How to Find the Retail Value of a Handicap-Accessible Van

Write down all the information you can gather about the van—its make, model, year, special features, mileage, and interior and exterior condition. Special features could include leather seats, upgraded stereo system, anti-lock braking system, side airbags, running board, off-road tires and of course the hydraulic lift gate that makes it a handicap-accessible vehicle.

Connect to the Internet and go to the Kelley Blue Book Web site. Click on the "Used Cars" button.

Select your van's year, make and model using the drop-down menus under "Used Car Values." At the bottom of the box on the left, enter your ZIP code. Click "Go."

Select what value you want to know. In this case it would be "Suggested Retail Value," the third button down. On the next page, you may need to select among the options offered regarding a feature or features (such as trim). Underneath, you are asked where you want the program to search. The option likely to give you the most relevant value is "Search [vehicle name]. Click "Search."

Select the special equipment your car has, checking off the relevant boxes. The program will have listed and checked off the boxes for the standard equipment on the make, model and year of van you have entered. At the top of the page, enter the mileage and your zip code. Then check off the boxes for your vehicle's non-standard equipment. Click "Continue."

Read the Blue Book Suggested Retail Value for your van in excellent condition at the top of the next page. If your vehicle is not in excellent condition, it will be worth less. Take the "Used Vehicle Condition Quiz" if you are not sure what condition your van is in.

Click "Search Local Listings" to check local listings for vans similar to yours. Reading through the listings will help give you an even better sense of the retail value of your van.

Go to the Edmunds Web site.

Select the make of the van and enter your ZIP code in the "Used Cars" box. Click "Go."

Select "Used Cars" on the next page, specify the area in which you are willing to look and enter your ZIP code in the first section. In the second section, select "Van" under the "Which body styles are you considering?" question.

Use the drop-down menus to specify the make, model and year of your vehicle. Under "How much do you plan to spend?" specify $1 as the minimum and $50,000 as the maximum in order to cover a wide range of possible values for your van. Specify "Dealers and Private Sellers" in the next session and then click on the "Need More Options" line.

Use the drop-down menus to specify the transmission, engine, drive, doors, fuel, mileage and exterior color. Check off the boxes for any features your van has, including "Handicap Equipped." Select how you want your listings displayed and how you want them sorted. Click "Search." If there are any cars like yours for sale in your area, they will be listed, and from the listings you can gauge the value of your van.