Accessible Vehicle Conversion Tips
What is actually van conversion? Simply, a wheelchair van conversion is where you take a van and make structural changes and add on additions to make it capable of transporting a wheelchairs user. Plus, if you do a conversion, you can further customize your van (or a used one you buy) to meet your particular needs. But we need to say that all customizations must meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
In this short text we will discuss some basic things that you should consider before you step in a process of converting your van to accessible vehicle that will fit all your specific needs.
One of the most important think to consider is head and ground clearance. Accessible vehicles usually have bigger seats than a standard vans and because of that mobility professionals have to rise up the roof of mobility van for about 10 inches. When the van roof even after lifting doesn’t provide enough space, convertors often have to lower down the floor. In the case of lowering the floor you will need to make some changes on the exhaust and maybe breaking system.
Like everything else in accessible vehicles, the hand controls are not one-size-fits-all items. The hand controls make operating the vehicle easy, although it can take some time to become accustomed to this unique way of driving. Usually, modifications are done in motorized driver seat and hand controls for the pedals. These devices can be for a single control use or can multiple controls for example integral indicator switches.
One of the most important safety features is wheelchair tie down system. This system depends on a wheelchair type and it disables wheelchair moving inside the handicap van. Usually it is attached to the floor of the accessible vehicle.
When it comes to wheelchair lifts there are two main types of wheelchair lifts. First of all is a manual wheelchair lift. On the good side, manual lifts tend to be the less expensive option. They also can fit in smaller vehicles like minivans and even some SUVs.
The other alternative is an automatic wheelchair lift. Automatic wheelchair lifts are ideal for those people who are not able to operate a manual lift. When you install an automatic lift, you will have to use little to no effort to be lifted into your vehicle. Instead, all you need to do to get you and your wheelchair into a vehicle is press a button. However, automatic lifts also require more space and more money.
Other accessible vehicles that are growing in popularity are wheelchair accessible SUVs. In the last few years, the popularity of SUVs has gone through the roof, and more people are choosing them over vans in general. They are larger than minivans, but you can drive them much easy then full sized accessible vehicles. Although full-size vans offer increased room for additional passengers and gear.
If you are sure that you want to convert your van to allow you or your caregiver comfort in every day commuting or summer vacation traveling you should do some research on the internet about professional mobility workshops that are certified for jobs like this? Once again all your customization has to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.








