Many people use motorized devices, like electric wheelchairs, to easily move around, but if you intend to use them away from the home, it may be necessary to invest in a vehicle wheelchairs lift.
Transporting a mobility device does not have to be difficult and it is generally not very practical to take your scooter or wheelchair apart every time you want to transport it. This is the reason that most choose to install a vehicle lift onto their car. Finding the right lift is important, so it is a good idea to know about some of the general kinds available.
One of the most popular is the hitch mounted wheelchair lift. These lifts can be installed very quickly and easily, in only a matter of minutes. They are, as is implied by their name, attached directly onto the hitch of a car, truck, SUV, or van.
A hitch is usually used to haul something like a trailer, but they have several other uses. You must have a receiver hitch, which is also sometimes called a Reese Hitch. A receive hitch has a square shaped hole and can be attached to most vehicles. They are divided into classes that specify how much weight you can support. For most vehicle lifts, you will need a Class III hitch, although there are some that work with Class II and Class I hitches.
Hitch mounted wheelchair lifts are so easy to install, because you simply slide the wheelchair lift into the receive hitch. It is then secured with a metal pin. This is usually the extent of the installation, because many of these lifts use a rechargeable battery. Some however, get their power from the vehicles battery.
While hitch mounted lifts are great because of the ease at which they can be installed, this does mean that your scooter will be traveling on the outside of your vehicle and exposed to the elements, so you will likely want to invest in a plastic cover for your mobility vehicle.
Internal vehicle lifts are also available and this allows a scooter or wheelchair to be easily secured inside of the vehicle. There are two types of vehicle lifts that are available.
The platform vehicle lift is the one that most people are familiar with. This extends a small platform from the vehicle. When the platform is fully extended, it will make contact with the ground and the scooter or wheelchair can be driven directly onto the platform, which then carries the scooter or wheelchair back into the vehicle. These can generally only be used on larger vehicles, like vans and SUVs.
The other type of internal vehicle lift functions similarly to a crane. A simple harness is attached to the wheelchair or scooter and it is then winched off of the ground. When it is raised, the arm of the crane can be swiveled so the scooter or wheelchair is deposited in the vehicle. These types of lifts work great with cars, but are also used in trucks, vans and SUVs.
There are many options available for those that want to transport their mobility vehicle easily. It is important to know the weight of your mobility scooter and, if you have a hitch and intend to purchase a hitch mounted system, you should know what Class of hitch you have.
