I took a somewhat different approach when I purchased the van. I bought a 1990 RV adaptive van that had recently been rebuilt and came with all the papers proving that. It has a raised roof, electrical throughout, an extra batteries system, and all the bells and whistles that the vehicle of that age had-it was $4000 when I bought it in 2001. I bought the wheelchair lift for it on Ebay for $500 and had it installed for 500 more. True, it is a full-size van and it only gets 16 miles to the gallon, and I have averaged $1000 a year in maintaining it, including tires and batteries, and I cannot see out when I am in my wheelchair. That is a bit of a rub around town, but I get transferred into the front seat when we go for a long ride or trip. I figure that I cannot drive, and since we live on a dirt road a lowered van is not really what we want especially when we have a foot of snow J, so I put up with the inability to see out for a stable trustworthy van that has not cost me an arm and leg so to speak.
It works for me-looks decent and has never let me down, what more can I ask? Joan
