Wheelchair Accesibilty

[50BMG]

Hello, I am researching on how I could possibly make a slide out wheelchair lift similar to the wheelchair accessible trucks for a hot rod truck/suv. Thanks in advance for any thoughts, opinions, or thoughts.

 

[Timd32]

Maybe work with an upfitter?

https://www.freedommotors.com

Could also buy a possible de-comissioned upfitted vehilce, preferably not de-comissioned by some sort of damage, or someone looking to upgrade who wont get much for a trade in and would part it out.

I know that one car show on TV based in VA Beach, did it with maybe a Chevelle and it was alot of work and expense, even with all their tools and resources it was alot of work, but they figured it all out.

It eventually worked but the labor and resources I think for a advanced DIY would be a tough project, access to a good CAD person and a decent water jet machine then a powder coater would be a great start. There are alot of cabs out there that could be used as templates that will never make good donors.

 

[50BMG]

Thanks Timd32 I'll be sure to look into that. My thoughts if even remotely possible would be to do something like they do for chevy trucks where the 'floor' of the truck slides out and then lowers down. Except I'd have it a little more forward to where my powerchair would slide me under the steering wheel like a regular drivers seat and wouldn't slide out any more than a regular vehicles door opening so that I could park anywhere and not always require a handicap parking spot. The 'floor' of the vehicle would be flat and the passenger seat on rails so it could slide into the place my powerchair was (drivers seat position) and then 'locked' down. The passenger door would also mimic/replicate the driver door and slide out and down. I realize this will require a lot of custom one off fabrication and time.

 

[Timd32]

I live in NW NJ and there are some very large robitics clubs in the local high school, they do a lot of microcontroller programming and the sort for robitics competitions, the rasberry pi controllers are very powerful as far as small computers go, would think control wise for the linear actuators and the sort could be done as a project by a group like that possibly, then tie in some eagle scouts and gold star girl scouts for some of the interior work and harness building they alwasy need projects.

Local college or tech school for paint work and building and assembly, possible the folks shooting for welding degrees always need projects.

Contact your local high school FFA departments those directors are pretty knowledge about kids who need projects and also the NHS kids could donate some time on this.

Once its engineered out, possibly refer to a local race track for some local chasis builders who could look at this from a race car roll cage project for bracing and the sort.

And dont be afraid to fail and be told your crazy.

 

[Timd32]

On my one 2500 we have a Tommy Gate G2, its a 38" platform, 52" between the hinges.

I noticed a theme that they tend to pick vehicles with rear lift tail gates, the Kia Sol, Dodge Minivan, maybe going in from the back and adapting a cool set of rear doors that hinge up is a better option here jn place of the fancy slide out.

All in for that gate and back rack was around $3500 installed, its a 1500lb with the added extenstion, you wont need that much. It also maintains the rear back up camera.

 

[50BMG]

Yeah I had thought of doing something similar to that, I currently drive a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan with a ramp going out ~8ft (the need to use a handicap parking spot since it takes 2 regular parking spots) with mechanical hand controls. I just like to be different always have, can't help it (even though it often costs more).

 

[Wayne M.]

How about cummizing a nice older GMC Full size van? You can do anything to those, and it’d be a sweet ride!
When I worked for an ambulance company, we had ambulettes equipped with a Braun platform lift in the rear door. If you had a clear floor, you could scoot right into the driver seat.
The only thing is working out remote door operation.

 

[Timd32]

Yeah I had thought of doing something similar to that, I currently drive a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan with a ramp going out ~8ft (the need to use a handicap parking spot since it takes 2 regular parking spots) with mechanical hand controls. I just like to be different always have, can't help it (even though it often costs more).

So I happen to have just that set up kinda sitting next to each other today at my shop.
Rough number for sure with out an air ride drop suspension of course.

The 2016 Caravan AVP sits about 15.5" to the drivers floor.

The 2500 4WD (6.4gasser) drivers floor is about 23.5", the floor of the gate/bed is about 39". Quite a difference on my plan to use the back entry.

+/- of course for out of level and the sort.

Gives you an order of magnitude atleast.