Making Vehicles Wheelchair Accessible

[50BMG]

Hello, I am just asking if anyone has any ideas about making a vehicle wheelchair accessible preferably 4X4. I have a minivan but I feel that it severely limits where I can go and get to. My van has a ~8ft ramp so I always need either a van accessible handicap parking spot or 2 regular parking spots that I know that no one could box me in. Looked into Deuce and a Halfs/5 Tons. Still looking at them as possiblities although I haven't found anyone yet that could do this.

50BMG

 

[Wiredawg]

Hello, I am just asking if anyone has any ideas about making a vehicle wheelchair accessible preferably 4X4. I have a minivan but I feel that it severely limits where I can go and get to. My van has a ~8ft ramp so I always need either a van accessible handicap parking spot or 2 regular parking spots that I know that no one could box me in. Looked into Deuce and a Halfs/5 Tons. Still looking at them as possiblities although I haven't found anyone yet that could do this.

50BMG

I have recent experience with this. Had surgery to remove destroyed prosthetic ankle and have it fused. No weight on it at all for 12 weeks.

I believe the 5th Gen Rams are very good wheel chair accessible. Especially with the automatic retracting steps. The crew cab is great, the maxicab might be better. The floor is flat and the split seats in the rear are accomadating. I like the 2019 Ram 1500 4x4 my wife has. Right now i can get myself into either the front or back seats without help, but my wife had load/unload the wheelchair is kneerover. I dont think anything but a van can be configured for someone by themselves in a wheelchair.

I've been driving this week, but have to have my wife with me for logistics. I could possibly get by myself with crutches or Walker but nothing else. I have a 2017 Ram 5500 4x4 with fixed factory steps I have been able to get in and out of, but is much harder with increased height of steps. Might be better with auto steps. My 5500 is a good comparison for height comparison with 2500 and 3500 4x4s.

So, someone in a wheelchair with limited mobilty with help of another can manage IMHO in Ram Truck but not solo.

Hope this helps. Happy to answer any other questions.

Cheers, Ron

 

[Ozymandias]

Google is your friend.

There are several results, for example this.. http://www.blvd.com/wheelchair-van-conversions/ryno-mobility/wheelchair-accessible-trucks

And more here.. https://www.google.com/search?q=dodge+ram+4x4+wheelchair&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-m

 

[Wiredawg]

Great Post! I only considered unaltered Rams and not conversions. We know a paraplegic who had a front wheel drive Olds 88 and a Ford van both modified for him to operate solo. There's a lot of capability potential on the modified vehicle market.

Cheers, Ron

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

I worked with a paraplegic that drove a Freightliner tri-axle dump truck from a wheelchair. There was a platform lift on the passenger side. The truck was an automatic and all hand controls. It was pretty impressive.

 

[50BMG]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, ideas, and insight. I am completely wheelchair / powerchair bound. Unfortunately I can't even get around on crutches, or a walker. Like I said above I currently drive a dodge minivan on my own without anyone's help by use of hand controls. I did notice this
I mentioned this to few people one of which said that it was a Braun Lift in the truck, he said that I should try to contact 'Masters' who just got a contract with KDOT Kansas DOT to put new Braun Lifts in vehicles that need it.

50BMG

 

[Ozymandias]

Well i think there are several solutions for your needs available, everything seems possible.

Just for understanding - you are looking for a HD 4x4 Pickup, you want to drive it by yourself and you need to be in your Wheelchair as a driver's seat.
Correct?

 

[50BMG]

Thanks Ozymandias, yes the most important things are that I can drive and park the vehicle by myself in my chair. Secondary things are that the vehicle could go most places that a 4x4 vehicle can. A Pinzgaur would be neat since they aren't much bigger than my current minivan and from what I've read are extremely capable off-road if I'm not mistaken. However I don't know how to convert one of those to be wheelchair accessible.

50BMG

 

[jgillott]

Seek out a Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 and add your required lift. They were offered factory 4x4 since late 2015. If you would prefer, find a good used 2x4 of any year and send it to the guys at Whitefeather Conversions. They do incredible work.

https://whitefeather4x4conversions.com/

 

[50BMG]

Thanks jgillott, I will certainly look into that. Especially since as much as I like them exmilitary vehicles / surplus military vehicles like Deuce and a Halfs, 5-Tons, Humvees, and Pinzgaurs are getting harder to find and more expensive as days go by. A more modern and more readily avalible vehicles are where I should be looking.

50BMG

 

[50BMG]

I would think that adapting something similar to a Tommy Gate Lift that most any vehicle could be wheelchair accessible . Am I right in my thinking?

50BMG

 

[Timd32]

I would think that adapting something similar to a Tommy Gate Lift that most any vehicle could be wheelchair accessible . Am I right in my thinking?

50BMG

There was a thread last year where we went over the logistics of doing a truck mod for wheelchair, there were a bunch of idea thrown about... for a pickup it was the transition from the back of the bed to the cab floor that we all kinds got stuck on for a rear lift gate.

If the 5th Gen now has a flat floor as mentioned above thats pretty cool.

Suburban or Tahoe with a rear auto door would save a lot of headache with the back entry.

We have a 19 Suburban I can take any measurements you would like.

Also have a 2018 2500 crew cab if you need any real measurements let me know.

Im sure there are enough of us here that you can most likely get real mesusrements off most anything.

Just let us know. Some times those dimensions sheets just dont do a basic tape measure justice.

 

[50BMG]

I was just looking at the options avalible for a Mercedes Sprinter. There's actually an option for a 6x6 conversion. I don't know all the details on it but a 6x6 Mercedes Sprinter on 406 Unimog Axles with portal boxes would almost make it a BIG Pinzgaur. If I went this far I'd probably also do a 4BT engine swap with an Allison 1000 Transmission and a 10.34 Atlas II 4-Speed Transfer Case.

50BMG

 

[Ozymandias]

You don't want a 6x6.

The 2 Rear Axles always want to push your vehicle straight ahead.
The slippery the ground the worse it is.

If more than 2 Axle - go 4 with 8x8.

3 Axles are good for posing in the City.

BTDT


Check out some Ford Sportsmobile and other 4x4 Conversions of the good ol E350.
That would I recommend, the Ford has a cab that is high enough for you to sit in your Wheelchair and it is really Offroad capable - the 4x4 Sprinter is only made for Bad Roads, mostly winter conditions.
It is a Unibody Construction that is optimised for Payload at a 3500Kg Weightlimit like it is standard allover Europe.

 

[50BMG]

You're probably right Ozymandias. The E350 just might have a higher center of gravity.

50BMG

 

[jgillott]

Respectfully disagree on the E series idea. The standard roof Sprinter is tall enough on the inside for me to stand up. You can't do that with an E series unless it is a custom high roof. It would be doable with an E series, but much tighter on the inside as compared to the Sprinter.

 

[Ozymandias]

That's true, but he needs sit in it in a wheelchair?
For that the Ram is not sufficient but the E should do the Job.

 

[jgillott]

It will depend on how high he needs to be while seated. I only point this out since we shopped for our specifically to haul my mother in her chair before she passed. There is a huge difference in roof height and overall open room between the two.

Now we would transfer her in to a standard seat once she was in, where he wouldn't have to worry about that.

 

[50BMG]

I know that when I'm in my chair I measure no less than 4'8" maybe more, if I were to get a different chair that could change (probably will actually) I don't know if I'll be taller or shorter though.

50BMG

 

[Ken55]

50BMG, can you transfer from your wheelchair to another seat on your own? If yes braun makes a chair that would come out of the truck and down to any level you stop it at. Then you transfer to the lift seat and a crane will lift the wheelchair into the bed and the chair would position you behind the wheel. I know the lift chair runs around $12k & the crane price isn't to bad but as you're well aware any mobility solution is costly. Ive seen used pickups with the above system in it.