mountainman

Yes, I believe a few people on the forum have done this. The forum's search feature isn't the best but if you sift through it you'll find a few posts from the last couple of years. My understanding (which is purely based on lurking on this forum, i.e. I haven't done this myself) is that the crux is the computer. Basically unless you get the exact same transmission, you're going to have to program the computer to play nice with the new transmission. Since there isn't much of an enthusiast market for the Transit Connect, you can't get software to do this yourself. So you're either going to have to convince a dealership to do the programming for you or swap the computer from the donor car as well. If you're swapping in the donor's computer then it becomes a question of whether you can program that computer to play nice with your existing engine or if you're going to have to swap the engine too. Here's a thread where the OP swapped the transmission, engine, and computer from the donor: https://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/5516-2014-tc-manual-conversion/

Welcome, @Yakmike! I think putting a roof rack on a Transit Connect is fairly straightforward, especially if you get the utility version which basically has holes for you to bolt whatever you want up there. So it's just a matter of getting some bars that you can mount your kayak rack to. Regarding new vs used: I always buy used because a new car loses a ton of value just driving off the lot and you might get a lemon (My Transit Connect was actually a leman that the previous owner bought new, but they lived in California so Ford had to buy it back. I bought it cheap from a dealer who got it at action after Ford replaced the entire electrical!). That said, I think diesel is an engine option in the 2019 Transit Connects, which is probably going to get you better fuel economy and (high end) torque than an ecoboost engine.

Good point about threading! I looked into how to remove a set nutsert in case this happens. It sounds like a total pain!

Nice post, @Don Ridley! Looks like I have a bit of work ahead of me. Perhaps the thing to do first is remove just the panel behind the door latch and hit the inside of the latch with some compressed air. Can the door latch panel be removed with a screwdriver instead of a door panel removal tool?

When you open the driver's side door from the inside on my 2014 XLT a few thing are supposed to happen. If the vehicle is off, opening the door should unlock the other doors, activate the dome light, and turn off the radio if it's on. If the vehicle is on and moving, opening the door should cause an alarm and warning light on the dashboard. As of late, none of this has been happening. I think it's a problem with a sensor in the handle because if pull the handle all the way and let go a few times the sensor will eventually trigger, but not always. Has anyone had this problem before? I'm wondering if the handle needs to be replaced or maybe just the sensor, or maybe the sensor just needs to be cleaned. I've had other issues with my van related to dust accumulated from dirt roads so hopefully it just needs to be cleaned. Regardless, I'll need to pull out the handle. Has anyone done this? Much thanks!

Funny you mention them. A friend just informed me this weekend that we have a Fastenal in town and they would likely have it. Thanks! I found a blog where they use the same technique but use a wrench instead of a power drill. Power drill definitely seems like the way to go. Also, Sergiy Sem's videos are great!

A little off topic, but where did you get the Nutserts? None of my local hardware stores have them and the shipping and handling when buying online is only reasonable when you buy them in bulk. Pretty sure I don't need 100+ nutserts! Thanks

Look great, @JonBowerbank! Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely refer to this thread when I'm ready to fill the back window panels.

Hey. Sorry for the slow reply. Thanks for making a video, @dinocarsfast! Very helpful! It looks like the heater fits well where you put it. Also, nice subfloor. At this point I think I'm going skip the OEM heater in the back and just go with a Webasto. Hopefully once the van is insulated it'll be nice and comfy while driving and camping.

Good point. I'm probably going to end up putting windows on the sliding doors as well ? The original plan was to just build out the back for camping but there have been so many outings where people were just rolling around in the back that I decided to change the plan. C'est las vie. Correct. I'm planning to build a platform in the remaining cargo space to level it out. It'll have drawers for extra storage. Cool! Did you hook it into the vehicle's gas tank and exhaust? I was think of installing the heater under the floor in front of the second row bench, if there's room...

Thanks for the links, @davidparker. Those heaters sure do suck a lot of volts! I guess electric isn't that viable of a solution after all since I'm going to have at most 2 auxiliary batteries. The problem is I really don't want to be burning propane (or some other fuel) while commuting just to heat the rear. Perhaps the thing to do is install the OEM auxiliary HVAC (schematics attached) and then hook another closed loop heater into the ducts to be used when the vehicle is parked. Anyone have experience with Webasto or Propex heaters? Good point about the insulation, @Fifty150. I haven't insulated the rear yet but I was planning to start with an insulated subfloor. In fact, I was finalizing the design of the subfloor when I realized I was going to be covering where the HVAC ducts are supposed to go in rear! Dog pile! Just kidding. Some pore sap is going to have to sleep in a tent ?

Happy New Year, everyone! I've been slowly converting my 2014 LWB XLT from a cargo van into a passenger/camper van. The goal is to be able to drive somewhere with people sitting on the OEM 60/40 second row bench and then convert to camper mode upon arrival. Since it's a cargo van it doesn't have the rear heating system installed, which would be nice for keeping passengers warm in transit (pun intended) and heating the rear while camping. My understanding is that the OEM system only provides heat when the engine is running and is a total piece of crap. So I'm wounding if anyone has installed a closed loop system (can be run while the engine is off) in the compartment under the foot area of the second row bench where the OEM system typically goes. I'm planning to install an auxiliary battery so an electric system would be idea, but I'm open to propane as well if it's efficient enough to be run off a small tank for upwards of a week. Any and all ideas are welcome!

Cross nuts might do the trick. I haven't used them in my van but I'm sure that'll happen soon enough. About to use them in another project that has nothing to do with the van. https://faroutride.com/crossnut

Reading your question again, I guess maybe you were more concerned about the abilities of the defroster and heater in such environments. My TC lives outside and those features work perfectly fine. The heater can take some time since I have the utility version with no insulation in the back. But once it warms up it gets nice and toasty!

I live in the Northern Rockies and use my 2014 TC as an all purpose daily driver year round. That includes driving to trailheads on unplowed dirt roads for backcountry skiing. I have all-terrain truck tires and they work well. The only times I've gotten stuck is due to ice or because the snow was too deep and I essentially beached the vehicle, requiring the snow to be dug out from underneath it. I'm going to get chains this winter to help, and when my tires wear out, I'm going to replace them with something bigger and use spacers to add an extra inch or so to the suspension. Overall, if you know how to drive well in winter conditions and you have good tires, the TC can get you a lot of places. But at a certain point the snow is just going to be too deep and you'll be better served by a vehicle with more ground clearance and four-wheel drive. Since I don't find myself in that situation too often, I just rely on friends with oversized trucks :P My $0.02.