New vs. pre-owned wheelchair vans

Why pre-owned conversions are often the value buy

A wheelchair van's price is really two prices: the minivan or van chassis, which depreciates like any vehicle, and the conversion — lowered floor, ramp or lift, securements, kneeling system — which is largely mechanical, low-mileage in the sense that matters (ramp cycles, not road miles), and expensive to replicate new. A three-year-old conversion van with moderate miles can carry most of its conversion value at a fraction of the new price. That's the deal a good used purchase captures.

When new is the right answer

• You need a specific configuration — a driver-position setup, a particular ramp type, or a full-size van with a specific number of positions — and nothing used matches.
• Warranty on the conversion matters to you. New conversions carry the manufacturer's conversion warranty on top of the chassis warranty.
• A funding source requires new or requires a vehicle under a certain age. Agency and grant purchases often do.
• Fleet standardization. Operators who run identical units for parts and training reasons.

What we inspect on a pre-owned conversion (and you should too)

1. Ramp or lift operation, repeatedly. Cycle it ten times, powered and (if applicable) manually. Listen for motor strain, watch for hesitation, check that the kneel system lowers and recovers.
2. Floor and structure. Lowered-floor conversions expose the underside; look for rust at the floor pan seams, ramp pocket and rocker area — especially on vans from salted-road states like ours.
3. Door and ramp seals. Water intrusion at the conversion door is the most common used-van complaint.
4. Securement hardware. Floor tracks or docking stations should be intact, with the straps or docking base present and matched to the chair.
5. Labels and paperwork. Conversion manufacturer's certification label, FMVSS 403/404 labels on any lift, and the service history for the conversion, not just the chassis.
6. Chassis basics. The usual: tires, brakes, fluid leaks, transmission behavior, a scan for stored codes, and a title/history check.

We do this on every pre-owned unit we sell and write down what we found. If we wouldn't buy it for a family member, we don't list it.