Ramp for wheelchair advise

[Sunshine]

Even lightweight wc, about 20 lbs will hurt my back, lifting into car, as I discovered today. I am not tall, weigh little, fairly strong for my size.

I drive a hatchback car that looks small but easily accomdates my 9'2" surf board when the seats are folded flat.

So, I would like to be able to roll the lighteight wc into car up a ramp that extends out the hatchback. And roll it back out. I want the ramp not permanently mounted, but easy to pick up and lay down on wc days. Would remove on surf days.

Any ideas other than hiring a male Sherpa?

[agate]

I've seen "portable" ramps for sale and have the impression you can get one to carry with you and "just" unfold it where it's needed but that may not be as easy as the ads make it sound.

You do know that most manual chairs can come apart easily, right?

When I need to stash my wheelchair in the back of a vehicle, I whip off the foot/leg plates, whip off the arm rests, whip off the seating and the back and anything else that can be removed, and then "all" I'm left with is the mainframe, which collapses fairly easily if you know how to do it.

However, the main frame is so heavy I can't lift it but many people can. And there's a trick for tilting the folded-up mainframe into the back seat of a 4-door vehicle so you don't have to lift it. That maneuver doesn't work with every vehicle though.

[Sunshine]

Yes, but the extended standing required for assembling and disassembling is frustrating. I will ask the wc people about a light ramp.

[agate]

Yes, but the extended standing required for assembling and disassembling is frustrating. I will ask the wc people about a light ramp.

Some of it can be done seated, but for the rest of it, I always hope somebody will help, and often somebody does--whoever is driving the vehicle.

Cab drivers have turned up and claimed nobody told them about the wheelchair. They tend to have bad backs (Howie, who is plagued by a bad back, will sympathize!) and at that point I end up disassembling and reassembling the chair.

Sometimes they give a bit of help.

I think I should try cultivating a more dramatic routine. While disassembling or assembling, I should huff and puff and make it obvious that this is very very difficult for me, maybe drop things a few times. I do that anyway but I should definitely do more of it.

[Cat Dancer]

I just typed "portable wheelchair ramp" into google and came up with a bunch of sites.

[agate]

I was considering one of those a while back when my new dentist didn't seem inclined (bad joke!) to install a ramp even though the "accessible" back door to his office involves two steps.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((BBS)))))) ~

Sherpas might be in short supply in Florida. Perhaps it would be easier to find a hunky cabana boy?

Your thought about consulting your w/c vendor is probably your best bet.

I found this website, with a video (see "How to Choose a Wheelchair Ramp" on the left side of the page, click on it for a video tutorial):

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

Whoa! That is a long link! I hope it works!

I had a 1980 Corolla 4 door sedan for 10 years, before we were gifted with a wheelchair van. I lifted one large folded chair into the trunk, tied the trunk with a bungee cord and put the other wheelchair in the backseat floor. I was working in those days, so I did this wearing high heels. I had no options, so I had to do it. I'm paying for that now in my senior years with pain.

You might ask your w/c vendor to look at your hatchback and determine whether an electric lift could be installed. That would be ideal, because even a lightweight portable ramp will require you to lift it and set it up. Pushing your chair up the ramp will also require some exertion. Think about a long-term solution as opposed to a temporary one.

I hope you find exactly what you need.

Love & Light,

Rose

[Sunshine]

I do wonder how hard it is to push a lightweight wc up the ramp. And how much the light weight three part portable ramp weighs. The weight of ramp not in website. Have emailed them to ask. How do you deal with Ramps for your car?

[stillstANNding]

When I first got a scooter, I bought one out of the Want Advertiser to try before spending my Medicare money. When I went to pick it up, they showed me other equipment. They had fiberglass ramps the used to cover the front steps when their SIL w a wc visited.

I have never seen them advertised but you might want to look into that.
ANN

[Jeanie Z]

:) My first van had a lift in the back that was wired to the car battery. It lifted the chair and then I pushed it into the van and lowered it to the floor.

It worked good but I had trouble getting to the rear of the van and also keeping my balance. Once at a funeral on a hot day on a tar parking lot the chair bumped me when it went up and I landed on the ground. Luckily some other attendees helped me up.

After that I bought a used ramp van. It had a lot of problems motor wise and I sold it and bought another used van with a ramp.

I have a piece of plywood in the back of the van for when I go to someone's house without a ramp. I have to get someone to put it out for me. Jeanie :)

[agate]

:) My first van had a lift in the back that was wired to the car battery. It lifted the chair and then I pushed it into the van and lowered it to the floor.

It worked good but I had trouble getting to the rear of the van and also keeping my balance. Once at a funeral on a hot day on a tar parking lot the chair bumped me when it went up and I landed on the ground. Luckily some other attendees helped me up.

After that I bought a used ramp van. It had a lot of problems motor wise and I sold it and bought another used van with a ramp.

I have a piece of plywood in the back of the van for when I go to someone's house without a ramp. I have to get someone to put it out for me. Jeanie :)

Eek! You could have been badly injured. That must have been VERY unsettling.

Once at a funeral on a hot day on a tar parking lot the chair bumped me when it went up and I landed on the ground. Luckily some other attendees helped me up.

[Sunshine]

I guess I am stuck. I wanred to keep it simple and not alter the car.

I want a very light wc so I can just easily lift it into the car hatchback. Like under 15 lbs.

[agate]

If you don't plan to sit around in it much, a lightweight chair sounds good. If you're thinking of quite a bit of sitting in it, though, I wonder if it would provide enough support.

[Sunshine]

If you don't plan to sit around in it much, a lightweight chair sounds good. If you're thinking of quite a bit of sitting in it, though, I wonder if it would provide enough support.

I would use it only for going to stores, restaurant, library, far off doc suites, ...places that require walking more than a minute, or standing more than a minute. At this point, I careen a bit, and at the desk, I am holding self up while waiting. And other creative strategies.

You should see how far my docs suite is buried in a huge medical building!

[Cat Dancer]

I guess I am stuck. I wanred to keep it simple and not alter the car.

I want a very light wc so I can just easily lift it into the car hatchback. Like under 15 lbs.

W
Why are you giving up on a portable ramp? They don't alter the car at all -- you just lay it on the back floor of the car, it extends out the back, roll the chair up the ramp (not with you in it, though), pick up the ramp, fold it, throw it in the back of the car (I'm assuming you get a car that's a hatchback).

How big a person are you? Lightweight chairs are every bit as dependable as "standard" or "heavyweight" chairs, if you're a relatively light person -- 160 pounds or less. If you're heavier, then you'd need to move to a "standard" chair.

Lightweight chairs can run as little as ten pounds..but the lighter you go, the more expensive (they are made of titanium, very expensive metal). But if you can manage around 14-15 pounds, then there are some "regular" lightweight chairs that would suit you just fine. The average "life expectancy" of a chair used full-time is around 5 years, much longer for the kind of use you're talking about. Mine lasted me around 10 years and would have lasted longer had I not run over a high curb and bent the heck outta the frame!