Small, accessible Transit offered in short- or long-wheelbase forms with simple, ‘ramped’ conversion able to take one or two wheelchair users respectively; can be driven on Cat B and eight seats possible
Devon convertor GM Coachwork showed its small Ford Transit Custom-based wheelchair-accessible minibus conversion at the CV Show, held at the NEC Birmingham in April.
All work on the new model is done in-house by GM and the Transit Custom conversion carries one wheelchair user in short-wheelbase form and two in long-wheelbase layout. With no wheelchair users present, eight seated passengers including the driver are possible.
Access for wheelchair users is provided via a fold-out ramp at the top-hinged rear door that leads to a ramped low-floor area that extends from the rear of the minibus, between the rear wheels and almost to the front seats.
“The whole idea of lowering the floor in the Transit Custom is to avoid having to make changes to the rear suspension,” says GM Coachwork Minibus Sales Specialist Jeff Caswell.
He explains that without the low-floor area, it would be necessary to revise the suspension to allow it to be lowered.
“When extended, the inboard ramp protrudes only a few inches further than the raised tailgate, meaning that the conversion requires minimal space to load wheelchair users.”
Transit Custom base vehicles are purchased by GM Coachwork as vans and the low-floor section is added as a complete unit. “Everything from the front seats rearwards is installed by ourselves, including the seats, the carpet, the floor unit and the ramp,” Jeff adds.
He says that that the Transit Custom conversion fills a space between personal wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs) and larger models such as the Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer. The Transit Custom’s GVW is 3,100kg and it can be driven on a Category B (car) licence.
“Larger Transits we find don’t lend themselves brilliantly to conversion to WAVs, but the smaller version is a good base for such a vehicle. It is a simple conversion.”
