windguy

@operating engineer - thanks for the offer. if/when I get closer to adding this option I may take you up on the offer.

that sounds like a nice mod. can you take a pic of what you did (switch, lights, tap point)? For my Gen 2, I'd be interested in adding some type of switch in the back to provide loading/unloading light. I can see the wiring going to the power outlet in the back when you open the side panel door. thanks

I did a little exploration today to see what is under the cargo mat and wanted to share what I found out. I lifted the mat on the driver's side in front of the sliding door. First removed the d-ring tie-down with a T-50 torx bit. Then lifted up the black step molding, which is held down by yellow plastic fasteners and peeled back the mat. I also peeled back the black side panel just to see what's behind it and how to get the step removed if I wanted to go any further. As you can see from the two pics attached, the platform looks very similar to the drawing in the builder's guide posted earlier. I marked in red where the step up occurs, as I can see the carpeting close to the surface through a nearby hole. This is about 22 inches from the leading edge and the width inside the step molding is about 38". Removing the platform would require a lot of work with some unknowns. The sides of the platform go underneath and support the step molding in front of the sliding doors. You would need to first remove the two black side panels that go between the sliding door and the rear door. It appears these are held in place by numerous fasteners, just like all the other coverings in the van. Nothing is screwed down anymore. With the side panels removed, then you can remove the black step in front of the sliding door on both sides. Remove the four d-rings and then the mat will easily lift out. Not sure exactly how the platform is held in place. Is it bolted from inside the van or through the flooring from underneath? you would think it would be from inside. As much as I'd love to create a storage area where this platform is, the amount of work involved to remove it and then build back support is extensive. I'm not sure it's worth it. I put back the pieces I removed and the only collateral damage was that one of the yellow fasteners for the step molding fell down into the well somewhere where I can't get to it. Not sure it's necessary to replace it but may source a fastener some time in the future. There is a small storage area that has a black plastic cover, 1/2 over the face of the platform and 1/2 on top. It just snaps in and you can remove it by just lifting the mat up slightly. The compartment is located right behind the center console on the platform.You can see this in the picture attached. It's a bit strange and not sure how you would use this but it is there.

@Ford TC - welcome to the forum. Since you're in Colorado, the issues about the rear heater being deficient, as noted in this forum, should be a concern. Check out the threads talking about that or better yet if you're looking at a 2014 van on a dealer lot, test out the heater yourself to see how well it works. good luck!

thanks I haven't drive the van enough yet to even consider MPG's.

it took two pics to show the rear plate. side view shows how it flairs out at the bottom. when you look at the back view it seems that the plate area was designed more for a Euro plate that is wide and narrow and not for the size of a US plate. one option is to raise the plate a few inches by drilling two new holes in the plate so it sits nicely in the plate area. We'll see how much it bugs me.

got my plates today and after cinching down the rear one the bottom flares away from the body. maybe it's just me but I'd rather this plate lay flat against the door panel. perhaps adding a spacer would help to prevent this. anyone else do something like this to their Gen 2 TC? thanks

pic of keypad mounted on rear door

MOD #1 - decided to remove the black styrofoam pieces today. don't think these perform any function and not sure why they are mounted. They seem more as a backing material for a headliner. You can see one on each side of the bulkhead where the slider door yoke goes into. I've attached a pic of where that is The smaller of the two pieces had two adhesive strips holding the bottom edge in place. the bigger piece didn't not and was pretty loose. The pieces are held in place by a few plastic one-time use fasteners/retainer. It was easiest to cut the fastener below the quarter size head with a wire cutter. Then remove the foam and then pull out the remaining shaft of the fasteners with pliers. Very easy to remove. I think it looks much cleaner without it and this will allow me to build a ceiling rack much easier.

thanks mustang

@mustang, I'm pretty sure that there is a different body style for vans vs wagons so I'm in agreement there, but all come with an open panel for the window area on the slider so it's the same part. Then the wagon models are finished with the movable window and the van models are finished with a static glass panel at the factory. In Maryland if the slider glass wasn't an ordered option, like you and I have, the window is removed and a blank panel is glued on and then water checked for leaks. I think I read that somewhere. One poster on this forum had commented that he found broken glass around the cargo mat in his van. Perhaps that window didn't come out very clean. Not sure how the back windows are handled. It would be nice if we could get a insider at Ford to confirm what actually happens rather than us guessing, but it is fun to toss around theories. glad you didn't get too much snow. good luck with the next storm heading your way this week.

do you recall what size torx bit you used? was it a T50?

thanks Mustang. it's kind of flimsy if you ask me and not very good looking. you can see a piece of the same material inside the opening where the slider ends towards the B pillar.

@mustang, I was under the impression that this panel was also converted until I looked at my van and I'm in agreement that this part is not altered in processing. I think the windows they remove are the windows on the slider and rear doors. My van looks identical to yours so I believe no glass was changed on them but don't know for sure since the slider windows are static. But if you look at a cargo van without windows, they add a panel where the glass goes. Very easy to do at a processing facility. I think that would convince you that this is added later on and not at a factory. Take a look at the threaded holes above the slots where the seat belts would go and you can see the hole was used and not factory fresh. It's no big deal but more of a curiosity thing. It's a great van either way and I'm totally stoked to have it. BTW - how are you going with all the snow? My mom's in NH (more inland) and she said she hasn't had that much snow this winter so far. lucky for her.

thanks for posting that. I'd love to see a video of them making the transformation and/or a list of changes they actually make in the conversion. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, after removing the seats they add back the platform and then obviously the cargo mat and four d-rings.

On a cargo van, anyone take a look at the black styrofoam that's above the sliding door on each side and wonder what's its purpose? see picture attached to show what I'm referring to. The styrofoam is in two pieces and not very secure. I'm not sure what's actually holding it up. There doesn't appear to be anything behind it and can't figure out it's function. I'd like to add a storage shelf for gear above the entire ceiling and the foam is in the way. I'm more inclined to remove it unless someone convinces me otherwise. thanks.

@mustang - I not 100% convinced my cargo van didn't start out as a passenger model. the threaded holes on each side of the van where the seat belt would attach to the frame appears to have been used compared to other threaded holes that haven't been. the paint around the hole shows some wear like a washer was used and perhaps was touched up with paint. hard to tell. I'd be curious to know for sure that this conversion is no longer happening.

I bought a keypad from Ford parts and the instructions only tell you how to set a personal entry code, not how to marry the keypad to the TC. After some discovery, I was able to put the TC into programming mode using the instructions in the youtube video attached. The only difference from the video is that the door won't unlock to let you know you're in programming mode, you will hear a chime twice instead. You need to turn the key to the run or II position (second click, one before the van starting) 8 times. My problem at first was that I wasn't doing this fast enough. You need to do this quickly, within 10 seconds. Once you do, you'll hear two chimes, which means you're in programming mode. Then you have to quickly hit both the 7/8 and 9/0 keys on the pad at the same time to enable it. You will again here two chimes. After enabling only the keypad I found out that my FOB no longer worked. I realized that when you're in programming mode, you have to enable all remotes at once, FOBs and Keypad. This is mentioned in the video but I wasn't paying attention to that part, just wanted to first get it into programming mode. I had gotten two extra FOBs as a factory option, so I needed to push a button on those and the two that came with the van. I guess when you're in programming mode, the van creates a new programming code so all remotes have to be set again. The keypad is pretty slick so I'm glad it's working now. Next step is to find a spot to mount it. Will post a pic when I do.

@mustang, thanks for the additional info and parts diagram. Is it a T50 bit used for the D-ring tie-downs? About how long are the bolts? I'm assuming there isn't a nut on the other end but just a threaded hole on the frame. I'm assuming that once those four D-rings are removed, there is nothing else holding the vinyl mat in place other than being tucked under some trim molding. I really want to lift that mat up and see what it looks like underneath and explore options for adding storage compartments, if possible thanks!

@mustang - thanks for sharing that. This is the first I've heard that Ford has stopped doing this. On my 2015 Cargo van, the rear black panels on both sides have a cut out for the seat belts on the top part. looks silly. I would have thought Ford would at least have a plug to cover them up. But if this is leaving the factory as a cargo van and not a wagon, then it's even more strange. I can slide my hand just a little ways under the platform and I can feel the carpet continue back below it. I have a feeling this carpet goes all the way back just like on a wagon model. I like being able to store items behind the seat but the platform is right up against the seat back unless you have the seat moved pretty far forward. I'm going to peel back this cargo mat one of these days. I need to buy a T50 socket bit (I think this is the right size) to remove the D-ring tie downs (4 of them).

I decided to stop by a local dealer and check out the floor mat in another cargo TC. The mat was equally tacky to the touch, just like mine. I'm starting to think this is added to prevent things from sliding forward. For me, it doesn't feel right but I haven't pursued a way to clean it. I think the whole mat design is pretty poor in general because it doesn't have a solid feel underneath and compresses easily in many areas, not very industrial or long lasting. I also looked at a wagon model to check out the flooring in the cargo area. I like the carpeting material used. I also made an interesting discovery, which is shown in the detail area on the diagram on page 11 (attached to this post), but it didn't make sense to me without seeing it. In the cargo van, there is a step up in the flooring behind the front seats, about 6 inches. In the wagon model, the flooring under the front of the middle row seats is on the same level as the front seats. There is a step up behind the middle row so the flooring under the third row seats is higher. I believe this is done because underneath is the gas tank and spare tire. So when converting a wagon to a cargo van at the Maryland processing facility, not only do they remove the windows (if required), rear seats and seat belts. they also add a step up platform so that the cargo area is all one level. There are two different size platforms for SWB and LWB. Makes sense except this area could be better utilized as a storage area or compartments, depending on how you use the van. I'm still not sure why the diagram says "storage" for these added platforms since the mat covers them up. I'd love to stash things like jumper cables, tools, emergency supplies that I wouldn't need every day. I"m guessing that's about 5 cu-ft of storage area. Anyone else make this discovery and have any thoughts on it?

Brenda - welcome to the forum hopefully you're close to a major city in Florida. I would do a web search on "van conversions" and the major cities in your area. You probably won't find someone that specifically does TC's, but vans in general. Do you have a Gen 1 (<2014) or Gen 2 (2014, 2015) TC? There are lots of Gen 1 pics and video on the web and a few forum members here that have made camper conversions.

that's a very good point. I noticed that as well and considered that a big negative for how I would use the van. I parallel park at the beach a lot and sometimes parking is really tight and the car behind you stuffs you in, so having a bigger than 50% door could be a pain. not sure how the 60/40 door would change your rear visibility. With the 50/50, the center area is blocked out so it limits your visibility somewhat. I'm used to having a tailgate where you have a nice open glass area for a clear view out the back.

thanks guys. haven't driven the van since picking it up last Saturday, so nothing new to report. @keywestles - glad you're enjoying your van. would love to see some pics of how you customized the interior. I guess being in Key West you won't be having any heater problems. @johnyguy - my wife's car has an auto air system and it does the same thing. It turns off the recirc sometimes on it's own. drives me nuts. I prefer a manual air system without any intelligence. I can see how that ac feature can be a pain. I'm just hoping it isn't. I don't use ac very often.

@easy - sorry to hear you have the drive shaft leak issue. please keep us posted on how the repair goes. would be nice to see a copy of the Service Advisory covering this.