Gideon

Much depends if you want/need to keep the rear seats. Lots of ideas & help on this forum. You may even want to look at the camper conversions for storage ideas. Just be careful of ford's "so-called" customer {NON?} service!! All the best.

Am I the only "old geezer" who longs for a LOT LESS computer controls in my vehicule ?? Yes there ARE places where computers do good in cars, but what happened that driving schools stopped to emphacise the computer we were all born with ??

http://www.camper-van-fun.com/mini-camper.html This is European site with lots of ideas. Worth a look for anyone thinking of, or doing conversions. European campgrounds are rather different than on our side of the pond. People tend to go with small, fuel-efficient vehicles due to high taxes and fuel costs. Also distances, recreational green space, and population density contribute to the differences. Wish I could afford some of those (Great!) goodies for my van.

Good site for conversion ideas. Its European but does have some N.American content. http://www.camper-van-fun.com/mini-camper.html

Also dble check all electrical connections to ensure they are clean & tight. From past experience playing with electronics, I know poor connections {loose, corroded, intermittent shorts} are the hardest to diagnose and cause the biggest headaches! And anything you can do to reduce heat under the hood will help. Question: Do you live near the ocean with a lot of salty humidity in the air ?? THAT could (?) be a problem.

Get a ford dealer (yes they charge $$) to program the computer to "Dark Mode". This means outside lights don't come on & stay on for 5 min or so whenever you open doors. Inside lights are controlled by their switches. Otherwise, anything you can do to minimize current draw when engine is off will help. Any bulbs that can be replaced with LEDs will help too. One final suggestion: as batteries do not like heavy currents [out nor in] , consider a DIY or commercial "trickle charger". Easy to make from almost any 12-15VDC pwr supply of under 2 amps output. Can be left on overnight or longer with NO problems. On my 2016 xlt (dark mode set up) wagon I added small solar panels in each rear side window [wired to rear fuse box area] and a slightly larger one on dash in front of steering (had these from some long ago project). Even after standing for about 10 days without use, the van started on first turn. These cannot charge a dead battery, but can make up for the parasitic draw of electronics.

Also, when not on the job, eliminating any unnecessary weight will help.

Power comes from burning fuel. Simple physics: more power = less mpg's. Only thing I can suggest is keeping tire pressure at or SLIGHTLY(2-3 psi max) above specification. This should help reduce "rolling resistance". Any higher psi will cause rapid tire wearout. Don't know if possible, but some sort of streamlined front cover for your ladders may also help.

Or perhaps installing aftermarket auxilliary lights (with switched relays) ??

As I keep saying about ford's non-existing "customer service" !! Really like the Connect wagon - handy, practical, comfortable; but absolutely abhor ford's so-called customer service.

Yeah, that tailgate latch is always in my mind. Something I'd never consider before is to make an opening in the liftgate and add a mechanical release with some sort of exterieur lock - just wishfull thinking for now. No mechanical control is the result of "penny pinching" by manufacturers. They want the cheapest possible method and charge the max possible for it !! Big problem with computerised controls: What training did the computer programmer have in mechanics ?? I'd hate to find out "in the middle of nowhere" that the software was faulty, hacked, or inappropriate !!

Thanks

Pretty sure you'll like the tiny increase in ground clearence come winter. Also around here, the '60's are a bit cheaper - go figure as they do have more rubber on them.

If you need more space and weight capacity, perhaps you should consider a small enclosed cargo trailer. It would certainly be easier on your back than loading on the roof and create far lower 'drag' on the road (better fuel consumption).

Can you tell me the brand of those "universal racks" and if they're available in Canada ? THANKS. This is "just in case" as I don't like the extra drag & possible stability concerns.

Welcome to ford's "Customer Service" ! I guess what they really mean is "the customer services our wallets" !! My 2016 electricals seem DELIBERATELY designed to force people to go to dealers for ANYthing - and pay 'an arm & leg' for it. Thats why I prefer less gadgets and gizmos in my car - at least from the factory !

As best as Irecall, hitch weight when towing a trailer should NOT exceed 10% of tow weight. IE: 2000lb tow limit = 200lb hitch wt limit. And as someone else pointed out, if you're hanging all the weight above & behind the hitch, the allowed weight is cut in half !

Take a look at this site for ideas. http://www.camper-van-fun.com/mini-camper.html Its a european site but has a lot of great ideas.

In case you didn't notice, I commented on Henry Ford and Ford motor Co customer relations, NOT the car itself !

Not sure, but could it be the headlight relay ? Probably worth checking.

As far as Ford's letter of Jan 1942, he HAD to say something after the Pearl Harbour attack and Germany's subsequent declaration of war against the USA. Otherwise he'd be spending the war in "isolation" and who knows what the USA would have done to the company. And don't forget that H.Ford blamed the jews for WW1 and the depression, as well as anything else he disliked. And that 'unicorn' comment was NORTH Korea - very different from SOUTH Korea which sent troops to support the US in Vietnam (as did Austrailia & cdn volunteers who disagreed with Pierre Trudeau's "pacifism").

Unlike Ford, I don't have anything to hide. Note that while its in the "public domain", Ford tries to hide the fact that Henry Ford was a good friend of Adolph Hitler. Wonder what all the WW2 vets and their families think about that ??

After tires wear out and need replacing, consider going with "60" series instead of "55". I find the ride is more comfortable and like the tiny increase in ground clearance.

Ford of Canada CRM:0230129  You replied on Thu 2020-05-21 2:24 PM Rccan, C (C.) <crccan@ford.com> Wed 2020-05-20 7:41 PM Reply Forward More actions Hello Mr. Davison Thank you for contacting the Ford of Canada Customer Relationship Centre, my name is Megan. We received your email on May 16 regarding your concern for your service plan. I understand your frustrations in this matter. We understand that the current COVID-19 situation has resulted in the temporary closure of dealerships. We are aware about our customers concerns about warranties expiring, and claims being unable to be filled, we share these concerns too. However, Ford is currently monitoring the situation in its entirety. This does mean that Ford is currently prioritizing the safety of our customers, partners, employees and dealerships first as safety is Ford’s number one priority. If your warranty expired due to months-in-service and you had a problem with your vehicle during the COVID-19 situation and you could not make an appointment with your dealer for warranty service, while there is no extension of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, your repair will be covered if it would have been covered under the existing warranties. If your warranty expired based on exceeding the maximum mileage allowed under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, special considerations will be provided on a case-by case basis. We are not ignoring or neglecting our customers or our responsibilities during these trying times. However, with our number one priority being the health and safety of our customers, dealerships, partners, and employees on our minds we fully intend and plan to address these concerns and claims once things begin to resolve. As always, Ford appreciates your understanding and support while we Please take care during these trying times. Thank you for contacting Ford of Canada. Sincerely, Megan L. Customer Relationship Centre Ford of Canada Sometimes e-mail communication does not allow us to gain additional information that may be helpful in responding to your inquiry. Should you feel that we have not adequately addressed your question or questions please contact the Customer Relationship Centre via telephone Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 8:00pm. You can reach the Customer Relationship Centre at (800)565-3673. Hearing impaired callers with access to a TDD may contact (800)232-5952.Should you need it in the future, your reference number is . In addition, you can try online support at www.ford.ca. Here you can find answers to frequently asked questions and links to other key product and service information. Ford Confidentiality: -------------------- For security reasons, please do not submit any sensitive personally identifiable information, such as credit card numbers, driver license number, Social Insurance Number, DOB, etc. Thank you. ------------------- Original Message ------------------- From: undefined; Received: Sat May 16 2020 09:25:42 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) To: FOC Tier 1 Email - English NA CRC; Subject: Customer Support Email from Gideon Gelbart Title: Mr First Name: Gideon Last Name: Gelbart Street Address: XXX Desjardins St. City: Hawkesbury Province: ON Postal Code: XXXXXX Day Time Phone: undefined Day Time Call Timing - From: To: EST Evening Time Selected: false Evening Time Phone: undefined Evening Time Call Timing - From: To: EST Cell Time Selected: false Cell Time Phone: undefined Cell Time Call Timing - From: To: EST Email Only: true Email Address: g5762w@hotmail.com Vehicle VIN: NM0GE9F71G1259347 Vehicle Year: 2016 Vehicle: Model Transit-Connect Current Mileage: 91160 Dealership : Hotte Ford Owner Relation: Self Comments: I had paid to transfer a service plan from original owner to me. I was never told it had an expiry date. Due to pandemic lockdown I am now past that date and dealer refuses to accept 1 last service (had 2 times left). This is very poor customer service considering the dealership itself was also under lockdown in March. Would you help me please? Note the response was not even addressed to me. Also parts of sentences were deleted. And Ford has the gall to call this "customer relations" ??

I've got a 2016 [xlt?] wagon bought in 2018. Pull a tent-trailer (approx 1200 lbs) in summer. No problems at all EXCEPT with Ford Customer NON-Service !! I would suggest to program the control unit to "Dark Mode" unless already done. Much easier on battery in our cdn climate. You may also want to switch to '60' series tires from original '55' series. Just remember fuel filler is on passenger side and do not open sliding door at fill-up.