Courtside Conversions has been part of the accessible minibus market for over 20 years, and it has a product line-up that is extensive. It’s also a completely bespoke supplier, with big plans for 2018
Minibus builder Courtside Conversions has an eye on expanding its presence in the community transport and local authority (LA) markets in 2018, and its range of accessible products will tick boxes for many operators in both sectors.
The company is a relative newcomer to the conversion business, having entered in 1996. Since then, Courtside – which is based in Tiverton, Devon – has established itself throughout the UK, and it has buyers from as far north as Scotland.
“This year will see us make a big push, and our target for 2018 is to win more conquest orders to go with our repeat business,” says Sales and Marketing Coordinator Emmie Birchmore.
Repeat business was very much in evidence when miniplus visited Tiverton late last year.
At that time, Courtside’s workshops were midway through a large order from Devon County Council alongside other builds; on average, two vehicles are completed per week, but there is scope to increase that in the future.
Its most popular products are 11- and 14-seaters based on the Citroen Relay and Peugeot Boxer, but Courtside is also strong with the Iveco Daily, where it offers custom conversions able to take six or seven wheelchair users or up to 16 seats. Converted Ford Transits and smaller WAVs are also part of its line-up, and all are built to the customer’s specification.
2018 is also set to see the first example of the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter arrive at Tiverton, and availability of Volkswagen’s New Crafter in a suitable configuration is awaited. Minibuses based on the new MAN TGE are also likely to be offered in the future.
Historically, Courtside has kept out of the limelight, but it was a major supplier in the first round of the Community Minibus Fund and is a corporate supporter of the Community Transport Association. It also enjoys good relationships with a variety of LAs.
So what’s the story behind its planned growth?
Small beginnings
The business was founded by Esther and Graham Roberts, who are Managing Director and Operations Director respectively. Barry Selway is Sales Manager, but when he retires later this year, Emmie will take on that role.
Minibus conversions began in 1997. Before that, Courtside painted vehicles for a bodybuilder that ceased trading, and it was able to take on an element of that business.
But only the conversion field was of interest, and that remains the case today; coachbuilt has never figured in Courtside’s plans. But a focus on customer service did right from the start, says Emmie.
“Because we are a smaller converter, we can sit down with customers and tailor specifications to what they want, and that delivers a lot of repeat business,” she adds.
“Our emphasis is not on vehicle throughput. It is on quality and building products that are exactly as the buyer requires.”
No completed minibuses are kept in stock, but good relationships with local commercial vehicle dealers mean that base vehicles are held nearby and can be called on at short notice.
“Once we have confirmed the order, we hold a pre-build meeting with the buyer, and we may take along another customer’s minibus that is to a similar specification. That gives a flavour of what we can do.”
A typical day
A look around Courtside’s workshops also gives an idea of the breadth of what it offers. Although the Sprinter is currently absent while the new model is awaited, Daily-based minibuses are prominent, along with smaller Citroen and Peugeot conversions.
The Devon County Council order was dominating production when miniplus visited. It is for 20 accessible Iveco Daily M2 minibuses, and each can accommodate 16 seated passengers or up to six wheelchair users.
A raised Unwin floor coupled to cut-down wheel arches gives a completely unobstructed saloon, and a 500kg Faiveley Vapor Ricon split platform lift is at the rear. Alternatives from PLS, and Unwin’s new Q-Series, are available across the product range.
The Devon vehicles have been supplied by Iveco as vans, but as an option it can deliver part-converted base vehicles. They have side windows and a powered plug door already fitted; the Devon minibuses retain a manually-operated passenger entry.
What Courtside has done for users who can board without needing the lift it interesting. It adds a novel extending telescopic handrail, a modified version of which goes with plug door-equipped Dailys.
That addresses the problem of how to provide a sturdy bar for passengers to hold when boarding and alighting, and the bottom of the door opening is modified with three shallow steps to make entering and exiting easy.
Bespoke fittings
Besides the doorway handrail arrangement, Courtside has two other access aids that are available across its range.
For those minibuses with a sliding side door – principally the Boxer, Relay and Transit – the converter has a cleverly-designed fold-out step. It too comes with a well-designed handrail arrangement, and as the step rotates, an extending vertical bar on the left comes with it.
The other access aid relates to the suspension. Courtside is an agent for VB Air Suspension, and fits its product on both axles when required, although the Daily can be supplied with rear airbags from the factory.
Rear air suspension gives a benefit when loading wheelchair users via ramps, but at the front it gives the ability to lower the step. Control is via separate buttons on the dash, and separate compressors for the front and the rear are fitted.
“We’re yet to really push air suspension, but it is available across our range for buyers that want it, and we have seen that more do now,” says Emmie. “The kit is supplied from Holland and we do all of the work to fit it here.”
For demonstration
For the first time in some years, Courtside has produced an M2 demonstrator. It is a Wave model, built on a Daily, and it showcases many of the things that the converter can do. It has already been trialled by several community transport operators (CTOs) and LAs.
The demonstrator comes with the manual door, modified step and telescopic handrail, and it has a PLS outboard lift. A long-wheelbase Daily has been used and so up to six wheelchair users can be carried, but if a buyer opted for the extra long wheelbase variant, seven are possible.
Seats are from Cogent. While they are all to the same basic design, some individual positions can fold against the side wall, and a number at the rear have folding bases and can be ‘shuffled’ together.
Koller has supplied the floor that includes seven tracking rails, and an overhead luggage rack is on the offside. At the bottom of both sidewalls, downlighting is fitted to enhance illumination when securing wheelchairs, and an auxiliary heater from MV Heating is installed.
Safety aids include cameras for reversing and at the nearside. The latter is linked to the indicator and it allows a view of the blind spot. It has proved particularly popular with CTOs in London.
The demonstrator is powered by the 180bhp F1C engine coupled to Iveco’s eight-speed Hi-Matic gearbox, and on the Wave, Courtside matches the vehicle manufacturer’s warranty by giving three years’ coverage on the conversion.
A promising future?
The Daily-based Wave is a competently-finished minibus. While the demonstrator has been equipped with many items to illustrate Courtside’s capabilities, it is a model that would find a purpose in many fleets.
Likewise, the smaller 11- and 14-seaters and also nicely put together. Considerable thought has gone into their construction, particularly around the sliding entrance door, and when the new Sprinter, Crafter and TGE models become available, they will add further breadth to the range.
Courtside also has a wide variety of suppliers’ products available – and it doesn’t rule out looking into others, should customer demand dictate – and its personal approach will be appreciated, particularly in the community transport sector. “We take the view that if it’s possible to do it, customers can have the minibus completed however they like, even if it takes us a week or two to come up with a suitable design,” says Emmie.
2018 is set to be a big year for Courtside Conversions. By December, it may no longer be keeping its achievements so quiet.