Power Wheelchair Rental

[mamabunny]

Cool. Just a fair warning, recently Fold and Go was targeted by scammers that are trying to pass it off as their own invention on Facebook for only $200 when the real thing is $2800. If you are gonna get one, make sure that you go to their actual Site and not from one of those scammers on Facebook.

IIRC the regular duty model is 46 lbs and the heavy duty is 55 lbs. You can also do your own modifications to it like add different accessories (Like these cute Mickey Ear bag clips for the back.) or you can even add a more comfortable seat cushion like this one on Spinlife.

And I think that they’re still deciding on an easier way for people to get it in/out of the car, but no word yet on what that might be.

I have seen some pretty blatant ripoffs on Amazon as well - and they are charging people A LOT MORE than $200 for their poorly made chairs.

Don't worry - I have been doing my due diligence on them, and I fully plan to purchase directly from them when the time comes! Having friends like you and our buddy @RaySharpton below be actual *users* who I know are giving reliable feedback about the product has just cemented my decision.

I have only rented an SUV once using my Fold and Go Wheelchair and I got lucky with the rental of an SUV with a flat rear entrance door that was level to the rear opening instead of a drop down like you might see in a car trunk.

I own the heavy duty version and I carried a bath towel with me and placed it sideways over the bumper and into the rear SUV area that I was loading into.

I closed the wheelchairs with the wheels facing the rear of the SUV area and up close to the bumper.

My plane was not to lift my wheelchair and put it directly in.

My plan was to lean against the wheelchair and rear of the SUV to lift the wheelchair from the bottom metal area and to get it half of the way up to a tipping point into the SUV.

The towel helped slide my wheelchair up and over the edge.

Once I reached the halfway point, my wheelchair tipped forward and it became much easier.

I still lifted the bottom of my wheelchair and with the wheels on the bottom, I was able to push and roll the wheelchair all of the way into the SUV with the help of the towel and wheelchair wheels.

Then I locked the rear wheels again and just folded the towel into the SUV.

I reversed the process when removing the wheelchair.

I don't like to do it often and that is why I like WDW. I can fly, use DME, and use WDW transportation without me lifting it.

I thought about buying a collapsible ramp, or rather two ramps to roll the closed wheelchair into the rear of a rental SUV.

Since the Fold and Go Wheelchair folds front to back instead of side to side like a manual wheelchair, I can use this advantage of the four wheels to roll it up and into the rear of the SUV.

At least that is my theory.

I am still waiting for the company to come out with a lift that they are designing. I don't know what it will look like or how it will work or much it will cost, but if it is made especially for their wheelchair, I am interested.

Anyway, it is far easier than taking apart a mobility scooter, loading each piece and reversing the process and putting it together again.

My Fold and Go Wheelchair is all one piece. I don't even remove the joystick like I would on an Airline.

View attachment 416682

This isn't my photo, but this is just about what my heavy duty Fold and Go Wheelchair looks like when it is folded and rolled up to the bumper of an SUV. And I used a towel instead.

I would leave it in freewheel mode.

I would lift it using those cross bars between the two large rear wheels. So I had a good grib on the heavy part at the bar and I would lean against the wheelchair and SUV as I lifted and slid the wheelchair to a space between the front and rear wheels.

For me, this was the tipping point.

Then the front wheels are ready and positioned to roll forward automatically.

Then with less lifting and more pushing until the rear wheels touch the SUV floor until it is inside the SUV.

I lock the freewheels and push any protruding towel around the wheelchair and close the SUV rear door.

I reverse the procedure when I take it out.

View attachment 416687

View attachment 416688

Ray, as always, you have the best "explainer" post ever I really do appreciate the time you took for this - and all of your posts!

After seeing your post (and I showed it, as well as the videos that our friend @Groot linked to) to my hubby and adult daughter as well) we all reached the same conclusion: I could possibly get it safely *into* the car... but getting it back out and safely onto the ground is probably where I am going to have a problem.

I know that I can modify my car with a permanently installed device lift (that swings out, and uses a winch to lift the device in and out) (something like this) but I intend on trading my vehicle in the next 12 to 18 months, so I don't really want to mount a device and then have to move it again in the near future; it means that it will potentially cause lost trade-in value for my current vehicle (I don't know *why* people don't want extra holes drilled in their cars! LOL) as well as I have concerns about making sure that the subsequent re-installation of any lifting device is not compromised. Minimally, new mounting hardware (bolts, nuts, washers, etc) would be required - I don't want to chance anything busting loose during a panic stop or a crash because we tried to re-use mounting hardware. I am, first and foremost, a Safety Girl! I know there are solutions that mount to a towing receiver as well, but my Kia Soul doesn't have one of those, and the towing weight it is rated for means that any device mounted on the hitch would (literally) probably exceed it's rated ability!

We are still looking at all the options - and luckily right now we have the luxury of time. That's why I want to do it now - trying to figure out this kind of stuff when you are in a crisis means you tend to spend more money, and have more regrets later!

Thank you again, my friends - I really do appreciate both of you!

 

[Groot]

I have seen some pretty blatant ripoffs on Amazon as well - and they are charging people A LOT MORE than $200 for their poorly made chairs.

That’s why they don’t sell their chairs on Amazon or Ebay. You have to buy directly from their site.

After seeing your post (and I showed it, as well as the videos that our friend @Groot linked to) to my hubby and adult daughter as well) we all reached the same conclusion: I could possibly get it safely *into* the car... but getting it back out and safely onto the ground is probably where I am going to have a problem.

I know that I can modify my car with a permanently installed device lift (that swings out, and uses a winch to lift the device in and out) (something like this) but I intend on trading my vehicle in the next 12 to 18 months, so I don't really want to mount a device and then have to move it again in the near future; it means that it will potentially cause lost trade-in value for my current vehicle (I don't know *why* people don't want extra holes drilled in their cars! LOL) as well as I have concerns about making sure that the subsequent re-installation of any lifting device is not compromised. Minimally, new mounting hardware (bolts, nuts, washers, etc) would be required - I don't want to chance anything busting loose during a panic stop or a crash because we tried to re-use mounting hardware. I am, first and foremost, a Safety Girl! I know there are solutions that mount to a towing receiver as well, but my Kia Soul doesn't have one of those, and the towing weight it is rated for means that any device mounted on the hitch would (literally) probably exceed it's rated ability!

We are still looking at all the options - and luckily right now we have the luxury of time. That's why I want to do it now - trying to figure out this kind of stuff when you are in a crisis means you tend to spend more money, and have more regrets later!

Thank you again, my friends - I really do appreciate both of you!

I know. Currently, I’ve been looking at shorter cars (ex. the Subaru Outback, Buick Regal Tourx) which have the trunk lower to the ground than our current Chevy Equinox.

 

[SueM in MN]

Just to throw into the mix.....
We picked up our daughter’s current power wheelchair from the medical supply location (we have a wheelchair van).
But, her old wheelchair was delivered to us, taken into the shop and brought back to us several times by the medical supply vendor. They used a regular mini van and ramps on the back hatch to get it out of the van. Once, it was a set of 2 small ramps that were not much wider than the wheels. That one took some lining up and going very slowly. Once was a single ramp.
You would need to check weights of the ramps and the technician actually drove it down with power (don’t want that wheelchair getting away from you and rolling off down the street).

Anyway, it’s worth talking too the wheelchair vendor or a place that does vehicle modifications to see what your options are.