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My Accident!
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MY OWN
VEHICLES:
VW Caravelle VR6
Dodge
Grand Caravan
DRIVE
FROM WHEELCHAIR:
Dodge
Grand Caravan 1
Dodge
Grand Caravan 2
Dodge Grand Caravan 3
Dodge Grand Caravan 4
Mercedes Vito
-
soon!
Kia Sedona - soon!
2008 2009
Dodge Chrysler
& 2008 Voyager
Minivans
WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORT
& DRIVE BY TRANSFERING:
Renault Kangoo
-
soon!
Citroen Berlingo - soon!
VW Transporter - soon!
VW Caravelle
Dodge
Grand Caravan
Citroen Dispatch
- soon!
Kia Sedona
-
soon!
Volkwagon Sharan
Mercedes Vaneos
Toyota Hiace
Fiat Multiplas (Wheelchair
passenger travels in the front)
KANGOO ASSIST(wheelchair
passenger transfers & drives)
Fiat Doblos
MAJOR
VEHICLE
CONVERSION:
Rollx Van Conversions
Braun Van Conversions
VMI Disabled Adaptations
SIMPLE ADAPTATIONS
Control
Systems etc
Hand Controls Manual
Hand Controls Electronic
Van Door openers
Van Wheelchair Tie Downs
DISABLED
ESSENTIAL
EQUIPMENT STUFF!
Understanding...
Grabbers!
Puncture proofed tyres
Run Flat tyres
Tyre Weld Aerosol
Tubeless repair kit
Fuses!
Breakdown Cover
Spare Key
Jump Leads / Rope
Mobile phone + Spare Card
Medical
Money!
Handbook
Satellite Navigation
Tools!
Inverters and Chargers!
Global Warming Myth
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Hello
and Welcome!
These pages
about vehicles with disabled
adaptations/conversions wheelchair access and
wheelchair driving.
Over the years I couldn't find much useful info out there
in internet land for myself
about what kind of adaptations to vehicles were available.
I struggled to find out what was best for me. Or which were the best vehicles to adapt. Just a lot of people trying to sell
me something. Often these people had less knowledge of the
possibilities than I did.
I
realised my experiences and knowledge gained may be of some help to others!
I am
Paraplegic (T4 Complete amongst other problems) and a full
time powerchair user. I have used a car or van with
minor (or sometimes pretty major) modifications as a driver for the
last ten years. I am also a bit of an engineer so
understand a lot about what's available and how everything
works and how to buy things a lot cheaper too in some cases!
Go to my van page for details of the best option
currently available (at least for me) as pictured below!

Click image for a larger view! Or
click
here for an even bigger image!
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Its almost impossible to find real
detailed information on mobility vehicles, or
disabled conversions, or even any decent pictures.
I will try to change that at least as far as my own
adapted vehicles go!
A picture of a disabled conversion says a thousand
words in some cases so many of the images on this
site can be clicked to open a large picture or have
a link to a larger picture as above.
These
pages will tell you in detail what's available on
the market today what's possible to do and where and
how to get it! And I can show you what works
for me and how to save some cash! Almost 50%
savings in some cases if you are prepared to import
a left hand drive version as I did for example.
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The van above...
Currently I drive the
Dodge Grand Caravan SXT above.
We have a similar vehicle in the UK called the Chrysler
Grand Voyager and it is exactly the same as the Chrysler
Town & Country in the USA. Only minor trim differences
and a different grill differentiate all three! This is
possibly the best option available for a wheelchair user if
they want the option of driving from a wheelchair. At a
hefty price.
In the US these things are called minivans. Mine is
seriously modified by Rollx in the USA specifically as a
wheelchair friendly van with lowered floor/ramp etc from new
before ever being registered. Braun do a similar
conversion called the Braun Entervan, or Rampvan, which is
practically identical.
This
site is new
as of 29th May 2007 and will grow quickly as
I get the time and photos and info to complete it.
Anyone wishing to contribute with links or info on your own
vehicles (both users and manufacturers) please contribute!
Thanks. Are you a manufacturer? Want to be added? Then
send me as much detail of your vehicle related products as
possible! By email or snail mail. and some GOOD photos.
Better still samples to look at if you are close enough! See
contact details. Thanks.
Important Reading!
Don't buy a vehicle first! This
is the biggest and most costly mistake people make. If you
already have one then its probably best to sell it. You
are unlikely to be able to modify it in the ways you want or
expect.
The majority of adapted wheelchair vehicles are
adapted from brand new by various companies They only do
certain modifications to certain vehicles. If you do
buy a non adapted car or van first then it is going to be an expensive mistake in more ways
than one. Vehicles supplied already adapted for disabled
usage are VAT free! That means you get a further 17.5
percent off here in the UK.
Different
vehicles lend themselves to be adapted in a variety of
different ways. If a dealer has developed a regular
modification to say the likes of my new van above by Rollx,
it does not mean he can do the same thing with any other
vehicle. These ramp vans based on the Chrysler minivans,
Toyota Sienna and others are built almost on a production
line basis,
In the
case of the Braun Entervan and
Rollx Adapted vans, VMI ramp
vans for example, a very special and carefully designed and
manufactured adaptation has evolved over the years. It
is pretty damned major! It involves such things as
specially moulded body skirts, suspension mods, a complete
new manufactured floor, Different designed exhaust systems,
various carpets and interior plastic mouldings and seat
mountings etc and much more. These parts are manufactured in
quantity to modify only this one vehicle. These parts will
not fit any other van.
Before
you visit a mobility dealer visit as many other web sites as you can that offer the
kind of information you need! Read and research a LOT!
When you have narrowed down
your search and have an idea of what you want allow at least
3 or 4 dealers to demonstrate their vehicles and
modifications and advise you
of the pros and cons. But remember they are selling you a
vehicle! Read between the lines and ask as many awkward
questions as you can! Don't rush. Don't buy the first
"solution" you see. Find out and learn as much as you
possibly can and think about it first. Mistakes are costly!

Larger picture
Larger still
Full size
Travelling in or
driving a normal car while Paraplegic or Tetraplegic.
After my accident that
left me paraplegic (paralysis from T4 chest) down one thing I was worried about
was driving. My worries were like this...
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Would I be
ever be able to drive a car again? Answer yes! The
driving part is easy. Its the getting in and out part that I
struggle with! I am too fat and its hard work. There are
various solutions if you struggle to transfer - see picture below if
you must use a car! This can be done on your own too with a manual
chair because some are collapsible and can be folded and dismantled
to store in the passenger seat next to you. Its slow and hard work
though if like me you are paralysed from the chest down.
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would I be
ALLOWED to drive? Yes. No problem there then!
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would I
need a different licence or test? No, if you already had a
licence nothing changed! If you have not got one yet then you need
lessons and a test just like everyone else. There are special
schools and instruction for this.
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How and
what modifications would be needed? Very little in my own case
initially since
my existing Automatic ford Granada just needed some simple push pull
mechanical hand controls fitting at around 160 UK pounds..
Takes about an hour to fit. If your car is manual you will
either need to change it or get a fancy Simplex Guido clutch
installed in your manual car.
Control
systems can be complex or simple. Can be basic (if you have full control of
your arms/hands) and cheap. Or they can be electronic and expensive! Depends on
your needs. These are discussed elsewhere on this site.
The main problem
for some people with using a car to drive from (or just as a wheelchair
passenger) is getting in and out and what to do with your powerchair or
wheelchair once in! Your choices are:
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A manual chair
(some are very light and fold and disassemble. Like my Kuschall wheelchair
here The idea is that if you wish to drive and you are alone then
you transfer from wheelchair to car seat first. This can be easy if you are
fit. Harder if you are fat! or sometimes impossible if you are quadriplegic.
Cars with wide doors (like many two door cars) and with seats close to the
same height as your wheelchair seat make it easier or possible. The
idea being that you fold or dissemble your manual chair and store it in the
passenger seat next to you for the journey. It works. I used to do it
but its very hard work, and can be slow and uncomfortable in bad weather.
And I fell on the ground on numerous occasions! Some people swear by this
method, some swear at it!
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Similar
to above but there are some modified car seats available that swing and lift
out of the car to enable much easier transfer. If you are on your own you
still have the wheelchair storage problem though. Plus they only
work/fit in some cars. They can be manual or electrically operated. Some use
your cars seat, some use their own seat.
If you are always
with someone else then the wheelchair storage problem goes away. Your assistant
can put a manual chair in the cars boot or hatch at the rear and return it to
you as needed. In addition there are automatic roof storage boxes (the
wheelchair gets put away automatically) and in the event you need to store a
powerchair there are winches that can be installed into the cars boot or into an
estate car to do the work for you. There are many options and I will try to
cover as many as possible
Although for most
people a better solution is simply a van. They seem big when you are used to a
car but really they are as easy to drive as a car after a few miles. With a more
commanding view and lighter controls than most cars.
These come in a variety of special
configurations! I have been using one or another to drive for 8 years. You can get in and
transfer to the drivers seat in my luxury limos so much easier and safer than you
can in a car.
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