[Auto] The 2023 Ford Transit Trail Could Become the Camper Van of Your Adventurous Dreams

[Andy アンディ]

With its Ford F-150 Raptor, Bronco Raptor, and Super Duty Tremor, for example, Ford is no stranger when it comes to getting factory-backed off-road adventure trucks and SUVs into the hands of its eager thrill-seeking, nature-loving adrenaline junkies, who also likely use Fords to get work done during the week. However, Ford hadn't dressed up its venerable Transit van, the proverbial second fiddle in the adventure van market to the 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter (partly because of the Transit's former rear-wheel drive only setup)—until now. With the Transit getting an all-wheel drive option a few years ago and the insatiable po[CENSORED]rity of the off-grid adventure van market, there couldn't be a better time for the 2023 Ford Transit Trail van to hit the scene. It's no Transit Raptor (can you imagine?), but it offers a ton more than the 2022 Transit Adventure Prep Package. A step in the right direction, undoubtedly van builders have their eyes on this machine.

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There's not much need to defend its existence, so we'll keep the why behind the 2023 Ford Transit Trail pretty brief. Because #vanlife. The Class B van segment, where the Trail fits, is reportedly up 30 percent in 2022. There's simply a lot of interest, especially amongst Millennials, with 26 percent intending to make a purchase in the segment. Naturally, the Trail was a missing link for Ford, who partnered with an upfitter for the interior of its debut display Trail. It's a turnkey canvas for do-it-yourselfers, RV manufacturers, and van conversion companies looking to create custom Class B camper vans that can head off-road or get groceries, all while being stored in driveways instead of expensive off-site storage.

Whereas most vans need lots of prep to get them nature-ready—a factor that could jeopardize Ford's 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty—the Transit Trail is an upfit-ready adventure van straight from the factory. Ford does the hard stuff, so adventurers can focus on the fun home-away-from-home part on the inside. It can be serviced at 3,000 dealers, 600 commercial service centers, and 800 mobile service vans.

We'll talk about the various upgrades (over the base Transit commercial van) that make it advantageous for the van-life community. But first, we need to talk about the elephant in the room for those who have been following the Transit Trail's timeline. Although the Trail is new to the United States market, it was previously introduced in the U.K. market. That Transit Trail has a cool Raptor-inspired F-O-R-D grille that we were hoping the stateside Trail would get, too. But it didn't. At least not yet. We refuse to lose hope. These are pre-production pictures, after all.

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Regardless, our Transit Trail does have a pretty aggressive front fascia compared to the base Transit, ready to take on rocks and off-road trails. (Not deer, though. No front end can handle deer.) It has a unique black Transit Trail Blue Oval grille with integrated marker lamps (that's Raptor-esque, at least), cool black HID headlights, and fog lights. It has a massive skidplate-style black front bumper that flows into aggressive black wheel arch cladding that ends in unique splash guards. No chipped paint for that front end. Slider-style driver- and passenger-side steps are also included for easy ingress and egress (and protection)—another Raptor-esque feature. Short-arm, power adjusting, power-folding heated side mirrors with turn signals cap the front end.

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In addition to its beefed-up front end, the 2023 Ford Transit Trail van's rolling attire and stance is further designed for adventure straight from the factory. The 245/75R16 Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse all-terrain tires are mounted on spokey 16-inch Transit Trail black aluminum alloy wheels. The 30.5-inch tires are 2.5 inches taller (more sidewall) than those on the standard Transit and contribute to a 2.75-inch wider track over the base Transit. It does have a spare tire and wheel, which is an off-grid must-have. The Transit Trail has a 2.25-inch body lift. Overall, there's a 3.5-inch ride height increase for improved ground clearance, approach angle, and departure angle.

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The 2023 Transit Trail has some cool tidbits to make the conversion or DIY process cheaper and more streamlined. There's an optional roof vent fan (for those who feel queasy at the thought of cutting a hole in their new van's roof) and drillable areas for cabinetry, shelving, bed, and more. There's also rear-door and passenger-side door privacy windows, illuminated sun visors, built-in 400W AC inverter, and various outlets (110-volt, 12-volt, and USB). A front overhead cab shelf and standard four-way manual swivel driver and passenger Dark Palazzo gray cloth seats help utilize interior space. There's an available 31-gallon extended range fuel tank (up from 25), optional dual alternators, and an available upfitter package to add accessory switches. Most importantly, there's a standard dual-note horn, an aggressive beeper to match the aggressive looks.

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Ford's new Trail van can be configured in several 148-inch wheelbase options: medium- or high-roof in long length, and high-roof extended length. The high roof allows a six-foot five-inch person to stand. It's offered in nine exterior color options that'll allegedly help hide dirt. It's powered by the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 (310 hp, 400 lb-ft of torque) backed by Ford's 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. The Trail comes with Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with five selectable drive modes (Normal, Eco, Mud/Ruts, Tow/Haul, and Slippery). It comes standard with the Heavy-Duty Trailer Package for 6,500 pounds of max towing capacity. Max payload is just over 3,700 pounds; GVWR is 9,500 pounds. It comes with a 3.73 limited-slip rear, heavy-duty front axle, and standard dual AGM batteries. Inside, there's standard SYNC 4, a 12-inch touchscreen, adaptive cruise control, Blind Spot Assist 1.0, Reverse Sensing System, keyless entry pad, high-resolution digital camera, and more.The 2023 Ford Transit Trail van, assembled at the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Mo., will be available fall 2022 (that's now, right?) through dealer order banks and eventually upfitters, and starts at $65,975. We can't wait to see how people outfit this red-hot trim, assuming they can even get ahold of one.

SURSA