Buy Wheelchair Van
November 12, 2007
Buy Wheelchair Van
If you need to buy a wheelchair van, there are a lot of options and decisions to consider. There have been a number of major improvements in both the type of accessories used to convert a standard vehicle as well as improvements in the type of customizations that are available. Knowing what your options are when you are looking to buy a wheelchair van, the easier the process will be.
The first major factor to consider before you can buy a wheelchair van is your budget. This one factor will determine a lot of the smaller decisions you need to make as part of the process. If you have the budget for a new vehicle, you can customize it to be perfect for your needs. If your budget will only permit a used vehicle, you will have to compromise on some of the options. You can still find the perfect vehicle; it just takes a little longer.
When you buy a wheelchair van, what you are really buying is a standard full sized van, or minivan, that has been modified to accommodate the loading and storage of a wheelchair while driving. This involves 2 basic components, the vehicle itself and the lift to get the wheelchair into the vehicle. The vehicle is usually a choice between a full sized van and a minivan. Obviously the larger van will give you the ability to carry a few extra passengers with you when you travel. If you are looking to buy a wheelchair van to use for primarily personal use, a minivan might be the right choice. The key here is that you need to understand which of these will work for you when you start looking to buy a wheelchair van and this will help you narrow down the field of possible choices.
The next decision is around the mechanism used to get the wheelchair and passenger into the vehicle. This lift assembly usually falls into two main categories. It is either a ramp style lift, or a "swing" style lift. These both accomplish the same task but do it in different ways. The ramp assembly basically works with the wheelchair being rolled onto a platform, and then that platform is raised to the height of the vehicle entrance, and the wheelchair is rolled inside. This is a very basic operation and there may be controls used to adjust the height when raising the wheelchair. The user also has more interaction with this style of lift and may need to flip open the ramp, close a gate, and raise the lift as individual efforts.
The swing style lift is more automated and requires less intervention by the user. Normally this type of lift requires the wheelchair to be rolled onto a platform, and then the lift raises the platform and swings it into the vehicle. This is a relatively recent design and tends to be a little more expensive than the standard lift.
Either type of vehicle you choose and which ramp is completely up to you, but it is important to consider these issues when getting ready to buy a wheelchair van.
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