radin2son

The passenger seatbelt warning stays on in our 2012 with no passenger, but it either goes out or I just don't notice it. It may simply be the sensor does not register whether or not anyone is in the seat until the seatbelt is fastened. I remember a post where the commercial (?) owner fastened the belt and left it that way. What mpg were you getting with your Ford? We looked at a 2011 before going with our NV.

Enjoy your test drive. That will tell you a lot. There are several families on this forum that are in the same process. Let us know what you decide and why.

Our 2012 has this overly optimistic feature. It consistently shows 1 mpg more than actual, so deleting it in 2013 wasn't a great loss. We mailnly use it for long trips to get a quick view of overall mpg. Motor/Truck Trend averaged 14+ combined mpg for the V8 cargo van. It may have been for the low top, but they also used the high top for their 2016 truck of the year review.

Left side in middle of panel between driver door pillar and gas filler. Same for shore power and city water input. Gray water tank is tiny, maybe 2+ gallons. There may be room for a larger tank, but you will have to crawl under to see for yourself. Best bet is to check the Sportsmobile orientation videos for the NV and Sprinter. Google both on YouTube or Vimeo. Both will show what you can anticipate needing/wanting in a campervan, not just SMBs. I would not go with a wet bath and black water tank. Lumpy bits and need to wear gloves were enough for me... KMG, the NV SMB video will give you a better idea of ph room.

The VW Westy's basically were window vans with a metal sun roof. Omit the metal and there was your access. It was tight fit at the rear due to the angle of the roof. With this you couldn't lower the bed platform as it was on the roof. The hightop SMB in Port Angeles, WA had the same floor plan as ours with cabinets on the driver's side. I thought these would make a great base for an upper bed. The other side had a window so would need a base for that side. I believe you have windows all around, so you would need to fabricate a base for both sides. If you don't need flow through access, I would attempt to have the bed platform fold away when traveling or be removable when not needed to give you stand up room. It would still be a tight fit, but for sleeping it might not matter. It would avoid cutting that big hole. Jon had a valid reason to do so. You may want to drive to SMB North to check out their process. Our's ph is tight but only when getting down. We cannot sit completely upright to get down. Getting up is not a problem.

If the 2016 NV meets your needs, all the more reason to get one...

KMG, I saw your post regarding possibly adding a poptop to your hightop NV. The Roadtrek version is one of the best looking and perhaps most streamlined. (Ford E-series tops look pretty good as well.) I believe the RT opens like the VW pop tops. I have seen quite a few GMC vans from Canada using these as well. An advantage is the hole doesn't have to be as big, leaving a lot of the roof integrity in tack. Are you planning to sleep up there, or is it for ventilation? The latter will be fine, but it can get tight to sleep. OK for kids. If you go with a roof like our's or Jon's, they don't necessarily come down straight and seat themselves the same way every time. You can still latch it securely but it can get noisy on bumpy roads. Because I can see the way it is seated, I can manhandle it into place. Heavy and awkward. If you want ventilation only, l still like the boat hatch idea. It looked good and didn't add much height, or is it hight.

Nissan once or twice a year sends us a $50 off offer to update our 2011/12 nav card. Nothing special about this as it is the same offer they have on line for the 2016 nav cards. The dealer will charge you the full price, $149.99. The description for all nav card updates only mentions the addition of more places, fuel and food mostly, and road updates. We never bothered with this, but may get the 2017 update to keep up with road construction since 2011. It will not improve the unit. Mostly we have it turned off, using it mainly to get through major cities. It has worked well no matter where we travel, but we prefer the overall view paper maps provide. If they made one improvement, we would like an initial route display to see where the nav unit is taking us.

Assuming you have mixed it well, go to auto parts stores and see what they have. No match, try an auto paint specialty business. We have one in Tucson that will match the paint and give you the option of brush or spray. I have used the "brilliant silver" paint from O'Riellys. The match is close enough; it looked darker at first. Unlike other vehicle manufacturers, Nissan paint choices were limited.

Whoa, not what I expected. No offense Laharview but I'll follow these to whatever special event they are going. Why did you go with an NV?

I also am happy with the Firestone OEM tires at 58k+ mi. Our NV left the Canton facility in late 2011 so they are up for replacement due to age, not just tread wear. There may be some cracking on the sidewalls around the stamped tire info, but this may only be cosmetic. I plan to replace them at 60k, most likely with the same tire. Debating whether to go to the AT version in case we end up on wet, slick dirt roads. So far we haven't. According to the Firestone site, Discount Tire will be selling these tires. Convenient for us.

This would be helpful... So far I've seen posts for Cooper, Hankook, Nitto. There was a NV review of the OEM tire that was still going strong at 87k. (There were other truck owners who were getting less than 20k. Go figure.)

Good luck on your quest. PM Chris_commercial manager about your leasing/purchase questions. $32k+ is or close to MSRP. Who knows, you may get the first of the 2017 models.

For what it's worth, there have been previous posts that NVs hold their value, as in not much difference in price between used vs new. $14k for a used Transit is a huge discount. Back to your snow ?. There is a ProMaster video comparing a Transit and ProMaster climbing a short snow covered hill. The Transit failed. Set up? What is curious about most van comparisons is the absence of NVs.

Probably the same timeline. Chris_cm tell us when the last '16 models are being delivered and when to expect the new model but not necessarily what the changes are: extended cargo van, cutaway van and diesel (maybe)? If you are near Salt Lake City, what are the two dealers there saying? If you can find a NVP you really like (and don't need diesel), get it. Since 2012 when we bought our van there have been few changes. "Better" navigation, SL for cargo vans, less chrome for SV vans, tow package standard with V8, more airbags standard... There may be a few more but not enough to delay buying now. The one exception as described by ASD Dad would be the new V8. It would be neat if you could bargain for a full value trade in if this engine is offered in 2017.

Axulsuv's 1500 V6 cargo van averaged 21+ mpg while our 2500 V8 campervan, almost same curb weight as a NVB, averages 15.4 mpg. Since you want the no frills S version, why not search for a V6 SV. You most likely will get 17 mpg or better. I would still be wary about the low mileage Transits. Fleet turnover is one thing, but is it disatisfaction for the reasons you stated?

There are commercial users with 100k and more out there, but the NVP owners on this forum probably not. Axulsuv had 75k (OEM tires) and we have 58k (OEM tires). Most vans only see NV commercial dealerships for routine service, not problems. No question about super durability and keeping NVs for long periods. Diesel or the new V8 will prompt some to trade their NVP for a new one. What mpg have you been told the Transit will get and what type of mpg do you expect? The other question I have who owned and why the Transit with such low mileage is available.

Didn't want to start a new thread just for this, but has anyone seen the new Titan on the road? I haven't unless I thought they were Fords. The local dealer has 4. Well beyond what I would pay for a truck, unless it seats 4 and sleeps 4.

Keep the pressure on and go for the $500 as well.

NVP, Knowing what you wanted in a van and selecting a NV was not "taking a chance."

ASD Dad, Fair comment. But what about surveys? Consumer Reports addresses relisbilty (commercial vans?) over time, while others are more focused on the individual buying experience and will you buy another... Surveys and commercial users? I've seen Chris_cm working the phones and would bet he and the service department (quick, routine maintenance) are all a business owner needs. If there are unresolved problems or too much down time, the business owner won't bother with a survey. He'll be gone. Is this crazy or boredom? We haven't heard from Rick in awhile, but he was still driving his NV. Is it parked next to his Sprinter?

Klaus, You found the data, so why not publish it? There is just something odd about your phrasing, your comparisons and conclusions. Why would NV reliability ever be compared to that of a Land Cruiser? Maybe you are just an "enthusiast" who likes trucks? No data? I'm done.

Klaus, nice try. Nothing readily available regarding commercial vans by googling Strategic Vision etc. You found the data, so provide the direct link, or if you are connected with Strategic Vision, be upfront about it. Some on this forum did receive a survey, perhaps from Strategic Visions. Did you see these posts and go with that to generate 2 initial posts, "take a chance" and "less reliable" that are skewed in the negative.

KMG, does this mean you delete the delete message? I suggest we all ignore Klaus until he can provide the data/link to his assertion... Otherwise, his toll is giving credence to his posts. Not going to happen. Klaus, stay under the bridge.

Klaus, your last post does not tell us anything we on this forum don't already know, it has been well published in print and online and it is very obvious to prospective buyers. That said, where is the data or link to support your assertion "that on average NV owners seem to see their vans as less reliable and trust them less than Ford and Chevy owners." Until you provide this, your posts are simply not useful. Then again, trolls love to exact a toll. Time to get back under the bridge.