windguy

Curious, what's the motivation for wanting the SWB over the LWB? Esthetics or function? Looks like the SWB is 16" shorter in overall length and wheelbase. Easier to parallel park for sure. I see a lot of Gen 2 TC's on the road in my parts for both commercial and personal use. Very rare to see a SWB model. Sourcing a decent used one might prove difficult. Please keep us posted and good luck!

Shannon - MLB is correct. The conversion applies to Gen 2 cargo vans as well. I had evidence that my 2015 cargo was converted. As I recall there is (was) a processing facility in NJ that reworks the vans after they clear customs at the port. Sure seems wasteful but 25% if a hefty import tax. The bolted on front deck area is added (see pic below). Vans shipped to Canada have this decking welded on, not bolted, as shown by some forumites over the years. Canada doesn't have an import tax (chicken tax). My guess is that the second row seats could easily be added but I don't have concrete data to back that up. If you look at the two pics below from cargo van, you can see there are a series of holes, some threaded. You can take those pics to your local Ford dealer that has a wagon model and see where the 2nd row seat mounts are located. That might easily answer your question. My local dealer uses a wagon model for customer shuttle service so there's usually at least one wagon model to see. Remember to check out the seat belt config as well. Good luck!

That's not a very charitable comment to make and you couldn't be anymore wrong. Some TC owners actually believe their cargo van should be used for its intended purpose, to carry cargo for work, hobbies and pleasure like camping. I'm in this group. It's a utilitarian vehicle and how you customize it to fit your particular needs is both unique and practical. To some it doesn't matter how pretty it looks. It's all about function. The next owner will appreciate that it's a cargo van and can customize it to fit their own needs. The value isn't affected as long as the vehicle is mechanically sound. It's ridiculous to think otherwise.

Sorry to hear that. How about a more conventional approach and use the TC 2.5L engine. Assuming they are easy to source from a salvage yard? Considering it's a van, the 2.5L, which is what I have in my 2015, has decent power with okay fuel economy. I personally wouldn't want to sacrifice fuel economy for a bigger engine. Wrong direction for me. I'm not a gearhead but I'm assuming a higher output engine would require a matching transmission and more to handle the extra load. Mission creep. Good luck! Please keep us posted.

Thanks Don. Sounds reasonable.

Don, did you have any of the symptoms listed: wind noise, water leaks or looseness in the windshield? It's interesting that the notice I got and posted above says nothing about any safety issues as mentioned in the recall notice. Curious omission. The way I read the recall (cut and pasted below), if you have any of those symptoms listed, then your windshield may be inadequately sealed and that could lead to a problem in an accident. That makes sense but it's not a perfect cause and effect hence the "may experience" wording. I'm on the fence about doing this since I don't believe I have any of those symptoms. I'll discuss with my service advisor at Ford on my next service.

I read what you said, very clearly. I'm guessing you can go to 100 Ford dealerships and the outcome would be exactly the same. You said it yourself. "All they would do is reseat the current cracked windshield and not actually replace it." That is the recall. Reseat the windshield, not replace the windshield. Please show me where in the recall it says otherwise. Ford would have honored the recall if you let them reseat the windshield. But you wanted something outside the scope of the recall. Doesn't work that way and three different dealerships confirmed it. That's not the fault of the dealerships. They wouldn't get compensated from Ford Corporate for doing extra work, so why should they. In problem solving, sometimes the common denominator is the problem and not the numerator.

I don't understand your grievance regarding this recall. The recall clearly states Ford will remove the windshield and reinstall. It doesn't say anything about providing a new windshield because you have a crack caused by normal wear and tear. How is that not honoring the letter of the recall???

Ford just mailed me a notice about this windshield sealing issue for my 2015. They must be expanding beyond the original 2016 and newer recall. What's interesting is that they aren't saying it's a recall, but a "Customer Satisfaction Program 22N04". The offer has a 10 year / 100,000 miles limit to get it fixed at no cost. I've had no issues with my windshield so I'm inclined to leave it be. Guess I've got 2.5 years to change my mind on that. Anyone else with a 2014 or 2015 get the same notice recently?

@chip - there are a bunch of different threads on this forum regarding this type of mod. Just a question of how you want to customize it for your needs. Below is a link where I posted some pics of what I did to capture this space. It's a great project and you'll have fun with it. Well worth the effort. I have a sheet of plywood covering the deck, which is carpeted. I removed the foam insulation sheet that was glued to the underside of the vinyl mat and put that under the plywood for both noise abatement and to smooth out the valleys in the deck.

@lowspeedpursuit - nice job. Thanks for sharing the updates. Refreshing to see someone add some decent utility to their van rather than a bunch of nonsense. I get the feeling you might just keep this van after all, maybe?

I would recommend getting a CARFAX type report for the van so you can learn about the history, service records, etc. Since the van is at dealership, they probably already have that report and should be willing to share it with you if they are reputable. You can also ask the dealer if the van was serviced with them and provide service records. Good luck!

Same question was asked back on 06/09/22. See thread link below. Perhaps you can PM that person to see if they figured out the part number. Good luck!

Interesting proposal. Sounds like a scene from an A-Team episode. Love that show. Poster SKIZO has a Gen 1 like you and added some nice rear windows. See link to his gallery below. But this would fall under a camper window category that you seem to be discounting. I have no idea what these windows cost. Maybe the suppliers have a close out on a some models or returns that you can get for less. It's worth checking into. A ready made RV type auto glass window will provide a nice waterproof seal. Are there junkyards for RVs? Would a backup camera satisfy your need to see out back? Just exploring ideas. Good luck!

Glad to hear it. Well done. Please keep us updated on your upgrades, with pics of course. And here I was worried you were going to trade your TC in for a Subaru. Silly me!

Speaking of pointless & useless, what are you doing back on the forum? I thought you went all poster non-grata and deleted your existence off this forum a few days ago, no? This is not good for my whiplash.

@superregularla Do some searching on this forum and you may answer your own question. Search bar is in the upper right corner of the page. Sample thread below. Good luck!

Congrats and welcome - sharp looking Gen 1

@chip - nice job, thanks for sharing. Hope it works out good for you. I admire your perseverance. BTW - I like that carpet you have on the cargo floor. Very classy. I went with stock Home Depot dark gray off the bulk roll. I second Don's suggestion for getting those removal tools. On Don's recommendation to get them years ago, I have used them many times. Also for non-auto use when you need a strong plastic scraper that won't damage a surface, like porcelain.

@Campervanman - Thanks for sharing your build info. Great job, craftsmanship, creativity. Short of a flux capacitor you seem to have everything you need. Although you don't mention it, or I missed it, you must have a porta-potty stashed away.

My 2015 Cargo has a holder for the hook near the jack. Perhaps your model year has the same.

Did you try the tip that poster Willygee did with the parking brake? Perhaps you both have the same seat config in your XL model and need to do this step. Good luck!

@Don Ridley- thanks Don, good to know.

@kookmyersSorry to hear you're having this problem. It sounds (or lack of) that your speakers are the problem. Checking the resistance may help you determine if it is the speaker and which one. Seems like the rear speaker would be in the same location regardless of cargo or wagon model. It's more an issue of having the audible near the driver and having some separation between the two speakers. Maybe another wagon model owner with parking aides can pinpoint the sound of the rear speaker for you. That would be helpful. Yes, dropping the headliner on a wagon model would be a pain but I know some forumites have done it. For some, tasks like that are easy peasy but for me it would be a nervous challenge. Is the headliner divided into a few sections rather than one continuous piece? Maybe it's not so bad dropping or prying down one section. Plastic removal tools are in expensive and good to have for something like this. Regarding Forscan, maybe you can borrow someone's laptop. It's really helpful to troubleshoot and check error codes having Forscan. Maybe the mobile app might work in a pinch. You would need an Bluetooth OBDI reader. Keep us posted. Good luck!

Have you tried removing the existing part to see if the Ford part number is stamped on it? You might get lucky. If not, bring the part to your local Ford dealer parts department. They should easily be able to tell you the part number since they have detailed parts diagrams. Good luck!