Van lifts are vertical platform lifts designed to lift and lower a person while seated in their wheelchair or scooter so they can access a van. These lifts are usually hydraulic, powered by the vehicle battery and fold when not in use to reduce the interior space they take up. These lifts will block the doorway of the van but some models fold out of the way for door access.
Although there are van lifts designed for use in mini vans, there is not usually enough headroom inside the van for anyone but a small child to sit in their wheelchair inside the mini vans. The same can be said for tall people and often a raised roof is needed to transport people in wheelchairs. Raised roofs can be added to both mini and full sized vans making them much more functional.
There are a few different styles of van lifts and each has it's own benefits and liabilities. The three styles I'm going to describe below are the side door, rear door and under floor models.
While most van lifts will lift scooters, it is very dangerous to sit on a scooter in a van while it's being driven. Wheelchairs are designed and crash tested to be as safe as possible in a vehicle accident but scooter seats are crash tested or safe.
Side entry van lifts are, as the name implies, designed for the side door of a van. They come in various sizes for use in full sized vans and some mini vans. The user will roll onto the platform, lift up to the van floor level and then roll into the van. There is a flap on the end of the platform which flips up to prevent a wheelchair from accidently rolling off during use. Once in the van, the lift platform is folded to a vertical position and the van door closed. Some models will fold sideways also to allow side door access. The lifting and folding actions are usually powered and for total independence power door openers can also be added.
Rear entry van lifts are quite similar to the side entry van lifts but are designed a bit differently to work in the rear door of a van. These lifts only work in the full sized vans as none of the mini vans made today have enough headroom coming through the door. The difference in design is to allow the van lift to clear the rear bumper of the van during use.
In-floor van lifts are designed to be installed in the floor of the van at the side door. When operated the platform slides out from the floor of the van, the user rolls onto the platform and lowers themselves to the ground. The big advantage of the in-floor van lift is the lift takes up no interior space and is completely hidden when not in use.
In-floor van lifts are quite a bit more expensive than conventional side or rear entry lifts because installation often involves rerouting exhaust systems, brake lines, fuel lines and wiring not to mention removing any flooring, cutting out sections of the floor, reinforcing the floor and replacing the flooring.
The safety considerations when using a van lift is more about what happens inside the van rather than using the lift itself. The wheelchair has to be tied down while driving to prevent it from becoming a missile in the event of an accident. If the user remains in the wheelchair after being loaded (not transferred to a vehicle seat), they must be secured with a seat belt system which is attached to the van. Wheelchair seat belts are for positioning, not for holding a person in place during an accident.
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