Modified cars for powerchairs??

[PowerHungry]

Hi all

Other than the Modified vans with ramp that comes out, are there any adaptations out on estate vehicles where the driver can get powerchair in boot easily, or is adapted vans the only option available for powerchair users who drive?

PH

[Irving]

I have a Brotherwood 'up front' Kia Sedona conversion as a passenger, but they did a drive from wheelchair conversion too as I test-drove one. Sadly Kia no longer makes the Sedona, but it may be possible to find a used one.

[PowerHungry]

This is my first time seeing a conversion like this:

http://www.mobilitynationwide.co.uk/veh ... cle_id=523

The ramp is located on the floor of the passenger seat area and comes out from there. Anybody familiar with this adaption?

[PowerHungry]

Heres more info on it by WAV Evolution

http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/wav ... 15452.aspx

[Burgerman]

Before you buy anything, get yourself one way or another to a big mobility show.

There are a few pics here:
www.wheelchairdriver.com/images-mobility-roadshow/

Then do a lot of research. There's more stuff available, more different conversions in Europe than in the US. But if money is an issue, buy something that is standardised, and cheap from over the pond.

Lowered floor minivans like mine are literally half the price, and arrive here in a couple of weeks. Old or new.

My van cost me 30k brand new, including delivery, special test, shipping, all paperwork and a tie down and hand controls. At this time it was 57k here WITHOUT tie down, or hand controls.

The only difference? A few extra toys, Left Hand Drive. I noticed this for the first hour. After that I just really don't. Its completely irrelevant.

[PowerHungry]

Before you buy anything, get yourself one way or another to a big mobility show.

There are a few pics here:
http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/images- ... -roadshow/

Then do a lot of research. There's more stuff available, more different conversions in Europe than in the US. But if money is an issue, buy something that is standardised, and cheap from over the pond.

Lowered floor minivans like mine are literally half the price, and arrive here in a couple of weeks. Old or new.

My van cost me 30k brand new, including delivery, special test, shipping, all paperwork and a tie down and hand controls. At this time it was 57k here WITHOUT tie down, or hand controls.

The only difference? A few extra toys, Left Hand Drive. I noticed this for the first hour. After that I just really don't. Its completely irrelevant.

I have researched the SUV with lowered floor and ramp etc and seen a few but I was wondering is there other adaptations for powerchair users other than side ramp or rear ramp entry. As a manual chair user I have an estate car and have the robot 300 system but when I move over to a powerchair I wont be able to use the robot 300 to get powerchair in boot. Way too heavy...so was wondering what were other alternatives. I like the idea of the ramp coming straight from passemger side as that could be done on drivers side.

By the way that fat tyre manual chair looks difficult to push.

[Irving]

Heres more info on it by WAV Evolution

http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/wav ... 15452.aspx

Now try finding one second-hand... that article is 3 or 4y old. I wonder how many they actually did.

[garriew]

I don't know if your still interested but Braun Mobility make a truck with a lift that you drive on and then it moves into position. It's pretty cool but pricey.

[Twinpanther]

I understand this isn't ideal for folks that can't maneuver between chair and seat but for those who can or are transporting others I saw one of these a couple months ago. It's called a Bruno Chariot. My chair is too heavy for those that just fit into the hitch platform versions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri0lPtrZhZQ
They run about $3500 here in the states and don't require a separate license plate like a trailer would. Seems like a great idea to me.

Here is a video challenge. Chariot vs Platform vs Trailer. Kinda bias but the benefits are accurate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K9eK-4qtxs

[ex-Gooserider]

Essentially the key question is how capable of moving between the chair and the driver's seat are you?

For many reasons, a lot of powerchair (most?) can't walk any distance readily or at all - so they HAVE to get the chair into the vehicle while they are in it. (BM aside, remote controlled chairs are mostly a non-available item commercially)

To do a drive from the chair setup you pretty much have to have a side ramp (at least in the US, the rear entries are back seat passenger only)

Some also load the chair into the back seat position and then use a driver seat that slides back and pivots to allow them to transfer...

But essentially a vehicle big enough to get a power chair into it in one piece is going to use a ramp or a lift to do it, and there are only so many places to put that kind of hardware. The standard options are the passenger side or the rear. (BM's use of a US model van means that you wrong side of the road types will be getting in and out on the traffic side of the car - which is arguably chancy on a narrow busy street...)

There are places that do adaptations on pickup trucks and other non-vans, but many of those conversions lock you into loading the chair into just one place.... (My van allows the passenger seat to be swapped into the drivers position (granted it's a pain) so it is possible to swap drivers on long trips, or if I'm going to be drinking more than I feel comfortable driving on... The pickup conversions ONLY allow the chair to be loaded into the seat position set up when the conversion is done (and may also limit what chairs can be used)

ex-Gooserider

[Ramblin Granny]

Outside the box--change chair design (lighter/lower) and market longer (add-on) automatic ramps. What would allow access?

[Burgerman]

To do a drive from the chair setup you pretty much have to have a side ramp (at least in the US, the rear entries are back seat passenger only)

VW van (Eurovan?) conversion can be rear entry and drive from powerchair, and you don't lose the rear seats either. So you should be able to get those?

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/images- ... vw-lwb.jpg

Small Fiat, where you DO lose the rear seat. But easy to park, cheap to fuel... And 2 chairs or a normal seat that swaps about...

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/images- ... miller.jpg more pics...

In the UK there are quite a lot of such options. But I still prefer side entry vans. I am surprised if there are non in the US as its a huge country compared to us here.

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/images- ... y-roadshow

[Sully]

BM, Everything you mentioned is available in the US. Mostly it is preference or our personal abilities that restrict what we buy and use. I have a crane type lift called the SideWalker. I do have some restricted ability with crutches to get from the rear to the front of my Van. But we are still talking VAN here not sedans or two door vehicles.

This Chariot is good for someone that wants or has a smaller vehicle, and who has available help or can walk by some means to the front of the vehicle. (Like me.) There are all kinds of lift seating arrangements that will propel you into the vehicle if you have or need assistance loading the chair into/onto the "Chariot". My greatest thought is travelling in inclement weather, or in the North during "mud" season. If that is avoidable then that is no problem either. Just another thing we have to consider, that AB's don't have to think much about.

We all adjust according to our individual circumstances, ours are just a bit more complex. The other thing that can be said for most of us crips is we generally have more limited means, and our options are limited by those limited means. That is the beauty of this site, and our host, The BM, we bat the ball around and come up with solutions. Some of those solutions are only viable to a few individuals. Few ever say this or that works for them, they just move on. It would be great if more of the guys/gals did brag about successes as well as those things that didn't work. We can all learn from each other, good or bad.