[Whitedog]

The story is that the transportation company that I work for bought a bus line and they had already ordered this 2015 15 passenger wagon. LWB EL HR DRW. This is part of a contract so we have some requirements. It has to be wheel chair accessible, it has to have Wifi and it has to have 110 volts available to most of the seats.

I do work for an electrician so he came over and traded repairs for installing the outlets and the wiring. He left a plug to plug into the inverter so I just need to put the inverter in, get it wired in and plug it in. There is a post on the rear, outboard side of the drivers seat base that is fused to 60 amps so I will pull power from there. There is also a plug under the seat base that has a grounding signal for engine run. This will ground a relay so the inverter will only be on when the engine is running.

The wifi, I may power from this same plug since it has a key-on power signal. I am imagining I could run the wire behind the panel next to the drivers seat, then up to the over head compartment.

We bought a ramp and I will build a rack that will bridge over the rear mounted jack up to the left wheel well and the ramp will be strapped to that. Under the rack will be storage for tire chains and other supplies. Then it needs tie-downs for the wheelchairs. That is my next biggest headache. So far I have missed the right placement of two out of two holes in the flooring. The second one, I hit the heating duct. I will be taking measurements so that, hopefully others can learn from my mistakes.

I have a photobucket account and have been adding pictures daily. I will link it tomorrow when I'm on my laptop not my phone.

 

[USMC Vet]

Whitedog,
I previously posted a company link for one of the wheelchair systems that the VA uses to secure Veterans in wheelchairs, both manual and power chairs, but I can't remember the name or which link it was in. However, had another appointment today, and although the system was different, it is also used for both. They us floor mounted circular base units that the securing straps attach to. You might want to check them out to see it they will work. In some of the applications the VA uses, these base units are located underneath flip up seats (no wheelchair passenger, able bodied can sit there - wheelchair passenger - seat it flipped up out of the way).

Here is the link Q'Straint - 4-Point Securement Systems

Good luck

Semper Fi

 

[Whitedog]

Thanks, Marine. I appreciate the help. We have a bunch of other wheelchair vans, so I'm familiar with Q'Straint. The Slide and Lock that you mentioned work great and our drivers love them, but we are trying to do with stuff we have in house and I had enough of the A-track hold downs to make that work, I just need a couple more attachments and everything will be dialed in.

Question: Are you setting this up for yourself or to transport other Veterans? I had a contact number for a lady with Q'Straint and I am sure that they would try to help you out as much as possible, though you have to buy from a dealer, not Q'Straint.

One thing to remember is that you can't always easily hook onto a wheelchair with the hooks on the retractors. We have 12 inch, loop straps that wrap around whatever they can and put the hook through that.

 

[USMC Vet]

Whitedog,
The VA will be outfitting my Transit. Going to have a docking station for my wheelchair to lock onto and then transfer to driver's or passenger seat by using a B & D 6 way transfer platform.

Didn't know if you were familiar with Q'straint or the others so just thought I would bring them to your attention.

Semper Fi

 

[Whitedog]

I have some photos of the heating ducts in the front. I will post them tomorrow from work.

 

[Whitedog]

Here is a picture of the front end of the heater ducts.


It comes off of the underseat housing and splits off with a small section coming almost straight back and the main section turning in this curve then going back. I'll post some measurements later.

 

[Whitedog]

Last night I realized the dimples in the flooring are where the spot welds are and they do a good job of defining where the frame and supports are underneath.

Now if I didn't have 13,000 other things to do, I could focus on this thing and get it on the road.

 

[Whitedog]

I still have to tighten all of the bolts, but I have all of the major stuff in. I still have to build a rack on the left wall to hold the wheelchair ramp, but right now, I want to get everything else bolted in and get the seats in so that if it needs to roll, it can.

I did find the part number for the connector to give me my engine running ground signal and the plug is there, I just have to bring the wire out. I don't have the cover for the inverter built yet. The sheet metal shop I use is backed up so I will have to wait to put the inverter in and wire in that signal wire and main leads, but it's not a big deal right now.

 

[Sparkling Waters]

Do you have any new benches available that have been pulled out from your conversion?

 

[Whitedog]

Do you have any new benches available that have been pulled out from your conversion?

You are #2 in line. Where are you located?

 

[Whitedog]

Well, dang it. I was making progress and then our Sprinter whacked a truck so I had to tend to that. I was getting close to getting it done when they got a call that a HS basketball team from Seattle had a broke down bus and they needed a 15 passenger bus to get them home. So I had to pull things apart, put other things back together, swap seats back around and get it on the road.

Good thing they pay me by the hour.

 

[Whitedog]

We had our deer guard installed this week and incorporated a receiver for a bike rack.





I have the rack turned around so it's not poking out front in the way. It's certainly more difficult to access the dipstick for short people, but for normal people, it's OK. Certainly not ideal, but the other option is major repiars and down time when they hit a deer. The route this van takes is a major deer thoroughfare, so the deer guard is needed.

We had the base guard from our old van and a local fabricator built the brackets and swept back the headlight guards. He welded the mounts to the front of the crash bar rather than removing it, so everything structurally is still intact. It's not really easy removing the assembly, but I shouldn't need to very often. Unlike on our 6.0L.

 

[PeterR]

We had our deer guard installed this week and incorporated a receiver for a bike rack.
. . .

Looks great, do you know its weight? Also curious if you ever weigh the Wagon full of passengers, especially the front end weight with the new guard.

Thanks.

 

[Airedrifter]

I really like that.

Where did you get the front receiver? I WANT one.

 

[Whitedog]

I really like that.

Where did you get the front receiver? I WANT one.

I bet he would be willing to build one. Don't know how much or how much shipping would be to Va.

 

[Airedrifter]

I bet he would be willing to build one. Don't know how much or how much shipping would be to Va.

If you run into him again, find out and if he's interested, I'll call him or give him my email or whatever... Is it bolt on or welded on?

 

[Whitedog]

The tubes coming out of the bumper cover are welded to the front crash bumper. I was going over this in my head and the only thing that I could come up with is he would need to have a crash bumper to weld on the tubes. Then what would he do? A core charge where you send him your crash bar.

I wish I had taken a picture with the bumper cover off.

 

[Airedrifter]

The tubes coming out of the bumper cover are welded to the front crash bumper. I was going over this in my head and the only thing that I could come up with is he would need to have a crash bumper to weld on the tubes. Then what would he do? A core charge where you send him your crash bar.

I wish I had taken a picture with the bumper cover off.

Ummm... I wish I was closer.

 

[Whitedog]

The tubes coming out of the bumper cover are welded to the front crash bumper. I was going over this in my head and the only thing that I could come up with is he would need to have a crash bumper to weld on the tubes. Then what would he do? A core charge where you send him your crash bar.

I wish I had taken a picture with the bumper cover off.