Johnny O

Hi wilko no we never got round to doing it because it seemed to be quite a lot of work and rejigging don’t let that put you off though because I’m sure someone out there has done it

I’ve been using Jason Dyer at Dyernostics for over six years, to service my Prius.  He has just serviced my newly aquired Alphard. He’s the real deal because he is Toyota trained, pofessional and knows Alphards’ inside out and back to front. He is based near Bodmin in Cornwall. It’s worth the trip just to get peace of mind and top quality service. 

Toyota Alphard Welcab Sloper 3.5 lItre V6 GGH20 (2012) Pearl White.

49,582 miles, ULEZ free. £19,995

I imported this very rare Toyota Alphard Welcab Sloper for my disabled Mum. Sadly Mum passed away in February 2025 when the car was still on the ship from Japan. I picked it up from Southampton on April 7th 2025 after it was MOT’d, DVLA registered and road taxed. I had it serviced and fully checked over by an Alphard specialist then parked it on the drive.

The one Japanese owner it had really cared for this vehicle and it shows. The interior and exterior are in excellent condition. All the original Toyota fixtures including the original carpets are in pristine condition. All the original cream fabric seats have been covered from new with cream coloured Napa and Leather covers by Clazzio, the luxury Japanese brand who specialise in Alphards.

I did a lot of research among different brands (VW, Mercedes, Ford, Renault) but the reason I got the Alphard Sloper is because the wheelchair user gets the full experience of all the luxury on offer and sits inclusively next to family and friends. On top of that I knew the Alphard has an unbeatably smooth, quiet, safe and comfortable ride.

This is not a retro-fitted wheelchair access system but installed by Toyota at the time of manufacture. The Sloper system is designed with Toyota’s meticulous attention to detail and safety. They have thought of everything. The ramp unfolds electronically at the same time as the rear suspension lowers to reduce the ramps incline. The seating layout is uniquely flexible and designed for one or two wheelchairs. With one wheelchair there is seating for four passengers and the driver. With two wheelchairs you can have two passengers and the driver. The powerful winch system loads the wheelchair slowly and safely with a handheld remote easily operated by one person. The wheelchair(s) are secured using powered safety floor couplings. The rear door has two powerful flood lights and floor lighting so boarding can be done safely at night. I have translated the original Toyota Welcab User Manual for the ramp and winch system. ( see pics and video )

This car is in excellent condition inside and out. It is pretty close to pristine. Paul Bowden at JapAuto Agent only sources quality vehicles and he is an Alphard expert. I was involved at every stage from sourcing at the auction onwards. It was grade 4 listed by the auction house in Tokyo with 79,400 km on the clock and I have all the verified paper work to hand.  Mind you, now I have seen the car up close I realise it's even better than that and probably a 4.5B. It has been well loved by its one previous Japanese owner and professionally maintained from new with full service history. To pass its’ UK MOT at the port I had twin fog lights fitted into the rear reflector ports and a neatly placed button fitted into a vacant switch bay on the drivers facia. The original auction sheet showing the certified mileage is available and translated for you to see exactly what you are buying.

The cars was serviced at Dyernostics the Alphard specialist in Cornwall on April 11th 2025. The owner said it is the cleanest 12 year old Alphard he has ever seen. The underneath is spotless and totally rust free and the engine block looks “brand new” he said. Nothing needed doing because all the service settings were recently completed in Japan. He changed the oil and oil filter as a precaution and gave the van a perfect bill of health.

The smooth and astoundingly quiet ride is supplied by the six speed automatic gearbox, the wishbone suspension and the powerful 3.5 litre V6 engine. The quality and depth of the luxury trim and specifications is better than any accessible vehicle on the market and up there with a Mercedes or Lexus.  When you buy this vehicle all you are going to have to do for the next few years is get a set of tyres. if you want total peace of mind Warranty Wise and Click4Warranty will arrange a one to three year warranty.

Powered Sliding Doors with remote Smart Key function. Central Locking. Keyless Entry. Push Button Start. Cruise Control. Engine Eco Mode. Catalytic Converter. TRC (Traction Control) ABS (Anti Lock Braking ). VSC (Vehicle Stability Control). EPS (Electronic Power Steering). Rear Parking Camera. Front and Rear Sonar Parking Assist. In motion front and rear Proximity Warning Sensors. Power Windows. Power Locking. Illuminated and retractable Bumper Guard Parking Antenna. SRS Front and Side SRS Curtain Airbags. ISOFIX Safety Seat Ports. Dual AC Climate Control System. Dimmable Interior Room Lighting. Touch Screen Stereo Head Unit with DVD / FM / AM / Bluetooth / HDD Storage Drive / Aux Audio / Video/Audio Line in. Second row fold away overhead Alpine TV Screen (10”) with remote. Panasonic Nanoe Ioniser and Air Purification System. Powered Seat controls - with Multiple Position Memory Programmes. Fold Away rear seats. Fold Away Arm Rests. Front and Middle Row Reclining Seats with Foot Rest, Auto Retracting Indicator Wing Mirrors, Kerbside Cycle Safety Mirror. HID Headlights with AFS Adaptive Mode. Rear Spoiler. Front and Rear Fog Lights. Rear and Side Window Privacy Glass. Electrochromic Rear View Mirror. Rear Door Top Down Flood Lights. Footwell Lights. Wheelchair Rear Entry Floor Lighting. Personal Reading Lights. Ani-Theft Immobilzer. Original Toyota 17” Alloys Wheels. Original Floor Carpets. Non-smoker interior. Dash Cam. Custom fitted Japanese Classio Napa and Leather Seat Covers. Two sets of Smart Keys. Welcab Winch Remote. DVD and Stereo Remote. USB Charging Ports. Video and Audio Media Console Line In. 100v/100w AC Power Port. English PDF version of the Toyota GGH20 User Manual. Translated Japanese Toyota Welcab User Manual.

Faults: Other than what is shown on the Tokyo Auction Sheet there is one faint 1cm surface mark on the left side power door that I have put in the photos and a 2cm scuff mark on the front trim. The latch on the centre console glove compartment bin is faulty. The car needs a set of tyres before the next MOT. That's it. 

I just collected this rare GGH20 2012 Alphard Sloper (disability ramp) imported from Japan with the help of Paul Bowden at Jap Auto Agent. It sailed through the MOT at Southampton and then I drove it home and took it to my local Toyota Alphard specialist Dyernostics. He said  "it is the most pristine 12 year old Alphard I have ever seen. On the ramp it is like new underneath, not one spot of rust anywhere”. So I cannot recommend Paul highly enough because he only handles quality grade 4 cars and above. I am a bit full on and I wanted to be involved at every stage of the process. Paul was patient and transparent from beginning to end. He is very knowledgeable and I learned a lot about Alphards from him and he has a team in Japan who have the same professional know how and high standards. I am just blown away by the quality of my vehicle. Highly recommend..

hi Merlin do you still have the rack set? if not where did you get it? PS what happened to your dead hybrid?  

Wow.  Not to look a gift horse in the mouth and all that…. do you still have the rails and carpet.? 

Hey great tip. Worth a try i will them on Monday. 

Ah that sounds interesting. I would be interested in following the contoured foam route with the support for the gap. 

Not sure i am replying in the right mode but yes that was the plan ….to have the full 8 seater set up with the swivel. It’s very interesting what you say. I will have that in mind when I call the conversion folks next week. Sounds like it might be more complicated than we had thought. 

2 hours ago, Rojie said:

 

Just check the rail separation on a 7 seater versus an 8 seater; you will understand what I mean.

 

It's not a big job; I have done something similar, the seats are not a straight swap.

 

Do you need 8 seats ?

Well actually I don’t need the eight seats per se…I  am just looking at the benefit the wider 8 seats has in creating a continuous  surface to sleep on..the gap in the middle of the second row in the seven seater being the issue.  

Not sure i am replying in the right mode but yes that was the plan ….to have the full 8 seater set up with the swivel. It’s very interesting what you say. I will have that in mind when I call the conversion folks next week. Sounds like it might be more complicated than we had thought. 

Hey thanks. That’s not a bad idea … and yeah it does seem to be a niche market 😅. 

Hi. I am a newbie to this forum and to the world of Alphards so please be kind. I am looking to convert my 7 seater 2005 3litre into an 8 seater. Has anyone out there done this successfully.? I am looking out for the centre row seats in grey .. without much success so far.