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 Medium lowered floor mid wheelchair user position rear ramp 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 specifications and a suitable platform of engine power output variants have helped. Petrol engines are still not plentiful, but the Volkswagen marque tends to be synonymous with diesel and, of course, their legendary DSG, Direct Shift Gearbox or, as we 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. It is essential to eliminate the flat floor with a wheelchair lift conversion of the Caravelle and Transporter. This decision would come down to wheelchair user height in their wheelchair and wheelchair size, as both these factors are very significant when seeking the best conversion to suit your needs. The Caravelle and Transporter lend themselves to many conversion variations with flat and lowered floor conversions.

Focussing on the lowered internal floor and a rear ramp conversion, we can tell you that the maximum entry height through the rear is significant but will vary depending on the conversion type, so please feel free to check with us before you buy. We are here to help. Internally there is more headroom too, and we have found a lowered floor Caravelle or Transporter to suit a wide variety of wheelchair and scooter users.

The conversions that have had the floor lowered are almost always fitted with a rear ramp. They are also often equipped with lowering suspension, usually fitted to operate automatically with the rear tailgate opening and the lowering of the rear ramp. This cycle makes access to a WAV much more manageable but will always carry a premium cost as it is an expensive option. Some would say that automation is something else to go wrong, but we would beg to differ. These systems are phenomenally reliable, and our three-year warranty will cover you against failure up to its cost to repair; very little can go wrong with these systems that cannot be fixed.

Not all lowered floor Caravelle and Transporters will have a fully automated opening and entry sequence, and they may even have no automation. Automation shouldn’t be a deciding factor when choosing this kind of WAV unless it is essential because it will restrict the possibilities available; they are not out there in great numbers.

The internal structure of the lowered floor should be more important to consider. Lowered floors in Caravelles and Transporters vary, and broadly speaking, there are three different styles as described below:

The “short lowered floor” conversion

The lowered floor in this conversion ends in front of the third-row seat line. Sometimes the height of a wheelchair user will allow them to come further forward to the centre of the WAV even if the floor has not been lowered. In some conversions, the second-row pair of seats in a Caravelle are moved apart during conversion to allow a wheelchair to be settled between the second-row seats giving more space to receive a wheelchair. This conversion can offer the wheelchair user some flexibility and often passengers and carers excellent opportunities to attend to their charge in an emergency. It also will enable carers and passengers to attend more readily to others’ needs onboard, especially if the second-row seats are captain’s seats.

The “medium lowered floor” conversion

This conversion’s lowered floor would end behind the driver and passenger front seats. This conversion will offer the same benefits as the short lowered floor, but the internal vehicle height would be more significant in the centre of the vehicle, allowing taller wheelchair users to move further to the central position.

The “fully lowered floor” conversion

This conversion would extend to the front bulkhead into the footwell recess behind the vehicle’s foot pedals on both sides of the vehicle. This conversion allows the most flexibility and options should it suit your needs. The fully lowered floor is a case of “access all areas” for a wheelchair user. A fully lowered floor would allow a wheelchair to access the driving position (a standard removable seat in tracking would be present and evident). The same access would be afforded for the front passenger position too. Remember, the standard seats would usually be present for a seated driver or front passenger too, or at least one or the other, which could be interchangeable. Then there would be the rear and mid wheelchair user positions, too.

Should any of these lowered floor WAVs have a fully automated rear opening sequence, this would be hugely beneficial for front row wheelchair user occupancy because it gives maximum independence. Of course, some of these WAVs are not available in great numbers and are usually very costly. The fully automated

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, and 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.