Handicap Van Conversion
Converting a van into a wheelchair accessible vehicle is not an easy thing to do. If you’re planning to do it yourself, you should know that you have to follow many strict legal rules. A wheelchair van has to be safe for a handicapped person. The best thing is to let professionals do the wheelchair van conversion .. They are of course they quite expensive, but they have years of experience, some even do crash test and many are able to provide great advice, service and waranty.
Van conversion ussually goes like this ..
1. Get the right van. Consider the power of the engine, leather Interior, touchpad driving controls, DVD player, sound system, GPS system, power sliding dors etc. You should definetely get a van that suits your taste and wallet. But be carefull because not every van can be converted. Popular manufacturers like GM, DM, Toyota, Mercedes, Pegueot, Ford and Renault have many models that are built to be easily converted, but you have to know which these particular models are. Converting a van that wasn’t constructed for handicap conversion might easily cost you a fortune.
2. Unscrew and remove everything underneath the van.
3. Remove the flooring behind the front seats.
4. Build in the lowered floor, a lift, a ramp or a turnable seat.
5. Increase the rear suspension stiffness.
6. Reatach all the components underneath the van.
7. Replace the original tank with the plastic one.
8. Remove the passenger seats if you are converting for rear entry.
9. Get all the tests done. National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association sets all the rules for converted wheelchair vans. Follow them and you won�t get into trouble. The Cost of the conversion can vary from $8.000 to $15.000. It depends on how much of a van has to be rearranged to make room for the lowered floor. Moving the gas tank can also be costly. The large amount of inserted reinforcement will also increase your costs.
Do the wheelchair van conversion yourself only if you really know what are you doing!
