Guide

Hiring a wheelchair accessible van: what to check before you book

Not every accessible van suits every wheelchair. These are the points that decide whether a van works for you, and the questions worth asking before you book.

Updated 18 October 2026 · AbleVan

1. Start with your own measurements

Every check that follows compares the van with your chair, so have these figures to hand:

• Height seated: from the floor to the top of the user's head, sitting in the wheelchair.
• Width and length of the chair, including footplates, joystick and anything that sticks out.
• Weight of the chair. Power chairs and scooters are much heavier than manual chairs, and what matters is the weight of the chair and the user together.

2. Getting in: the ramp

• Load limit. Every ramp has a maximum load. Check that it covers your chair and the user together, especially with a power chair.
• Rear or side entry. With a rear ramp you need clear space behind the van to lower it. One manufacturer's guide recommends about three metres. Think about hotel car parks, narrow streets and the airport.
• Slopes. If the van is parked on a hill or a steep camber, the ramp gets steeper. Where possible, load on level ground.

3. Door height and headroom

Compare the user's seated height with both the height of the door opening and the headroom inside. They are different measurements, and both have to fit. Headrests and tall backrests can make the difference.

4. Securing the wheelchair

This is the most important part for safety, and it is two separate systems:

• The chair is tied down. Usually with four restraints, two at the front and two at the back, attached to the frame of the chair. Never to the wheels or to plastic or removable parts.
• The user wears a seatbelt. A belt for the person, separate from the restraints that hold the chair: the lap part low across the hips and the shoulder part over the shoulder, not touching the neck.

Can your chair be travelled in? Wheelchairs designed to be used as a seat in a vehicle meet the standard ISO 7176-19, and often have a hook symbol at the tie-down points. If yours doesn't, check with the manufacturer, or transfer the user to a vehicle seat for the journey.

5. Inside the van

• Where the wheelchair travels, and whether the user can see out of the windows.
• How many other passengers can travel when the wheelchair is on board. Some seats may need to be folded or removed.
• Where luggage goes. Ramps and wheelchair spaces often take boot space, and after a flight you may have a lot of it.

6. Before you set off

• Remove bags hanging from the wheelchair handles before going up the ramp: they can make the chair unstable.
• Check the restraints are tight and the seatbelt is in the right position.
• Ask the rental company to show you how the ramp and the restraints work at handover.

Questions to ask the rental company

1. What is the ramp's maximum load, and is it a rear or side entry?
2. What are the door height and the interior headroom?
3. What restraint system does the van have, and is there a seatbelt for the wheelchair user?
4. How many passengers can travel with the wheelchair on board?
5. How much luggage space is left with the wheelchair in place?
6. Will you show us how everything works when we pick the van up?

Sources

• Allied Mobility, Vista wheelchair accessible vehicle user guide (restraints, seatbelt, ISO 7176-19, ramp space and slopes).
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, guide to wheelchair accessible vehicles (questions to ask, seating and luggage).
• Arriving by plane? See our page on accessible van hire at Madrid-Barajas Airport.