Lowered Floor Minivans

"I had no idea where I could look for help when an accident totaled our van and left us helpless miles from home. Nor-Cal Mobility rescued us with a rental delivered! We were saved by Nor-Cal!" - Beverly B.
"Workmanship is absolutely outstanding!" - Bud R.
"Greg is our angel -- he is very compassionate, understanding and knows his business. Our family is very grateful! Thank you!" - Cathy M.
"The van was exactly what my wife wanted! Thanks!" - Chester K.
"Thank you for all of your help. I love my new van!" - Deborah F.
"Thank you for everything! We love our new van!" - Gary & Tracy S.
"Terrance was great! This process was frustrating and he was always there to help. Could not have done it without him." - Jerry F.
"Thank you for everything you have done for our boys. We appreciate how fast and easy everything went." - Judy L.
"Extremely courteous and knowledgeable staff. Should I ever need another special needs vehicle, I will, without a doubt, return to Nor-Cal Mobility for my vehicle." - Larry S.
"Alex is the best! He took such great care with Mom, made her feel very special and took lots of time explaining all factors to her and I." - Linda C.
"We had an excellent experience dealing with Al. He was very courteous and knowledgeable. We were very satisfied. Thank you!" - Lylliam D.
"Al was generous and absolutely accomodating. He was kind and patient." - Pacific Institute
"I am very happy with my van. It makes my life so much easier!" - Pam C.
"My buying experience couldn't have been better. Alex is great!" - Ray M.
"Terrance is a great salesman and helped us through all of the confusion. He is great to work with -- very professional and helpful. He gets an A+ from us." - Richard and Nelma B.
"Nor-Cal Mobility makes us feel like family!" - Robert W.
"I'm a very satisfied customer at Nor-Cal Mobility. Good place, good crew!" - Robin W.
"The people at Nor-Cal Mobility are just great to work with!" - Stephen C.
"Al and his staff are great! They are all very knowledgeable and demonstrated great customer service!" - Suzanne Z.
"Courtney was extremely helpful throughout the whole process and was impeccable in his follow-up. Because of his dilligence, I've already been able to recommend Nor-Cal Mobility to two other disabled persons interested in buying a vehicle." - Thomas L.

Vantage Mobility International (VMI)

Viewpoint Rear-Entry

Braun Corporation

A lowered-floor minivan is a minivan that has had the original floor lowered approximately 10 inches. With the touch of a button, the door opens automatically, a ramp folds or slides out and the vehicle "kneels" lower to the ground. Wheelchair seating is available in the front driver and passenger areas, and in the mid-passenger center section of the vehicle. The goal of the lowered-floor minivan is to give wheelchair users the convenience of a minivan, along with plenty of headroom and the ease of using a simple ramp to access the vehicle.

There are two ramp options available: in-floor ramp and foldout ramp. With the in-floor ramp option, the ramp is stowed under the floor of the van, leaving the doorway open and clear. The downside to the in-floor ramp option is that tall sidewalk curbs may keep the ramp from deploying. With the foldout ramp option, the passenger sliding door is blocked for ambulatory passengers when in the stowed position. But because today's minivans are now standard with a driver's side sliding door, this is no longer much of an issue.

Rear-entry vehicles typically allow a wheelchair user to access the mid-passenger area of the vehicle, making transferring from a wheelchair to the driver's seat via a power transfer seat very difficult. However, Braun will soon be releasing the rear-entry Toyota Sienna Rampvan with a newly designed full lowered floor that will allow wheelchair users access to the entire vehicle. Incidentally, the Toyota Sienna Rampvan also offers a 1,434-pound weight carrying capacity, highest among minivans. Weight carrying capacity is a critical element to consider when choosing a vehicle.

In terms of increased interior space, minivans are somewhat impractical for raised roof and raised door modifications. In 2005, Chrysler and Dodge introduced the Stow 'n Go, a design that provides 12 more cubic feet of storage than earlier models. This modification has greatly increased interior space, allowing for more cargo room while improving interior maneuverability.

Lowered floor minivans typically cost $17,000 to $23,000 over and above the cost of the minivan. This high cost is compounded by a lower resale value once the vehicle is converted. Despite the price, the pros of owning an accessible minivan are too great to mention them all. Accessible minivans offer multiple wheelchair positions and are incredibly easy to use for both the transporter and the person driving from their wheelchair. With minivans now as common as almonds in Chico, the once hugely obvious "handicap" vehicle now blends with the rest of the traffic.