windguy

got it. thanks. When sitting in the van today my rear view mirror side view ends at the blank panel in the back. I don't have a window there on the cargo model. With a wagon you would. I do have windows on the sliders but that's out of view. So adding this panorama mirror would widen that view so I can see out the slider windows, presumably. The cost is low enough to give it try to see if it offers better visibility.

interesting gadget. thanks for sharing. what's the main purpose in having the panorama view - for seeing a wider view inside or outside? with a liftgate you get a nice unobstructed view out the back. with the barn doors the inside frame of both doors creates a partial block but you get used to it.

thanks. when I have the sliding door panels off to refinish I'll see what's there. I have a feeling there won't be any speaker wires.

welcome to the forum. are you planning to order a TC? When I ordered the van it was supposed to be at dealer invoice. When I signed the papers it was $100 below invoice, which is even better. Ford had raised the MSRP by $200 from when I ordered in July 2014 till pick up in mid Jan 2015, so it kind of halved the difference. I considered contacting Ford about the $200 increase but haven't yet and probably won't bother. The best part about the Costco auto buying program (or other ones out there like AAA or truecar) is that it's a set price. No haggling BS and games going back and forth for hours. You can establish the price over the phone or via email before setting foot in the dealer. Going to the dealer is only to drop off a deposit and sign your intent to order. Easy peasy. For ordering a van, this is probably the best you're going to do. If there's a van already on the lot, there's a chance you might be able to do slightly better. You also are eligble for any factory incentives/rebates ontop of this pricing so that gets you even lower. Those incentives change all the time and are only eligible when you pick up the van and not when ordering. I missed an extra $750 incentives just based on timing. Good Luck!

welcome to the forum. congrats on your new TC - cargo version I'm guessing. can't help you on a ramp but can say the load height is great on this van. very easy to get things in/out. heavier things that I've moved so far I lean on the edge of the tailgate and lift in. the back end is sturdy and easy to do this with. good luck!

very nice looking. your Titanium looks sharp! in CA, I don't think we're allowed to tint the front windows.

so you really have 6 speakers, 4 up front and 2 rear? jealous! where are the rear speakers mounted? wonder if the wiring is there in all vans as part of a common wiring harness?

this is like a good mystery novel. thanks for the great story guys. I hope it has a good ending.

I would agree. The van does warm up quickly compared to prior cars I've owned. And it retains that heat well so if the car if off for a few hours, it gets back to operating temp almost right away. Regarding the four speakers, the cargo van has four, but they are all up front. I think one on each side of the dash near the mirrors and one on each door close to the hinge side. No fader on the radio controls that I've found. Just balance left/right.

my note about the mirrors was more about not having a blind spot since you won't have side windows available if you wanted to turn and see what's there. the two mirrors gives you an nice wide view. I think the sync feature is more for making Bluetooth connections between a mobile device and your entertainment system. I think the radio has pretty reception. Perhaps the location of the antenna up high helps with that. The radio does lack decent speakers though, more so for location. All the sound is in front of you and nothing behind. A rear speaker option would have been very cool. There's plenty of room for it. Ford, are you listening? Any one with a Titanium or Wagon model have additional speakers in the back area?

@stevemalone189 the side view mirrors are pretty decent and have an inset blind spot mirror for extra coverage, so not having side windows or rear view won't be too bad of a handicap. I also have a backup camera and it's pretty good. takes some getting used to but does a nice job in predicting your path and guiding you plus good visibility even at night. another forum poster mounted his own backup camera so that it's angles for easier alignment for his trailer. if you search on backup camera and trailer you might find the post. I had once checked out the blank panel on the sliders and it appears to be put on with an adhesive and not welded at the factory, but I could be wrong on that one. I have an XLT and it has a USB port but I haven't tried it yet. I don't have Sync or Mytouch, not a gadget type of guy.

my service adviser said there was no TSB regarding the transmission problem. I'm guessing the spare parts axles are the same as what's used in production. I'm sure the dealer gets paid in full for any warranty work so it's revenue for them to replace the seal and drive shaft if they can prove it's leaking.

@daneli - there is a second thread discussing Gen 2 TC transmission problems. http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/2972-2014-transit-connect-lt-lwb-transmission-shifting-issue-any-one/ Search for a post by jimmyboost on page one that mentions resurfacing the drive shaft. I would agree that this may be part of the problem. That's why replacing it with another drive shaft that has the same surface texture might not necessarily solve the problem, so poster GBL's approach of monitoring the fluid level and waiting for a TSB is a good game plan. Otherwise you may introduce more problems greater than the original problem.

@stevemalone189 - most of the TC's at my local dealer (not where I got my van) are cargo versions. In fact, the local dealer has about 6 of them and only one wagon. maybe 6-8 full size Transits too. And guess what color they all are? yes, white. I stopped by on Saturday just to see what options were on them and the saleswoman, despite me telling her I don't need any help, was hovering like a dog sensing food, shadowing my every move. Someone needs to give me a better line to get them to leave me alone. if you need more detailed info on the dimensions and/or pictures, then let me know. I do have a pic in my gallery of the rear cargo opening. what color did you get and what options? regarding delivery - my van left the plant shortly after it was built but it's a slow boat to Maryland and then customs and processing (which can take a while from other posters' experiences) followed by a train ride to your regional dispatch and then a truck ride to the dealer. I didn't get any status once it was on the ship until it got to the local dispatch, then it was a few days to the dealer. I would expect a solid two months for delivery unless things are faster now than what I experienced.

thanks

welcome to the Forum Steve. congrats on your van order. it's a long wait. below is my schedule from start to end in case that helps. you'll still need another helping of patience before you get delivery on that van. 07/11/14 - van on order 09/02/14 - 2015 production started 10/02/14 - order selected for production at end of October. 10/17/14 - got VIN from the dealer 10/30/14 - van produced 01/10/15 - delivery at the dealer in CA regarding the door opening height, I measured mine and got 43" at the sides, 45 at the max height but the middle area has a drop down bracket for the door locks that's about 10 inches wide so the clearance drops to about 43.75. Hope that helps.

thanks. will keep the forum posted if they test the van. link to the company website if anyone is interested http://www.automotivetesting.com/locations.html

good catch - you are probably right about his being a Canada delivery vs US. My platform was probably added by the processing center in Maryland after the seats and belts were removed. I think you're right about it looking just like the wagon version with the platform out. That's more encouraging for me to take this project on in the future. I'd like to have a bit more storage area right behind the seats for small items and then have larger storage areas for things like jumper cables and maybe an inverter. thanks for the input!

nice detailed post. looks good. thanks for sharing. what's next?

sorry to hear that. thanks for the update. Yeah, it would be nice to know why the mechanic thinks the cv axle needs replacing and also how much the seal is leaking. please keep us posted. thanks

Hey Guys, I got a letter from Ford asking me to participate in an Automotive Testing Development Services (ATDS) engineering eval of my 2015 van. It's an emissions test done by a 3rd party service. I called ATDS to find out what's involved. With an appointment, they come to your home or office, connect a laptop to your OBD port and gather some data. Supposed to take only 10 minutes and they give you a $100 cash incentive to participate. Anyone else get this letter and/or has participated? Sounds legit but curious how it went with others before I commit. thanks

thanks Mustang. so much for that model year theory. I'll need to dream up a new one now I've got a great idea. You're a handy guy with some time on his hands, how about you being the first TC owner to take out that platform and create a nice storage solution. Yes? @EvilRobot - hopefully you're still checking in with the forum. Curious, does your cargo van have windows in the back and/or windows on the sliding doors? thanks

@15Dan15 - nice looking floor mats. good testimonial. thanks for sharing. When I ordered my van I added in the optional all weather floor mats at a cost of $52 ($60 list). They are identical in size to the standard carpet mats that come with the van. I would agree that coverage is pretty minimal and could be better. that was my first impression. Second, not sure how long the retention nobs will last if I keep taking the mat out to clean, but they are easy to hose off compared to a carpeted mat, which my last wagon had. checked out the weathertech website to see what the cost is. below is a link to the site. http://www.weathertech.com/ford/2015/transit-connect/floorliner-digitalfit/wheelbase/long-wheelbase/bodystyle/cargo-van/ $110 for the front pair plus $18 for shipping coming out of Illinois. Yeah, that's a bit pricey but it looks like a decent product that will earn it's keep thanks again!

@15Dan15 - thanks for the input. I checked out EvilRobot's pics again and just noticed that his platform is different than mine. I have torque bits in mine and he doesn't. His appears to be welded and he did mention he thought the platform was welded to the frame. Mine is a 2015 Van and his is a 2014 Van, so not sure if this is a model year change. See the attached pic for a comparison. The mystery continues