information from Ford I happen to see recently, it appears the new Transit’s maximum GCWR will go up from 13,500 to 15,000 pounds. It’s not clear which engine options will be required for that rating. The presentation mentions that the EcoBoost V6 will be available in Cab and Cutaway chassis for first time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s required for maximum towing in my opinion. It could be the diesel that has highest GCWR. Anyway, the new 15,000-pound rating should make it possible for Transit motorhomes to tow heavier toads (and trailers).

The video also confirms that AWD will be available with Cab and Cutaway chassis options. This info is at end of video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT5X...&feature=share

[Chance]

Ford has released information on power and torque ratings for the new 2020 Transit.

The horsepower rating for a 2.0L turbo diesel is surprisingly high. Torque per liter is quite high also, making this little 4-banger more powerful than the outgoing 3.2L in-line 5-cylinder.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources...ay_Chassis.pdf

Larger fuel tank at 31 gallons should help, particularly for gasoline motorhomes that get less MPG.

[mountainsam]