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I just returned from a long 4300 mile road trip through 7 western States. I also used the select shift in the mountains of Colorado, Utah, and more. It worked flawlessly. I was carrying a bunch of gear in the back, so my expectation of performance with a 4 cylinder was pretty dead on. All in all, a really great trip, no problems with the van. I did pick up a rock chip on the windshield on my way in to Flagstaff, AZ. I called a local windshield shop in town and they fixed it bright and early the next morning for $35. It took 20 minutes. Beats a flat tire any day. Averaged 27mpg overall, used the factory NAV and Android Auto, again, no issue except Android Auto sucked up all my data on my wimpy 1GB plan. $5 added another gig, so on I went.... Home now, life is good. I love this little scoot.

Good thread, thanks. I'm heading on a long road trip soon, California - Colorado - Utah - Idaho - Washington - Oregon - back to Cali. Looking forward for some road time in my 2017 LWB. Just finished up insulating the front cab area, added to the audio system with Hertz speakers, Rockford-Fosgate Amp, JBL subs, ready to roll. Renewed the Sirius subscription in case I get tired of my USB playlists. My tribute band is performing at the Colorado State Fair. Ready to rock! Good times!

I have been going around and around on this topic. A few friends have recommended a high end paint sealant to protect the finish, like Ceramic Pro or Opti Coat Pro Plus. Both tout their excellence in protecting paint finishes. The issue is price - both are in the $1000 - $2000 range for paint correction and application. Sorry, that's more $$$$ than I'm willing to spend. The also brag of their paint warranties, and word has it that trying to collect on paint damage due to outside influence - tree sap, bird droppings, environmental fallout, etc., is very difficult to get. No thanks. There are recommended ways of protecting vehicle paint. First, cleaning. A good wash with strong detergent removes most of the grunge on the paint, and any old wax. If there still is remaining stuff on the paint, a clay bar is recommended next to remove contaminates. Second is polishing. A glaze or polish applied by hand or machine removes the small scratches and produces a deep shine. This is the paint correction phase, that gets your paint looking as good as possible without scratches. Most of the hard work is in this step. Third, if you choose it, is to apply a sealant. The sealant does only sealing, so it's important that step 2 is done as perfectly as possible to seal in the deep shine. Fourth, (or third if you don't do sealant) is to apply a coat of wax. Wax is the step that coats and protects all of the previous steps. Depending on the wax, you'll need to have it re-applied every 6 months, max. I'm about ready to pull the trigger, my Connect needs a good detail, seal and wax. I prefer the Chemical Guys, quality products for a reasonable price. Since my van is black, I will use the Blacklight glaze polish, Jet Seal, and Carnauba Wax. http://www.chemicalguys.com/ They have many YouTube videos on their products and applications, check it out. Choose what works best for you, your vehicle, and your budget.

Sure, you have a lot of options. Upgraded halogens, HID's, LED lights as well. Each have their advantages and drawbacks, and of course, personal preference. I thought a lot about this topic, and went with upgraded Halogens - PIAA 15211 H11 Xtreme White Plus High Performance Halogen Bulbs. They are brighter, but not tremendously so. HID's or LED's will probably provide more light. I have a Cargo van, and have always felt the low beams are adjusted too low. But, an ah-hah moment hit me and I realized they are probably that way because the vehicle was unloaded - a loaded vehicle would lower the rear, and raise the front, and hence the low beams would shine further. Soon, I'll upgrade H9 high beams as well with the same PIAA bulbs.

Great thread, thank you, your timing couldn't be better for me. I'm in the process of upgrading my sound system, and these photos with the carpet removed is very helpful. I've attended a few car audio shows and seen the competitions, but I haven't competed myself. My upgraded system will be nowhere near the level that you are at, but it is serious eye candy for me. I'm looking forward to the rest of your build.

After reading the article, it affects the full size Transit Van, not the Transit Connects. The flexible driveshaft coupling is a rear wheel drive issue, not front wheel drive, like the TC.

After opening the door, push the high beam stalk forward and the perimeter lights go out. Not a permanent solution, but it does work, and it is easy.

I agree with Beta Don. Today's synthetics are really good, the additives don't easily break down. I use Mobil 1 5/20 full synthetic, change it every 7500 miles and use Motorcraft filters. It's easy and I change it myself, about once a year. Keep a eye on the oil level once a month and you'll never have an oil related engine failure.

Hmm, interesting. I have an early 2017, no roof rack, rear parking sensors yes, but it was optional ($195), Heated outside power mirrors - yes. auto dimming rear view mirror - not sure, Automatic headlights, no, but I wish I had them.... Rain sensing wipers, also a no, would need the rain light sensor for that, probably comes with the auto headlights.

It's a subjective topic, so it really depends on what you want. Liftgate - Clear view from the rear view mirror, keeps you dry when unloading in the rain, can be a headache if you're tall and hit your head on it. Liftgate struts will lose pressure and need replacement, eventually. Cargo (barn) doors are often preferred for commercial use, easy to open and close, easy access for loading and unloading. Drawback is you have the doors blocking your view at the center through the inner rear view mirror, providing you have glass in the cargo doors and un-impeded view without a bulkhead or cargo in the way. Choose what works best for you and your situation.

Those wheels look great, Don, congrats!

Lol, yeah, you're busted. Should have got the EcoBoost.....

Welcome! I am one of the five..... Lol

Don, Great job on the interior lights. I was thinking of adding an additional LED light in the cargo area that would be manually switched but this is a better idea. I think I will incorporate it. Thank you for sharing.

Lots of good info here, pick and choose what works best for your situation. http://thevanual.com/

Great thread. I also have a 2017 Transit Connect LWB Cargo Van with the 2.5L motor and optional Trailering Package. Stick with the 5W/20 oil, Mobil 1 is available in that weight. As GBL said, the TC has a engine oil and a transmission cooler, all stock. If you tow a lot, change the engine oil every 5000 miles and the transmission fluid every 30,000 miles, as Ford recommends. There are a few on this forum that tow regularly and have no issues. Go for it, and have fun.

Thank you for that Mustang, I just ordered 4 more of those D-Rings for the sides.

I like your electrical setup. I have been considering adding a aux battery to mine as well. This post is great. I also was considering placing the battery under the floor extension, which you said wasn't going to work out. What was the difficulty about that idea?

Cool beans

I've seen that pink and purple crap too. I overheard a couple of guys talking about that, something like, the deeper the color, the "more HID" the bulbs are. Complete rubbish. Reality is, the closer you are to true white (about 6K) the more light you have on the road. Isn't that what it's all about? The ability to see further and clearer?

I have seen it once, but yes it's a rare occasion. Have the dealer reseal it under warranty.

States seem to decide the difference between passenger vehicles (wagon) and commercial vehicles (van). This VIN guide shows the complexity of VIN. http://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/maintenance/vin-decoder/2016_VIN_Guide_Final.pdf Looking at this guide, you can find that the Transit Connect is produced in Valencia, Spain, with the world manufacturer characters NM0 - decoded as a "Truck - Completed vehicle" which is probably why some lenders think they are all commercial vehicles. I know when I purchased my van, the financing was turned down by Wells and Chase due to the "commercial vehicle" status. I wanted to go with my local credit union, which happily went for it.

Alright, cool then, thanks for the input. I will probably go with the 4800 lumen for all, high / low / fog. I used to have yellow fogs in an old Lexus LS400 I had, seemed to do a pretty good job when I used them, which was rare. I think the reflector design has a lot more to do with fog lamp beam placement than the yellow color does. But I thought it looked good. France can keep their yellow headlights, they're probably not legal in California anyway, lol