You’re budgeting for a wheelchair van.
And when budgeting, you want to determine not only how much a wheelchair van costs, but how much it costs after buying.
You have thirty tabs open on your computer, with searches ranging from “How much does it cost to fill a van with gas for 1 year?” to “Average cost of a wheelchair ramp inspection” to “How often do I need to change the oil in a wheelchair van?”.
Despite all your research, you’re struggling to find all the information you need to create an informed and balanced budget. What if you buy a wheelchair van and then can’t afford whatever maintenance it needs throughout the year?
Don’t worry. In this article, you’ll learn a general estimation from MoveMobility’s industry experts on how much it costs to own a wheelchair van for a year, answering questions such as:
- How much does fuel cost for a wheelchair van?
- How much does insurance cost for a wheelchair van?
- How much does maintenance cost for a wheelchair van?
Our industry experts have been in the accessible vehicle field for over a decade, so they know how to give you the most accurate information, the best budgeting advice, and the greatest resources to help you find the wheelchair van that’s right for you.
Read on to learn how much it costs to own a wheelchair van.
How much does it cost to own a wheelchair van for a year?
When trying to determine how much it will cost to own a wheelchair van for a year, the two main factors you have to consider are mileage and maintenance. Other factors would be fuel and insurance costs–but these are a bit harder to guess because they’re so personalized.
Depending on the mileage the van receives annually, the average cost to own a wheelchair van would be about $4500/year plus fuel and insurance*.
Read on to see a breakdown of how much each of these factors (mileage, maintenance, fuel, and insurance) can cost.
*This number is an estimate our industry experts have made based on their experience in the accessible vehicle industry. This average amount can change drastically depending on which province you live in, your insurance provider, and how you treat your vehicle.
How much does fuel cost for a wheelchair van?
Fuel costs vary.
Last year, fuel costs in Canada climbed to a record high–and they’re constantly changing, depending on where you are.
That being said, you can calculate how much it will cost to fill your wheelchair van with gas for a year by using your average L/100 km vehicle consumption.
So, divide the kilometers you travel in a year by the kilometers you travel per liter, and then multiply that number by the average cost of gas per liter. Here is a formula you can use to calculate your annual fuel costs on your own:
C = km / kmpl * l
Where:
- C is the annual cost of
- km is the total number of kilometers traveled per year
- kmpl is the kilometers traveled per liter of gas
- l is the average cost for a liter of gas
So, how do you actually use this formula? Well, first you have to determine:
- The number of kilometers you travel in a year
- The number of kilometers you travel per liter of gas
- The average cost of gas per liter
Let’s say that you travel 20,000 kilometers per year. You travel 16.5 kilometers per liter of gas, and gas prices right now are $1.8 per liter.
Once you have those numbers, you can plug them into the formula:
C = 20,000 / 16.5 * 1.8
C = 1212 * 1.8
C = 2181
Using this formula, we’ve predicted the driver in this scenario would likely spend $2181 annually on fuel.
Insurance prices, however, are a lot more difficult to predict.
How much does insurance cost for a wheelchair van?
Insurance will also vary from province to province. For example, drivers in British Columbia and Ontario generally pay twice as much as Quebec and Prince Edward Island.
On average, you can expect to pay around $1300 to $1800 per year to insure accessible vehicles as passenger vehicles.
Most accessible vans can be insured as passenger vehicles and do not require commercial licensing, which is more expensive. Check out this related article that describes the differences between commercial and personal insurance.
How much does maintenance cost for a wheelchair van?
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Regular maintenance on both the van itself and the conversion components will help to mitigate higher repair expenses in the future. Regular maintenance looks like this: semi-annual engine oil changes and air filter replacements, and annual lift or ramp inspections.
Cost of engine oil changes
Engine oil changes can cost between $60-$120 depending on whether you are using conventional or synthetic engine oils.
Cost of engine air filter replacements
Engine air filters cost $40-$50 and should be checked during every oil change.
Cost of annual lift and ramp inspections
The annual lift and ramp inspections typically cost $200 and are highly recommended to keep your accessible van running optimally. Click here to book your ramp or lift inspection today.
It’s important to remember that performing regularly-scheduled maintenance will always pay off in the long run–keeping you from venturing into pricey repair costs.
Other maintenance practices you can expect throughout the year are:
- Tune-ups
- Tire rotation
- Fluid checks
- Transmission flush
- Windshield Wiper Replacement
With all of these maintenance practices in mind, and depending on the mileage that the van receives annually, you can expect to spend around $4500 per year on your wheelchair van maintenance.
How much does it cost to own a wheelchair van for a year? (Chart)
| Fuel and insurance | Cost |
| Fuel | C = km / kmpl * l For the purposes of this chart, let’s say $2000 |
| Insurance | Around $1300 to $1800 |
| Total cost: | Around $3300-3800 |
| Maintenance practices | |
| Engine oil changes | Around $60-$120 twice a year |
| Engine air filters | Around $40-$50 twice a year |
| Lift and ramp inspections | Around $200 |
| Extraneous maintenance practices, such as: Tune-ups/Tire rotation/Fluid checks/Transmission flush/Windshield Wiper Replacement | It is difficult to predict how much each of these will cost because they depend on who you go to and where you live. You will have to determine these prices for yourself. |
| Total cost: | Around $4500 |
| Overall total cost to own a wheelchair van annually: | Around $5800-$6300* |
*Again, these numbers are an estimate our industry experts have made based on their experience in the accessible vehicle industry. This average amount can change drastically depending on which province you live in, your insurance provider, and how you treat your vehicle.
Your next steps to determine how much it costs to own a wheelchair van for a year
You came to this article to learn how much it costs to own a wheelchair van for a year.
Now, you know a general number to keep in mind as you form your budget.
Still not sure how much you should be budgeting for this year? Talk to a MoveMobility expert now.
Or, learn more about wheelchair vans by checking out these related articles:
