Have Wheelchair Will Travel

Accessible travel | Travelling with a wheelchair

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CAR MODIFICATION – WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES

Buying the right car once a wheelchair is part of your family is a difficult process. We shared our experience a year and a half ago when we bought “Rhonda”, our car, which is a Honda Odyssey. Obviously this car would not suit many people but we use this car for business purposes during the week and as a family car on weekends.  BJ is able to transfer so this is the perfect car for us.   When we are travelling as a family of four the wheelchair can fit in the back of the car in one piece (BJ’s wheelchair does not fold) but we have the option of using the extra seats.  If we are taking extra people with us we take the wheels off the wheelchair and fold down the back rest and we can use one of the additional seats making the car a 6 seater.  We looked at other vehicles but the majority of the 7 seater cars required BJ to step up into the car.  I find that a huge strain on my body as BJ gets taller.  I thought it was time to share a post on car modifications and wheelchair accessible vehicles in the hope of helping those looking for a car or van.

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There certainly is no “one size fits all” approach to finding the most suitable car.  Your needs and budget will determine you choice.  To help you in that process we have collated a range of vehicles and their owner’s comments into one blog.  A big thank you to our very generous facebook community who have provided photos and their experiences.  I am sure this blog will benefit many people around the world.

The MDNSW guide is a great place to start for guidance with purchasing a vehicle.   Thanks to Kathryn for sharing this helpful resource.

TOYOTA VOXY – FACTORY MODIFIED IMPORT FROM JAPAN

My friend Di shares here experience buying a factory modified car from Japan.

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Toyota Voxy

Di says, “After months of more and more regular repairs to our 12+ year old Kia, my mechanic suggested we look into a grey import… a factory modified second hand Toyota imported from Japan. After weeks of investigating and test driving we happily purchased a 2011 Toyota Voxy from Integrity Car Sales and Rentals in Brookvale. The team provide all compliance necessary for the car to be registered in Australia, were very helpful and knowledgeable and lived up to their name.

The Voxy we chose is an 8 seater Toyota, 4 cylinder with CVT transmission. It has two rows of three seats in the back, the 3rd row can be folded up and secured to allow access to the factory installed wheelchair restraints in the rear of the car. It has a light weight, manual ramp which concertinas to provide a clear view through the rear window. The Voxy features hydraulic height adjustable rear axles which makes access very easy. The restraints that secure the front of the chair are also motorised which assists in the loading of a manual chair. It is significantly smaller than a Kia or Torago and easily fits in any car park and is easy to manoeuvre and park. Overall I feel the Voxy is an excellent accessible vehicle with the assurance of the Toyota badge and a factory (not after market) conversion, saving the need to purchase a car and then modify it through a third party.”

 CONVERTED TOYOTA TARAGO

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Converted Toyota Tarago

Thanks to Daniel for showing his family’s converted Toyota Tarago.  This is what Daniel has to say about it, the “Conversion is from Freedom Wheels in Western Sydney (we are from Adelaide). We are happy with it. It doesn’t require tie downs as wheelchair is converted to the lock in mechanism. It has tie down capacity though if using wheelchair stroller etc. It has a button so ramp automatically comes down and goes up. Really good for electric wheelchairs that cant be folded down.”

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Converted Toyota Tarago

Thanks to Daniel for providing a video of how everything works.  Click the link below –

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CONVERTED TOYOTA RUKUS

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Converted Toyota Rukus

Thanks to Jenny for allowing me to bail her up and quiz her about her car conversion.  Jenny only needed a car which could transport herself, her husband and son so they chose to purchase the Rukus and remove all rear seating to allow plenty of room.  Jenny has been very happy with the car which they purchased new and then had converted.

converted Chrysler Grand voyager

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Converted Chrysler Grand Voyager

Thanks to Lisa for sharing her Chrysler Grand Voyager and conversion story.  Lisa says, “just wanted to share our car experience! We have a wheelchair converted Chrysler Grand Voyager. We call it ‘the mystery machine’. We bought our car second hand from a fantastic business in Sydney called freedom motors. They do van conversions and re-sell their cars second hand when the owner upgrades. We didn’t choose the car for it’s looks or speed. Our daughter suddenly became a quadriplegic (she has CP) after a brain injury. We really just needed a car in our price range that could accommodate our daughter travelling in her wheelchair as soon as possible. Freedom Motors were fantastic!! We went down for a meeting with the owner, Garry, and he explained everything, all the pros and cons, all about the conversions, and he even took us for a tour of the factory and workshops! He helped us work out the best option for us, and set us up with a great car that really suits our needs.”

VOLKSWAGEN CARAVELLE WITH HYDraulic LIft

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Volkswagen Caravelle

Thanks to Helen for sharing her views on the Volkswagen Caravelle and the features in her van.  Helen says, “I’m half tempted to recommend a ramp with a winching system rather than a hydraulic lift. The reason being, that if the lift breaks down, you have to lower it with a manual crank. It’s do-able but an enormous palaver!!! In my experience, simpler things have less go wrong with them. So maybe a ramp is best. Plus ramps are a lot cheaper!”  Regarding the harnessing system Helen says, “The harnessing system has 2 positions. Evan normally rides centrally, but can be positioned to the left. This allows us to place another passenger seat to his right, when we need to”  Helen’s experience is that, “side sliding doors are much better, especially if the parking space is a bit tight!”

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Regarding the lift pictured above, Helen cautions, “the lift stores under the vehicle which is great BUT speed bumps must be approached with great caution.”

CONVERTED KIA CARNIVAL

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Converted Kia Carnival

Thanks to Janet and family for sharing their story about their car.  Janet says, “This is our beautiful car that has changed our lives. It is a Freedom Motors Australia modified Kia Carnival. The ramp is electronic with a button on the side I press for it to go up and down. We have a docking station, so the wheelchair slides in, docks, then I put the seatbelt on and off we go. NO BENDING. Plus, there are manual systems for everything, so the ramp can be set to manual and the wheelchair can be secured using the old fashioned straps. We all love it.”

converted van

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Thanks to Wheelchair Thailand Hua Hin for sharing your vehicle.  Here is what they had to say, “When you don’t have kids think about sitting next to the driver. More comfortable than in the back of the car.  This is a Ricon lift.”

CONVERTED RENAULT KANGOO

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Converted Renault Kangoo

Thanks to my friend Sandy who has shared her converted Renault Kangoo.  Sandy needed a car which could transport her son in his wheelchair and purchased this from Fleet Works Mobility.  She found it a great benefit buying it already converted so she didn’t need to buy the car and then be without a vehicle while the modifications were being done.  Sandy says she doesn’t feel it would be good as a family car as the back seats are not full size but for her needs she finds it quite roomy.

HI-ACE CONVERTED VAN

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HiAce converted van

Thanks to Toni for sharing her experience with the Toyota HiAce van.  Toni says she “loves it, drives the chair in and click, she’s (her daughter) locked in ready to go!”

CONVERTED CHEVY EXPRESS

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Converted Chevy Express
Thanks to Brian for sharing his vehicle with us.  This is what Brian has to say about it, “This is our shuttle. It’s a 2003 Chevy Express. We chose it because we needed something that can tow a camper, haul home improvement supplies, and can handle Michigan winters. Has all wheel drive and a V8 engine. We love it!”

CONVERTED PEUGEOT TEPEE

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Converted Peugeot Tepee

Thanks to Angela for sharing her family van, a Peugeot Tepee expert long wheel base.  Angela says, “We have 4 seats plus wheelchair space but you can get two extra seats at the back.”

VOLKSWAGEN CARAVELLE

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Thanks to Samantha for sharing her family’s van.  Here is what Samantha has to say about the pros and cons,  The con is that a “big vehicle with roof bars stops you from going into multistorey car parks and low barriers” plus you “have to find parking on double yellow lines or a marked disabled bay in a car park.” On the plus side there is loads of room inside the van to change him when out and for the brothers and sisters and carers”

DODGE CARAVAN – UNMODIFIED

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Dodge Caravan

It is fantastic to get such a range of stories and although many people choose to modify their car it is great to hear about families who do not.  Thanks to Julie for sharing her story.  Julie says, “I did a lot of research before we purchased our Dodge Grand Caravan. My son is still small, so I lift him and his chair in and out. Since they widened his chair a bit, it’s torn up the plastic cover, but that is easily replaceable. When we lay down the 3rd row seats, I can fit his gait trainer, sit to stand, wheelchair, and all the trays. We fit 7 rather comfortably and we have!”

 ADDING A RAMP TO EXISTING FAMILY VAN

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Chelsea has shared a very candid list of pros and cons of simply adding a ramp to an existing car or van.  As she points out this is the cheapest option if you have a car that can accommodate your chair.  Chelsea says, “A manual ramp, costs about $300. If you add this to the (no)cost of already having a van it’s of course the cheapest option. Pros of this style – the ramp is then always with you, helping you get into friend’s houses or other places not accessible. Pros also include, with this style, extra seating, as you can see – my two boys plus two adults in front and two additional kids in the rear – my old minivan did not have the split rear seats or the middle seat in the middle row so this was not possible. Also with this one – this style of travel if you don’t take the power chair you can use a stroller chair in the very back cargo of the van and fit 8 people in this van. Cons – heavy ramp, annoying to lug it around, scratches the van to pieces on the rear bumper, loud to fold it out (clangs etc),  I’m sure there are more cons… but the pros outweigh for at least now. I’ve chosen for our next vehicle, money permitting, the manual Installed rear entry ramp van – the actual converted van with the raised rear and drop floor. Where the kid rides in the van. It’s not possible on this for the kid to ride in the van. There is no tie down for the chair. But kids are safer in car seats than power chairs anyway. My boy is 6.  Another con is that you have to stand on the ramp as you drive the power chair up and in it – otherwise it can be catastrophic. The chair has kind of fallen off the van/ramp before.”

A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TRUCK

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Wheelchair accessible truck

Thanks to Andrew for sharing his story.  Andrew says, “Bigger is better. I modified this one in 2001 & have travelled 2,300,000 Km’s . There s not many places in Australia we haven’t been, I’ve had 4 newer trucks over the years but keep going back to the old & simple Scania.”

If you would like to watch a great video about Andrew and see him accessing the truck then click on the video link below –

VIDEO OF ANDREW ACCESSING THE TRUCK

CONVERTED TOYOTA NOAH 

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Converted Toyota Noah

Lina has an interesting experience to share, “we have recently purchased a Toyota Noah. We imported it from Japan using an import broker. 5 seater with hydrolic rear to lower the motorised ramp. Wheelchair passenger can sit in second row. It is smaller than a targo or multivan. We transport our son who is 4.5 in a powered wheelchair. Still room to include other equipment at the back if you fold one of the back seats up.”

CONVERTED MERCEDES VITO

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Michele shares her experience with a Mercedes Vito van, “we have a Mercedes Vito van with rear hoist, 2 years old when we bought it. Only had one single seat in back (behind driver) and room for wheelchair next to it directly behind the two front seats. We are a family of 5 so added a fold down jump seat between the two front seats to start with then later added a two person bench seat that folds down as a back row once the wheelchair is in. Boys are now too big for the jump seat (13 and 15) as they get in the way of me changing gears, but it is great for our two small dogs! Nathan is 18 and 2 years ago we had to start taking the headrest off his wheelchair when loading because it didn’t fit the entry so we now put the chair in tilt when in position and click the headrest back in and return it to upright position. Headroom, including your headrest need to be considered when choosing your vehicle. When going on holidays we put a luggage pod on the roof and can still safely fit 3 surfboards next to it. Buying a wheelchair accessible van was life changing, it meant Nathan could have his independence using his power wheelchair when we went out instead of only using it at school.”  Photo courtesy of Google and an example only.

sienna minivan WITH LIFT

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Sienna Minivan with wheelchair lift

Thanks to Adapted World for sharing their experience.  If you would like to read the whole story head to the link below to read the full blog.  A wheelchair lift on the back of a van avoids the necessity to modify the floor in a vehicle and avoids ramps, so it is definitely a great option to consider.  Head to their blog here

CONVERTED VOLKSWAGEN CADDY

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Converted Volkswagen Caddy

Kathy shares her experience, “we have a long wheelbase Caddy with a fold down ramp – very light and easy to put down. Great to drive long distance and heaps of room. We have 3 seats. We had a Kangoo prior to that but an hours drive to Sydney was long enough as the seat wasn’t comfy”  Thanks to my friend for providing photos of her Caddy.

CONVERTED KIA CARNIVAL

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Robyn shares her family’s experience with a Kia Carnival, “we bought a Kia Carnival and had it converted for a wheelchair last year…..the floor lowers down so there is no extended ramp at all which means that we can now park in “normal parking spots”……..waited 12 years for this and it has changed our lives.”

CONVERTED FORD F250 VAN

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And a heart warming story from Sandra.  Sandra shares, “We frequent Colorado National Speedway and the drivers and their families pitched in and bought this full size F250 for my son and myself. Very grateful for this blessing!! That I can stand up as I tie down the chair is a bonus beyond belief!!”  Thanks Sandra.

DODGE CARAVAN AND ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

10656708_10152438854679633_2039780777.jpgbethThanks to Beth for sharing her experience so far.  Here is what Beth has to say, “Since I have two kids with mobility issues, my vehicle is so important! I actually have a ramp van that can hold two chairs, but I never use it because once the two chairs are in, nothing else fits. And we need so much more than just wheelchairs! I keep the double stroller in the van because I can’t push two chairs by myself. And my oldest daughter likes to bring her walker, but she can’t use it for long distances so she needs another option, too. So my Dodge Caravan with stow and go seats works better for us right now. The girls are small enough yo sit in car seats in the middle row and the rear seat is stowed to make plenty of room so I can fit the double stroller, a medical stroller, two wheelchairs, and a walker back there all at once!”

NISSAN XTRAIL WITH TRAILER

Kathryn shares how she manages without a modified car, “At present while we are working out what wheelchair ( power chair) I now need after changes to my health we are using a regular trailer ( with our Nissan xtrail) and a 3 metre portable fold in half ramp , I get as close to the passenger seat as possible and transfer into car (Nissan xtrail has just the right height for me to transfer) my husband then loads the power chair into the trailer up the ramp and then ties down chair and ramp into trailer, VERY rudimentary but works as an interim measures, as you have to know the dimensions of your chair before you can get a vehicle modified, thought I’d share in case anyone needs temporary measures. Gets me home from work and saves the cost of a taxi until I get my taxi card”

CHEVY MINI-VAN

Thanks to Judy for sharing her experience with two different vehicles.  Judy points out some issues that are well worth keeping in mind when test driving a car.  This is what she has to say, “I had a full size Ford van with a side entry lift, for 15 years. It had the 2 front seats plus the back bench seat. The 2 middle chairs were removed to accommodate the wheel chair. No raised roof or lowered floor. We loved that van. Milage wasn’t the best but we took it everywhere, heavy duty. The agency my son goes through now, uses a Chevy mini van, with a lowered floor and a folding ramp. The ramp is not heavy and easy to use. The back bench is not comfortable, as the floor has been lowered, your feet either dangle or sit on a folding platform that is not comfortable. It is also not well insulated against sound, especially the bottom. I would not purchase this style. Maybe a different model with more luxury would make a difference.”

CARAVAN VS TOWN AND COUNTRY

Christy shares her experience with two different vehicles.  “We’ve had a rear entry Caravan with a bench seat in the middle. That one was ok. No real trunk space unless you wanted stuff loosely around the wheelchair.It was also pretty difficult for anyone but me to use the tie downs for the front of the wheelchair. I also didn’t like that I couldn’t easily access my son if needed; I would have to pull over and park. Downtown parking, I had to be careful that no one could park behind me. It also felt a little dangerous at times, so I got cones out so people could see the end of the ramp. The manual ramp wasn’t bad until I broke the spring on it. The worst part of it was that I’m really short so it was difficult for me to shut the back of the van.

Our second van is a Town and Country. Love, love, love it. We opted for the bench seat in the back, as normal, and to put in a foldaway jump seat. It’s through ams vans. I love the floor because it’s so easy to clean. It has an electric ramp and little extra room in the trunk. I was going to get the EZ locks but they don’t work as well with the tilt in space chairs. It can be a little tight for the wheelchair with the jump seat down and having the wheelchair tilted, but completely doable. I wanted the option to grow my family (we have 3, one with Cerebral P) so I love this van. It’s nice on road trips when I can hop back in the jump seat and sit with the kids, if needed.”

FOR OUR UK FRIENDs – SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION REGARDING FUNDING

Thanks to Olly for sharing this information – “Allied mobility supplied our Peugeot Independence with ramp and safety straps, the also advised that on low income you can apply to have help with the advance payment on a wheelchair accessible vehicle that Motability didn’t tell us about.”

HOME MADE RAMP SOLUTION

One family has shared their home made ramp solution for their van here.

Thank you again to all our facebook community for sharing your cars and vans with everyone.  We are thrilled with the variety.

If you like this blog why not subscribe to receive our blogs via email and join our informative, generous and fun facebook friends on our facebook page.

We would love to hear about your car or van, whether it works for you and if it has any drawbacks.  Leave a comment below.

 




Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emily @ Words I Wheel By says

    Great round-up of adapted vehicles! My family has a 2007 Chevy Uplander that was modified to have a ramp on the side. The ramp can definitely be faulty at times and it has to be opened manually instead of with the automatic button. Also, I recently got my driver’s license and I’m eagerly awaiting the day I get to bring home my own adapted vehicle, a 2014 Honda Odyssey that will have hand controls and a power adjustable seat, as well as a ramp.

    Reply

    • Julie says

      I’m not familiar with that one. The car modifications shared were the ones that our facebook community had personal experience with and therefore could give details of how it worked for them. Thanks for making me aware of another. Julie

      Reply

  4. John says

    You’ve certainly covered a lot here, Julie. It can be tricky picking the perfect car and we need more resources like this I think.

    Reply

  5. Michael A Hutley (Tony) says

    A very interesting article. I have a converted Peugeot Partner Tepee with ramp for a mobility Scooter. This is for my wife’s use but I should very much like to fit a Tow bar. I have visited the local Tow bar specialist and he said not possible. I always feel there is a way over all things and it would be most useful. Please can you help- possibly a removable Tow bar when opening the tail-gate for the ramp? Thank you for your interesting article and time.

    Reply

    • Julie says

      Hi Michael,

      I haven’t had any experience with removable tow bars but as you say there should be a way. Maybe one of our readers can comment.

      Julie

      Reply

      • scott says

        recently saw a trailer that fits an unmodified car tow mount to carry a mobility scooter or wheelchair external to the car. basically like a motorbike rack with wheels and a hydraulic lifter. comes from the US. available in OZ.

        Reply

  6. Linh Trinh says

    I wish I found this website earlier. We are looking to buy a car which can carry 2 small size electric wheelchairs for my 2 sons without having to go for a van. We have a Honda Odyseey, unfortunately it is an old model so it is too high to convert.
    Your blog will help us to think about what we will buy, very appreciated.

    Linh

    Reply

    • Julie says

      Hi Linh,

      We were so lucky that our community were so generous with sharing their experiences. I think it is one of the hardest purchases for many families – confusing and costly, so great if we can help.

      Julie

      Reply

  7. Ken Nichols says

    Do you have an arrangement to allow a battery powered wheelchair to be carried and secured on the roof of a Kia Cerato. The folded wheelchair will fit into the boot but is heavy to load so we are investigating the roof carrying optionoption

    Reply

    • Julie says

      Hi Ken,

      I’ve not heard of anything but maybe some of our readers have. The information provided in this post was provided by our readers.

      Good luck.

      Julie

      Reply

  8. Sharon says

    I am looking for a SUV type vehicle to convert to put my electric wheelchair in the cargo area. Does anyone have any suggestions???

    Reply

  9. Joy Gray says

    This is great information we are just about to start looking around for a more suitable car. We would like to take his power chair with us as he is now having trouble transferring into our current car so will need some thing that is modified so he can stay in his wheelchair. Thank you so much for providing this valuable resource.

    Reply

  11. Jennie says

    I have a slighty off topic question…we put my son’s wheelchair in the back of our honda pilot…we also have a small camping trailer…has anyone found a good solution to being able to access the wheelchair when towing something?

    Reply

  12. Kay says

    We are looking at buying a Volkswagen Multivan and fitting a lift into the back of the van so my husband can stay in his wheelchair while traveling. Has anyone had a Multivan converted as I would like feedback on their experiences.

    Reply

  13. Michelld says

    Hi, we were thinking about adding a ramp to the family van. Do you know if Chelsea had tie downs installed to keep the wheelchair from tipping?

    Thank you!

    Michelle

    Reply

  14. ralph hirsch says

    I’m seeking to find an individual or company that can transfer my Pride 3 wheel electric sport scooter in San Francisco (Embarcadero Pier 27) to SFO on March 6th.. Can anyone help me?

    Reply

  15. Joeanne says

    Thank you for this fantastic article. Looking for a wheelchair accessible vehicle is a headache. This article has really helped me 👍

    Reply

    • Julie says

      Hi, I write about disability modifications and topics but don’t actually do car modifications. You’d need to look for a car modification company, which there are plenty. Good luck.

      Reply

  17. Judy Green says

    Hello we have been looking at importing a Nissan Cube which is already modified. Do you know anyone who has had any experience going through this process with NDIS? Judy

    Reply

    • Julie says

      Hi Judy

      No I don’t know anyone who has done it through NDIS. I know a family who imported one but not using their NDIS. My understanding was the NDIS only funded the car modifications not the purchase of a vehicle.

      Julie

      Reply

  18. Alice Theunens says

    Hi there I am wondering where I can advertise my fully modified car for a wheelchair user… It’s a MERCEDES Vito van 2002 112cdi..diesel …has hydraulic lifter hand controls do c king station for wheelchair and drivers seat that moves right back to docking station …mods cost $40,000 all I’m asking is $15,000 for quick sale. Genuine reason for selling too. Car mechanically very good…

    Reply

    • Julie says

      Alice, I have several local accessible groups. If you post it in one appropriate to your state that would be good. I have Accessible Sydney, Accessible Melbourne, Accessible Brisbane, Accessible Canberra etc.

      Reply

  19. shiva says

    hi good evening sir i am shiva need the hydraulic wheelchair lifting device so what about the price for that one and i am in Qatar do you supply your product over here.
    thank you so much
    best regards
    Shiva

    Reply

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