Finding a suitable wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) is not as easy as many think. This acquisition may well be a compromise that started with knowing you have to say goodbye to a car you want to travel in for a vehicle you need. Whether you need a new or a Nearly New WAV on the Motability Scheme, WAV rental, or a financed or outright purchase of a new or used WAV, we are here to help you with independent advice on your first or next WAV.

Volkswagen Caravelle mid wheelchair user position rear lift WAV from Southern Mobility Vehicles

Iconic, yes, that’s the word for the VW Caravelle and the Transporter. Both models have lost their van image, which has taken a few years, and some upgrading of specification and a suitable platform of engine power output variants have helped. Petrol engines are still not plentiful, but the Volkswagen marque does tend to be synonymous with diesel and, of course, their legendary DSG, Direct Shift Gearbox or as we tend to refer to it, an automatic.

Not all VW Caravelle and Transporter conversions are equal and are certainly not ideal for every wheelchair user. A drive from a wheelchair, wheelchair passenger upfront, switch conversions, and rear wheelchair user positions are all possible in the Caravelle and Transporter. Flat floor conversions will almost always have a lift; sometimes, these can be under the vehicle floor below the nearside rear sliding door. More often, they are internally positioned at the rear of the vehicle. The preferred lift option will be decided by several factors, which are best discussed because a mistake based on preference is still a mistake, practicality rules for which conversion style and type works best. It lends itself exceptionally well to many conversion variations with both flat and lowered floor conversions.

Focussing on the rear internal lift entry conversion, we can tell you that the maximum entry height through the back door of any flat floor Caravelle or Transporter for a wheelchair user is pretty much the same as coming through the car’s side sliding door once it’s converted to a WAV. Internally there is more headroom, though. By making this clear, hopefully, this becomes the first part of any decision-making process; if the wheelchair user is taller than the entry point, we’d not recommend it; it is as simple as that. So, you’d need to look at the lowered floor conversions available for the Caravelle; we can help with your decision-making process, so feel free to make contact with us.

The level or flat floor internal rear lift conversion means some key preferred attributes to a Caravelle can be retained. Firstly a level floor maintains more of the car’s original integrity, allowing the VW floor tracking to be used for the seats (particularly the flexibility of any captain’s seats present). The much-loved rock and roll VW rear bench seat cannot be present in a WAV with a rear entry lift, of course, but the table, if present, can be used. A rear lift conversion means that the converted vehicle will not have a boot area as the rock and roll seat isn’t present to create the restricted location for anything you want to keep in your WAV, so do bear this in mind when looking at your options.

The seating layout in a Caravelle or Transporter conversion with a rear internal lift means the seating options will differ from an underfloor side entry lift conversion. Still, they are equally as good depending on individual needs. Entering the Caravelle in particular as a WAV via the rear, the first thing to note is that the rear seat, often the nearside one, will not be present, which can be a wheelchair user’s resting place. Alternatively, with the second-row seat removed, they may settle there. Further forward, if the position is designed to be accessible, a wheelchair user may be seated in the wheelchair passenger upfront position. It is vital to remember that the proper conversion and wheelchair occupant restraint system must be present; it is not as simple as removing the seat. A considerable amount of work must occur and the appropriate testing to ensure it is safe and legal.

A VW Caravelle or Transporter WAV with a rear entry internal lift can ensure that a wheelchair entering and leaving this WAV conversion is generally moving in a straight line, sometimes from the lift to the forward most position in the vehicle, the front passenger position. Alternatively, in a flat floor car, the nearside seats could be retained, and the wheelchair user would have a clear path through to the driver’s position. Please remember that this will usually mean that a maximum of three seated passengers could travel with a wheelchair user unless the wheelchair user is to settle in the rear of the WAV. With a Transporter, seating variations may mean more available seating but fewer options for where a wheelchair user can be secured.

There are many seating variations available in the flat floor conversion, and much depends on the original seating specification of the car. It is possible to replace the two third-row single seats in a Caravelle with tracking for a rock and roll seat but do take advice on this; of course, this is not advisable on a WAV with a rear lift. It is also possible to reduce or replace the internal seating with tip and fold seats which aid access through the rear of a Caravelle or Transporter, meaning two rear seats can be assured whilst a wheelchair user also has access through the vehicle to a more forward position.

SMV conclusion: the Caravelle is one of the most popular larger WAVs available to the wheelchair user marketplace with a good variety of interior seating styles, specification levels, engine outputs, and they are also available as a manual and the ofter preferred DSG auto gearbox. The array of conversion possibilities can be a little intimidating, so please ask us to help decide the best one to suit the wheelchair user in your life.

Why not give Southern Mobility Vehicles a call if this WAV isn’t quite right for you. We are independent WAV advisors, so you will get the best of all worlds, whatever your wheelchair access needs are. Whether you are looking for a new Motability WAV, a Nearly New Motability WAV, short term hire, or an outright purchase, we are the WAV dealer to call first. We are here to help; we know how hard it is to be confident you are buying the right mobility vehicle for your needs.