If you have had a wheelchair van, wheelchair bus, or shuttle for some time now, you may find yourself asking the following questions:
- I have this old bus, can I…?
- Our van only has 40,000 miles on it but, the inside looks like 200,000. How can I fix it up?
- My current van/bus is “ok”, but it would be better if I had the ability to seat more ambulatory staff.
- Our van/bus is in great shape but the lift has seen its day. What can I do about it?
Regardless of the circumstance, we all find ourselves caught somewhere in between what we have and what we need. The question becomes; how do we bridge the gap? For many, the answer might be to further modify our current wheelchair van, shuttle van or bus to accommodate our current needs.
Refurbishing a wheelchair van or bus often makes good financial sense but before we come to that conclusion, it may help to think about it in terms of a house. Millions will choose to renovate their homes each year. In some cases, people spend more on the renovation than the cost of the original house. The difference, however, is that a home is an appreciating asset whose value will grow over time; A vehicle is a depreciating asset and its value will decrease over time. You may add significantly to the value and utility of the vehicle but, at the end of its useful life, it will be worth very little, or even nothing at all. Therefore, when it comes to renovations, we must always focus our payback analysis on the value that we receive during the period of service.
Why do companies consider refurbishing?
- They have had a vehicle for a few years and now their needs have changed
- They “inherited” a vehicle from a sister company or found an inexpensive used vehicle and want to see if they can make good use of it
- Some people have found that their original equipment was not installed properly or did not meet ADA Specifications and now need to be sure that they are in compliance with applicable safety/usage laws
- Due to an accident, hard use or abuse, there has been damage that ages the vehicle prematurely from a cosmetic or functional standpoint
So, How Much will it Cost to…?
When you are refurbishing a paratransit van or bus, you are paying for two things:
- The cost of the new or additional used equipment and its installation
- The cost of taking out old equipment, preparing for the new modification and repairing any holes or blemishes that are made as a result
The first item is straightforward and mainly comprised of products such as seats, steel, lifts, rubber, etc. The second item, however, is almost all labor and is where the cost can sometimes creep beyond the value of the change. The following are the factors that will make a difference.
- How is the vehicle constructed relative to the request? Is there a steel frame to tap into or build off of? Is there adequate bracing under the floor to support seats and wheelchair tracks? What can we re-use?
- What kind of condition is the vehicle in? All the bracing and framing in the world won’t matter if it is rusted or structurally unsound.
- How much will we have to re-build the vehicle to make it ready for our additional modification?
- How old and how many miles are on this vehicle?
Depending on the answers to the questions above, there may be more cost to refurbish the vehicle than it is worth. For others, refurbishing will be the right answer.
| Modification | Description | Cost and Variables |
|---|---|---|
| Adding New/Additional Seats | Replacing existing seats and/or adding “flip” seats to make room for more wheelchairs or equipment | $300-$800 depending on the seat. Variables will be the bracing required under the new seats, the type of belt required and fabric |
| Adding Wheelchair Positions | Making use of additional space to add another position where a wheelchair can be tied down | $500-$750 per wheelchair position. Again, there is the issue of bracing, this time for the shoulder belt as well. More often than not, this is done in conjunction with the conversion of a fixed seat to a flip seat. |
| Refurbishing or Replacing a Lift | With a “medium” sized investment, you can often get a lot more service out of your vehicle or lift by replacing some key items. If the vehicle still has a lot of years left, a new lift may be the answer | $750-$7,000
How much is a new lift? How much will it cost to re- build it? If the answers are close than buy a new lift and get the warranty. As an “in-between”, we often will replace a worn lift with a good used one but, this depends on what we have in stock. |
| Adding a Lift to a Non-Equipped Vehicle | You have a bus or van that was purchased without wheelchair capacity and now you would like to add that feature to the vehicle. | $10,000 to $15,000. Adding a lift is a much more significant modification, as the lift door way either needs to be created or enlarged to accommodate the entering passengers. Additionally, the floor plan of the vehicle will have to be modified. |
| Equipping a Vehicle with Seat Belts and/or Shoulder Belts | Your bus or van has only lap belts or no belts at all and you would like to make it safer | $300-$650 per seat. In this instance, we are most concerned with tapping into steel to secure the shoulder harnesses. Also, integrating the new components with any existing system will need to be evaluated. |
| Repairing Torn Seats, Flooring and Headliners | Damage Repair | $50-$350 We will consider the cost to replace vs. repair. |
One Final Thought
Can I buy a used van or shuttle bus and make it wheelchair accessible?
Absolutely! We do it all the time. In fact, we have one customer who sends us 10-15 used chassis each year to be converted for their wheelchair van fleet.
If you can get a 1-3 year old van with low (15-30K) mileage, it is very often a good move to convert that vehicle rather than buy new. What you have to pay attention to is how much the price of the chassis has fallen relative to its useful value. Once you drive a vehicle off of a dealer’s lot, the rule of thumb is that it loses 20% of its retail value. The question becomes, has it also lost 20% of its utility value to you? Absolutely not! Therefore, if you can find a van where someone else has borne the brunt of the initial depreciation, but it has low enough miles to provide many years of good service to you, you may have a winner.
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