Outside Instagram, vans are not having a great year. On Instagram, however, there’s an entire subculture devoted to making them a way of life and a place to live.
Vanlifers use all sorts of platforms for their rides, from the Ford Transit to the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. But they don’t drive and sleep in stock vans. They put thousands of dollars and lots of sweat into remaking them into rolling homes.
That often means upgrading them mechanically, as well, to help them travel off-road to the campgrounds and ‘gram-worthy vistas where van nomads go.
Ford, noted builder of vans, has noticed.
The company will release an off-road-oriented Transit Trail van for the 2023 model year. Yesterday, Ford teased the new vehicle with a brief shadowy video showing it parked in the woods surrounded by the sounds of small woodland creatures and gentle acoustic guitar. They’ve been watching vanlife videos getting ready for this.
The new 2023 Ford #TransitTrail Van is just around the bend. Details coming this November. #VanLife pic.twitter.com/Byrsx88b1k
— Ford Pro (@FordPro) October 12, 2022
It’s difficult to tell much from the video. But we can see all-terrain tires, amber grille marker lighting reminiscent of the Raptor series of Ford trucks and SUVs, and black plastic body cladding around the wheels to absorb the inevitable scratches of the trail.
Recent rumors have suggested the Transit Trail will not be electric and will probably use the 3.5-liter, 310-horsepower EcoBoost V6 currently offered as an upgrade on the Transit XL.
What’s inside? Will Ford offer a full line of vanlife accessories, including sleeping accommodations? Or will they simply sell the Transit Trail as an off-road van and let you add the furnishings at home? We await details. All the video can promise is that they are “coming soon.”
