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BlueandGold

Senior member
Joined
Feb 28, 2015
Messages
634
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
04/2015
Country
US
State
WV
City
Sandyville
I've been looking on eBay and autotrader and various other sites for used accessible vans. I am shocked at how expensive they are. Even the ones that are 10 years old with over 100,000 miles are between $12,000 and $15,000. I just can't justify spending that kind of money on a van. What if I'm not even around in 3 to 6 months? I checked all around my state hoping we could just rent one for Duke appointments or for a weekend now and then. No such luck. No one rents them in WV. For those of you who aren't veterans, did you shell out this kind of money for a van? I'd be better off just buying a used pickup truck with some ramps and a cover for my chair, but I know the vans allow you to ride in your chair so no one would have to haul my ass in and out. Just never expected this. I thought I could get a 10 year old van for about 6 or 8K.

Nothing is easy with this freaking disease.

Vince
 
If the re-sale is good, you have to consider that if you only use it a few months, the re-sale should still be good.

Maybe you could broaden your search or ask your local chapter to help you search.
 
Thanks Kim. WV doesn't have an ALS Chapter.

Vince
 
its awful, vince. yes, we pay that much. :-( but, they do seem to hold value. someone local here told me their clinic arranged a medical transport to get them to clinic, insurance paid for it. not sure if it was an actual ambulance. he was a quad and was not out of bed often.
 
I thought the same thing about putting the chair on the back, but thinking about having my wife transfer me EVERY TIME we went somewhere changed my opinion. There are some less expensive ones, just have to keep looking. Don't forget, you could live 10 more years, you don't know.

Good luck.
Doug
 
I bought a can off eBay motors and six weeks later still no van. I ended up running the Vin and it showed different m8lage. It took me another month to get my money back. I ll9k3d every day on auto trader and Craigs list and ended up buying one from a CALS and we struck up a new friendship. Have you checked if there 8s local handicap taxis? I would just keep checking until you find the right deal but make sure to get the Vin number and run it on carfax. There are 1uite a few dishonest seller's preying on the handicap. You can buy one 9ut of state and can have it delivered through a car shipping deal and it's not to expensive.
 
Vince,

I have been also thinking about this. One thought I had was to pick up an old school van for cheap. Use a set of ATV ramps to enter the door then have a pair of Motorcycle trailer chocks installed in the bed of the van. Use a boat wench then to pull the chair into a locked position in the chocks. All of this would add about $500.00.
 

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Bought a 2004 chevy express conversion van with vangater ii lift for 11,000. Had 82000 miles on it and needed about $2000 in work. Have put about 26000 miles on it in 15 months. Probably could sell it for north of $10000.

Bought it off craigslist from a private party about 3 house away. I don,t trust used car dealers.

Would really like a ATC pickup conversion, but that would cost about $90000.

Steve
 
Braun is converting an Expolrer, but I don't know what they are asking.
 
Vince,

I have been also thinking about this. One thought I had was to pick up an old school van for cheap. Use a set of ATV ramps to enter the door then have a pair of Motorcycle trailer chocks installed in the bed of the van. Use a boat wench then to pull the chair into a locked position in the chocks. All of this would add about $500.00.

Pete, had you considered one of those school/church/community van-buses. Some of them are equipped with chair lifts. There's a dealer here in Melbourne, Florida that always has several on his lot. I can only presume that maybe one or two might be lift equipped. Sorry, I've no clue what they go for.

It might be more vehicle than you need, but in the long run you might find a purpose for all that extra space... I know I would. My Caravan with its 14" drop floor is good, but not nearly big enough for what other things I'd like to use it for.

Take care, Bob
 
Can you find a used van non converted and take out the middle row of seats? Discountramps dot com has a metal foldable ramp with a 600 lb limit that we used
 
Although it was a lot of money, I'm so glad we have our Siena conversion van. We have taken great trips, and it gives me freedom to go places whenever necessary. We think it will hold it's value pretty well, so my husband should be able to sell it when the time comes. This makes me feel less guilty about the purchase.
 
I sold ours for slightly over half the msrp. Probably could have gotten more but it was a group that had done emerfency pwc repairs etc. They had a family in need.
 
Hey Vince, since the advocacy days in DC we are getting a chapter started, I' ll try to find out the info. If you need a van to go to Duke and can git to lewisburg you can use mine no problem. Chally
 
Thank you for the offer Chally! Might have to take you up on it.

Vince
 
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