Our Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle account manager, Graham Lloyd, has worked with WAVs for over 20 years. In this article, Graham has answered some frequently asked questions about WAVs from our customers.
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Sit up-front WAVs are a great way to give wheelchair users a more inclusive experience, but some have issues with the guide wheels on their chairs getting stuck. Is there a solution to make getting in and out easier? |
This is a fairly common problem, especially with manual wheelchairs that have small front caster wheels. As you exit the vehicle, the front wheels try to turn outwards and stick against the lowered floor sides. There is a fantastic solution on the market from one of our converter partners, Brotherwood Automobility, called the Hook-i Casteer. This system can be fitted to most WAVs even retrospectively, and is especially useful on up-front conversions where there may be a narrower lowered floor section than in some rear-positioned WAVs. Fixed very simply to the floor, the system ensures that the caster wheels don’t jam into the sides as you reverse out.
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I have seen on the Motability Scheme website that an affordable option for getting a WAV is to look at pre-owned examples. Are the savings worth it? |
Nearly New WAVs offer a great alternative to a new WAV. Always available with a lower Advance Payment than a new equivalent, each Nearly New WAV will be under three years old and is supplied on a three-year lease rather than the usual five for a new WAV. The lease itself has the exact same benefits as a new vehicle would and our commitment to worry-free motoring. This can be a great choice when you’re either looking to obtain a vehicle quickly with no waiting time for production, or perhaps when you have a child who uses a wheelchair who may grow or change their chair in the next few years. Each vehicle undergoes a strict checking process before it is offered to a customer and benefits from the same annual WAV checks that a new vehicle would. Available stock can be limited though, so if you are interested in a Nearly New WAV it’s worth calling converters to ask about any vehicles they may have now or are due in shortly.
If you’d like more information on Nearly New WAVs then click here for everything you need to know, including stock availability on current conversions.
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When choosing my next WAV, I’m keen to know what the potential layouts are. Are you looking at standardising the diagrams to make that easier? |
We’re currently looking at ways in which to improve our WAV search. In the future we hope to include a schematic overview of each WAV available on the Scheme, which will clearly show the vehicle’s interior seating layout, the wheelchair position and the ramp or lift location. We hope that these future updates will help customers choose the best WAV for their needs.
This article was originally featured in our free quarterly customer magazine, Lifestyle. If you’d like to receive Lifestyle, and are a Scheme customer. then click here to update your details and and follow the simple steps to start receiving the latest Scheme information and inspiration stories directly to your door.
Find your next WAV
You can see the full line-up of WAVs and other cars available on the Motability Scheme by checking out our WAV search tool.
The Motability Scheme allows you to swap all or part of your mobility allowance for leasing a car, scooter or powered wheelchair. For more information about joining the Scheme, please use our eligibility checker and request a free information pack.
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