Hi,
Does anyone have, or have knowledge of Tom Kilmore's powerchairs? I wonder why he is using lead acid instead of lithium batteries and wheelchair instead of forklift controllers.
At the moment I use a national health wheelchair in the house, an RGK titanium rigid frame which lives in the car, for going out (deployed by a Robostore), a PowerTryke for going on holiday, a small scooter for getting to the garage and around the garden plus a Pride Ranger scooter for Music festivals which I attend in an old RV, Pride Ranger on the back. Now at 60 and with torn rotator cuffs, a left leg Hip Disarticulation and a massively shattered right leg I'm finding it harder to manage and keep my independence. To sum up everything that's wrong with what I have... The NHS is no good outdoors especially as I get weaker, the RGK is becoming harder outdoors, the PowerTryke would be no good in the mud at a festival, the small scooter has little range and power so would be no good at a festival nor could it go in my present car, it could not go on a train or plane. Nothing will go in the RV so I use an office chair, it's also getting harder to get in and out of. The Pride Ranger will go most anywhere but not up to a restaurant table or in a small shop.
If I switch to a powerchair I'll have to change my car to a van type WAV like John has and something like the BM3 will do away with the indoor chair, the small garden scooter, the RGK and the PowerTryke. I have a Sunrise F55 doner chair but haven't got around to doing anything with it.
I have seen some discussion about tilt and lift making a chair less reliable and I certainly wouldn't want to do that but at the same time both the BM3 and Tom Kilmore's chair seats are lower than what I have now so whilst that would give me more stability out and about I'd like the lift to reach kitchen wall cupboards, supermarket shelves and to be at eye level with other people.
Thanks for letting me explore my thoughts here, any input would be most welcome.
Bryan