Low Roof Top Conversions For Smaller Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles
You may have heard of the “hi roof top“ modification for wheelchair vans. It’s an extremely popular way to deal with a common problem–the lack of headroom for those in a wheelchair. You see, a wheelchair sets up considerably higher than your standard van seat, which means the people in them can have a great deal of difficultly. The “hi roof top” conversion solves this problem by adding to the van’s structure and making it taller.
Growing the car higher isn’t the only one can do to resolve the problem of limited headroom? One popular option, known as the “low roof top” technique involves improving the available space by sinking the floor lower.
In other words, “hi top” methods promise to make things taller by adding to the van. “Low top roof” conversions increase the usable space by stretching things out within the existing van structure.
This approach has a large fan club, for a number of reasons.
- First, it accomplishes the same goal as those who go after a “hi roof top” plan. In the end, you get more headroom.
- Second, lowering the floor can be cheaper than stretching your van out. That isn’t to say the process is inexpensive. It’s not. It just happens to be a little less expensive than the alternative.
- Third, changing the structure of your vehicle in this way allows you to keep the overall appearance and form of the van. If you liked the design of your wheelchair van in the first place, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need to sacrifice it.
- Fourth, lowering the floor as part of a “low roof top” conversion is generally safer than “growing” the vehicle with a “hi rooftop” adjustment. The lower center of gravity is one reason. The fact that there’s less structural stress put on the vehicle is another.
When you add those benefits to the overriding justification for a “low roof top”–allowing the user to access and use his or her van–it becomes obvious that contacting a good conversion company to handle the job makes perfect sense.
That’s not an area where you want to cut corners, either. The process isn’t cheap to begin with, but you don’t want to risk your safety or the van’s integrity by dealing with a questionable conversion crew. Find pros who do this work regularly and who are well known for the quality and longevity of their efforts.
If you’re going to use your van, you need more headroom. You have two choices–you can raise the roof or you can lower the floor. There are many good reasons to drop that floor and to start using your van without being forced to slump down in an effort to avoid whiplash.
