El Dorado National’s NEW rear access wheelchair van, the Mission, offers nursing home and assisted living customers a lower price point on an ADA lowered floor van. “Because the manufacturing process is less intrusive on a rear-entry vehicle, we can save customers critical dollars while still offering them a high quality accessible van,” said Mitch Comfort, Sales & Marketing Manager, El Dorado National, Salina, KS. Another key advantage of the ElDorado National Mission is safety. It is the only rear entry van on the market today which has passed the rear hatch FMVSS 206 latch integrity test.

Brian Linnens, Kansas Truck Equipment Company, said the new Mission conversion overcomes some objections voiced by his commercial customers. First, it offers more loading/unloading flexibility. Some parking situations preclude easy entry/exit from a side load van. Second, the Mission rear entry van has higher ground clearance in the back. “A center channel is cut out of floor up to the driver’s area, completely eliminating any alteration to the sides, but requires that the back of the van be raised higher than on a side entry vehicle,” said Linnens. Added to this feature is a third benefit: a nice wide rear door measuring 56” high x 32.5” wide.

Linnens added that drivers will see immediate loading/unloading advantages. First, because the wheelchair user is not required to turn to get into a traveling position, the driver only needs to make sure the person is moved up to the point where the safety restraints are engaged. Second, wheelchair travelers with long wheelchairs or conditions which require them to keep their legs extended or the back of their chair tilted can more easily do so in a rear entry van.” Read about features.