Comments on: Ford FG Falcon RTV a sure bet

By: Reggie

Reggie — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 22:27:55 +0000

I have owned a B.A.R.T.V. ute since feb 2004.the vehicle itself is a good vehicle.The engine is great, heaps of power and torque,goes like a scalded dog & tows well, frequently tow heavy tandem trailer with 1 tonne plus. the locking diff is good, especially going on rough bush tracks with loose gravel and holes, surprisingly good offroad,(I have a 1200acre property with bush tracks and rocky terrain) good interior with easy to clean rubber floor mats, column auto,big comfortable bucket seats with cloth trim,NOT BENCH SEAT as some would have you believe, BIG roomy cab with good space behind seats for storage. The vehicle has some downsides though, I fitted a heavy 8′ steel tray and the Ford suspension bushes chopped out in 2000km, replaced with nolathane and now have 101000km on them and no problems. I fitted airman airbag suspension and that improved the vehicle no end,marked improvement in load capacity, steering, ride, handling, headlight function (can see better when headlights don’t point at the sky).Tyres, dont get me started, Goodyear Cargo, absolute rubbish, tough tread but no sidewall strength and $300 each easily staked (have done four) ply seperation (2).The vehicle would benifit greatly from better tyre choice. That’s probably why people fit sunraisers and proper offroad tyres, cheaper & better in the long run as probably will do with mine.They are a pig of a thing to see out of and reverse due to low seating position and “B” pillar in the door frame which is a big hinderance offroad and at some intersections. In slippery conditions like wet blacksoil/clay tracks difflocker will push the vehicle straight ahead no matter where you steer.It gets a bit thirsty when towing a heavy load as I My advice to Ford would be Better tyre choice, a heavy duty manual gearbox, possibly territory 4.W.D. system with hi/lo range, slightly longer wheelbase, and improved vision out of the cab

By: Al Juraj

Al Juraj — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:56:15 +0000

The RTV needs the Territory’s 4WD system to complement the raised ground clearance. This would define a true ute, capable off the beaten track but still have the fun and performance for the weekend.

By: Al Juraj

Al Juraj — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:54:01 +0000

It’s not about making a good car, but rather coming up with something that would sell.

By: Mel

Mel — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:16:29 +0000

When is the FG RTV going to be released? There are none on the Ford website.

By: stephen

stephen — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 07:04:06 +0000

hi ive just got a 2006 rtv in december always wanted one i do a bit of mountain bike riding and im starting my own sheetmetal company that is why i got it i love it but i have one complaint
i wanted to put som all terrain tyers on it but there are none that you can legaly put on it
i found this on auto speed some one alse wanting to do the same thing here waht he found

All Terrain RTV?
As Australia’s leading automotive online news source I thought you would be interested in this:

Are you aware that there is no all-terrain tyre that can be legally fitted to Ford’s Rugged Terrain Vehicle (“RTV”) in Australia?

Amazingly, Ford has known about this since the release of their RTV in 2003, yet they maintain that the only tyres available for the RTV are Goodyear Marathon P215/65R16C 106/104T CARGO G26 HIGHWAY tyres in a highway tread pattern. NO motoring journalists have picked this up.

I found out about this only after I took delivery of my brand new RTV last week and drove it to a tyre outlet to have all-terrain tyres fitted – and was told that there are none!!!

Ford have known that in all mainland Australian States there is common legislation that specifies a wheel and tyre combination diameter no greater than 15mm over the OD of the tyre on the Tyre Compliance Plate on the front driver’s door of the vehicle – refer http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au & http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au & http://www.transport.qld.gov.au

This means there are no all-terrain tyres that comply.

I have spoken to certifying vehicle engineers and insurance companies and they say that there is no way around this, except for Ford specifying a tyre size option that will allow all-terrain tyres to be fitted.

The insurance companies says that, in spite of being told there are modifications to a vehicle, the underlying condition of their policies is the vehicle is legal and if it is not, there is NO insurance coverage.

Goodyear Tyre Service told me that at least 1 in 8 vehicles on the road today are illegal due to this 15mm OD law. That is over 1.69 million illegal vehicles on Australiaroads out of 13.5 million – http://www.abs.gov.au

I have been in constant contact with Ford all week and they say the only tyres that are specified or will be specified are P215/65R16C.

Do you know of an all-terrain tyre that can be fitted to a 16” x 7” rim and fall within 15mm of the OD of a 215/65R16? – I can’t find any!

How can Ford sell a Rugged Terrain Vehicle and not allow their customers to legally fit all-terrain tyres to it? Any experienced driver knows that it is extremely unsafe to drive highway tyres onto rugged terrain or dirt roads and then expect to be able to drive out even after only light rain.

John Hooper
Australia

Can any readers suggest an all-terrain tyre to suit?

By: paul glendenning

paul glendenning — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:18:15 +0000

as far as the rtv ute fills a nich. how about ford producing a rtv panel van. ideal for tradies ,surfers , campers and our ever growing ageing population who want to re-live their mis spent youth . baby boomers are retiring in record no’s and its these people who grew up (literaly) in the panel van. ford do us all a favor and re-invent the past. i’d buy one

By: Paddy

Paddy — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:02:03 +0000

Just bought me a 2006 BF RTV on Gas 90k. Clean as a whistle. Had a loud knocking noise. Took it to my mechanic who tightened up a few loose bolts around the rear end. All good, drives great.
Love the ride height and doesn’t handle as bad as I thought it would with the extra height.
Sat in an FG XR6 ute, very nice. Very very nice. I will be the first to put an order with Ford if they bring out an RTV in the FG body.
As mentioned they did sell a few RTV’s without too much effort and very little advertising. Maybe they invest a little in a few adds.
Great combination in the RTV’s
Ford, please realise that you are on a good thing and go the FG RTV.
Paddy

By: who

who — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:13:05 +0000

fg= fugly ve= awsome tough

it a ba rtv falcon

dickheads
lol

By: XemXoes

XemXoes — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:18:25 +0000

I love my BAII RTV, can’t bear to part with it and desperately want another one for my business.

It was perfect for my purposes except for the wheels. Traction in the wet was a problem. Sliding sideways when hitting a slick patch was too exciting.

It now wears BF ute rims and tyres and the handling is much better, as is traction on grass.

Ford…sign me up for another one!

By: Wagon Fan

Wagon Fan — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:13:05 +0000

I miss the XR6 Falcon wagons from the early to mid 90s. In the ED and EF Falcons.

ohhh Nostalgia!