WheelchairDriver

Does anybody here know the thickness of the dahl locking plate? Any other dimensions would be useful, as a check to my measurements. I'm having a go at making a couple for my chairs. Thanks

I can't be sure as I don't have one, but
https://www.freedommotorsaustralia.com. ... 019_v1.pdf
on page 7 shows various adapters including an 8mm spacer in a shot with the locking plate showing relative thickness of both quite well.
Art. nr. 503125
Lock plate with bolts and
8 mm spacer

I'm sure someone can pull out the pixel measuring tape, but the plate looks slightly thinner than 8mm. 6mm,maybe 5mm.
Lots of other measurements in there, might make it reproducible with careful photo analysis.

If only there were an international forum of wheelchair drivers where someone might have one to measure...
Then they could also give us opinions of the Dahl unit.

I see it has electric release, redundant manual cable release, and a tertiary emergency release tool built in to the dock. I appreciate the overengineering, but makes a person wonder why it was necessary. Lots of rearward force (sudden vehicle acceleration or rear end crash) that pin might get jammed (doesn't look likely). Please tell us if you have ever needed to resort to the emergency release tool.

Don't get nervous about my speculation if you have one, it looks very solid and the emergency tool is probably just there for emergency workers that may not know where to look for the cable release in the vehicle.

I just installed a Vario dock very nice but very expensive

I just installed a Vario dock very nice but very expensive

Thanks for the response, I have got the DAHL catalogue with the photos you had posted. I've tried several suppliers both here and abroad all say effectively only they are capable of fitting it properly so they won't sell the parts . And depending on the chair it could cost up to £2000 .So it's the same old story there. On the bottom of my Q 700 the holes are already in place so you can measure the pattern and assume their position, from this it's possible to infer are the dimensions from photographs in the manual. The problem is plate it's self has radiused edges which makes it very difficult to guess accurately. Like you I think five or 6 mm, so I'll try with that.
The locking plate on the vario is the same I think.

I sent the image to https://eleif.net/photo_measure.html to arrive at the 6mm size. You can play with it yourself to decide where to set the edge. That told me it was definitely larger than 5mm. Perhaps slightly larger than 6mm even, or the 8mm comparison piece was slightly under 8mm, or both. Even though my initial eyeball said 5-6mm, I'm now convinced it is closer to 6-7mm.

M8 bolts in the ones I've seen.

I will have a new docking plate and spacer this week on order.,,, $190 CDN

Has your supplier go to web address or email Address? I'll be grateful if you could supply.

I've assumed that supply only. Or is that fitted price?

Supply only price

Here in the US, the only options that seem to be available are the Ez-lock and Q-lock systems both of which use the big bolt hanging down from the chair to lock into the lock plate in the van. This works OK for holding the chair, but the bolt snags on all sorts of stuff, especially power cables and the like. I've also gotten stuck a few times because the bolt touched down when going off an edge at an angle, or one wheel dropped into a pothole, and acted as a pivot point with only one drive wheel on the ground...

From the pictures I've seen, the Dahl and possibly the Vario systems appear to not have the same bolt hanging down - are they any better at not reducing the ground clearance of the chair, and snagging on stuff?

ex-Gooserider

I just installed the Vario in my 2020 Toyota . I do like the fact that I can have different height adjustment for my BM2 and my Q500H. It works good but very expensive.