Ford unveiled the Transit Trail, a more off-road-oriented version of the Transit van, a couple of years ago. Patent filings suggested Ford was considering bringing it to America. And Ford just confirmed that it's happening. The Transit Trail arrives stateside for the 2023 model year. And Ford will reveal the van in November.
Ford provided few details on the American Transit Trail model. From the teaser images, it does not look like a Raptor-style grille will make an appearance. But we expect it will receive similar capabilities to the European model, like all-wheel drive and dedicated off-road drive modes.
Adding the Transit Trail is an obvious nod to the burgeoning camper van market, which Ford already targeted with things like the Adventure Prep package. "A turnkey canvas direct from the factory" would make the Transit an even more compelling base vehicle for custom camper van builders. And it may not just be the manufacturers who benefit.
Ford's release referenced "do-it-yourselfers," too. Ford offers a wide range of name-brand accessories options on vehicles like the Bronco SUV and Maverick pickup. Doing that makes it easier for buyers who can pick up their customized vehicles from the dealer ready-to-go, roll the cost of the accessories into the monthly payment and still be under the manufacturer's warranty. It's also a lucrative practice for Ford, bringing what had been multi-million-dollar aftermarkets for vehicles in-house.
Custom-building an off-road camper van is expensive and labor-intensive. If Ford ends up offering a ready-to-go camper van option with all of the accessories straight from the factory with Ford financing and warranty, that should be appealing, particularly if Ford could churn them out at a regular pace and keep the price point in the five figures.
