Cerebral Palsy Stories: The Rickety Van Lift

For anyone who has a disability, going out to your local environment is real important, whether you're going to piece of job or simply exploring the sights roughly town.  For us, nosotros cause got a van equipped amongst a wheelchair lift.  Correction.  Our van has had ii wheelchair lifts installed inward it since we've had it.  One that folded upward inward 3 stages inward gild to hold upward all stowed away too the novel ane which folds upward the to a greater extent than traditional way.

• The inaugural of all ane was a Vangater II, made yesteryear Braun, which was handy every bit hell when it worked properly but having all your weight on ane post service is non a keen engineering marvel. Over time, the elevator sagged to ane side nether that weight. Braun no longer makes it.

The inaugural of all wheelchair elevator started giving us problems at the starting fourth dimension of final twelvemonth when nosotros came dorsum from a route trip to San Quintin too Ensenada inward Mexico.  During that time, nosotros were without the elevator too van for a 3 calendar week period.

• Next came the fourth dimension when the elevator would non crease upward properly too nosotros establish a bolt sheared inside. We took it to the mobility dealer who fixed it at no charge.

I can't actually recollect all the things that ended upward beingness repaired on the elevator during this time, but I practise recollect it wasn't performance real good after taking all kinds of punishing abuse from the dirt roads downwards south.

• A footling spell later, spell nosotros were getting ready to exit on some other route trip, some other bolt sheared. As nosotros headed out of town, nosotros stopped in ane trial to a greater extent than at the mobility dealer, who did a spot repair too said a bunch of (expensive) parts needed to hold upward ordered. We jury rigged the elevator amongst c-clamps too bungie cords to instruct us yesteryear inward the meantime.
• I asked how much a consummate overhaul would hold upward too the dealer said it would terms thousands but that since Braun didn't brand the elevator anymore, they likely wouldn't fifty-fifty hold upward able to instruct the parts needed.

After that trip to United Mexican United States too the initial repairs to the elevator afterwards, nosotros would nonetheless cause got to accept the van to Mobility Specialists inward Pasadena every at in ane trial too thus for routine maintenance or if at that spot was a unloose bolt or screw hither too at that spot or fifty-fifty if a blown fuse had to hold upward replaced.

• After the trip, I called Steve Causus at Mobility Works inward Pasadena. We negotiated dorsum too forth a footling fleck too nosotros decided to instruct ahead too supersede the Vangater II amongst a Century lift, also made yesteryear Braun. It was roughly $7,000 for the whole thing.

• Once installed, nosotros establish that the lip of the elevator was also high to unopen against the wheelchair footplates.  We asked if nosotros could accept it to a metallic worker to cutting it lower, Braun said no dice...that would void the warranty.

• So, Letty too I laid to piece of job on Tim's wheelchair, moving the spot too footplates dorsum a bit
• Now, the chair fits on the lift...barely.

It's been a footling over a twelvemonth since that fateful trip to United Mexican United States too the the inaugural of all rickety van elevator has at in ane trial been replaced amongst a dissimilar one.  Oh too did I scream that a fuse has already been replaced on the instant elevator after a distich months of use?  Here's to keeping our fingers crossed inward the continuing guide chances of The Rickety Van Lift.

• Let's promise so, Tim. The novel elevator is rock-solid but barely fits inward our van. It has ii posts, instead of one, thus it shouldn't start sagging similar the one-time one.  It's a fleck to a greater extent than hard to instruct in, since it doesn't crease up, but at to the lowest degree it works.

Tim Musick (with bullet points yesteryear Darryl Musick)
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