Hello Transit van community! I've been through the wringer looking at VW vans, the Honda odyssey and myriad other van configurations. I *think* I've finally landed on a ford transit van but my head is swimming with all the options and I'm hoping I can crowd source some insights from this extremely knowledgeable community.
I bought a new Honda fit 3 years ago thinking it would serve me well for the next 20 years. Then my wife and I had two beautiful twins and now the car is a little tight. I'm looking for a van that can serve as a bare bones mini van and can easily convert to a work/cargo van. I was charmed by the setup of the VW vanagon with rear facing bucket seats and a bench seat in the back to seat a total of 7, but not charmed by the high mileage and high prices on every vw I looked at.
So here are my considerations. Hoping you all can point me towards a year and model that would fit the bill. And modifications you can suggest would be great too.
-Windows all around, including the back. The stealth function isn't necessary for us.
-Medium height roof. I like the extra headspace of the higher models.
-Short body. Looking for the most car-like length we can get.
-Seats at least 7. Trips when the grandparents come to town are ridiculous in the Honda fit. Ideally the seating would have two passenger rows in the rear and it would be very easy to take the first or second row out for either hauling or car trips with our two kids. I've seen a number of five seaters with higher tops and short bodies. Does anyone know if we could easily install a second row of seats in back or would it be better to just get a 7 seater right out of the gate?
-We like camping but generally prefer to sleep in a tent. That said I do plan to get old someday and may want to do a camper conversion. I'd like to buy used and keep the car for a long time if possible. It won't be our daily driver.
Thanks for any ideas or tips in advance!
