Buena Vista scooter rental question

[muffyn]

they have 2 types of scooters
regular & portable, has anyone had probems running the scooters all day on a charge?
they say they will last 4-5 hours,

 

[Selket]

I rented their portable scooter several years ago for a few different trips and I don't think it ever lasted all day on a charge. I usually had to charge it during dinner. The heavier you are, the less run time you'll get is what they told me - but I'm not sure an average adult could go 12-16 hours without a charge with their portable if its the same one.

I've rented a regular scooter (from Gold Mobility) and not had to recharge the battery except overnight.

 

[muffyn]

I've rented a regular scooter (from Gold Mobility) and not had to recharge the battery except overnight.

i cant rent from gold since they wont pick up at a rental home, so i am stuck with Buena vista

 

[Selket]

i cant rent from gold since they wont pick up at a rental home, so i am stuck with Buena vista

I'm not sure that any portable scooter will go all day.

 

[mamabunny]

they have 2 types of scooters
regular & portable, has anyone had probems running the scooters all day on a charge?
they say they will last 4-5 hours,

4 to 5 hours is not nearly a traditional full "Disney Day" for most folks.

Having said that, you *might* be able to eek out a "full" day if...

- you *always* turn the scooter off any time it is not moving for more than 3 seconds. (Not kidding)

- you routinely "park and walk" for multiple sections of the day (for example, Park the scooter at Japan in World Showcase, and then walk around that area + some, instead of driving it)

- you weigh 150 pounds or less. Every pound less will equal more/longer battery life. Every pound more will deplete the battery faster. Every pound you add to the scooter in cargo (think big purse, shopping bags, cup holders, baskets, sunshades, etc. will deplete battery life.

- you minimize hills. Hills cause the motors to work harder, both going up and coming down. (coming down there is electromechanical braking that uses the motors)

- you make sure that there are no extra accessories running (like head lights, tail lights, USB phone chargers, under-carriage lighting effects) that will drain the battery faster.

Even with optimal conditions, I personally would not rent a device that promises "only" 4 to 5 hours between charges. You will spend a lot of your vacation time constantly searching out outlets to plug into, and constantly planning your day around your battery meter.

Have you called Gold and spoken to them directly? It is my impression that they will deliver and pick up from rental homes in the Orlando area, unless they have recently changed their policy.

 

[muffyn]

4 to 5 hours is not nearly a traditional full "Disney Day" for most folks.



Even with optimal conditions, I personally would not rent a device that promises "only" 4 to 5 hours between charges. You will spend a lot of your vacation time constantly searching out outlets to plug into, and constantly planning your day around your battery meter.

Have you called Gold and spoken to them directly? It is my impression that they will deliver and pick up from rental homes in the Orlando area, unless they have recently changed their policy.

i hoped the 4-5 hours was actual running time , since a lot is waiting & stuff( yes turned off) eating etc.
I Do have a smaller portable scooter of my own, but i am constantly plugging the darn thing in after a few hours ( I bet I iknow where most of those outlets are in diz!) I just did want to bother this trip holding rest of family up if I do have to park it. & really not so much fun when pushing it out of the park with a dead battery.
I had rented years ago, and pretty much had no problems with life of scooter, but was worried about this listing.
YES I did call gold. they said NO, they would drop it off at a resort , which was fine for that part, but we move to a rental home and said we would have to drop it back at their warehouse.
does gold promise more time on their units?

 

[mamabunny]

i hoped the 4-5 hours was actual running time , since a lot is waiting & stuff( yes turned off) eating etc.
I Do have a smaller portable scooter of my own, but i am constantly plugging the darn thing in after a few hours ( I bet I iknow where most of those outlets are in diz!) I just did want to bother this trip holding rest of family up if I do have to park it. & really not so much fun when pushing it out of the park with a dead battery.
I had rented years ago, and pretty much had no problems with life of scooter, but was worried about this listing.
YES I did call gold. they said NO, they would drop it off at a resort , which was fine for that part, but we move to a rental home and said we would have to drop it back at their warehouse.
does gold promise more time on their units?

Yes, Gold seems to have the best (overall) battery life on their scooters, and their customer satisfaction/service levels are pretty high in these parts. I have my own equipment, and so have never had the pleasure of renting from Gold, but if I ever got to Orlando and my own personal equipment failed for some reason, they would be my first call. I already have their contact info in my phone.

Since you are an experienced user, you might do better than average with the Buena Vista unit; you already understand the importance of good battery "hygiene" and turning the thing off any time you are not moving. New/inexperienced users might not be as vigilant, and so I could see that being a real problem.

In the end, it's all about your personal comfort level; if you prefer Buena Vista, that's cool - just go knowing you will want to charge up during meals and breaks. If I were in your shoes, I would call Gold to see if there was some other way to hand off that scooter (maybe the night before, they could meet you as you exit the Park? Or at a nearby Resort?) so you don't have to worry about dropping off the scooter the next day...

Let us know what you decide, and how your trip goes!

Came back to add: If you decide to take your own scooter, places like MonsterScooterParts.com can help you get set up with new batteries that might last longer. If you are flying, remember that your personal mobility device will fly for free on any domestic airline in the US.

 

[muffyn]

Came back to add: If you decide to take your own scooter, places like MonsterScooterParts.com can help you get set up with new batteries that might last longer. If you are flying, remember that your personal mobility device will fly for free on any domestic airline in the US.

thanks.
we usually get new batteries every year or so.
the largest we can fit are 12 amp hours , but never seem to be enough
we only use my ecv on trips like this to parks where lots of walking is involved

we drive an RV, so have room for stuff like that. ( have read some horro stories about ecvs damaged on flight transfer.

 

[AprilsZoo]

If you are driving down, I’d consider double checking on Amazon for higher capacity batteries, or at least buy an extra set to take with you. I was told by my chair supplier that the batteries I had were the largest available— turns out they were wrong (Or maybe it used to be true, but things changed, idk)…. Ultimately, we found batts with 50% higher amp hours on Amazon, and they cost less than the lower capacity ones did thru the dealer. *Plus* they were AGM… Absorbed Glass Mat— A better quality battery type, that can still be transported by plane.

Additionally, there are “off-board“ chargers available for most powerchair/ scooter batteries— thus you can charge both sets at the same time overnight. The off-board charger for my sister’s spare battery looks like the same plastic storage box that holds the batteries in the scooter, but it has a port on the side to plug in a charger.

Another battery saving tip: control your speed using the dial that goes from turtle to rabbit rather than repeatedly stop-start-stop. Every time you squeeze the lever, you use power… if it clicks, you’ve drained more from the battery. Also, do not limit speed by only partially pulling the lever, that drains the battery just as fast. And keeping your hands away from the lever altogether when you aren’t in motion will help you avoid the bad habit of squeezing the lever partway to inch ahead in line.
Once I figured all that out, I was able to get a full day out of my chair even with lower capacity batteries & without having to turn it on & off continually. Ymmv.

 

[muffyn]

If you are driving down, I’d consider double checking on Amazon for higher capacity batteries, or at least buy an extra set to take with you. I was told by my chair supplier that the batteries I had were the largest available— turns out they were wrong (Or maybe it used to be true, but things changed, idk)…. Ultimately, we found batts with 50% higher amp hours on Amazon, and they cost less than the lower capacity ones did thru the dealer. *Plus* they were AGM… Absorbed Glass Mat— A better quality battery type, that can still be transported by plane.

we tried finding larger capacity batteries, but they wont fit in the compartment. so we are stuck with what we have,

 

[Evita_W]

What make and model scooter do you have personally? Perhaps if we know that, we can help with a solution that way for you.

As for Gold, their batteries are in the best condition, so they last longer than anyone else as their Scooters are replaced every 6 months or a certain number of rentals, whichever comes first.

 

[muffyn]

re: Gold
i talked to them last week & that is what they told me.
tried again yesterday & they said they will pick up, the info still isnt updated on their website, still says office is closed because of covid.

thanks for the reply

 

[muffyn]

What make and model scooter do you have personally? Perhaps if we know that, we can help with a solution that way for you.

no idea.. lol. bought it at Marcs. no name nothing, we just have measured the battery compartment & what will fit.

 

[Evita_W]

no idea.. lol. bought it at Marcs. no name nothing, we just have measured the battery compartment & what will fit.

What kind of battery is there now? (Make, Model and Size if you have it), there are some places DH can check.

 

[muffyn]

What kind of battery is there now? (Make, Model and Size if you have it), there are some places DH can check.

the last one we ordered was a
12V 15AH F2 UB12520

 

[Evita_W]

Hmm, so F2 is the battery size, but apparently there are different dimensions for the F2 batteries. You said you measured, what is the largest that can physically fit dimension wise? Dh is determined to find something now...lol. he thinks he might have found an 18AH one, not a huge increase, but still an increase

 

[muffyn]

Hmm, so F2 is the battery size, but apparently there are different dimensions for the F2 batteries. You said you measured, what is the largest that can physically fit dimension wise? Dh is determined to find something now...lol. he thinks he might have found an 18AH one, not a huge increase, but still an increase

the one i have in is Dimensions:
L = 5 7/8 x W = 3 3/4 x H = 3 3/4 (4" w/terminals)

not much more room than that. would have to check with space

 

[Bethctraveler]

Yes, Gold seems to have the best (overall) battery life on their scooters, and their customer satisfaction/service levels are pretty high in these parts. I have my own equipment, and so have never had the pleasure of renting from Gold, but if I ever got to Orlando and my own personal equipment failed for some reason, they would be my first call. I already have their contact info in my phone.

Since you are an experienced user, you might do better than average with the Buena Vista unit; you already understand the importance of good battery "hygiene" and turning the thing off any time you are not moving. New/inexperienced users might not be as vigilant, and so I could see that being a real problem.

In the end, it's all about your personal comfort level; if you prefer Buena Vista, that's cool - just go knowing you will want to charge up during meals and breaks. If I were in your shoes, I would call Gold to see if there was some other way to hand off that scooter (maybe the night before, they could meet you as you exit the Park? Or at a nearby Resort?) so you don't have to worry about dropping off the scooter the next day...

Let us know what you decide, and how your trip goes!

Came back to add: If you decide to take your own scooter, places like MonsterScooterParts.com can help you get set up with new batteries that might last longer. If you are flying, remember that your personal mobility device will fly for free on any domestic airline in the US.

You were 100% right. All 4 of our Gold Mobility Scooter rentals on our last trip ran 12 hour days in the parks. At the end of the day we still had 2 green light left. We had no fear of a dead battery or issue. It was the best scooter rental we have ever had.

 

[Jake]

You really don’t use that much running time. You used no battery when stopped. I.E. when on ride,eating, people watching.
The battery charger is attached to scooter. So if you eat you can charge scooter ext

 

[Bethctraveler]

You really don’t use that much running time. You used no battery when stopped. I.E. when on ride,eating, people watching.
The battery charger is attached to scooter. So if you eat you can charge scooter ext

It also helps when you shut the switch off when not using your scooter during the day.