Handicapped Vans

In the early days of handicapped vans they were all made using full size conversion vans and consisted of a large, heavy and very noisy hydraulic lift that look a lot like a scaled down commercial lift gate such as you might see on a delivery truck. The lifts took up a large amount of space in the van and were exceptionally expensive. The price tag was high enough that many handicapped people simply could not afford such a vehicle and often could not go out and enjoy life as much as they should have been able to. Modern handicapped vans are as different to this as night and day as they have undergone a complete metamorphosis. While there are still full size handicap vans on the market and they suit many people and applications quite well, they are no longer the accepted norm. Today 80 - 90% of all vans for handicapped people are minivans.

These vans are being chosen for a several reasons, the most obvious of which is cost. This does not mean cost as in purchase price alone, while minivans can cost as little as half the price of a brand new full size conversion van there are other cost considerations to take into account. The main ones are the cost of insurance and the cost of operating the vehicle. Minivan insurance is considerably less than that of full size vans in most areas; this is due their overall better safety rating amongst other issues. Operational costs start with much better gas mileage with handicap vans constructed from minivans average up to 10 mpg higher fuel economy rating on the highway with their 6 cylinder engine as compared to their full size 8 cylinder cousins. If you like to travel, you will soon find out that the minivan is a much better option. Overall maintenance costs also tend to be much lower as for example the smaller vans tend to run less expensive tires and they last much longer due to the lower weight of a minivan.

Driving a minivan is generally considered to be much easier and finding parking for these handicapped vans is much more readily available. A minivan that has a scooter lift installed can make life much simpler not only for the person who must rely on a scooter or wheelchair for mobility, but for everyone else in the family. With the right type of lift and van travel is once again something that everyone can enjoy as there is nowhere that you cannot go. No matter what size of handicapped vans you are interested in you should contact The Mobility Resource. They offer a nationwide dealer network that can assess your needs and then help you to pick out the van that will best suit your needs. Being confined to a wheelchair or powered scooter no longer means that you have to give up your mobility. The latest innovations in adaptive equipment and mobility vehicles finally makes getting around a pleasure once more allowing you to continue to live life to its fullest.