Needs car dimensions advice for Permobil F5

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Amaw

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May 1, 2020
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Loved one DX
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05/2020
Country
SA
State
RI
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Riyadh
Hello everyone,
For many reasons I need to get the car before getting the wheelchair so I need your advice regarding fitting so I can choose the appropriate car , I'm thinking about the new Hyundai Staria and install a braunability lift but I don't know if it will fit or no ?

Hyundai Staria back door hight is 125 cm , Hight from inside is 135 cm .

The wheel chair I want is Permobil F5 VS
My hight is 170 cm

Would the car fit or should I look for another one ?

Appreciate your inputs all.
 
I have a permobil F5 non standing wheelchair. I also have a Permobil C500s VS, which is the predecessor to the F5 VS and has very similar dimensions.

These are large wheelchairs and will not fit in some vehicles, even some specialized wheelchair minivans, such as those with a Braunability conversion.

I am also tall at 6 feet, 3 inches (about 190cm). Even in vehicles the wheelchair would fit in, I would not fit while riding in the wheelchair.

I wound up getting a full size van (Chevrolet Express). Mine is a conversion van (Explorer SE conversion) with a raised roof. The wheelchair fits easily where the center row of seats would go, but I have to tilt the wheelchair and raise the feet a bit to be able to get the wheelchair and me through the door and into the van.

Sitting in either my F5 or my C500s VS, the top of my head is just over 58 inches, so approximately 148cm. That is quite a bit higher than the 125cm or 135cm door heights in the Staria. You are shorter than me so, depending on torso length, etc., the top of your head should be quite a bit lower than mine. Still, I think it is likely to be above 125cm.

Even if the door is a bit too short, you can always tilt and/or recline the wheelchair to fit in.

There is no real way to know unless you try your wheelchair in the vehicle. That is a major reason why I obtained my wheelchair first and then started looking at wheelchair vans. Before we bought our van, I rode my wheelchair into it so that I could know the issues I would be facing.

Good luck find a van, and please feel free to ask more questions as the arise.

Steve
 
I went by the Braun mobility place and talked to the salesman. He went on his computer and could tell me which vehicles would work with the wheelchair we have.
 
I am glad they were able to look it up on the computer.

However, I don't believe something just because the information came from a computer. The information could be wrong or there could be subtle differences in the way a wheelchair is configured that could make it not fit.

A wheelchair van is a major expense. I would not commit to such an expense until I personally validated that my wheelchair will fit in the van by physically putting the wheelchair in the van myself.

Even through their information is likely to be correct, I don't believe anything a car salesperson tells me unless I independently verify it.

So, the fact that their computer indicates the wheelchair will fit is a great starting point, but that is all it would be for me.

Steve
 
This sounds really sceptical but i have to say it - but the salesman checked his computer and told me it will fit!

Truly some of the folk here have important reasons why it isn't all that simple.
 
May I suggest you go to Facebook and join the two MV-1 clubs. The MV-1 is the only vehicle ever made for wheelchairs from the ground up. It handles all wheelchairs. The Facebook club members answer every question about the vehicles. The cars are no longer made but the resale market is hot on Facebook.
 
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