A complete service and training programme for mobility van fleets

A mobility van needs three things kept on top of: the hoist or ramp, the wheelchair tie-downs and seatbelts, and the vehicle itself. That means an annual hoist service (motor, cables, hinges and safety locks), regular checks of tie-down straps and restraint webbing for fraying or wear, and inspection of door retainers, floor tracks and non-slip flooring for general wear and tear. On top of the fitout-specific items, the vehicle still needs its standard WoF or CoF — that’s a separate job, since we’re not able to provide WoF or CoF compliance ourselves. Book a service or talk to our Mobility team about a maintenance plan for your fleet.

The clearest signs are unusual noise, jerky or slow movement, and the platform not folding away or locking flush the way it used to. Also watch for straps or webbing that look frayed or worn, and any difficulty engaging the safety latches that hold the wheelchair in place. If you notice any of these, get the hoist checked before it fails a WoF or, worse, lets you down when a client needs to travel — a vehicle with a faulty hoist is effectively off the road for anyone who uses it. Contact our Mobility team if any of this sounds familiar.

A routine annual hoist service is generally a same-day job, so your vehicle isn’t off the road for long. If the inspection turns up a component that needs replacing — a cable, latch or control panel, for example — turnaround will depend on parts availability, and we’ll always tell you upfront what to expect before booking you in. Because service, parts and installation are all handled in-house, we can usually move faster than a fitout-only provider waiting on a third party. Book a service and we’ll confirm a timeframe for your specific vehicle.

First, don’t force it — if the platform won’t fold, lock or unlock, stop trying to operate it manually, as forcing a jammed hoist can damage the mechanism further or make it unsafe. Check the obvious things first: that the vehicle’s ignition or auxiliary power is on, and that nothing is caught in the platform’s path. If it still won’t operate properly, take the vehicle out of service for that client until it’s checked — a hoist that’s failing intermittently is more dangerous than one that’s failed completely, because it can let go mid-use.

A standard annual hoist service covers the motor, cables, hinges and safety locks. Alongside the hoist itself, we check the wheelchair tie-down straps and restraint webbing for fraying or wear, and inspect door retainers, floor tracks and non-slip flooring for general wear. Book a service to see exactly what’s covered for your vehicle.

Wet weather and road grit are harder on a hoist than most owners expect — moisture can work into cables and electrical connections, and grit tracked onto the platform accelerates wear on hinges and locking mechanisms. It’s worth having the hoist’s exposed metal parts checked and lubricated before winter, and keeping the platform and non-slip flooring clear of mud and grit through the season, since a wet, dirty platform is also a slip risk for anyone using it. Grit in the tracks can also stop the restraints working correctly, so it’s worth having those checked at the same time

Day-to-day care — keeping the platform clean, checking straps for obvious fraying, and reporting anything that looks or sounds wrong — is fine and worth doing between services. Anything involving the motor, cables, safety locks or electrical components should be left to a qualified technician, though: these are the parts that keep the platform from failing or dropping while someone’s using it, and getting into them yourself can also affect your warranty and compliance sign-off. Contact our Mobility team if you’re not sure whether something’s a DIY check or a service job — we’re happy to talk it through.