Modifications and Accessories
On this page: Seat Belts and Tie Downs, Seats, Lift Doors, Wheelchair Lifts, Passenger Entry Doors and Steps, Raised Roofs, Storage Mounts and Accessories, Heating and Air Conditioning, Floor Plans, Van and Truck Upfit Options
Seat Belts and Wheelchair Tie Downs
A wealth of different choices are available for seat belts, wheelchair tie downs and occupant restraints. The selection of the most appropriate product and positioning of these items can make a significant difference for your staff and clients. Retractable and manual tie downs can both be used and you will need to evaluate them carefully. We would love to provide this service for you.
If you have a fleet of vehicles, you may have a myriad of systems in use. By making sure that your wheelchair tie downs and seat belts are complete and in good working order is something that we at VCI Mobility can help you with. In addition, properly training your staff on the use of wheelchair tie downs and seat belts is the single best thing you can do to prevent injury, workers compensation claims and general liability.
Van and Bus Seats and Folding Seats
Seating is the most critical aspect of transportation, so it is no surprise that there is a wide variety of seating options for buses and vans. Whether you are outfitting a luxury coach or just a basic people-mover, there are different seats for each application. Folding and flip seats give you the flexibility to accommodate many combinations of wheelchair users and ambulatory passengers. Accessories such as reclining, better fabrics, armrests and grab bars can further fit your vehicle to your needs and make it both more comfortable and attractive to your staff and clients. Replacement seats and seat covers can help you to restore your wheelchair van, shuttle or bus to a near-new appearance and functionality.
Wheelchair Lift Doors
Wheelchair lift door style and position is critical to designing a van or shuttle bus that will be effective in your application. The options available vary significantly depending on whether you are creating a wheelchair van or a wheelchair accessible bus. The choice for vans is typically whether you want the wheelchair entrance on the side or the rear of the wheelchair van. The same is true for both wheelchair accessible minivans as well as full-size wheelchair vans.
For buses, the wheelchair lift is nearly always on the passenger side of the vehicle. However, you do have the choice of either putting the wheelchair lift door towards the rear of the bus or putting the wheelchair lift door more forward, next to the walking passenger entrance. Where you put your wheelchair lift doors will depend on the clients you serve, your staff and the places you drive and visit.
Wheelchair Lifts
The wheelchair lift is a critical part of your ability to serve your clients and work with your staff. Often in use many times a day, the wheelchair lift you choose has to be as durable and rugged as your conditions demand. Numerous lift varieties are available.
Over the years, wheelchair lifts have been put in vans and buses of all shapes and sizes and all kinds of applications, so many options are available. Many platform widths and floor-to-ground heights enable the wheelchair lift to work in a variety of wheelchair vans and buses. Some lifts also have folding platforms that prevent the lift from obscuring the driver’s view when it is stowed. Safety features such as barriers and interlock systems are also included to make sure that your operation is as safe as possible. Back-up systems that allow for manual operation in the event of a failure are also a critical element for consideration.
Passenger Entry Doors/Steps/Running Boards
Ambulatory passengers — those that are able to walk aboard your wheelchair van or bus or shuttle — need to have an entrance that is built to accommodate their size and level of mobility. Whether you are transporting elementary schools students, hotel guests or clients with significant mobility loss will dictate how you equip the passenger entry way on your wheelchair van, bus or shuttle.
For many vehicles, a running board or step that is made for mobility transportation is adequate. However, for other applications, it is necessary to structurally modify the vehicle to raise the entry height and build in a multi-step entrance way. Grab handles, assist poles and other aids can make any entrance easier to use for your passengers. Driver-operated doors are also a consideration in many applications. Don’t forget the drivers and staff! Running boards also help them to more easily enter and exit the vehicle.
Raised Roofs
Raising the roof on a wheelchair van or shuttle van has an exponential impact on the comfort and safety of your passengers and staff. A higher roof means more interior headroom, resulting in the ability for individuals to walk more upright than in a standard height roof. Increased interior headroom allows passengers and staff to move about the wheelchair van more easily and with less risk of back injury. Fiberglass tops are made in sporty executive styles, as well as larger more institutionally oriented designs.
The clients you serve, the places you visit and the image you are looking to project for your wheelchair van will have a significant impact on your choice of raised roof. Raising the roof also enables the use of commercial wheelchair lifts, as the platforms are just too large for most commercial wheelchair vans to fit into a standard-roof vehicle — especially if you need to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Stretcher/Oxygen/Wheelchair Storage Mounts and EMS Accessories
Medical transport organizations typically equip their vehicles differently than those who are not in this business. Very often, they will require oxygen bottle holders and storage mounts for other medical equipment and supplies. As most also travel with a folding wheelchair, a bracket must be included to store such a wheelchair securely when not in use. In some areas, wheelchair vans are equipped with a stretcher or cot mount, which also requires a special mounting system. As important as the selection of these items is, the placement in the vehicle can be critical to the performance of the staff when transporting clients. Special care is always taken to work with customers to determine the best location for these items.
Heating and Air Conditioning Systems
Heating and air conditioning systems keep everyone comfortable and, for some client groups, climate control is medically necessary. The size of the space you are cooling and the climate in which your vehicles work, will be the main influence on your choice of heating and cooling systems.
For most wheelchair vans and shuttles, a medium duty auxiliary system that ties into the vehicle’s factory climate control systems is usually more than adequate. However, as the vehicle gets larger — like in the case of a minibus — and the climate gets more extreme, larger more robust systems must be installed. Some of these systems will have dual compressors and require heavier duty batteries and alternators to support them. Often 2-in-1 systems that include both heat and AC in the same box are preferred but, when the conditions become more demanding, separate heat and ac units are often required.
Floor Plans
The positioning of wheelchair securement areas, seating product choices and aisle ways are best seen on a floor plan diagram. The floorplan library allows you to look at floorplans organized by the type of vehicle you are interested in, and contains many of the most common floorplans so that you can see what others have done and choose what works for you and your clients. Do you need an extended length van or a standard length van? Are you interested in a bus? Our clear and easy to follow floor plan diagrams are great to share with other colleagues who are involved in the decision making process.
Fleet Van and Truck Upfit Options
Contractors, plumbers and electricians are individuals who often times require additional equipment and accessories to be installed in their vehicles in order for them to be truly functional. In addition, mobile offices, showrooms, custom cargo handling and countless other applications also benefit from unique customizations. Accessories such as ladder racks and shelving, windows and vents, generators and power outlets are very common, as are interior modifications such as walls, desks, lighting, flooring and seating. The possibilities are nearly endless. Whether you are using a full-size cargo van, box truck, sprinter, minivan or SUV, and regardless if you have one vehicle or a large fleet, VCI Mobility is experienced in commercial van and truck upfits and modifications.