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Eh ... I had a real one ... <G>

Ah ... limp mode. Didn't know the TCs had that. Came on my Olds Aurora where it's supposed to deadhead every other cylinder when triggered. Never had the opportunity to test it. Thermostat replaced - wonder if these have a vent hole? That has to be at the top or the unit won't work properly.

Hey, those look just like mine! A whole $25 offa Amazon ... <G>

What's a "trusted mechanic"? <G> Only reason I'll have anything to do with professional mechanics is I can't do the work anymore myself. I'm used to getting the job right the first time AND paying about a tenth of what it costs now by doing it myself. Just broke a power steering line on my Aurora that's gonna cost me $600 to install $100 worth of parts ... (mutter mumble grouse bitch)

Jag wheels? Pics? Nice thing about wheel covers though ... don't have to worry about confusing those silly TPMS sensors. ;-}

Luck with that, eh. Only vehicles I've seen with hours are the big diesels, and those have an actual meter or dash display. PS ... won't give you any historical data, but it's easy enough to add your own meter, and not all that expensive either.

... and running a commercial TC (or any vehicle) with no load probably causes as many handling issues as running under spec load ratings on the rubber. Surprised nobody's been sued yet for not having enough garbage in their vehicles when they crash. I remember my sainted granddaddy telling me his thoughts on lawyers ... line em up, shoot every tenth one. That don't straighten them out ... line em up again! ;-}

Maybe for another thread, but I wouldn't mind lowering mine an inch or two. Simple rubber transplant on the stock rims would be nice. Not worried too much about off roading, and I suppose I could also add a skid plate if that were an issue.

Anything? Ho ho ho! Another option might be a simple DIY job with PlastiDip. Hit YouTube for some outstanding examples of work done using that. It'll stay where you put it, but once you're done, peel it right off.

Sure about that? The newer systems really don't give you all that much feedback unless you're really pushing traction like in snow and ice. Panic stops, you've got more important things to worry about and concentrate on. If the vehicle stops straight and true without pumping the brakes, you're using ABS. You may be comparing what you get with older vehicles that did all sorts of pops and clicks as the system engaged. My '99 Olds sounds like a whole room full of grannies with loose dentures clicking and clacking away. Besides, I think you'd find something like that buried deep with all sorts of hooks into the operating system. Disconnect all the sensors and such, and you'll probably kill the TC. Luck wit it, eh. PS - you don't pump your brakes when stopping? That just confuses the brain and weird things can happen. Apply even pressure and let ABS do the work.

Seems to me a lot depends on the van length as to how easy it is to remove the seats? Short wheel base, they pop right out, but the longer models are all bolted down. Even then not so bad, unless the bolts have corroded into the floor. There's also some locator pegs that can put up a fight after you get the bolts out. This looks like a decent writeup on floor mods you might need to make on the newer models ...

Some convertible mods to the TC would be a good way to go ... something that gives you a bit of creature comfort, and shouldn't affect resale value OR get the compliance police on your tail. And ya ... Selling or importing a trailer could get interesting too. I have one of the very few CombiCamp exports to the US. They gave up after a few hundred units, and a few too many magic moments dealing with OUR compliance police. I'd go with the van and get a trailer when I got where I was going ... PS ... found me a neat convertible bed on Amazon a bit back that is quite flexible AND comfortable. The base just slides along the floor rails, and the whole thing comes out if you release the hold down strap from the factory floor hooks. The "kitchenette" is a modified stock rack using the original mounting bolts if that helps. How yours is titled could get interesting too. A lot of TCs were exported as passenger vans and then stripped and retitled commercial here to get around nanny tariffs in effect at the time. Not sure if that was only with the series one vans or not. I suppose they'd also maybe have "issues" with the mods I did to the cargo wall behind the seats. I know some people here on the board certainly seem to ... ;-} PS ... if the CombiCamp looks small, it's like the Tardas ... WAY bigger on the inside! Mine folds down to a 4x8 foot box, but when set up (in a couple minutes) it has a full size bed and is around 26 feet long. That's a LOT of camper for something weighing in at around 500 pounds, eh. Pretty popular with road warriors in the UK and Germany anyway. Maybe get a deal on a used one or rental, but I wouldn't expect you'd be able to ship it back to the states without jumping thru a whole bunch of hoops, if at all.

Best recall ever ... ALL FACTORIES REQUIRED TO RECALL ALL VEHICLES TO DISABLE ALL WARNING LAMPS Every bad warning light or OBD code I've ever got has been due to a malfunctioning sensor. Get rid of all that crap, and maybe people would actually do required maintenance to catch real problems before they're like ... a problem? - +1 on tire pressure sensor. - ABS? Last time I had a code on that, some kinda sorta trained garage monkey had knocked a sensor out of alignment during routine maintenance. Simple fix - just beat it back into position. And ya ... I'm a fan of the first gen body style too.

Still working on mine, slowly but surly ... ;-} Kitchen is pretty much set up, and I'm going with a neat little chair/bed convertible that folds out into a comfortable bed and not to shabby for reading, eating, etc. One of the targets is having a short stay camper AND still keep it wheel chair accessible, just in case. I WILL be stealing a couple ideas from you if you don't mine though ...

Seems to me that the ultimate application of "NVH performance" would be to have the drive train drop out and roll off into the weeds. Zero vibration, and the only noise and harshness at that point would be the pounding and cursing coming from the driver's seat ... Good to know though - but worth mentioning, we ARE talking trucks here. You want minimal NVH, get yourself a Caddie ...

Huh ... didn't even know these things had a rear transmission ... (ba dump dump) Another potential addition to the Focus swap list though. Keep us posted as time goes on. PS - for anyone else who had to gooOOoogle "NVH" ... it's "noise, vibration, and harshass". Or something like that. ;-}

Probably not that far away from the day some start chipping their drivers, eh ...

Maybe the TC did at one time and it was removed before you got it? In any case, just because it's a "fomoco" part doesn't mean it's OEM. I've got a "factory" back up camera on mine that Ford wouldn't cover when it crapped out because it wasn't listed on the original vehicle invoice. Anyway, as mentioned, it's a GPS antenna, same as you'd find on any GPS locator - maybe just more prominent than most. They usually try to hide it a lot better though. If you don't have GPS, and don't plan to, just toss it. If you DO expect to install GPS at some future time, leave it - the connectors on those are pretty much generic and should work with most any GPS device. PS - bad location anyway - half the satellites would be hidden by the body metal more times than not. My aftermarket radio has that mounted top of dash just behind the windshield so it gets the best possible view of the sky.

Looks like it must have been one of those "monday" GPS ... my old blind granny could have mounted it straighter. (Come to think of it, she DID work for Ford ... ) <G>

Once again, what happens when one fails, other than a silly little light pops up on the dashboard? Not a fan of TPMS, and all the other "safety" crap they throw on these things nowadays ... that's where an air gauge and routine maintenance come in. If I go with lower pressures or different rubber, I don't want to have to ask Ford first.

Like the setup - easy access AND still leaves the back clear for grocery shopping and such when it's folded up. Have to maybe steal a couple ideas there. Here's where I'm at so far. Plan is to have an outside table that will attach to the side of the kitchenette and store against the front of the cabinet when travelling to keep rear vision clear. Was gonna go with a shorter table just supported by a bracket on the door, but maybe a longer one that would fold down, then slide out with legs to support it ... hmmmmm ... A work in progress here anyway.

Can't you just put a piece of black tape over the TPMS warning on the dash? <G>

I went with "refurbs" here. Local business strips and refinishes used wheels and sell them for half the price of new. Looked fresh out of the box when I got them, and they still look good several years later here in the Michigan winters.

Building my own kitchen, but if you're interested in an easy bed, I picked this one up from Amazon. Just strapped into place on top of a riser platform which would be optional for someone who has knees ... <G> $150 at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071R2MNBS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 PS - it JUST fits into a 2011 TC, and can be changed from chair to full bed in seconds. As mentioned, the bed platform is optional, and still a work in progress. I'll be replacing the lil pink pans with real drawers eventually. The back of the bed has click stops for back position in chair mode and also folds flat for storage if needed. Standard adjustable tie down using the stock floor loops holds it tight when "in transit" ...

... I know the local garages don't ... <G> Truth be told, before The Accident, only time I'd go to a dealership would be to get a quote. Laugh a bit on the way out, and fix it myself for a tenth the price.