Wheelchair vans

[paladinkc]

We have come to a situation where we need to have a wheelchair van for my disabled spouse, unfortunately it seems that they don't mean what they say about them being accessible. How is a disabled person supposed to be able to spend $60,000 in order to be able to go anywhere? Forget asking charitable organizations that are more than willing to take your money, but when it comes to getting help you need...crickets. I thought about self identifying as an angry black lesbian abducted by space aliens, but I figured the aliens would get preferential treatment

[cableguymn]

They are kind of hard to find but I use to buy them from copart. Some are damaged but there are donated ones and if it’s hail damage as long as the glass is good the hail dents won’t effect anything but looks. I wish I could find it but there was a Toyota minivan with 60k on it for 6 grand buy it now.

Why are they hard to find? Because copart enters them as a regular minivan. So you have to go though all of them to find them.

My copart rule applies. Inspect inspect and inspect.

Or have someone inspect for you.

Buy from a no rust area. Those vans runs badly :(

[cableguymn]

https://www.copart.com/lot/70440962

3500 bucks. (It’ll turn in to 4300 with fees) But. You have to find out why it’s there and is that reason worth fixing.

[Red Badger]

https://www.mobilityworks.com/wheelchair-vans-for-sale/

[rlmorel]

Wow. Great link. You just came up with that link just like that. I am impressed.

Sometimes to get what you need from a search engine, it is all in how you ask the question, otherwise, you get bogged down and distracted separating the wheat from the chaff in the return!

[Red Badger]

We used to have a local used car dealer here that specialized in used wheelchair vans. Had a dozen or so on the lot, various prices, but sadly has passed away a couple of years back, else I would have linked to their website. ................

[drSteve78]

You just came up with that link just like that. I am impressed.

Clever group hive. That’s why we are here. Everyone here reads a lot of things, drinks adult beverages, and knows stuff. And kind enough to share.

[plain talk]

Sorry to hear about your situation. I hope you get something worked out. It won’t be easy.

[Persevero]

I hear you about charitable organizations, for example a leukemia society around here rakes in so much.

I suppose they must have disclosure for what they do with all the money. Maybe it all goes to research. But while hubs struggled with leukemia for years, resulting in job loss and huge bills and loss of medical insurance like three times, all we got from them was like $150 reimbursement once for some prescriptions. After that, that fund was “exhausted.”

I really think those donating would have expected some more help for us than that.

[scott7278]

Braunability/United Access may be able to help:

https://www.braunability.com/unitedaccess/us/en/locations.html

They were extremely easy to work with on the repair side, and I’m sure it’s the same with sales.

[Old Student]

Back in about 2007 or so, we got a wheelchair lift for my wife through my insurance. Insurance paid about $7K for the lift, and we paid about $1K. We bought a 1996 Chevy Lumina APV very used. Van, not car. The van didn’t hold up all that well, but surgery on my wife’s back got her out of the wheelchair for a time. She’s gotten quite a bit worse lately, so I was looking for one again. Checked out Craigslist, most of the wheelchair vans are over $27K used. $60K not so used. Did find one in Dallas for only $5800, and that’s only a 3 hour drive...

Wouldn’t have had the money to buy something at all if I hadn’t gotten my 2022 Hyundai Accent Totaled a bit over a month ago... Lost about $5K on the deal, but got enough to pay off the loan, and about $7K to try to replace it. Not enough for a $27-60K vehicle. Dragged out the old lift, and dusted it off.

It’s an Harmar AL600 Pioneer Hybrid Platform Lift, install manual was available from Manuals.com, so downloaded it. I’m, so far, missing the bag of mounting hardware and the foot plate. Those are all replaceable as I do metalworking for a hobby. One of the limitations on the thing is that it’s about 51” long. Most of the mini-vans I’ve looked at are too short unless you’re willing to lose all of the seats in the back. BUT!

Wandered through the Craigslist in my area, and didn’t find much, so was out looking for something at the local auto dealers. Mostly sedans and such, as my wife was finding the ride in the Accent to be a bit too rough.

I found a 2008 Chevy Uplander, and with the 3rd Row seats removed, there is 52” of space back there! I’m also a mechanic, so I’ve been addressing it’s little problems. Paid $4k for the van, so far another $1k for one small problem and another. I can do a lot of repairs (mostly myself) with the around $22K I haven’t spent on another car... The Uplander is notorious for transmission problems, but a rebuilt tranny is available for about $800. Engine is a 3.9L V-6, and those aren’t all that common anymore, but should be available on the surplus market. And I still wouldn’t have spent as much as even a used wheelchair van costs... I am afraid to find out what they are new.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wheelchair+lift+for+cars+and+suv&crid=28BILPUPIV03Z&sprefix=wheelchair+lift%2Caps%2C91&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_8_15

There are a lot of smaller lifts in that link, though Amazon is probably not the best place to find a lift. Does give you an idea of what’s available, and what they can cost. The one I have is a great deal heavier than anything they show. Mine is rated for a power chair that weighs up to 300lbs.

HTH!

OS

[paladinkc]

used with 60,000 miles or more and more than 10 years old in a 4 state area sell for over $40,000

[rlmorel]

That is one of the reasons I come back year after year...:)

If I don’t know how to ask the right questions, someone does!

As Dr. Suess once said: “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

[alternatives?]

I generally start looking at 150,000 miles or so.

[LoneBugle]

Here’s a possibility I found in a search (I have no affiliation with the seller):

https://youngstown.craigslist.org/cto/d/slippery-rock-handicap-minivan-2002/7565601105.html

[Dr. Sivana]

I don’t know where in Kansas you are, but I tried craigslist.org, and a dealer had a 10 year old wheelchair lift Dodge Caravan with 65K for $12,000. That’s not awful.

https://wichita.craigslist.org/ctd/d/wichita-2012-dodge-grand-caravan-4dr/7573282715.html

Affordable Mobility Solutions
220 EAST KELLOGG, Wichita , KS 67202

[Dr. Sivana]

My mistake, the van is not customized for wheelchairs, even though the dealer carries them. Bad search string.

[LastDayz]

I’ve got one down here in Texas for about 7K. It’s a Ford E250 with a 4.6L engine. If interested, I can give you more info. with respect to what been done to it recently.

[paladinkc]

He is in Wichita, believe me I would love it if it were an actual wheelchair van, this one isn’t converted