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1. POWERCHAIR
ONLY:
Detailed Full PowerChair Related ONLY Menu HERE
2. VEHICLE
ONLY:
Detailed Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles ONLY menu HERE
3. EVERYTHING
ELSE:
Detailed Menu of Everything else HERE!
MY OWN
VEHICLES:
Dodge
Grand Caravan
VW Caravelle VR6
MY HOME
BUILT ULTIMATE POWERCHAIRS:
My
SLIGHTLY Modified
Improved Powerchair
Part
1 |
2 | 3
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4 |
5 |
6
My VERY Modified Off Road & All terrain DO ALL
Powerchair!
Part 1
| 2 |
3
MISCELLANEOUS
POWERCHAIR RELATED:
What
Goes Wrong Power Wheelchairs
Powerchair Tyres
Drive your Powerchair by Radio Control
Powerchairs & Range
Off Road DO ALL Indoor & Outdoor Powerchairs
Off Road ONLY Outdoor Powerchairs & 4x4
Page
1
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2
Manual or Electric Wheelchair?
Why ALL Powerchairs
NEED to be Off Road Capable!
Choosing a Suitable Powerchair
Wheelchair Width
BATTERY
AND ELECTRICAL (POWERCHAIRS & SCOOTERS + MOTOR VEHICLES):
Batteries for Both Vans & Power Wheelchairs
Inverters & Chargers
Very flexible charger!
Charging Batteries
Fast Charge Your Power
Wheelchair
Which batteries to buy
"DRIVE
FROM A WHEELCHAIR" VEHICLES:
Dodge
Grand Caravan 1
Dodge
Grand Caravan 2
Dodge Grand Caravan 3
Dodge Grand Caravan 4
Latest 2008 2009 2010
Disabled Converted Dodge Chrysler And Voyager Minivans
Chrysler Voyager
Entervan Diesel
Suzuki Wagon R
More Here
Mercedes Vito
-
soon!
Kia Sedona - soon!
INSURANCE:
Modified Disabled
Vehicle Insurance
Breakdown Cover
USED VEHICLES & OTHER
EQUIPMENT:
Disabled Adapted Cars
WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORT
& DRIVE BY TRANSFERRING:
VW Caravelle
Dodge
Grand Caravan can be used to transport up to 4 Wheelchair Seated Occupants
Fiat Doblo
Renault Kangoo
-
soon!
Citroen Berlingo - soon!
Citroen Dispatch
- soon!
Kia Sedona
-
soon!
Volkswagen Sharan
Mercedes Vaneos
Toyota Hiace
Fiat Multiplas (Wheelchair
passenger travels in the front)
Kangoo ASSIST (wheelchair
passenger transfers & drives)
ESSENTIAL DISABLED
EQUIPMENT STUFF:
Understanding
Grabbers
Puncture proof tyres
Run Flat tyres
Tyre Weld Aerosol
Fuses!
>
Spare Key
Wheelchair Ramps
Small Generator
Tools!
VEHICLE ADAPTATIONS:
Control
Systems etc
Hand Controls Manual
Hand Controls Electronic
Van / Car Door openers
Van / Car Wheelchair Tie Downs
OTHER STUFF:
Used Disabled Equipment for sale
How to lose weight FAST!
Email about modifying powerchairs
Keep it looking new 1
2
My Accident!
Climate Change
Electric
Cars are a Joke!
Disclaimer
& About Me
Site
Map
Contact
Links
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Fuses, Breakers and Trip Switches!
As a wheelchair (power wheelchair) user, and as a
disabled vehicle driver, I am always worried about Fuses and trip switches
leaving me stuck! And rightly so. Its our DUTY to know where all the important fuses are
on both our power wheelchairs and on our specialist modified vehicles and to
have spares with us!
Its already happened on
one occasion in a local supermarket car park that the fuse that supplies the
ramp on my
Rollx Van
failed and the ramp would not go
up! Fortunately I not only had a replacement ready on board, but
recognised the symptoms instantly because I actually like to be prepared. I read
the book!
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That's
because although there are about 4 different fuses in several
different locations on board this particular conversion that effect the ramp
they all do different things and have different effects.
One for example provides power
for the suspension lowering motor, one more for the power doors, one for the
computer in the rear that co-ordinates all of this stuff as well as one more for
the power just to the ramp on my own
Van
Because all of this stuff above
and several ramp/door position sensors all get coordinated and controlled by the computer in the
rear/boot any of them could cause the ramp to fail as the little Rollx
computer in there sees a "fault".
But by removing one fuse at a
time, well before they actually fail, I learned what each does and its
consequences.
It gave me the chance to know where they all were located and to
obtain a bunch of replacements for the hypothetical day that I was stranded in
some strange wet town at 4am and unable to get in or out of my vehicle (or get
home).
All
disabled adaptations are different so learn about yours!
But more than just the extra
fuses you need for getting your doors , ramps, wheelchair tie-downs, and
suspension lowering operational, you also need to have spares for your vehicles
normal electrics too!
Open
the fuse box lid,
make a note of what fuses are there and the sizes
(amps).
Get a replacement or two for every size and type in there. Check manual or
workshop manual as there are often more hidden away in various places.
But don't go to mad!
If
there are 10x "25 amp" fuses say, then you only need a couple. They wont all
blow at once.
Seriously though, rather than be stranded get enough fuses to
replace anything that can blow and leave you stuck! Ignition, lights at the very
least.
Don't forget fuses for any chargers you use while out and about
either.
Much like ramps and other disability related electrical items these are
often strange hard to find items. Have them with you as spares BEFORE you need
to go looking for them!
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And
don't forget the great big one in your actual power wheelchair!
These are normally hard to spot but are
often part of the battery cables.
The one in my
power wheelchairs
certainly is!
Its a 150 or 200 amp one that is bolted into the battery cable. It does
not look like the fuse opposite. There is an image below of a battery and its
shown there.
I leave a
spare one in the battery tray taped to the cables just in case. Some
powerchairs use a resettable "trip" switch instead. Although I haven't seen one
in years.
Get to know where this is too if you have one! There's a picture
of it on the battery below...
The above three sections should keep you mobile and able to get into and out
of your vehicle.
Don't forget to also keep your mobile phone and the
number of friends and the AA (AAA) or other breakdown service with you at all
times as well!
As
usual, knowledge, some spares and a little previous preparation
can
save you no end of cold, expense and grief!
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The next time you get chance gather
all the books relating to your various adaptations or vehicle and powerchair and
study them!
Get replacement fuses for everything, including such things as
mobile or fast powerchair chargers and put them with those books and manuals
into your vehicle ready for the cold wet day you WILL need them.
Add a list of
notes/numbers/any tools and other stuff that will help.
Burgerman
A photo of a battery with its fuse from my
powerchair to show what that looks like is below.
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Battery fuse on a powerchair bigger |
Battery
Fuse electric wheelchair huge!
See the bulge on the red cable?
The one covered by a bit of heat shrink cable? That's the fuse or breaker... In this case
its easier to just order a new battery cable from the manufacturer. I have a
spare in my battery box just in case because you never know!Related Pages
Charge a Powerchair directly from a vehicle. via the same Anderson
connectors
Anderson Style connectors
and why you need them
Fast Charge YOUR Powerchair
in Around 1 Hour
Inverters & Chargers
Batteries for Both Vans & Power Wheelchairs
Which
Batteries to Buy
Very Flexible Charger!
Fuses!
Lithium Ion Batteries for
Powerchairs and Scooters
My Power Wheelchair or Scooter Will Not Charge
BCI Battery Sizes, Group 22, 24, 34, 27 etc
Drive Your
Powerchair by Radio Control
A
Superior Powerchair
overnight charger
Battery Planning
How to organise yourself for every eventuality!
MORE: Detailed PowerChair Only Menu
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