im thinking of getting one,brotheres basically in a wheelchair all the time,with his arms/hands/legs basically no good,im starting to struggle to get him in/out of people carrier,just wondered has any one had one,are you best to go for larger van size one or would a renault kangoo sized car/van type be o.k,how practical are they to use normally etc,etc,thanks
You can get almost any vehicle converted for wheelchair use. It depends if he is the driver and what is needed. When my friend came back from Afghanistan he had lost both legs one arm and most of his other hand, however he currently drives a Nissan skyline which has been converted, his chair hydraulically goes into the passenger side.
If you are looking for a roll on roll off option I would recommend a Chrysler voyager, the rear suspension can be changed so it is on air bags that put the rear flat to the floor.
I suppose it comes down to what you / he needs, what you / he likes and how much you have to spend.
Silverback
3 Feathers Haulage
thanks 3fh,he doesnt drive now,hand and legs dont work,has mnd,i dont think he really wants to drive anyway,he was always a big fisherman,every spare minute so he just likes to get out and about,got a volkswagen touran at the moment and up until recently it was fine,but as he gets worse its getting more and more difficult to get him from car wheelchair to car,which is why i was looking at a wheelchair adapted van/people carrier type vehicle,im going to look at two the w/end that are local,peugeot expert tepee[not sure what they are exactly] and a renault kangoo[think may be a bit small for our needs], but ill keep in mind what you said about a voyager ,and have a look around and see if theres one about that i can have a look at,thanks for the advice
have a gander on ebay lot of coverted motors tend to be kangoos as stated aswell as citreon dispatches
He should be looking into a Motability vehicle, you can have anything you want and get it converted with drop floors and ramps etc. There is a large advance payment on WAV’s but some can be driven from a wheelchair. After the advance payment he can just use his DLA to pay the lease payments. He doesn’t need to be able to drive and it would be insured for two named drivers.
I had two Chrysler Voyagers done for a customer, but went to Indiana to get them, had a guided tour round the factory and ordered one while I was there. A good vehicle at the moment is a Vaneo or Vito if you want something cheaper.
If the mileage will be relatively low, buying a used ex-Motability Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) may be a cheaper option. That said, Motability allow contract hire over five years for WAVs, to reflect the higher capital cost, so these vehicles are older by the time they come onto the secondary market. Further, WAVs tend to have very strong residual values.
Overall, it’s a question of looking around and comparing the options. I would simply urge consideration of all options, including Motability. Depending on needs, it may be possible to get a better deal taking the DLA in cash and buying or leasing privately.
i work as a dealer vehicle mechanic, seen loads of converted vans/cars for wheelchair access in the past, most ex motability ones are low milage and have been serviced as it should.
remember a kia sedona(new shape) that had a new floor fitted so the driver could just wheel up a ramp in the back all the way to the front.the rear seats are removeable so could take or add seats as needed!the newer ones are a lot better than the original sedona.the old ones were pants!
or maybe renault traffic…depends how big you want to go!
even saw a vauxhall movano once with special conversions!!
once the contract is up i think you have the option of buying the car anyway! hope this helps
Wheel Nut:
He should be looking into a Motability vehicle, you can have anything you want and get it converted with drop floors and ramps etc. There is a large advance payment on WAV’s but some can be driven from a wheelchair. After the advance payment he can just use his DLA to pay the lease payments. He doesn’t need to be able to drive and it would be insured for two named drivers.I had two Chrysler Voyagers done for a customer, but went to Indiana to get them, had a guided tour round the factory and ordered one while I was there. A good vehicle at the moment is a Vaneo or Vito if you want something cheaper.
You are spot on there mate.
Having been in a w/chair myself 11yrs many of my friends have various vehicles,some drive,others not but the ranges of vehicles and variety of conversions is near endless.The rest of what to do is explained by your good self.
regards dave.
i have just bought this for £310 from auction comes with disabled ramps straps to hold wheelchair in place
im not disabled but have already sold it to a friend who uses a mobility scooter
Sorry if I am to late with this post.I have only just seen this thread.I am a disabled driver with a transit and a sprinter,drive from wheelchair.
If you look on ebay and type in Disabled vehicles cars parts etc you will find several vans,both wheelchair driver or passenger.
Otherwise type Disabled vans for sale on google and loads of sites will come up.
Dave the Renegade:
Sorry if I am to late with this post.I have only just seen this thread.I am a disabled driver with a transit and a sprinter,drive from wheelchair.
If you look on ebay and type in Disabled vehicles cars parts etc you will find several vans,both wheelchair driver or passenger.
Otherwise type Disabled vans for sale on google and loads of sites will come up.
We have a company in our village who converts cars and vans for wheelchair users. Des Gosling Mobility started out when his brother became disabled, it is now a thriving business.
My claim to fame with this is when I went to America to the F1 at Indianpolis. I met the boss of a company who converted Chrysler Voyagers and Mercedes Sprinters for disabled people. I got a full tour of his factory, all of which was accessible by wheelchair for him and his wheelchair bound workers. braunability.com/
We had a customer at my brothers garage who required a van like this for their son and I made enquiries and eventually sold them one, they often said it was the best present he could ever have had apart from his health of course. For me it was brilliant to pick this thing up from the docks and deliver it to his home. I hope he is still enjoying the freedom.
Wheel Nut:
Dave the Renegade:
Sorry if I am to late with this post.I have only just seen this thread.I am a disabled driver with a transit and a sprinter,drive from wheelchair.
If you look on ebay and type in Disabled vehicles cars parts etc you will find several vans,both wheelchair driver or passenger.
Otherwise type Disabled vans for sale on google and loads of sites will come up.We have a company in our village who converts cars and vans for wheelchair users. Des Gosling Mobility started out when his brother became disabled, it is now a thriving business.
My claim to fame with this is when I went to America to the F1 at Indianpolis. I met the boss of a company who converted Chrysler Voyagers and Mercedes Sprinters for disabled people. I got a full tour of his factory, all of which was accessible by wheelchair for him and his wheelchair bound workers. braunability.com/
We had a customer at my brothers garage who required a van like this for their son and I made enquiries and eventually sold them one, they often said it was the best present he could ever have had apart from his health of course. For me it was brilliant to pick this thing up from the docks and deliver it to his home. I hope he is still enjoying the freedom.
Seen Des Gosling’s stand at the various disabled shows Malc.Mobility roadshow and others.I used to have my vehicles done with Reselco in London who were really good.The last crowd Atlas conversions from Waterlooville made a mess of my sprinter.
Doubt if I will be having another new vehicle,as these two should last me out. Have Braun lifts in both of them.