Transit RWD vs Promaster FWD for Winter Travel

Hey all, I did some digging on the site but didn't find much info. Any of you folks have first hand experience with the RWD Transit or the FWD Promasters for getting to and from the ski hill or trailhead during the winter? Most of the info I've been able to find are folks in the midwest/east coast dealing with snow around the city which obviously differs than going up a mountain pass with 6-12" of fresh coming down. I know Transits come in an AWD ($$) and Chevy offers an Express with AWD but I'm leaning toward PM or Transit for the interior space.

Any info is appreciated, thanks!

Can't speak to either model specifically, but in general between FWD and RWD you're always going to be better off in the snow/ice with FWD (regardless of how much you weigh down the rear end of a RWD.)

In my personal experience AWD is worth the extra dollars if you're going to find yourself in the mountains fairly often, particularly in California due to frequent chain controls. I assume that applies to you, living in Reno. I went from an AWD Honda Element, which I dearly miss, and am now rocking a 4x4 Sprinter (which is deceptively an AWD and not a true 4x4, but who's counting.) At the time I bought the Sprinter was the only cargo van you could get with a factory 4x4/AWD. If I was to do it over today I'd be very tempted by the AWD Transit.

Also note that FWD+snow tires will generally outperform AWD+all season tires, but that's not really an option if, like most people, you have some highway driving to do to get to the mountains.

Another can of worms is whether to get a Transit AWD, or a 2WD Transit + Quigley 4WD conversion (F150 parts, for true 4WD with low range). Depends how much sand and rougher dirt roads you'll be doing during the Summer. Unfortunately Quigley probably won't convert a mid-roof, and won't touch a high roof model.

Ford warns about driving on sand with AWD due to possibly burning up the center differential. They should really offer a locking center diff.

Wonder if it's possible to get an AWD Transit, and swap the AWD transfer case to a 4WD transfer case from an F150? Followed by a rear diff locker if necessary.

I hear you on the AWD being worth it but with the market right now I'm seeing them marked up 10k plus. I've been driving either an AWD or 4wd for 15 years so definitely a firm believer in them but not to the extent that I'll over pay.

Interesting about the issue with sand and the AWD. It wouldn't impact me really but definitely something to note for those doing baja trips or something similar.

https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/...-to-awd.82581/

Promaster owner here. I wouldn't want to do it often or as a daily driver but it handles fine on snow and ice. I'm sure if I put dedicated snow tires on it I would be fine for most paved roads. My two experiences are driving it in a 10 degree F blizzard on snow packed roads, (same trip) 32 degrees F slushy blizzard and an ice storm. I just slowed down and didn't drive like an idiot, it was a little spooky feeling but I drive an Outback with Blizzaks otherwise so I figure that feeling is to be expected.

I think baby bear drives a Promaster with snow tires and does just fine in her area.

FWD Promaster if you’re going to stay on paved and plowed roads. That low rear axle kinda fucks your or any sort of GOTOS adventure


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I’ve driven my pro master in all kinds of conditions

Studded snow tires and it is shockingly good

I drive up to monarch all winter, used to make monthly or more trips in all weather conditions to denver along 285

The other day drove on “ 4WD road “ I think some of the GOTOS rigs that I saw that day might have felt slightly deflated to see a big ass van out where they were getting after it




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Just came back from the https://www.adventurevanexpo.com/?gc...oaAnwoEALw_wcB
at Homewood. Plenty of knowledgeable people willing to help answer you questions for free (and they sell beer). Helped me make my mind up re: my next van, Transit AWD 144" 3.6L ecoboost w/ Van Compass 2" lift.

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Originally Posted by scmartin69

Just came back from the https://www.adventurevanexpo.com/?gc...oaAnwoEALw_wcB
at Homewood. Plenty of knowledgeable people willing to help answer you questions for free (and they sell beer). Helped me make my mind up re: my next van, Transit AWD 144" 3.6L ecoboost w/ Van Compass 2" lift.

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Nice, was actually thinking of checking that out but got sidetracked today. Maybe I’ll head up tomorrow.

wannabe, did you have any issue wish unplowed roads or ground clearance probs?

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Originally Posted by nickwm21

FWD Promaster if you’re going to stay on paved and plowed roads. That low rear axle kinda fucks your or any sort of GOTOS adventure


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Speaking from experience?

I mained a shitty rustbucket of a Sebring with a leaky 2.7 and all seasons that were...well more than a few years past rec. we'll put it that way. I was not in a good spot financially and skiing was all that kept me sane. Never lost traction at road speeds or except deliberately to get out of a snowed-in parking lot. Drive smart, anticipate, force your spacing and stay at appropriate speeds and you are fine. For further clarification i point to OP's handle. AWD and winters are merely assistance, albeit a substantially recommended one for the latter. New ride came and they were an instant buy because I am not dumb, but those early November trips before the swap keep me honest about the above.

Now if you're going out of your way to find BC trailheads and isolated roads (almost certainly not the ones headed to resorts), left uncleared for days, that's a different story entirely. But all these tales about chain-checks on arterial roadways down there just have me shaking my head. Is the GP that dreadful you find the need to?

The only time I got stuck I was out in a spring storm with over 12” on the road.

I was able to get myself unstuck, but it took some work.

The low ground clearance is an issue in unplowed roads and parking lots but it makes everyday driving that much better with such a large van


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Own and drive a 2015 transit mid-roof 2wd, drive to ski for years. I have 3 peak snow rated tires and it does great in 10” of fresh on the road. I carry chains and chain up when required, 1-2 times a season. That’s worth the 10k and long wait right there. My van weighs 7200 lbs so it feels planted even in compacted snow and ice ruts on pavement.

I guess it depends on how many chain control stations you *have* to drive through, there’s no getting around it with either vehicle so it might be worth it to wait/spend for the 4wd.

But I’m happy with the transit 2wd in snow.

what's fourth tire? all season?

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Originally Posted by YaBoyBlue

I guess it depends on how many chain control stations you *have* to drive through, there’s no getting around it with either vehicle so it might be worth it to wait/spend for the 4wd.

But I’m happy with the transit 2wd in snow.

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A normal season I’ll hit them 5 or so times early in the morning heading up i-80 from Reno to Truckee. Otherwise it’s a rarity.

When you said “that right there is worth 10k”. Did you mean you’d prefer to have paid an extra $10k to save the troubles of chaining up? I was thinking a $10 4x4 decal would be a solid investment…

Most of the van info on TGR is in padded room or the long thread on RVs on ski/snowboard forum. The RWD vs Promaster topic has been extensively discussed.

I got my diesel Transit in 2015 and had a year wait before Quadvan converted it to 4x4. Back then Quadvan was far preferable to Quigley but I’ve heard quigley has improved. Anyway, living in Tahoe with a RWD Transit kinda sucked. Hiways were fine generally but side streets after a big storm were not despite the snowflake rated tires.

The 2” aftermarket lifts for AWD transits from van compass and Quigley seem to have a decent reputation. If you can afford the AWD upcharge, the long term resale value could be worth it.

I thought the Transit production line was shut down due to supply chain issues?

Thanks, I'll do some more digging. Did a cursory search but didn't see much.

In terms of production, I think you're right. Ford said anything new would be 12-18 months out. That's out of my price range any way as I'm trying to stick close to $25-30K so I have some leftover to get a pop top installed for 3 season camping with the family. Hence the FWD vs RWD argument. If it was just me I'd fork out the extra $10-15k.

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Originally Posted by m2711c

what's fourth tire? all season?

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If you put a slick on your rear right wheel it's easier to do donuts in the parking lot.

I’ve got a 136 hi roof promaster in Maine. Studded snows on all four corners makes it pretty bomber in winter driving conditions.

My nemesis is the access road to Sugarloaf where some douche canoe from Boston in a Camry with city tires will lose traction and force the whole line to stop. I’ve had a hard time getting going from a full stop when that happens. No biggie since it only happens on a powder day…


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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

A normal season I’ll hit them 5 or so times early in the morning heading up i-80 from Reno to Truckee. Otherwise it’s a rarity.

When you said “that right there is worth 10k”. Did you mean you’d prefer to have paid an extra $10k to save the troubles of chaining up? I was thinking a $10 4x4 decal would be a solid investment…

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Since I hit chain control 1-2 times a year, drive on mainly snowy highway and not much “around town” side streets and driveways etc (and when I have had to do that it’s been fine) it’s worth it to me to save the 10k and chain up.

You might be on the other side of the equation though. I’d just be careful about your wants vs needs with this vehicle, it’s very easy to convince yourself that you need features which immediately put you in a 75-80k base vehicle. The sky is the limit with what’s available in van builds, esp if you have someone doing the buildout for you.

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Originally Posted by frorider

I got my diesel Transit in 2015 and had a year wait before Quadvan converted it to 4x4. Back then Quadvan was far preferable to Quigley but I’ve heard quigley has improved. Anyway, living in Tahoe with a RWD Transit kinda sucked. Hiways were fine generally but side streets after a big storm were not despite the snowflake rated tires.

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Do you have the limited slip differential on your Transit?

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Originally Posted by ticketchecker

I’ve got a 136 hi roof promaster in Maine. Studded snows on all four corners makes it pretty bomber in winter driving conditions.

My nemesis is the access road to Sugarloaf where some douche canoe from Boston in a Camry with city tires will lose traction and force the whole line to stop. I’ve had a hard time getting going from a full stop when that happens. No biggie since it only happens on a powder day…


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Doesn't sound so bomber if you can't get moving from a standstill?

But blaming someone else's lack of traction is an awesome diversionary tactic.

My express AWD is dying.
Wish they still made them. Been everywhere and anywhere with m&s tires.

Would love an awd transit. But it’s a unicorn
Too many influencers chasing #vanlife.

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Originally Posted by Core Shot

My express AWD is dying.
Wish they still made them. Been everywhere and anywhere with m&s tires.

Would love an awd transit. But it’s a unicorn
Too many influencers chasing #vanlife.

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How many miles has your Express AWD made it thus far? Been looking at them but can't find anything here local and tend to like the boxiness of the new vans.

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Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Doesn't sound so bomber if you can't get moving from a standstill?

But blaming someone else's lack of traction is an awesome diversionary tactic.

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It is what it is


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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

How many miles has your Express AWD made it thus far? Been looking at them but can't find anything here local and tend to like the boxiness of the new vans.

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Van strong at 120k
Frame rotting. So sad.

But Chevy/GMC AWD is awesome.
So sad they stopped production.

Big money for what’s left. If you can find a clean one, buy it. Quick.

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Originally Posted by ticketchecker

It is what it is


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Did you have a heavy load in the back at the time?

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Did you have a heavy load in the back at the time?

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Maybe a douche canoe?

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Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Maybe a douche canoe?

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You were in the back of his vehicle at the time?

I manage a fleet with a variety of Transits:

1x 2018 350 Cargo Ext High Roof, Quigley 4wd, 3.5 EcoBoost running GENERAL ALTIMAX ARCTIC 12 XL in the winter
3x 2019 350HD cutaway, RWD dually, 3.7 V6 running Nokian Hakkapeliitta CR3 in the winter
2x 2020 350 passenger, AWD, 3.7 V6 running Conti VanContact A/S for now

My experience in winter is that the Quigley 4WD w/ snows is the top dog. Kills it in the snow and ice; a tank.
The AWD with all season tires has been substantially better at ice starts/stops compared to the RWD dually w/ Nokians. I plan on getting snow tires for them this winter.
The RWD dually's are fine with Nokian's but the distribution and control isn't as balanced. It stops fine at speeds on the highway in bad conditions, but struggles to get moving in slippery/uphill conditions.

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Did you have a heavy load in the back at the time?

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Not really. My bed setup weighs maybe 100#, that and a couple pairs of skis and boots.



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Originally Posted by alpinevibes

I manage a fleet with a variety of Transits:

1x 2018 350 Cargo Ext High Roof, Quigley 4wd, 3.5 EcoBoost running GENERAL ALTIMAX ARCTIC 12 XL in the winter
3x 2019 350HD cutaway, RWD dually, 3.7 V6 running Nokian Hakkapeliitta CR3 in the winter
2x 2020 350 passenger, AWD, 3.7 V6 running Conti VanContact A/S for now

My experience in winter is that the Quigley 4WD w/ snows is the top dog. Kills it in the snow and ice; a tank.
The AWD with all season tires has been substantially better at ice starts/stops compared to the RWD dually w/ Nokians. I plan on getting snow tires for them this winter.
The RWD dually's are fine with Nokian's but the distribution and control isn't as balanced. It stops fine at speeds on the highway in bad conditions, but struggles to get moving in slippery/uphill conditions.

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Thanks for the input. This might be a stupid question, but do you think a srw would be better than the duallys in terms of traction?

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Thanks for the input. This might be a stupid question, but do you think a srw would be better than the duallys in terms of traction?

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Yes, for snow: SRW (and ideally a skinnier tire) is better since the tire will sink down and hopefully make better ground contact compared to a DRW and the added width. I can't speak to that very definitively, as I've only had SRW 4x4/AWD and RWD duallys (we had a few Econoline RWD duallys previously). But the duallys haven't been that stellar in snow and the "float" vs "sink" concept for DRW seems to happen in my experince.

As concrete jungle mentioned up thread, we have a 2018 High roof promaster that my husband uses as his daily driver here in Jackson WY
We have good winter tires on it and it has done fine by us. We have chains but have never actually used them.
The rear axel height is a bit of a bummer, but it hasn't ever stopped us from getting to the campsites and trailheads we want to get to.
We did come from a VW Eurovan before that with FWD as well, so we weren't afraid

Although I would say that if I lived in some regions with a ton of ice (new England) or heavy, wet snows (PNW) I *might* consider springing for an awd van, but also maybe not bc this one works fine in 99% of the time

You hear about some people overbuilding their FWD vans and then they get heavy in the rear and are less stable driving so beware of that
My husband built ours out with a fairly simple, open design inside (no sink, stove, etc) and it was weighing in around 6200 lbs last time I checked at the weight station.

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Originally Posted by babybear

As concrete jungle mentioned up thread, we have a 2018 High roof promaster that my husband uses as his daily driver here in Jackson WY
We have good winter tires on it and it has done fine by us. We have chains but have never actually used them.
The rear axel height is a bit of a bummer, but it hasn't ever stopped us from getting to the campsites and trailheads we want to get to.
We did come from a VW Eurovan before that with FWD as well, so we weren't afraid

Although I would say that if I lived in some regions with a ton of ice (new England) or heavy, wet snows (PNW) I *might* consider springing for an awd van, but also maybe not bc this one works fine in 99% of the time

You hear about some people overbuilding their FWD vans and then they get heavy in the rear and are less stable driving so beware of that
My husband built ours out with a fairly simple, open design inside (no sink, stove, etc) and it was weighing in around 6200 lbs last time I checked at the weight station.

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Awesome, thanks for chiming in. I'll be doing a pretty lightweight build and most of anything with weight will be toward the center and front of the van.

I saw that off highway van does a 3" lift for the van that actually raises the axle height as well so if I find myself wanting more clearance I might go that route. Folks have me leaning toward the PM so will probably go that route and report back through the winter if I have anything to add.

Coming from a rock crawling background, I lean toward the Sawzall and sheet metal fab to fit larger tires (for more clearance) whenever possible, and lift only as absolutely necessary. Of course this can mean regearing diffs.

I've been running a PM as a daily driver and travel rig since 2015. Gotten stuck in the mud twice but never in snow. Good snows ftw. Rear axle has never been an issue and I've driven it plenty of places I shouldn't. For $26k off the lot it's been a good value.