3 23:36
PRO ACTIVE GM COACHWORK QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
SUMMER 2013
Your Guide to saving money on motoring Making your money go the distance - Page 6
04 GM CYCLE CHALLENGE Riding 120 miles for charity
09 DISABILITY NEWS Our look at some top stories
04
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11
11 BUYING A WAV
Our guide to choosing a vehicle
16/08/2013 00:09
GM STAFF
MEET THE TEAM Gary Albinson Mobility Adaptations
Jan McCullar Receptionist
LIKES Everything in its place The 80’s love ballads
LIKES France My pussycats
DISLIKES Incompetence Sitting still
DISLIKES Cold weather Baked beans Lee Jones Minibus Sales Specialist
Kayleigh Smith Motability Sales Administrator
LIKES My dog Rugby
LIKES Chocolate Holidays
DISLIKES Hair shampoo My diary
DISLIKES Peas Spiders
Simon Albinson Customer Care After Sales
Tracey Bull Minibus Lite Sales
LIKES His new baby Playing skittles
LIKES Laughing Cats
DISLIKES Lack of sleep Fish
DISLIKES Rudeness Twiglets Roy Hayter Used Sales Specialist
Stephen Murphy Sales Manager
LIKES Skiing Motorsport
LIKES Cycling Chopping up wood
DISLIKES Water Cricket
DISLIKES Bad driving The rain
Agata Owston Minibus Sales Administrator
Simon Ballamy Motability Adviser
LIKES Chocolate Being with my new baby
LIKES Steak Football
DISLIKES Cats Winter
DISLIKES Mustard Rain Paul Barber Minibus Sales Specialist LIKES Football Coastal walking
LIKES Eating out Huge DIY jobs
DISLIKES Boats Long distance driving
DISLIKES Olives Christmas
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David Christie Motability Adviser
www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
16/08/2013 00:49
CONTENTS
CONTENTS News 04-05 // Cost saving 06-07 // Disabled news 09 // Our Guide to buying a WAV 11-13
DARTMOOR
CYCLE CHALLENGE SEPTEMBER 7 - 8
04
06
09
11 Mathew Smith, Editor mathew.smith@gmcoachwork.co.uk
GM Coachwork Ltd, Teign Valley, Trusham, Newton Abbot, TQ13 0NX T: 01626 853050 E: sales@gmcoachwork.co.uk PROACTIVE is published every quarter by GM Coachwork Ltd and distributed free of charge.
Copyright GMCoachwork Ltd. No reproducton without the publishers consent.
www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
02-03_Contents.indd 3
DESIGNED BY youngstar* creative
PROACTIVE Summer 2013 // 03
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GM COACHWORK NEWS
Still the cheapest and still the best! The Citroen Berlingo Blaze is still the lowest price WAV on Motability. Available from just £995 the VTR comes with metallic paint, air conditioning and a 1.6Hdi engine. You can tailor it just how you want and add on a winch, privacy glass, assisted ramp and an extra rear seat. The Blaze is the ideal compact WAV featuring a lightweight and low angle ramp, plenty of headroom and seating for four plus the wheelchair passenger. For a no-obligation home demonstration call 0800 3169327
FROM
ONLY
£995*
THE BEST
Cake sale helps to raise £257 for hospice
Get on ya bike! This September will see a team from GM pulling up their trouser legs, putting on the cycle clips and heading for the hills of Dartmoor for the 120 mile GM Cycle Challenge, in aid of special needs school Dame Hannah Rogers Trust. Dame Hannah’s is this years benefactor for what is becoming an annual charity fundraising event in the GM calendar. Last year GM successfully completed the Three Peaks Challenge raising money for Hemi Help. This year the challenge is just as tough.
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DARTMOOR
CYCLE CHALLENGE
To complete a gruelling 120 miles SEPTEMBER 7 - 8 over two days around the undulating roads of Dartmoor.
Sophie Kelly, daughter of workshop technician Gavin, was delighted to have raised £257 from selling her lovely homemade cakes at GM and participating in a night time walk for Rowcroft Hospice. Twelve year old Sophie started at 8.45pm and finished at 1.30am. Everyone who did the walk raised £211,000 for the hospice. Good work Sophie!
Well done Sophie
Nigel Collins, Managing Director, said “Dame Hannah’s is a great and truly worthy cause, helping to change peoples lives. We are delighted to be raising money for the trust. This years challenge really is a tough one. Not only is it a hard physical challenge, we’ve set ourselves quite a high target of £10,000. I really hope we not only get there, but we go past it”
www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
16/08/2013 00:20
Free privacy glass with every Utah The Peugeot Boxer UTAH, the largest WAV in our range, is now available with free privacy glass. Privacy glass is a stronger tint than normal tinted glass. It comes in two choices, medium or limo
tint. Limo tint is as you’d expect – black! Normally privacy glass is a £450 option but until further notice we’re giving it away for nowt! Call Ash, Dave or Simon on 0800 3169327
Welcome aboard Mel and Jill We’re delighted to welcome aboard two new recruits, Melanie and Jill. Mel, as she prefers to be called, has joined Gary in our vehicle adaptions department to help with sales and enquiries. She comes to us with a wealth of automotive and main dealer experience. And Jill has joined Kayleigh in Motability Sales Administration. Jill also has an automotive background and brings many years experience with her.
MEL
Free p rivacy glass
How did we do? At the start of the year we asked you, our customers, how we’re doing. We wanted to hear your views about our service, our vehicles and the whole customer experience. And we were delighted to discover that we passed the test! Here are a few highlights…
88% 93% said we provided excellent customer service
said we responded promptly to their enquiries
94% 94% said our demonstration driver offered good advice
And a whopping 94% said they would recommend us!
And that’s the best testament any business can have. Thank you. www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
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IN STOCK: DRIVE-FROM WHEELCHAIR VEHICLES We have 5 used drive-from vehicles in stock from £16,750 Call Roy on 0845 0760963
COME ON IN...JOIN US! FACEBOOK facebook.com/gmcoachworkltd TWITTER gmcoachwork01 YOU TUBE youtube.com/gmcoachworkUK
PROACTIVE Summer 2013 // 05
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FEATURE: Saving Money
SAVING WITHOUT CUTTING CORNERS
Making money go the distance
TOM JAMISON
F
EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS
uel is many households’ biggest regular expense. There are ways to shave significant sums off this drain; especially important if you use a larger WAV. For disabled people a car can mean the difference between isolation and mobility. It’s a lifeline that many would flounder without, cutting them off from services and a social life. Motorists have taken (arguably) more than their fair share of price hikes over recent years. The cost of petrol has, in particular, become a bugbear that drivers simply have to live with – especially those that rely on their vehicles as heavily as many disabled people do. Since the recession started, money saving has become something of a growth industry and there is no shortage of views, opinions, tips and advice available to drivers. The main areas of potential savings are buying fuel, maintenance and repair as well as driving habits.
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Buying fuel as cheaply as possible is the key saving. There are two ways of looking at this: firstly, finding discounts at the pumps or secondly, going to the filling station less frequently. It’s certainly worth asking around for the best filling station rates in your local area. Keep in mind different ways of paying for fuel and what you get back for your loyalty – perhaps ‘points,’ vouchers or with some credit cards, ‘cashback’. These savings are the sort that mounts up penny by penny over time.
The other way to look at the fuel equation is to reduce the number of trips to the pumps. Again there are a couple of ways to do this: using a vehicle with a kindly miles per gallon (mpg) rating or by improving your driving habits. Speed, braking and the loads we carry in our vehicles can all be examined and improved. Again, it may be pennies today, but pounds over a longer period such as a month or year depending on your mileage. TRY IT.
www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
16/08/2013 16:10
MAINTENANCE & REPAIR Under Pressure
BUYING FUEL Cashback Find a credit card that pays cashback. In other words, gives you a little bit back for every purchase you make with it, up to a maximum spend per month. This is ideal if you regularly need to fill your tank since 3% of say, £60 is not to be sniffed at after a while.
You should check your tyre pressures at least once a month since under-inflated tyres will increase fuel consumption and could prove dangerous. It’s a good opportunity to check that the tread is legally compliant. (Pop the bonnet for an oil check that could prevent engine wear.)
Warm Up
If you do require new tyres, be sure to compare a range of quotes and ask companies to ‘price-match’.
The days of having to warm up a car’s engine are all but gone. Idling your car before you drive off (and at any other times) just wastes fuel.
DRIVING HABITS
The heavier your car is, the more fuel it takes to heave it along.
way of getting to places, these are not going to be avoided. However, there may be savings if you plan to run several errands in one larger loop rather than taking several separate shorter journeys.
The Air Con
Stop And Think
At lower speeds, the air con will cause you to use an incredible amount of fuel that you don’t need to. The difference in fuel efficiency could be raised by as much as 8% by switching it off. If you happen to be driving at motorway speeds, opening windows, despite the extra drag, will be a ‘cheaper’ option.
If you know that you’re going to be stationary for more than a minute or so, consider switching your engine off. Modern cars use almost no extra fuel when switched back on and of course these days, lots of vehicles have ‘stopstart technology’ for this very reason.
De-clutter Your Car
Know Where You’re Going Before you get in the car, make sure you know the route you’re going to take. This will encourage you to find the shortest and most efficient journey.
Awareness
Vouchers Supermarket filling stations often sell fuel at very competitive rates anyway and for this reason it’s a pity that there aren’t more supermarkets dotted along the motorways! Even so, there are still lots of opportunities to save even more money at the pumps through customer discounts and offers that combine a certain spending level in store with a per litre fuel saving, or that reflect loyalty card point tallies.
www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
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Be aware of what’s happening around you as you travel. If a traffic light ahead of you turns red, gently slow and change down the gears in advance. This will help shave fuel costs and prevents wear and tear to your car.
Gears Move up the gears as swiftly as possible in order to achieve a lower engine speed and a more efficient ride.
Slow down Consider your accelerator as a ‘money button’ - pressing it down cost more. Driving at 85mph instead of 70mph will increase fuel usage by as much as 25%
Keep Moving Keeping your vehicle moving, even if its just a crawl, is also an efficient way to drive (but should never be done when safety might be compromised).
Short Journeys Lots of the journeys we make are less than three miles (round). For disabled people with no other workable
PROACTIVE Summer 2013 // 07
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Used_Page_spring_Layout 1 28/03/2012 11:57 Page 1
Used Wheelchair Vehicles
Greater Mobility
USED WHEELCHAIR VEHICLES
Mechanical Warranty Finance arranged Part-ex welcome Nationwide delivery
PART-EX WELCOME NATIONWIDE DELIVERY
MECHANICAL WARRANTY FINANCE ARRANGED
£4,79
£6,99
5 £12,99
5 £36,99
FIAT DOBLO 2006, 1.3 TD, 23000 miles, lightweight ramp, lowered floor, two rear saloon seats, elec winch £6495 (J12704)
RENAULT KANGOO 2007, 1.2 petrol, 23000 miles, lightweight ramp, lowered floor, one rear saloon seat. £5995 (J13604)
RENAULT ESPACE 2007, 2.0 petrol, automatic, low miles, lowering suspension, seats 5, high specification £6495 (J13718)
RENAULT MASTER 2003, 2.5 TD, diesel, 77000 miles, manual, side door, electric step, rear electric tail lift. £3995(J12865)
5
5
2005 CITROEN BERLINGO 1.4 petrol, 2 owners, 37,000 miles, lightweight ramp, lowered DRIVE floor, FROM one rear saloon seat (J12597)
0
£3,40
VW CADDY 2010, 1.9 TDi, 23000 miles, auto, remote operated rearVANEO doors and 2003 MERCEDES ramp, hand controls, lock down. 1.6 petrol, 57000 miles, lightweight £17,750 (J14665)
ramp, low floor, one rear saloon seats (J11088)
2007 FIAT DOBLO 1.4 petrol, twin sliding doors, lowered floor, lightweight ramp, air con, one rear seat (J11124)
2008 CITROEN C8 CIRRUS 17,000 miles, auto, 2 rear saloon seats, good spec, full width ramp, lowered floor, (J12589)
2003VW CARAVELLE COLORADO DRIVE-FROM WHEELCHAIR 130bhp TDI, auto, only 9000 miles, our own low floor conversion. Save over £10k on new (J11962)
5 £13,49
5 £10,49
£7,20
CITROEN C8 2009, 2.0HDi, 30000 miles, lowered rear floor, electric winch, two rear 2010 PEUGEOT EXPERT saloon seats, air conditioning TEEPEE 1.6HDi, lowered floor, £10,995 (J14469)
PEUGEOT EXPERT 2010, 2.0HDi 120, 18000 miles, lowered floor, lightweight ramp, four 2010 CITROEN BERLINGO rear saloon seats, high specification 1.6 HDI, our demonstrator, £13,250 (J14664)
RENAULT TRAFIC 2008, 1.9 diesel 115, manual, 44000 miles, lowered rear floor, lightweight 2008 RENAULT KANGOO ramp, 3 rear seats. 38,000 miles, lightweight ramp, £10,995 (J14663)
lightweight ramp, 27000 miles, one rear saloon seat, twin front passenger seat (J12347)
0
lightweight ramp, lowered floor, one rear saloon seat (J10193)
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS VEHICLES 2009 CITROEN C8 2.0 HDi, 11000 miles, manual, lightweight ramp, 2 rear seats, (J12268)
£15,995
2010 CITROEN BERLINGO BLAZE 1.6 HDi, 38000 miles, manual, 2 rear seats (J10193)
£10,495
2006 FIAT DOBLO HIGH ROOF 1.3 multijet diesel, 32000 miles, manual, 4 seats (J12206)
£6,995
low floor, one rear saloon seat, (J11823)
ROY’S STAR CAR
2004 RENAULT KANGOO 1.6 petrol, 15000 miles, auto, one rear saloon seat, two side doors ( J8240) £5,500 FIAT DOBLO 2006 RENAULT MASTER 2.5DCi, 38000 miles, manual, 5 seats, full width lightweight rampDESPATCH (J11602) COMBI £8,750 CITROEN RENAULT KANGOO 2007, 1.4 TOYOTA petrol, twin sliding 2007, 2.0 HDI, 22000 miles, twin 2008, 38,000 miles, lightweight 2005 HI-ACE 2.5 diesel, 58000 miles. 4 seats, manual. (J11964) £6,500 doors, lowered floor, lightweight sliding doors, lowered floor, lightramp, low floor, one rear saloon ramp, air con, one rear seat weight ramp, air con, two rear seats seat £5,995 (J11124) £11,995 (J14717) (J11823) DRIVE-FROM WHEELCHAIR£6,795 VEHICLES
2010 VW CARAVELLE COLORADO Low floor conversion, side lift, 9000 miles, (J11962)
£36,995
2009 MERCEDES SPRINTER 2.2TDi, 4 seats, remote operated tailgate and ramp (J11852)
£21,995
2007 RENAULT MASTER 2.5TDi, auto, 4 seats, remote rear door and Ricon lift (J11653)
£15,995
2008 RENAULT KANGOO 1.6 petrol, 3000 miles, auto, remote tailgate and ramp (J10670)
£14,995
RENAULT KANGOO AUTO E 2011, 16 petrol, 14,000 miles, DRIV OM R F lightweight ramp, low floor, one rear2009 saloon MERCEDES seat £10,995 (J14236)
SPRINTER DRIVE-FROM 2.2HDI, 19000 miles, remote rear lift, side door. Great value
All used vehicles are fully serviced with at least 9 months MOT and come with a full Our stock is changing all the mechanical and wheelchair equipment safety check time so if you All used vehicles are fully serviced with at least 9 months MOT and can’t find what OVER 40 VEHICLES IN STOCK - OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK your looking for come with a full mechanical and wheelchair equipment safety check OVER 40 VEHICLES IN STOCK - OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK
give me a call.
Tel 0845 076 0963 www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
Greater Mobility TELEPHONE 0845 076 0963 or visit www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
08-09_FT_Dis News.indd 8
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NEWS
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS Our hand-picked selection of news stories from around the country.
Government pilot sets temperatures rising Temperatures are rising following a new government pilot scheme that sees sick and disabled people forced to attend meetings with doctors or face losing their benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said that people on out-of-work disability benefits would be “required” to have regular meetings with doctors, occupational health nurses and therapists to “help them address their barriers to work”. This means around
3000 people will have regular meetings with professionals. Mark Hoban, the Conservative employment minister, said: “The help we give people at the moment tends to focus on work-related skills, but doesn’t necessarily address health problems. “But by giving people regular support from doctors, occupational health nurses and therapists we can do more to help people manage or improve
Disabled music fans getting a raw deal Young disabled music fans are being forced to wait hours on hold on premium rate telephone lines to buy accessible tickets to see their favourite artists, are isolated from friends and family at venues owing to a cap on companion seats, and are even missing out on concerts all together when venues delay accepting ‘proof of disability according to a new report by Muscular Dystrophy Campagin’s Trailblazers. The study was sparked after young people told of experiencing difficulties enjoying a trip to a gig, concert or festival. Trailblazers’ members described being asked to vacate venues before the performer had finished to ‘avoid disruption’ for other customers and finding it impossible to access refreshments and toilets owing to poorly located seating. Trailblazers, also criticised major ticketing websites for failing to offer the option to book accessible tickets online
The Trailblazers’ Access All Areas study reveals: • Seventy-seven percent of young disabled people believe that booking tickets for a live music event puts them at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled friends • One in two young disabled people has either missed out on tickets or had a stressful experience booking them • Half of young disabled people say that facilities provided at venues, like toilets, bars and food stalls, are not suitable to their needs • Ninety-four percent of young disabled people say that last minute ticketing websites do not cater for disabled people.
2013 National Summer Games Released The National Summer Games is kicking off on 28 August at Baths Royal Crescent. The Paralympics provides sports competitions for elite level disabled athletes with physical and sensory disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, while Special Olympics fosters community sport year-round at all levels for those with intellectual disabilities. Across three days of competition 1,700 athletes will compete in 12 sports. Nine events will be held at the University of Bath, while Bowling and Aquatics will take place in separate facilities at Bristol
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08-09_FT_Dis News.indd 9
and Golf will take place at Bath Golf Course which borders the university of Bath campus. The earliest competitions begin at 09:00 am (Tennis and Boccia). The Aquatics venue will be packed with family members cheering on their athletes. Members of the public wishing to watch the athletes in action will be able to come along on the day. There are also evening competitions for Boccia or Rhythmic Gymnastics. For more information, go to www.specialolympicsgb.org.uk
their conditions.” The pilots will begin in November and will run until August 2016.
Lottery funding awarded to disability arts archive Thanks to National Lottery funding of over £100,000 the National Disability Arts Collection and Archive (NDACA) will provide a home for some of the most influential and important work since the birth of the disability arts movement in Britain in the seventies. The goal is to preserve and promote works of art that have been important to the movement, and also upload the collection onto a new online archive.
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C13 M96 Y81 K54
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PMS 1815C
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GARY’S
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no gradients
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VIDEO VAULT watermark
Push /Pull hand control
Easy release handbrake
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Check out our You tube channel at www.youtube.com/GMCoachworkUK and see our adaptations come to life. Watch videos wide range stackedon logoa(for sharing only) of adaptions from hand controls and panoramic mirrors to the highly technically sophisticated space drive system.
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Left foot accelerator
EING B E R MO ERY V E D ADDE EK! WE
Lodgesons Bleeper System
Scan me to go straight to our You Tube Page
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Paravan mini wheel
16/08/2013 00:43
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0:32
Your Guide to buying a WAV
Even when you feel it’s time to give up your adapted car there are still plenty of choices for disabled motorists. Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) might well be the answer to keeping you on the road. We’ve put together a guide to selecting the correct WAV for you TOM JAMISON
O
ver the years WAV’s have developed greatly - moving away from crude, utilitarian, horsebox like vehicles to the more lifestyle focused vehicles that we see more and more of today. Our essential guide is far from exhaustive since the innovation within the industry shows no sign of standing still long enough for us to put together a definitive audit. This is no bad thing since it shows a readiness to accept the ongoing challenge of inclusive motoring – a vital component in the quality of life of many disabled people. Buying any car is always a big decision and needs careful consideration of any number of points regarding your lifestyle and disability.
www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
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CREATING YOUR VEHICLE
transplanted simultaneously. There are several basic adaptation styles Once a disabled driver has decided that that they can embellish with personally he wants a specific type of conversion or selected controls and so on or preferred set of adaptations, the company that finishing touches. they’ve made their purchase from will pick up a spanking new vehicle, take it back to their workshops and set about taking it to bits, in s, small… nge of size ra a in e m order to start over WAV’s co again. Throughout the process, the vehicle that will once again roll merrily along, sits as a shell whilst all of its major bits are stacked beside it. It’s rather like walking into an operating theatre where someone is having every organ in their body
PROACTIVE Summer 2013 // 11
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BUYING A WAV
…and big, like this Peugeot Boxer UTAH
A NEW EXPERIENCE When you trade in your current vehicle for a WAV you could be looking at driving a much larger vehicle. With this in mind, a vital part of the decision process will be for the driver to take a demonstration drive in one, just to see if they feel comfortable. Disabled motorists will already know that essential driving adaptations can be achieved relatively painlessly, with items like right foot clutch and paddle controls for accelerating and gear changing quite straightforward to fit. The other two options are either that the wheelchair is in an ‘up-front’ passenger space or positioned in the rear portion of the vehicle. This conversion is safe and secure and because the wheelchair user is likely to be the only rear occupant, it’ll be roomy enough to steer out of with ease. The only downside is that the wheelchair user can start to feel somewhat isolated – as if they’re ‘being driven’, rather than ‘driving with’.
DIFFERENT THINGS TO CONSIDER Other minor considerations need to be given general thought as well, including, where you’re going to want to drive your WAV. It’s usual that to give a decent amount of headroom for the wheelchair user that the floor level of the vehicle is lowered. This leaves less clearance from
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BEING SAFE A variety of A variety of different straps, buckles and different straps, fastenings are available and it’s simply a matter of finding the ones you prefer buckles and fastenings from the available range. This isn’t to are available and it’s be rushed since it’s not only a matter of simply a matter of finding safety but also of comfort whilst driving. How big is a WAV? Well, that depends on the ones you prefer from how big you’d like it to be, again based on your specific needs. First and foremost, the available range. the point of a WAV is to be able to carry an occupied wheelchair, so it’ll need to be big enough for you to get in and out of in relative ease. You’ll also need to think about the other people that’ll be joining you on your drives and how and where they’re going to be seated.
the road surface and can mean that whilst the vehicle will be fine on an ordinary well maintained road it could be problematic over rougher surfaces (care needs to be taken over speed bumps too). Similarly, it can be easy to forget whilst driving along, that your vehicle is now likely to be touching two metres in height. Restraints at the Low bridges might not be a problem four corners of but your garage or a multi storey car the wheelchair park might be. You’ll probably want to exit and enter your new WAV via a side or back exit and not through the less traditional ‘through the windscreen’ route, Heaven forbid – although this might happen if you don’t invest in equipment to secure your wheelchair to the floor (and check that you can reach your seatbelt dock in order to pull it around you). This is standard safety stuff in WAVs but there are options to choose from.
www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
16/08/2013 00:44
A winch helps the wheelchair user to access the vehicle
the amount of Most larger/family vehicles come with wheelchair space seating options that there is. You need can be reconfigured to think about to suit additional everything you used storage requirements to think about when Wheelcha and so on. Bearing buying a car as well. ir occupan t enjoys all round in mind that these Consider the driving visibility are essentially the position, comfort, same vehicles at practicality, seat height heart as your WAV, there shouldn’t be as well as the amount of visibility you’ve got and how having a a problem. Seats can be moved, folded ‘tall’ wheelchair user behind you might up or otherwise disappeared entirely, obscure that when say, depending on your requirements. reverse parking. It’s always well worth checking out the spec of the underlying MORE SPACE vehicle package too; stuff like air con, As well as passenger space you might electric windows and alloy wheels – want to consider storage space and how you’ve got lots of choice. you’ll access it. Generally, car storage is based in the boot although roof boxes are a popular way of gaining extra space for ENTRANCES AND EXITS sizeable kit that needs to follow you on If you choose to have a rear ramp you’ll your journey – though bear in mind again need to make sure that there’s plenty of that you’ll be sat in your wheelchair and parking space to the rear of your vehicle have no need to stow it away.
LOTS OF OPTIONS Because WAVs have so many different and interchangeable options and styles it won’t be possible to make a truly informed decision until you’ve really dissected a vehicle thoroughly. It’s important not to overlook simple things whilst being distracted by stuff like
www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
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It’s important not to overlook simple things whilst being distracted by stuff like the amount of wheelchair space there is
when you park on the street. If your street is generally pretty clogged it may not be a great move since you’ll be ‘parked’ but effectively trapped unless you’ve got space to deploy the ramp and have clearance of at least a metre to roll back onto the ground. For a larger vehicles (including minibusstyle vehicles) and where larger wheelchairs and power-chairs are involved, there is scope to install a lift. This will either fold-up by the back or side entrance (or slide under the vehicle). Although it is likely to be automated, it will still take up space when deployed. (The hoist option can be discarded because you won’t transfer from your wheelchair seat.)
MORE INFORMATION Call or email our sales team on 01626 853050 sales@gmcoachwork.co.uk or vist www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR VIDEO RANGE ON YOU TUBE YOU TUBE youtube.com/gmcoachworkUK
PROACTIVE Summer 2013 // 13
16/08/2013 00:44
GM RANGE
THE GM RANGE
Citroen Berlingo Blaze
Citroen Berlingo Duo
Wheelchair access vehicle Over 58 mpg Seats 4 plus wheelchair passenger
Drive-from wheelchair Optional rear two seat bench interchangeable driver and passenger seats
Peugeot Partner Blaze Auto 6 speed semi-automatic Over 58 mpg Fully automatic and paddle lever gearchange
Peugeot Expert Montana Seats seven plus one wheelchair
Volkswagen Colorado Drive from wheelchair
Side access
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Peugeot Expert Flare Flat floor throughout Available as up-front passenger Choice of short or long wheelbase
Volkswagen Monterey Flagship of the WAV range
Volkswagen Nevada Drive from wheelchair
Rear access
Peugeot Boxer Utah Accommodates multiple wheelchairs
Volkswagen Vermont Drive from wheelchair
Rear access
www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
16/08/2013 00:46
Looking for spare conversion parts for your WAV?
There’s only one number you need‌ours! Call Mike or Jon on 01626 855055 Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm As a leading convertor of wheelchair access vehicles, we always hold a wealth of accessible conversion parts in stock, often for immediate delivery.
We have online catalogues you can browse to find the part you need
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Luxury as standard
Volkswagen Caravelle MONTEREY Luxury Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle Lowered floor
Class leading 59� access height
Seats 4 plus wheelchair passenger
Drive from wheelchair vehicles giving you total independence
Volkswagen Caravelle NEVADA Rear access Remote operated tailgate and ramp Rear lowering suspension Lowered floor Class leading access height 59�
Volkswagen Caravelle COLORADO Side access Remote operated doors and lift Optional air levelling suspension Lowered floor Three seat rear bench
Citroen Berlingo DUO Lowered floor Remote power tailgate and ramp Drive from or travel up front Lowering rear suspension Interchangeable driver & passenger seats
The only full length lowered-floor Caravelle conversion Tel: 0845 076 0962 www.gmcoachwork.co.uk
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