Wheelchair lift @ the rear?

[Stuntmanmitch]

I've been watching auctions/ads and researching for the better part of the year now. Missed out on some sweet busses cause my money is still funny but I'm almost there. The plan is still generally the same; a significantly less than 40ft FE bus with a decent engine, anything but a AT545 trans, wheelchair lift, A/C and less than 225k miles. I recently saw a couple of busses meeting my criteria minus the wheelchair lift. I know the obvious answer, buy a bus with a lift. I'm sure this is not something I want to really mess with but for the heck of it; Has anyone relocated or installed a lift at the rear door? I did a search for "wheelchair lift" but only found installs, removals or for sale. They seem like there easy to come by probably not so much to put at the rear door though. It would make opening from the inside the first problem but what else?

 

[cadillackid]

the rear door in school service was always designated as an emergency escape door so no lift was ever installed at that door... I also believe it to be slightly narrower than most of the lift doors ive seen... not sure if you can find a lift that will fit the width of the rear door.. but if you can theres no reason you couldnt put it there

alot of people here remove their lifts so you can probably get one fairly cheap or free esp if you are willing to drive a little ways for it.

-Christopher

 

[DAVEHOLMAN]

All the buses I looked at before recently buying mine, the rear door was 36-38 inches wide. The narrowest wheelchair lift on the market today requires a 40' wide door. Quite frustrating ;-)

I ended up buying a 1982 Carpenter that had a lift at one time, so there is a 42' hatch behind the regular entry door, which was welded up when the lift was removed. So, I'm having to grind out those welds, and hopefully fashion a door from the metal plate, instead of buying a door.

So, yeah...buy one with a lift already in, or that has had one. Lifts are cheap ($300-500 used, all day long). If you can do the install, you can save a ton of money over buying a new lift and having it installed ($3000+).

 

[cadillackid]

wow ive never seen that door welded shut before.. my carpenter has the door behind the regular bus door.. I took out the lift but kept the door... thats my nice swing open "patio door" as i call it.. when im parked sitting in the 2 facing-each-other seats with the laptop working, watching the peope and cars go by outside...

I guess maybe someone had started to convert your bus?
-Christopher

 

[Stuntmanmitch]

Thanks for the confirmation/responses.