Fifty150

You will want a battery isolator to connect your second battery to the car's electrical system. Then add the solar panels to the second battery when you are at camp. This protects your car's primary battery for driving, and all of your auxiliary equipment will operate off the second battery.

As with most items sold at Harbor Freight, you can find something better. Something better will cost more. This may be a good "starter". Then you can figure out what you like, don't like, and whatever else you may want. This looks like you can throw the whole thing in your van, then set it up and plug it in when you get to your campsite.

What you want is a kit. There are different companies selling RV/Van solar panel kits. You get panels, they plug into a controller, which routes the power to your battery. Even Harbor Freight has solar panels and parts. Look around, and find one which best suits your needs. You will need to be handy enough to drill holes, and mount the equipment. Other than that, it's all "plug & play". Your big decision will be if you want to permanently mount these panels and drive around with them on your roof 100% of the time, or fabricate a system to set them up when you're at camp.

Size matters.

I've still got a sneaker phone from Sports Illustrated. Maybe I should put it on my dashboard. That will make those smash & grab thieves pause when they look into my car. I can see why they do it on the beach. You're in the water. Your wallet is in your car. No brainer. Almost makes you think that you need a pit bull in the car to guard your phone.

It is a good place. One of many good places. There will always be deals when you shop around. I always try to compare pricing and availability before I buy. Rock Auto always has a coupon for 5% off. Just look online. Advance Auto Parts always has a coupon online for 25% off. Most do-it-yourselfers will change oil. Rock Auto has good pricing on filters. It compares to Amazon's pricing on oil filters. I get in trouble when the price is too low. I buy too much. I still have Motorcraft FL820S, FL400S & FL1A filters for cars I don't own anymore. The new cars don't use those big filters. Same thread pitch and gasket diameter size, but can you imagine trying to fit that FL1A on the Transit Connect? Rock Auto also has good pricing on spark plugs. I just got some for the Transit Connect from O'Reilly's. Then Amazon lowered the price to where I had to buy a few more. Keep in mind that I also sent in for a $3 per plug rebate, which makes the price $1.16 from O'Reilly's, and about $0.52 from Amazon. But it's those irresistible prices, where you get spark plugs for less than $1, that has left me handfuls of spark plugs in sizes for cars I don't even own anymore.

Very interesting. As I drive around and see other Transit Connects, which are everywhere and mostly commercial versions, I haven't noticed one with the larger mirrors yet. Now I'm thinking that I want a set. Just have to frame into my mind, what I need to do to install. Remove door panel. Remove a coupold of bolts. Will harness plug and play? Total work time for both doors. I just wish there was a pop off trim piece to access the mirrors, as opposed to removing the entire door panel.

Just to help someone out who is ready to go out, buy some steel stock, and follow in your footsteps. What bolt should they buy? What is the size, length, and thread pitch?

Aftermarket entertainment units come with remote controls. So that is the easy part. If you replace your OEM stereo with an aftermarket, you will get a remote control with it. Most aftermarket radios today don't have CD slots. SD cars and USB drives are the norm. A lot of people just use them as bluetooth receivers for their phones. You stream music from your phone to the deck, and take your calls over the speaker system. Pretty cool to have the back doors open, and be able to talk on the phone or play music from your phone while working. If you really want to install a second stereo, I think you have enough room under the plastic interior panels above the wheel wells. It would take a little bit of work to self engineer the mounting brackets. Speakers could be set in those panels also. Or you could wire the speakers into your rear doors. The boom box sounds like a good idea. But those things aren't small, and you already have a lot of stuff. The benefit is that the boom box is portable, away from the van, if you want to light a fire, or roast some chicken on a hibachi, down on the beach.

Very nice. I like how you can continue to use the passenger wagon for passengers. You kept all of the seats in. As opposed to a build which starts by removing the seats. Some people want an empty cargo van to build with. I would rather build with a passenger wagon. You get the AC & heating in the rear. You get the interior. You get all the windows.

Or criminals. Crooks strategically park so that they can make a fast getaway. Worst parking plan has to be in San Francisco. Pedestrians on curb. Then a bike lane. Cars are parked in what should be a live lane of traffic. We also have those famous streets with no parking curbside. Traffic lanes are painted red, as a red zone you can't drive in, just like a red zone you can't park in. Unless you are Municipal Railway Train, Taxi, or Commercial Vehicle. Bikes are allowed in bike lanes. Great if you have commercial plates. Not like other places where the signs don't allow trucks. During rush hour, when everyone is sitting in gridlock, you have your own VIP lane. An entire VIP street.

Intake air temp is relevant to the vehicle operation. Isn't that why there's a sensor? Not to debate effectiveness of cold air intakes. How does the car's computer use the temperature to adjust air fuel ratio? The Transit Connect air box scoops air from the front grille, right?

So many inappropriate comments left on the table. None of us really wants to tread into "hashtag-me-too" waters. A politically incorrect observation may prevent one of us from being confirmed to a high ranking post.

Interesting. In this state, I specifically want commercial plates so that I can park in commercial zones, and drive on streets with signage as "commercial vehicles only". No insurance company hassle at all. Commercial license plate. Private person, non commercial insurance. I've done this since high school. 16 year old kid, with commercial plates, driving a car with a motor cycle license. Insurance company only cares that I pay.

Interesting that higher temperatures lowered your mileage. I suppose if you ran the van on a dyno, with cruise control set for 55 mph, you would great results.

With the cargo vans, you force yourself to trust the mirrors. No choice. You learn to use more reference points. You learn to look for lines painted on the ground as a guide to back up straight. You also learn to take you time slowly backing into parking spaces, so that you don't have to back out blind. A lot easier to back into a parking space once you learn to pull up next to it, turn away from it so that your rear is lined up at a better angle, then back in using the lines on the floor and the vehicles on either side as reference points. The new vehicles with back up cameras are so much nicer. I even added a backup camera to my pickup truck.

In case you decide to call Ford, let us know how that works out. I've always been able to get warranty issues resolved at the dealership level. But I also know that you can go above the dealership level. Just never needed to. Ford United States +1-800-392-3673 Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-11:00PM EST Saturday, 8:00AM-8:00PM EST

You bought the car, you don't have use of the car. Ask them to make the 1st payment on the car. No reason for you to pay for a car which you can't drive.

It sounds like you got problems. More than just a little red strap failure. I'll say it. Honda Acura has great service. At least my local dealership has great service. All cars have issues unique to certain models. But overall, Subaru & Honda make pretty good small cars. I would buy a Honda Civic or Accord. Subaru would be my first choice if I wanted something smaller, nimble, with AWD for inclement weather. I wouldn't buy a Honda pickup truck or tow a boat with a Honda Pilot. Nor would I rock crawl with a Subaru. Same way that you don't put stickers on a Civic, and race a Mustang. I hope your local dealership fixes up the van to work correctly. When operating properly, Transit Connects fill a certain niche that other cars can't.

Just a little daydream of mine. Imagine being able to fill up the back of your van with BBQ fuel canisters and then driving all over the continent without worry of fluctuating pricing, no fuel availability, or just running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere. And anytime you get hungry, you can hook up your portable propane grill or stove.

Solar recharge electric is a distant dream away. Technology is not there yet. Electric motors may be our future. Or the future may hold different technology yet to be invented. I'm not a fan of current electric cars. They fall short of what my needs are. My viewpoint is biased by life experience. Propane is interesting. It would be nice to drive around and refuel by switching BBQ tanks. You can go camping, and fry a turkey, also.

Environment footprint is not decreased. All of those environmental harmful batteries being produced. Fossil fuel producing electricity. Delivery of electricity. Different waste and pollution at the end of vehicle life. You think Prius batteries are beneficial to the environment? It's just shifting the pollution point. A perfect world option is not yet on the market.

1st time I have heard about this. You shouldn't bother trying to fix it. You have a warranty. Let them install a new seat if need be.

Ween yourself from driving. Take public transportation. Ride a bus. Ride a bike. Walk.