So you’ve got a wheelchair van – and you’re traveling safely in style! Now, how do you make the most of your investment? What’s the best way to manage your wheelchair accessible van maintenance?
We asked Bussani Mobility Team’s Service and Production Manager, Dan Walsh, to share some of his best tips for making sure your wheelchair accessible vehicle goes the distance.
1. Use It – Letting a vehicle sit around can be just as harmful as excessive use. Did you know that a three-year-old wheelchair van with under 10,000 miles will often need new tires or hoses or gaskets, all due to dry rot? Keeping your vehicle on the move helps slow down corrosion.
2. Regular Maintenance – Keeping up with your scheduled maintenance is as important to your conversion as oil is to your engine. That includes proper lubricants, alignment, and most important, upgrades.
3. Find a Service Facility You Trust – Don’t go to just any service facility. Trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
4. Understand Your Manual Overrides – Let’s face it, problems do occur. And you need to know how to handle any situation. For instance, your wheelchair accessible van is equipped with manual overrides to allow you to deploy the ramp if there’s a mechanical problem or accident. Knowing how to use that system will make the difference between a minor inconvenience and a complete frustration.
5. Trade It! –Maintain the value of your vehicle. One way to do this is by trading in your van for a newer product while the value is still high, instead of driving it into the ground and then looking to trade.
And remember that Bussani Mobility Team provides you with 24-hour, one-stop service. Our certified technicians know all the ins-and-outs of adaptive vehicles, in a way that a regular mechanic just doesn’t understand. Brakes, tune-ups, tires, auto body, glass repair…you name, we do it. We’re here to help you make the most of your investment…and to keep you road-ready and safe at all times.