When it comes to the Volkswagen Crafter, it’s all about space, reliability, comfort, and safety and that’s why it’s the go-to vehicle for transporting precious cargo.

It’s these features: space, reliability, comfort, and safety that make the VW Crafter the choice of vehicle for the Anne Harding Cheshire Homes for transporting their residents to their weekly activities.

The long wheelbase Crafter 50 has space for five large wheelchairs and still has the front row of seats, to accommodate five nurses or other residents who can walk.

The Ann Harding Cheshire Home is a residential care facility for adults, between the ages of 18 and 59, who have a physical disability. Their weekly activities involve taking groups of residents plus their assistants to the shops, church, social activities as well as medical appointments.

Their VW Crafter has been fitted with an SWC wheelchair lift, which makes access into and out of the vehicle effortless and safe. Each person is quickly and easily secured using the restraints that have been fitted to secure the wheelchairs. The spacious interior of the Crafter enables easy movement of wheelchairs inside the vehicle and provides a full standing height with generous headroom for walkers and helpers.

The ultimate versatility

Volkswagen have created a vehicle that offers the ultimate versatility with its generous space and versatile design. It arrives as a panel van with a bare interior, and then it is up to the buyer to convert the interior according to their needs, even adding windows where they are needed, seats or no seats, shelves, racks, equipment, etc. This makes the vehicle a popular choice for ambulance conversions, school buses, courier and logistic transport, camper van conversions and of course, wheelchair accessible transport.

Conversions

When choosing a Crafter to convert into a wheelchair accessible vehicle, the bus-ready conversion option is the required choice as the rear of the vehicle has been reinforced to provide protection for the passengers.

Fitting of windows and a suitable floor covering that facilitates the movement of wheelchairs inside the vehicle will be required.

Each wheelchair that is transported will require a 4-point restraint system as well as a separate seat-belt for the passenger (the red strap in the photo below) which secures the passenger separately from the wheelchair.

The restraint systems can be fitted in a single position which means that the wheelchair will always be secured in one place in the vehicle, or they can have a multi-position system such as the Smartfloor, which makes use of a system like the airline rails which allows for multiple positions to secure the restraints and seats.

A platform lift can be fitted to the rear or side door for lifting a person in the wheelchair into and out of the vehicle. They are generally available as a solid platform or a split platform, with the benefits of the split platform being that it doesn’t obscure the view through the window. To prevent this, the platform is often built of a mesh grid so that when it is secured, it’s still possible to see through it.

Crafter cab comfort

The interior for the cab has been revised on the new model Crafters for improved comfort and the air-con now comes standard across all variants. There is space for the driver plus two passengers up front in the cab, with the standard option being a two-seater bench seat, or an option of having a single passenger seat. The seats are covered with a hard-wearing, easy-to-clean upholstery, and the floor has a rubber covering.

The cab has many carefully positioned storage compartments including a super-useful pocket within easy reach, with a mobile phone interface with inductive charging. The multi-function steering wheel is designed to keep the driver’s hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

Driver assistance and safety

Volkswagen pack in their cutting-edge technology, designing the Crafter for all-round protection for both driver and passengers, and packed with safety features to assist the driver.

The Crafter package includes airbags for driver and front passengers, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist, Crosswind Assist, Multi-Collision Braking (MCB), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Park Assist Control.

Warranty

Volkswagen demonstrate their faith in their technology by providing a comprehensive two-year with unlimited kilometre warranty and a five-year 120 000km Easy Drive Service Plan with 15 000km service intervals. They also offer optional Maintenance and Service Plan up till 10 years or 400 000kms.

Driving licenses

The Crafter 50 models and most of the Crafter 35 models all require a C1 license as the gross weight is over 3.5 tonnes. However, the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) version of the Crafter 35 sneaks in just under the 3.5 tonne cut-off weight for a B license, and therefore the smallest version of the Crafter 35 can be driven with a code B car license (old Code 8).

Re-registration

The Crafter is imported, registered, and sold as a panel van. Regulation 250 in the Road Traffic Act (RTA) states that no person shall on a public road, convey school children or any person for reward in the goods compartment of a motor vehicle, unless an exemption is issued to such person in terms of the National Land Transport Act (NLTA).

In South Africa, vehicles need to be inspected and re-registered when they have been modified significantly from their original specifications to ensure that modifications do not jeopardise the vehicle’s safety and legal compliance. This includes modifications that affect suspension, the number and size of windows, either increasing or decreasing the seating capacity as this may affect the structural integrity of the vehicle, amongst other changes.

Therefore, before it can be used for transporting passengers, the Crafter will need to have the vehicle’s registration and licensing information updated on the National Traffic Information System (e-Natis) after a major alteration or change to the vehicle, such as a conversion, to ensure that it complies with the safety and roadworthy standards for transporting passengers.

A compelling option

For people living with physical disabilities, finding the right vehicle that combines accessibility, comfort, and reliability is crucial. The Volkswagen Crafter emerges as a compelling option, offering a range of features that make it well-suited for mobility modifications that provide dignity and comfort for all passengers.

Whether configured as a personal transport solution or as part of an accessible transport fleet, the Crafter’s versatility and reliability, backed by Volkswagen’s comprehensive warranty and service plan, make it a practical choice for enhancing mobility independence.