Low Gas Mileage
Confirmed Issue:
The van appears to be getting low gas mileage.
Affected Units:
Any Vandoit van
Issue Explanation:
New van owners often observe lower gas mileage than advertised for the Ford Transit on their vans, especially the first few times they drive it. This can be due to a combination of aftermarket modifications on the van and driving habits.
Resolution:
This issue is a common one, especially for van owners who drive west on I-70 when leaving the Vandoit facility. It is not truly a problem with the van, but simply a matter of understanding your van's speed and what affects your van's gas mileage, as detailed below:
1. While Kansas may appear to be flat, you’re actually driving uphill the entire way to Colorado: You'll gain somewhere around 3,000 feet in elevation before crossing the Colorado border. Pair that with typical Kansas winds, and your gas mileage will suffer quite a bit.
2. If your van has a roof rack, after-market bumper, and/or lift, these accessories will negatively affect the van's aerodynamics, resulting in a drop in gas mileage.
3. If you have all terrain tires on your van, they are larger and heavier than the factory passenger tires and have a more aggressive tread pattern for off road driving. This adds more rolling resistance than the factory passenger tires that come on the van when new.
If you have all terrain tires: Since your tires are 2 inches larger than factory tires, they will alter your speedometer reading by about 10%. For example, when the dash display reads 80 miles per hour, you’re actually traveling closer to 88 miles per hour. For Ford Transits with all terrain tires, the sweet spot for good mileage is around the 65 mph actual speed mark, which will read closer to 59mph on your speedometer.
Recommendations:
- Drive your van at or below the posted speed limit.
- To gain a clear understanding of your van's gas mileage, reset the van's trip settings when you get to a familiar part of the country. Compare your van's gas mileage to the mileage you are accustomed to in other vehicles.
If you have questions about your van's gas mileage that were not answered in this article, please contact the Customer Support team by submitting a ticket through the Customer Support portal
or emailing
support@vandoit.com.
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