Mobility van.
It used to be a Cadillac Escalade.
Pearl. With a sunroof.
So… very last minute, I got permission to take Randy home for Christmas Eve. Overnight, believe it or not! I told the kids, and they were all fired up. I told Randy, and from what I could tell, he was really looking forward to being there in our home again, even if it WAS just for a little while.
Randy’s spasticity is severe enough that he needs a special strap to keep his head upright, a lap table to lift his elbows away from his sides, and side (lateral) supports built into his wheelchair to help his torso to sit-up better, and not slump over.
Riding shot-gun is a no-go, at the moment.
I figured, I’m in a huge city. What better place to find a million companies that rent mobility vans? Well, apparently, everyone wants to take their home-bound family members to visit relatives during the holidays. Of course, they do! It was 4 days till Christmas, and every single van in all of the metroplex had been reserved over a month ago.
What was I going to do? I couldn’t tell the kids, (or Randy for that matter), that we couldn’t bring Daddy home for Christmas. Well, I did what any parent/ wife consumed with the magic of Christmas would do…I had to go out and buy one!
I was going to need one eventually, anyway…right?
With the help of my sweet Dad, I got a short list of Mobility Vehicle Dealers, and started my search.
It turns out that this particular niche has gotten pretty corporatized, and can feel super daunting. I had no idea what to look for. I’d never dreamed of shopping for a handicapped van in my life. I had no idea I would ever need one! It had never crossed my mind. Yet, here I was, without my husband to assist me, making a pretty big decision, with zero experience on what kind of equipment I was actually going to need. How would I know I was not over-buying? How would I know if I was getting a good deal? What if I got a lemon?
Dad gave me his short list of questions to ask, and a few tips on spotting trouble. For those of you who don’t have a Dad like mine, I’ll share his wisdom:
Questions to ask:
How many miles does it have on it?
Has it ever been wrecked?
Is there a Carfax available?
Things to look for:
Look over the body for evidence of repair or repainting…
Check out the tires to see if they are in good repair…
Look under the hood to see if there are signs of oil leaks or other leaks…
Look under the rear of the car to see if there is any oil spray…a small drip of oil coats the underside of the vehicle.
Go to YouTube and search “quickly inspect a used vehicle”. Watch 2-3 of them to get your mind ready to what to look for.
Thanks, Dad! You’re the best!
I ended up meeting a super nice guy named David, at NTS. His personal story about why he’s in the business of selling handicapped accessible vehicles is a touching one. David found himself in a wheelchair after a horrible accident, and needing a van, but had no experience in buying one with the right kind of equipment for his needs. (Hitting home, right about…NOW.) To make a sale, someone sold him a van with a faulty lift. Being handicapped, he couldn’t get to the places necessary to get it repaired. And a legend was born! After recovery, David felt drawn to be an advocate for people (like me) who find themselves in need of transportation after an unexpected illness or accident.
David asked me a lot of specific questions about Randy’s needs, his wheelchair set-up, and even had me get some measurements of Randy in his chair. He asked about other family members, the kinds of roads we drive on, and if I’d be alone most of the time, for the loading and unloading.
After lots of looking and test-driving, I settled on the first van David showed me, said goodbye to my beloved Highlander that I’ve driven for years, and handed over the keys.
I got my new dream car. A 2008 Toyota Sienna with a Braun wheelchair conversion.
Pearl. With a sunroof.
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