Chair option in US with RWD and center foot plate mount?

[Jay_x]

What are the chairs available in the US that have both RWD and center foot plate mount?

thanks

[Burgerman]

Only a single option I think now. But I cant be sure as I dont live there. The V4 or in the US the Rear Drive verson of the V6 magic mobility chair.

[Jay_x]

Only a single option I think now. But I cant be sure as I dont live there. The V4 or in the US the Rear Drive verson of the V6 magic mobility chair.

What do you think about putting a center mount plate on the Quickie 500H? Seems like you would have to move the seat forward so the plate would not get caught in the front tires. Would it be too forward heavy and impractical?

https://www.sunrisemedical.com/power-wh ... ive/q500-h

[Jay_x]

Why can't Quantum build a RWD chair on their FWD base? I mean its the same thing right?

https://www.quantumrehab.com/quantum-po ... ront-2.asp

[Burgerman]

If they did then you would still have the same old programming problem. No way to get an OEM capable curtis / pride programmer. So forever be in hovercraft steer mode?

I know you are not me. But if thats all thats available I would buy it, turn the seating 180, and fit R-Net instead. It looks relativley simple. They used to sell it that way from memory. Well with their QLOGIC 3.

Prides marketing department have names and acronyms for everything. E.g. SRS.
SRS is "smooth ride suspension" - otherwise known as "suspention" on any other chair or vehicle!

[fishinjunky]

Bounder is RWD and has a center foot plate mount option, But ive read comments that their center foot plate is very heavy.
I would choose between the V4 that BM mentioned or a Bounder. I think both can be good chair.

[Burgerman]

Both use R-net so can be properly programmed. But bounder is a bit long with a huge battery box hanging out the rear, chain drive and a throwback to the last century. If thats OK then fine. Wouldnt be my choice. But in the US your choice is rather limited.

[Burgerman]

Both use R-net so can be properly programmed. But bounder is a bit long with a huge battery box hanging out the rear, chain drive and a throwback to the last century. If thats OK then fine. Wouldnt be my choice. But in the US your choice is rather limited.

[Jay_x]

Thanks guys

and What do you think about putting a center mount plate on the Quickie 500H? Seems like you would have to move the seat forward so the plate would not get caught in the front tires. Would it be too forward heavy and impractical?

https://www.sunrisemedical.com/power-wh ... ive/q500-h

[Burgerman]

Its on the order form. At least in the UK. And EU.
Heres the UK pricing for that:

QOP050076 Centre Mount Legrest, Powered, 90° - 180°, 175 mm Extension £1372

Order form
https://www.sunrisedice.com/asset-bank/ ... /47339.pdf
Web page H
https://www.sunrisemedical.eu/powered-w ... ro#support
Web page R
https://www.sunrisemedical.eu/powered-w ... -sedeo-pro

And its actually the other way around. Swing away footrests need the seat forwards so that your heels can be way too far stuck out in front so as to miss the front casters. A centre plate allows your heels to sit in the gap between the caster wheels. And so your seat can go back.

[Jay_x]

Interesting, its not on the order form for the US, no idea why that would be

https://www.sunrisemedical.com/getattac ... -(Feb-2023).aspx

[Fusiongoat]

Interesting, its not on the order form for the US, no idea why that would be

https://www.sunrisemedical.com/getattac ... -(Feb-2023).aspx

If it's not on the order form then they probably won't let you get it. Sunrise US is just like that. As for why, who knows? You could always have any chair sent to Motion Concepts and they will install a center mount, power or not. If you are willing to get a hybrid chair you might as well get an Amy R3:
https://amylior.com/wp-content/uploads/ ... -HCPCS.pdf
It has way more options and they will put 120A R-net with standard motors which Sunrise will not do under any circumstances. An issue with the V4 is that it apparently is not coded so if your insurance is similar to Medicare you can't even pay to upgrade to it. If you have insurance that will cover a Group 4 chair I think they would probably cover it because the cost should be about the same. Finally, if you want an elevator you might want to consider waiting a few months until Medicare has formally adopted the new coverage rule.

[Burgerman]

The 120A and any motors you choose as well as centre footplate (3 different ones, inc manual and 2 powered) are all commonly available here.

Ths has been discussed many times on here. It apears that the reason rear drive, options etc isnt available in the US has to do with the screwy way chairs are funded, and your "group" classfication thing that doesent happen in other countries. They seem make up common "packages" to fit certain insurance/group criteria, that is competitive and end user gets little choice. They are not there to please the end paying end user. They only need to please some arbitrary group thing and its criteria. And the customer, which is your insurer.

[Jay_x]

Sunrise actually has a specific dept that will do custom order stuff

https://www.sunrisemedical.com/wheelcha ... built-4-me

Also my provider is the VA and they are usually pretty good about doing custom stuff if you really need it done. They had Bounder make a custom footplate for me because their standard foot plate was just too tiny for my massive feet. I am pretty sure I could get a center mount plate on that chair.

[Arima]

Invacare was selling the Storm RX with a center footplate. Not sure if they are still offering it these days. It is not Rnet.

[Jay_x]

Yeah the Feds shut down Invacare's factory for a short time a while back and then the VA stopped doing business with them, not sure if they are buying from invacare now or not again. So that might not be an option.

[Burgerman]

An invacare press release around 6 months ago said they were no longer selling chairs in the US. To concentrate on the rest of the world where they make most of their money. So invacare chairs in the US are likely to be no more. They were already doing this anyway as over the last 10 years at least, they never sold any of their modern chairs in the US anyway. Just continued with all the old models that were 3 or 4 generations behind. Thats a similar situation in many ways to sunrise. Who continue with a much slimmed down selection of chairs and options compared to the rest of the world. It must be to do with having more regulation or US FDA and a bunch of other regulation.

Free market trade, capitalism, is the LACK of this. In the US theres less regulation on most things than in other countries. Hence the historic high living standards and freedoms in every way. But that normal free trade isnt how your medical and wheelchair business is conducted. So the net result is that you get what you see... It all needs to be deregulated. So that the end user is the buyer. Then the companies would make the most sales and more money by pleasing the end user waving the cash around by offering what THEY want like happens in every normal industry.

[Arima]

Things change fast. It's possible Invacare abandon the US market. They sold me one last August. I posted about it here...https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/board/ ... 64#p189464. It does look like some of there older style chairs I guess. It was the only option the DME offered me with a center mount footplate.

[Jay_x]

Things change fast. It's possible Invacare abandon the US market. They sold me one last August. I posted about it here...https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/board/ ... 64#p189464. It does look like some of there older style chairs I guess. It was the only option the DME offered me with a center mount footplate.

so you have that Invacare RWD. How are you liking it so far? Any issues? Handles well?

[Jay_x]

Just talked to INvacare, they are definitely still selling in the US

[Burgerman]

Everything except power wheelchairs will continue. Powerchairs will cease sooner rather than later. At least that was what the invacare press release said a few months back.

And I can no longer find it. Theresa link here somewhere.
But theres an awful lot of restructuring happening at invacare and they may have changed their minds.
https://newsroom.invacare.com/news-rele ... fault.aspx

[Jay_x]

Thanks, I did not realize they were in chapter 11 restructuring, wow. anyway I see nothing in that press release that indicates they will stp servicing the US on ony products. Person I talked to yesterday said they service the US with power chairs.

[Arima]

so you have that Invacare RWD. How are you liking it so far? Any issues? Handles well?

Not sure what you mean by "handling". I'm not a demanding user so the factory settings are okay for now. Call it mushy. The suspension is like other chairs...you feel every pebble.

I needed lift, tilt/recline and power legrest all paid for by medicare. And that's what I got. I hate all chairs so probably not a good person to ask how I like it. Quality feels about the same as my Sunrise chair. No issues to date. It's kind of creaky...I'm wondering if the rubber bushings in the front forks is the source of the noise.

[Burgerman]

I hate all chairs

Why?

[Arima]

Well that statement didn't come out they way I meant it. I've actually said out loud a few times how grateful I am to have a chair that does all the things it does. I liked it better when my legs worked and I didn't need a chair. Needing the chair is the part I don''t like.

[Burgerman]

Well in that case. I hate being paralised from nipples down. No feeling, bowel control, urinary control, etc. And that brings many problems, spasm, tension/pain, breathing issues, infection problems, ileostomy, balance, pressure sores and a multitude of extra issues not mentoned that rule my life.

But a powerchair allows me freedom. To get a , a girlfreind, to persue my hobbies and interests, to drive. To get around cheaply and rapidly locally in spite of ... So I love my chairs. Despite having to rely on them, the cost, the fact that they are all unreliable unusable rubbish as they are delivered and the extra cost/work and fight needed to make them all turn from crap to great!