RV Review: Ford Transit Connect Nugget. Spoiler alert – You can’t have one

If you look at the growth of RV sales, the single segment that is experiencing the greatest percentage of growth is Class B RVs. You know, camper vans.

When I wrote about the latest van developments from Mercedes-Benz with their new Citan van in this weekend’s Truck & Towing Trends, a friend reminded me of a converted version of the competing Ford Transit Connect that was a collaboration between that vehicle manufacturer and Westfalia. 

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Yes, the same Westfalia that made the awesome VW van conversions that we now bid up at auctions. 

What is the Ford Transit Nugget?

Dubbed the Ford Transit Nugget, the vehicle was shown at the largest RV show in the world, Germany’s Caravan Salon. 

The standard Ford Nugget camper van by Westfalia starts out as a Transit Custom, with the Nugget Plus adding 14.4 inches of overall length. 

The Custom Nugget is available with a choice of a pop-up roof or a fixed high roof. But the top-spec Nugget Plus is fixed-roof only. The camper van conversion is laid out in a three-room-type configuration that also includes a living and dining area in the middle. 

There’s a double bed that folds out of the roof space and another one that folds out in the living area when needed. 

Two water tanks can hold up to roughly 11 gallons each and can also supply an outdoor shower at the back of the camper. Rear privacy glass, second-row flip-open windows, and a rear defroster are standard.

There’s also an optional fold-out table with two chairs and a power awning. 

The Nugget camper van can be had with Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system with an 8.0-inch screen, cross-traffic alert, pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection and adaptive cruise control.

Putting the motor in the motorhome is a 2.0-liter EcoBlue diesel four-cylinder engine that delivers 128 or 168 horsepower, depending on trim. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Westfalia-converted Nugget camper van features a kitchenette and bathroom with a foldaway sink, sleeps four people, and is available in a long-wheelbase Plus model. 

No Nuggets available in the U.S. – yet

We do get the Transit Connect on which they’re based, but no Nuggets are available in the U.S. at the moment. They are, however, available for order from Ford dealers in select European markets.

I bet these things with the pop-top would sell like hotcakes here in the U.S. I’d love to see them and the price of vintage Westfalia campers in the stratosphere should demonstrate that there is absolutely demand for this. Bueller? Bueller?

##RVT1015b