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Bad Balance

Senior member
Joined
Dec 10, 2010
Messages
815
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
12/2010
Country
US
State
GA
City
Atlanta
Deposit is down on a van to close next Friday!

Ramp will take 6 weeks, but I am feeling so relieved to have this all finally settled. I had no idea how stressed I was until it was resolved.

Yea! Better mobility.
 
yeahhhh:D I'm so happy for you jerry.......is'nt it great when you get new wheels .
I will be able to get new ones next year,just have to decide what i want lol.
Looks like we wont be seeing much of you here this summer:lol:
 
Good for you! Great news.

What kind of van did you go for! We are studying the Ford transit. It's small, but high. We just missed getting a ramp equipped model by one hour! Aargh! Did not realize conversions took so long. Think we will have to get to it before too long. Don't want to get stuck in the house. And, I don't want to stress over it.... But I likely will.
 
Vans provide so much freedom! Happy for you, Jerry. Don't stress, Elaine! Remember that doesn't help! Yasmin.
 
Yes it's the Ford Transit Connect. A conversion is a $20k premium so we are buying our own ramp which will not require cutting the bumper assembly.
 
Yes it's the Ford Transit Connect. A conversion is a $20k premium so we are buying our own ramp which will not require cutting the bumper assembly.

Now I know why some say that ALS is a very expensive disease.
$20k for just conversion. That aside from the cost of the van itself.
Add to that the the cost of the P.W.C., drugs, home modifications, food modification (puréed food), etc.


Carlos
 
I looked at getting a ramp for a Ford Transit but the angle on the ramp exceeded the limits of the PWC. Most PWCs say 15 degrees is the max recommended slope. The Bruno lift seems to be a preferred alternative. I am looking at getting an MV-1 next year. AM General is supposedly buying VPG and the MV-1 will resume production shortly. I am just not a fan of converted vans. I have read about so many maintenance problems on units just a few years old.
 
Happy to hear that you are getting a van. I know my dad enjoys getting out and about when he can. Good to hear some good news on here. ENJOY! Kim
 
Be sure you are not confusing the slope of the ramp in degrees and the percentage of slope as I did.
Another trick is to load from a sidewalk...this cuts approximately 6" off the height required to be gained by your ramp.

- Jerry
 
There is only one place in town here that sells accessible vans. It is a family own shop and they actually buy used vans that have been repo'd or in an auction and do all the work. Someday I hope to get a van so I don't have to always have people go with me everywhere so they can get my pwc out of the back of the SUV. As it is, it takes two people to lift it and put it into the back whole. The chair weighs 99lbs as it is for travel. I can take it apart, and the biggest piece will weigh about 35lbs. But even that feels too heavy for me now.

Getting a lift for the back of the SUV is a possibility, but the problem for me, is I have a difficult time getting into the SUV as the runner boards is what I consider a high step (in reality for those who do not have problems, its not an issue). So I still have to have someone with me who can boost me up!

Congrats Jerry on the new freedom you will receive!
 
I looked at getting a ramp for a Ford Transit but the angle on the ramp exceeded the limits of the PWC. Most PWCs say 15 degrees is the max recommended slope.
I think they likely mean a 15% slope which is roughly 8 degees. A PWC could not climb a 15 degee slope.
 
The specs on my Permobile m300 is 9 degrees but I have gone up 15 degrees with no problem. It is a little scary. Check out this youtube video to see it do a real steep slope.

 
Found a Permobile Youtube video and they show an M300 on a 15 degree ramp. I realize not all PWCs will do this but some will.

 
Just unloaded the wheelchair using a 6 foot ramp from the ford transit....unoccupied. No problem whatsoever. But this chair will do 15 degrees of slope with a person on board.

Yes; there is a difference between slope in degrees and percentage of slope. You must be sure that you have this right and then check the length of the ramp along the slope (hypotenuse of the triangle).

Anyway, the chair did great on our gravel drive and nearby gravel roads. I am so excited with this new mobility!
 
An easy to calc angle is use PC calculator. Say you are measuring a curb ramp angle.

1. Put calculator in Scientific mode. View >> Scientific
2. Measure height of curb
3. Measured base - length from curb to end of ramp.
4. Enter height/base = Inv Tan

Answer - angle in degrees.
 
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