Mc2guy

Yes, mirrors would reduce a lot of drag, but not very practical if you ask me. I'd first start with the cheap and obvious mods. I'd block up as much of the air vents on the front as possible while allowing sufficient cooling air flow to the radiators. Second, I'd add an air dam from the front bumper as low as practical to prevent as much air as possible from going under the van. Lastly, I'd figure out a panel/skirt for the rear wheels. You speak like you've been down this path, so you know the drill. Five runs over a known course charting before and after averages for each mod independently... that is the only way to verify the value of the mod, otherwise its all speculation. FWIW, I've thought through the cost/value equation for aero mods on the NV and concluded that the only one I'd really consider would be the air dam and blocking some of the front vents. Beyond that, you are going to spend a lot of money and time for really negligible gains. The NV just isn't really a great platform to start with for efficiency mods. Figuring out how to use it less is your best efficient gain. B)

Radin2son, I wasn't trying to argue, just explain my situation/location. Dropping to 65 on the interstate would increase the MPG by approximately 1.5-2MPG from 80 according to my calculations/assumptions on the NV's drag coefficient. I just don't have the time to go that slow! The extra gas $s are just part of the cost I figure into my travel expenses, thus my 13 MPG estimate. Could you get more, you bet, but again time = money and I'd rather pay more to have the extra time at the destination... I do a lot of night driving for the exact reasons you mention. Let the kids' and wife sleep while killing miles and I can nap during the day at some destination while they enjoy the scenery and get their energy out! Mc2guy

I've noticed the NV dumps a lot of fuel on cold mornings to try and heat up the catalyst. It is pretty noxious until the cat reaches temps, but no "unburned fuel" smell, just exhaust smell. If you are smelling raw fuel, I'd have it looked at pronto. You could have a fuel leak.

Have you ever driven on east coast interstates? They're all near some city and are all crowded with aggressive drivers. Driving slower than traffic is just as dangerous, if not more so than going with the flow. At a minimum, keeping up with the Trucks who are mostly doing 70 is a requirement. As for our trip west. While we do stop and smell the roses when appropriate, I am not a retiree making a rambling journey with my wife where time has no meaning. I have three kids under 8 and the motto of our 2500 mile journey is "get there". I make haste, but not in a dangerous manner. Speed limit plus a couple MPH is good. If I averaged 65 vs. 80 on the interstates, that adds nearly an entire day to the trip. Not something I have time for.

Well, most of us in the east are still above $2/gal so that's not really a consistent spread. Yes, altitude increases mileage in naturally aspirated cars since the air is thinner and easier to move through as well as effectively decreasing the displacement and HP of the engine. I should note that I consider 65 on the interstate to be conservative. Most interstates near me the traffic moves at 75-80, which will net 13 or so MPG. I'm planning a cross country trip in June and am expecting to average 13.

And I agree that another 10 gallons in the tank would be nice for range. That said, I have kids so road trips rarely involve uninterrupted stretches of more than three hours without a food or potty break, so this far I haven't had a problem.

My observations suggest the range is calculated based on the last 50 miles driven or so not the full tank. I have seen my range increase during a tank due to slow easy highway driving. Additionally, from an engineering perspective, 12-14 mpg is a realistic range for a 7,000 lbs V8 powered van running a non GDI fuel injection system with no cylinder deactivation. Expecting more over the long term is unrealistic and anyone tauting higher figures must drive either at altitude or very conservatively. I posted in another thread on the physics of gas mileage, but needless to say speed and acceleration adversely affect mileage.

I'm interested, but need some pictures. Sending PM

A modern gas engine should see 200-300k miles in a "normal" application. YRMV. Asking a V6, driven by people who did not own the vehicle (lead foot anyone?) to pull around a 7,000 lbs van, is not a "normal" application in my opinion. Rather, that is a pretty heavy duty application and I would expect a shorter service life. Gasoline engines tend to last in proportion to engine maintenance, and inversely to average engine load as a % of peak. Any engine driven at or close to its limits throughout its service life, will generally have a shorter lifespan. For example, Ford boasts in it's new marketing brochures that their new Transit was designed and tested to provide a 150,000 service life. In other words, they are proud to tell you that they designed the van to last 150k. If you get more than that, lucky you.

Pictures?

I can't say for sure since I can't see the wires, but I'm guessing it is on the lower wall near the floor. Good luck

The factory speaker placement for the passenger van is over the rear wheel wells, not in the doors, so I'm guessing that is not a factory speaker wire.

Looks pretty good... but the real question; does the boss like it? :)

I've noticed the same as Tatunka. In particular if you come to a hard stop, I notice a single beep from the front sensors. I believe this is a result of the nose dipping when applying the brakes hard. I don't notice it any other time, however, as Tatunka said, the front sensors are definitely on when in reverse. I've only had my NV for 10 days so too early to tell, but it hasn't been an annoyance yet. Time will tell.

Make sure you post a picture of what you go with. I'm eager to see how it turns out! I'll probably replace mine as soon as the tires start to wear out a bit...

I have the factory all weather up front and they seem well made and will catch a lot of dirt/sludge/snow. They seem to fit well too, maybe not as much coverage as a weathertech, but close. As for the rear, I'm debating that now. I have small kids that spill anything and everything. Trying to figure out an easily washable/cleanable solution for the rear with the seats in "limo" setting. Will likely have to buy something and custom cut it myself I think. Was thinking of something like this... then cutting to size. http://www.matdepot.com/Home-and-Garage/Parking-Pad-Garage-Floor-Cover/

I actually drove the transit and wanted to like it, but with all the production delays, the low tow rating and the non adjustable rear seating were deal killers. Also waiting six to 8 months after ordering due to production delays... I'll admit that I am a bit scared to see what my gas mileage will look like, but other then that these things seem to be pretty bullet proof, and I need that for our long distance travels. Very comfortable ride and my kids really love it, what more could an adventure dad ask for.

Pulled the trigger on new Passenger SL in Graphite Blue today. Been lurking for a year... Waiting to see if the new Transit could compete for my $. In the end, the Nissan just had more to offer and my wife liked it more. Throw in 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, and it wasn't that hard of a decision. Looking forward to cross country trips with my wife and three boys in comfort!

Axul, You are correct. 0 offset is center of the rim. Negative offset means the mounting point is on the inboard side of the Rim's centerline, Positive means it's on the outboard side. The NV is +40 stock, so 40mm toward the outboard of the rim's centerline. If you mounted a wheel with a 0 offset on the NV, it would stick out 40mm more than stock assuming the same size wheel. Also, there are 25.4mm per inch, so 46 mm is 1.8 inches.

Welcome. I don't own an NV yet, but am considering it. Please make sure you stop in and let us know how life with the NV is, good or bad. Owner's experience is always appreciated. Unfortunately, traffic at this website isn't very strong... i'm guessing because people don't have many problems with their NV to complain about. :)

DennisV is correct. You need to understand the amperage draw. You won't necessarily hurt the motor at lower voltages, but you will hurt the battery if you let it run all the way down. Lead acid batteries (including AGM), are not designed to be drawn down beyond 40-50% of their maximum state of charge. If this is done repeatedly, it will dramatically shorten their operating life and the number of charge cycles you can expect to see. Each battery has it's own unique characteristics, but keeping the amp-hour draw limited to no more than 50% of total capacity before charging is a good rule of thumb. You can expect to see 400-600 charge cycles on a lead acid battery if you treat it well and limit the draw to 50%. If you are taking it down to 0% SOC, you may only get 50 charge cycles before you see sulphation of the cathode plates and significant performance degradation.

Do they squeak when driving or just when opening/shutting? If the latter it is a lubrication issue. WD40 and BreakFree are actually solvents that will dissolve any lubrication and dry out very quickly, they aren't meant to provide lubrication in repetitive use applications. I'd try a lithium grease if you need to spray, or a good bearing grease if you have access to the touch points.