Dual-post vs single-post wheelchair lift: platform, split, folding, and under-vehicle lifts for NEMT vans

Why a NEMT van needs two posts, not one

The dual-post versus single-post question is mostly settled by weight. A single-post lift hangs the platform from one vertical arm. A dual-post lift, which makers call a dual-arm or dual parallel arm lift, carries it on an arm at each side of the door.

BraunAbility’s buying guide for commercial lifts sums up the trade:

• Single-arm. It takes less room inside the van, but it is less stable, and most models top out at 600 pounds.
• Dual-arm. It takes more room, spreads the load across both arms, and most models carry 800 pounds.

The federal floor for a lift’s design load is 600 pounds under 49 CFR 38.23. A 600-pound single-arm lift meets that number with nothing to spare. BraunAbility calls a dual-arm lift the better choice for commercial use, and every lift in the door-opening table below raises its platform on two hydraulic cylinders, one per side. The rest of this guide is about the choices inside that group: the platform style, where the lift mounts, and how much door it needs.

The workhorse: a dual parallel arm platform lift

BraunAbility’s current commercial line for full-size vans has two dual parallel arm lifts. Both fold the platform upright inside the door, and they differ in the part that holds the chair on the platform.

• Century 2. Rated 800 pounds, or 1,000 pounds in the NCL1000 models. Its outer barrier has a spring-loaded mechanical latch: a foot along the front edge touches the ground and releases it. BraunAbility says the Century suits flat, level stops, because on uneven ground the foot may not reach the pavement and the barrier stays locked.
• Millennium 2. Rated 800 pounds and not offered at 1,000. A hydraulic cylinder raises and releases its outer barrier, so it does not need weight on the ground to open. BraunAbility says it handles uneven or rough ground, including mountainous areas, with a warning to take care when the platform is not touching the ground.

Both run on 12 volts with a draw of up to 70 amps, lift with power and lower by gravity, and weigh roughly 360 to 385 pounds depending on the model. The standard models travel up to 48 inches from floor to ground. Each has a hand pump backup built into the pump module, which matters on the day a lift quits with a rider aboard (the mid-trip lift failure guide covers that day).

Three ordering choices change how the lift fits the van:

1. Pump side. BraunAbility’s model codes put the pump on the left (IB) or the right (FIB) as you face the van. If the van has a floor-mounted heater or air conditioner near the side door, order the pump on the other side so a technician can reach it.
2. Raised pump. The RP models mount the pump higher to clear a stepwell.
3. Handrail belt. The HB models add a belt across the handrails, and they need a taller door, as the table below shows.

Split platforms keep the doorway open

A standard platform folds up as one piece and stands in the doorway when stowed. Anyone else boarding through that door has to climb around it. A split platform folds in two halves that swing to the sides, leaving a gap down the middle.

Ricon builds this style in two places. Its Clearway, sold through Ricon’s personal mobility line, has a fully automatic split platform that folds up and out of the way to clear the door. Ricon backs it for 1 year on parts and labor and 5 years on hydraulic components. Ricon’s S-Series public use lift, its commercial version, is also offered with a split platform, which its August 2021 service manual describes as giving easy access to the van through the lift. That manual rates the S-Series at 800 pounds.

Two practical points before you choose one:

• Check the label, not the product family. A lift sold for personal use may be certified as a private use lift. Look for “DOT-Public Use Lift” on the lift and on the cover of its installation instructions.
• Know who services it. Ricon now sends personal mobility sales, service and parts to Tempe Mobility, and says VMI no longer offers Ricon equipment or parts.

Folding platforms for an unblocked window

Ricon’s K-Series KlearVue takes a different route. Its platform folds horizontally as it stows, so the stowed lift sits lower and blocks less of the door glass. Ricon markets it on clear views for the driver and passengers, and on fitting a longer platform without a raised roof or doors.

The numbers in Ricon’s brochures show what that buys and what it costs:

• Stowed height. With a 54-inch-long platform, the Titanium K2010 folds to 54 inches tall, while the S2010, also 54 inches long, folds to 57.
• Floor-to-ground travel. The K-Series reaches 37 or 48 inches depending on the model, against 42 or 51 inches for the matching S-Series. A van whose floor sits higher than the lift’s travel needs the longer-travel model.
• Capacity. The Titanium version carries up to 1,000 pounds with a full 3-year warranty. The Classic version carries 800 pounds with a 5-year limited warranty.
• Retrofit. Ricon ties the 1,000-pound Titanium rating to engineering for one vehicle and does not offer it as a retrofit.

A non-standard Classic model, the K2003, folds to 47 inches tall, but its platform is only 29 inches wide by 51 long.

Under-vehicle lifts free the interior

An under-vehicle lift stores its platform in a sealed housing beneath the floor and extends it at the door. Nothing stands in the doorway or the window, and no floor space inside the van goes to the lift.

BraunAbility’s buying guide lists the costs of that design: an under-vehicle lift costs more than one mounted inside, cuts ground clearance, and is harder to maintain because of its weatherproof housing. Its January 2021 reference guide lists one under-vehicle lift, the NUVL603C, as a consumer model rated at 750 pounds, with a 31 by 48 inch platform and 34 inches of floor-to-ground travel. That platform barely clears the federal minimum of 30 inches across by 48 inches of length. The commercial model, the UVL855, is built to sit in a bus step or a dedicated compartment, not under a van floor.

For a NEMT fleet that means an under-vehicle lift is a special case. It fits a van where interior space decides the job, but check the certification label, the rated load against your heaviest riders, and the ground clearance at the driveways you serve.

Door opening: the measurement that decides the order

The lift has to pass through the door when it stows, so the van’s clear door opening limits which lifts fit. A lift that needs more height than the door gives means a raised door or a taller van, which turns a bolt-in job into structural work.

The makers’ current guides list the minimum opening each lift needs, and every lift below needs a door at least 40.5 inches wide and 55 inches tall. Heights vary within each range by platform length and options such as the handrail belt. The Ricon rows cover each series’ four standard sizes (2005, 2010, 5505, and 5510).

Wider platforms need wider doors. In BraunAbility’s guides, a 37-inch-wide platform needs a door at least 45.85 inches wide, against 41.85 inches for a 33-inch platform. Measure the opening on the van you own, with the door fully open, before the order is placed. The roof height guide explains how roof choice changes door height on full-size vans.

Side door or rear door

Most full-size vans can take a lift at either door, and the mounting kit changes with the choice. BraunAbility’s August 2026 Century guide lists side door and rear door kits for the Ram ProMaster from 2014, Ford E-Series, Ford Transit, Ford E-Transit with the Omni floor, GM vans, and the Sprinter, with standard and extended rear door versions. The Transit gets its own side door kit when the van has curtain air bags along the side. Its June 2026 guide for the 1,000-pound Century lists rear door kits only, for the ProMaster, Transit, E-Transit, and Sprinter.

Curb space, traffic, and room behind the van weigh the same way they do for any conversion, and the conversion guide covers side and rear entry. One trade-off is specific to lifts: BraunAbility notes that an inside-mounted lift in the side door can limit how far the front passenger seat moves.

Public use rating, control position, and price

Order the public use version for a NEMT van: its endurance test runs 15,600 cycles against 4,400 for a private use lift, and the wheelchair van conversion guide explains both labels and where each is required. One installation rule also bears on the choice of door. Under FMVSS No. 404, the controls of a public use lift must sit together in a spot where the operator can see the rider and the chair, with nothing in the way, at every height between floor level and the pavement, so the operator’s standing spot has to work at the door you pick.

On price, BraunAbility puts typical commercial wheelchair lifts at $5,000 to $15,000, depending on the style, the vehicle, and the features. The mounting kit is specific to the van and door, so price the exact chassis you plan to run. For heavier riders, the bariatric van guide compares the 1,000-pound options, and if you are reusing a lift from an older van, read moving a wheelchair lift to another van first.

Matching lift vans to the trips that need them

A lift only earns its cost when the trips that need it reach the van that has it. HealthRide tracks each vehicle’s seat and wheelchair capacity, and wheelchair, stretcher, and oxygen needs are matched when trips are assigned. Drivers also complete an inspection checklist in the app before the first trip, and dispatch sees a failed check at once, so a sticking lift is caught before the van leaves the yard. Vehicle setup is covered on the fleet management page.