I was a wee bit perplexed when I first spotted this xB at the curb, with its rear end jacked way up. What the? Folks do all kinds of strange things to xBs, but this was a new one.
Aha! A Rampvan. That makes sense.
It’s been converted for mobility use, which requires jacking up the body in order to still leave room for the gas tank. I’ve seen plenty of FWD vans and now more SUVs, but had not seen an xB. Makes gobs of sense; the roomiest box for its short footprint.
Nice Absolute Mobility Center badge on the back, the Space Needle is iconic. Looking at their website looks like they mainly deal with Minivans these days and I imagine these Scions are somewhat rare. Thanks Paul, for sharing.
Ah, thanks for that explanation! I’ve seen several Caravans around here with that conversion, but I never understood why they were jacked up in the back until now.
I love the colour, and the wheels, and the rake. Makes me want an xB !
Toyota should have never stopped production of that car (or turned it into the disappointing mess that was the second generation). This is another of those rare vehicles that is perfect as is, and is a prime example of good old transportation.
There’s certain a market for those kind of cars, enough to be worthwhile.
The rear suspension is altered and the back has a half cut. The fuel tank is moved towards the middle of the underside of the vehicle. The height is mostly due to the fuel tank being so low. It uses airbags in the back to receive full height. When the ramp is deployed the air is released, the back drops and the ramp is less steep. I have one in my shop right now. Owner passed away and it’s such a specific vehicle it’s hard to sell.
I’d buy one if you come across another one
I found a second generation, 2012 limited edition 9.0 one in Hot Lava and I love it. This version doesn’t have all the airbags and all the other automatic functions. Given that those things had failure problems in use, I am glad there is all manual operation with my car.
I had a 2004 Scion (non-converted). I really liked it’s design much better than than the second generation, but I didn’t want to go back that far in age, mileage and features for a handicap converted one.