15 replies to this topic

[glamisgirl]

I'm sooo excited, just bought a new truck. I got a black Dodge Dakota, quad cab (4 doors), V8. I don't have it yet, it's at the mobility store having a Bruno outrider crane installed in the bed of the truck and hand controls. I just recently started driving but none of the trucks I already owned were suitable for me. I have a Ford F250 with a 6 inch lift sitting on 35 inch tires and a Toyota 4runner with a 3 inch lift sitting on 32 inch tires. Never driven anything low to the ground, will be a little weird, but I'm so ready for some freedom. Thanks for listening just wanted share my excitment. Things are starting to get back to normal-not that they were normal before.

[ParaforGod]

Hi Glamisgirl,
I am so excited for you. It will bring back that great big world for you. I remember when I first got my van. I had been home for 3yrs. and no way to go. I would sit crying, and praying telling God I knew he didn't leave me here to look at walls. When I got my van what a feeling of freedom. Go and have fun.

Hi Glamisgirl,
I am so excited for you. It will bring back that great big world for you. I remember when I first got my van. I had been home for 3yrs. and no way to go. I would sit crying, and praying telling God I knew he didn't leave me here to look at walls. When I got my van what a feeling of freedom. Go and have fun.

[Big Valley]

Why the crane lift?

[glamisgirl]

Big Valley, on Apr 16 2007, 06:55 AM, said:

Why the crane lift?

So I don't have to take the chair apart or get my clothes dirty as I drag it across my lap. The crane will put my chair in the bed of the truck and leave room for passengers also.

[Big Valley]

I don't get dirty at all. Wheels never touch me except hands. Just don't want someone who is able thinking they need lots of lifts and hoists to drive if they can get by without them. What happens when you are out by yourself and the machine doesn't work sometime?

[chevyman]

Yeah I am exited tooooo I have just bought a 1960 Oldsmobile 98 sports sedan. with a 394 cu inch motor and 4 speed auto .I got it on Oregon and brought it back here to Australia it,s imaculate , I am in the process of pulling out the motor to work it over .I also am fitting my own hand controls.So happy cruising every one

Cheers chevyman may have to change that to Oldsmobileman.Ha Ha

[glamisgirl]

Big Valley, on Apr 17 2007, 01:05 AM, said:

I don't get dirty at all. Wheels never touch me except hands. Just don't want someone who is able thinking they need lots of lifts and hoists to drive if they can get by without them. What happens when you are out by yourself and the machine doesn't work sometime?

Not real concerned with what others think. I also have acrilyic nails I'd rather not break taking the chair apart. If I'm out by myself and it breaks I guess I'm screwed, I'll call my husband, family or friend. I"m not shy I'll ask some passer by to throw it in the back of the truck. Hopefully I won't have to deal with that.

chevyman, on Apr 17 2007, 01:27 AM, said:

Yeah I am exited tooooo I have just bought a 1960 Oldsmobile 98 sports sedan. with a 394 cu inch motor and 4 speed auto .I got it on Oregon and brought it back here to Australia it,s imaculate , I am in the process of pulling out the motor to work it over .I also am fitting my own hand controls.So happy cruising every one

Cheers chevyman may have to change that to Oldsmobileman.Ha Ha

Cheers Oldsmobileman, that's cool.

[Adams]

Big Valley, on Apr 16 2007, 02:55 AM, said:

Why the crane lift?

I've commented on this type of thing before too.
I'm a firm believer of using "HELP", or in this case adaptive equipment, when it's needed. Sure, we can make it available to us, but do we really NEED it?
No offense Glamisgirl, I'm happy you're doing something you want to do.

I think when get out of rehap, we're taught to use adaptive equipment from the get go.
I think if we were always pushed to do things without adaptive equipment, we wouldn't be so quick to getting something with a lift, or in this case crane. Of course there are people that have to have that too.

It's all good though.

Congrats Glamisgirl

[gsp23]

Thats great, you are going to love the truck. I have a Dakota Quad Cab 4x4 and I LOVE my truck. I just lift my chair in myself. I had to add those step bars onto the side of the truck as the truck sits too high off the ground for my chair to rest on the sills when taking the tires off so I rest it on the step bar. Also nice for how I get into my truck, when I pull myself up into my truck I pull till my feet are resting on that bar and then I situate myself and grab my legs and lift them in. If I dont get my feet on that bar then my body weight shifts funny and I start slipping out while I pull my legs in... hard to explain so hopefully that makes sense. If you dont have a 4x4 though and arent lifting your chair in then it probably doesnt matter anyways. I just happen pull myself into my truck differnt than most people seem to get into their vehicles.

[glamisgirl]

Who knows maybe in time the crane will end up being a pain to deal with, it's not like I don't have the option of taking the chair apart and putting it in the truck if I wanted to. Thanks for the comments though. Does anyone out there use the crane? If so whats your opinion?

[gsp23]

glamisgirl, on Apr 17 2007, 02:39 PM, said:

Who knows maybe in time the crane will end up being a pain to deal with, it's not like I don't have the option of taking the chair apart and putting it in the truck if I wanted to. Thanks for the comments though. Does anyone out there use the crane? If so whats your opinion?

They tried to sell me the crane at the modification place but I told them no I wanted to do it myself... however, the guy working at the place used a wheelchair also and he used it. He said that after lifting his chair in for a few years he started to have shoulder problems, so to take the stress off his shouldes he got the crane and said he loved it.

[edlee]

YOU GO GIRL!!! Having a way to go where and when you want is my idea of independence.


I'm probably in the wrong place to ask this, but ..... you guys that throw your chair in by hand so easily..... What kind of vehicle are you driving? I have the Jeep liberty I bought two monthes before injury and it is a B***H getting that sucker between me and the steering wheel ( with the wheels off) and into the passenger seat. Can't get it in the back cause the seat doesn't fold, but even if I did it would just slide out of reach on any short trip. Hate to get rid of it tho. I live out in the country and some winters get bad.

My other question is for gsp23. How do you pull yourself into your truck?

ED

[gsp23]

edlee, on Apr 17 2007, 06:09 PM, said:

My other question is for gsp23. How do you pull yourself into your truck?

ED

Hopefully this will make sense, but what I do is get my chair as close as I can so it kinda angles into the door hinge and there is just room for my legs in the V section. Then what I do is I grab onto the the door handle with my left hand and put my right inside the truck and transfer over onto the sill of the truck. Once I am sitting on the sill of the truck then I grab onto the oh $hit handle with my left hand and put my right hand on the seat and pull myself up onto the seat. I keep leaning in and pulling myself into the truck as far as I can, while I keep my left hand on the oh $hit handle and my right arm pulls me into truck a bit further, at this point my hips are still about at the edge of my seat and my feet are pulled far enough up from me angling into my truck that they are sitting on the step bar. I then sit more upright again and and grab my legs and pull them into my truck.

A bit differne than the typical of putting your feed up into the footwell first, but I found that way too difficult with my higher 4x4 pickup and this way is much easier for me. Hopefully that explination actually makes sense and you can visualize how I am trying to explain it.

[Big Valley]

Maybe I am visualizing something much higher but isn't your chair still quite a bit down on the ground to then disassemble and lift up into the truck? That has been my problem with high sitting vehicles.



And constantly thinking, "how much weight can this handle hold anyway?"

[Big Valley]

edlee, on Apr 17 2007, 06:09 PM, said:

I'm probably in the wrong place to ask this, but ..... you guys that throw your chair in by hand so easily..... What kind of vehicle are you driving? I have the Jeep liberty I bought two monthes before injury and it is a B***H getting that sucker between me and the steering wheel ( with the wheels off) and into the passenger seat. Can't get it in the back cause the seat doesn't fold, but even if I did it would just slide out of reach on any short trip.

ED

How old is this Jeep? Doesn't the seat lay back? They started making the Liberty in 2002 so I would assume it would have reclining seats?



Without the ability to lay a seat back getting a chair into a car/truck is very hard. If your seat in your Jeep doesn't lay back you might consider buying a aftermarket seat that does. It will be world's easier.

[gsp23]

Big Valley, on Apr 17 2007, 10:33 PM, said:

Maybe I am visualizing something much higher but isn't your chair still quite a bit down on the ground to then disassemble and lift up into the truck? That has been my problem with high sitting vehicles.



And constantly thinking, "how much weight can this handle hold anyway?"

Yes my chair is quite a bit down, which is how I tore my intercostal muscles a couple months back by leaning down so far and twisting at the same time. Anyways, I have been injury free now for a few months after I got a better system down.

When getting out of my truck I recline the seat all the way and slide it back all the way, so when I get in that is how the seat is to start with.

Once I am into my truck then I grab the stabilizer bar on the back of the seat and I lift up the chair as far as I can. Sometimes I actually rub the footrest on the ground at the same time. The tires are then quite high and kinda sit on the step bar and I lean out of my truck and press my side agains the edge of the doorway to keep stable. My left foot I place in the door jam to help with some traction and my right foot is just inside the vehicle extended up the side (to the left of the brake peddel). I lean down and take the right side wheel of first. Once the wheel is off then I rest the back right corner of my chair on the step bar on the sid of my truck with my left hand while holding th wheel in my right hand. Then once the chair is rested, I hook my left arm around the outside of the door way to help pull myself back upright again. Then I put the wheel in the seat behind me. I then reach down and grab my chair again and take off the left wheel. Once I have the left wheel off I hold the wheel in my left hand, and rest stabilizer bar on the back of the chair on the step bar. I then transfer the wheel to my right and and pull myself upright like before and put the wheel in the back seat behind me. Next I grab the oh $hit bar with my right hand and lean down to get my seat cushion off my seat and pull myself back in using that oh $hit bar and place the seat cushion on the back seat behind me. Next is what took me the longest to figure out... I lean down to get my chair and straighten it up by grabbing on the stabalizer bar on the back. I then release hinge for the backrest and fold it down. Once that is done I grab with my right hand a bar underneat the seat of my chair and I hook my left arm around the outside of the truck. I pull myself upright by leaning back as much as I can and pulling myself with my left arm. Once I get far enough up I set the chair on my left leg. The chair normally sits on my leg but sometimes my leg falls out the door but it always stops on the step bar and the chair sits right there till I can get myself straightened up into my truck. Once I am then straightened up the rest of the way, I pull my left shoulder into the vehicle, then I grab under my chair with my left hand and I grab the outside of my chair with my right hand. I twist it a bit to the side as I lean back and pull it in over the steering wheel and I keep on twisting and leaning back and set it in the back set on the passenger side.

I keep my chair in the backset because I usually have an adult in the vehicle with me so they ride in the front seat. I personally think its easier to put in the backseat than in the front because I need to turn th chair to put it in the front. When it is in the back I put the casters up agains the door and the back of the chair is towards the middle of the vehicle. Then I dont need to turn it once its in the vehicle.

Hopefully this makes sense to visualize. When I go in someones car I do more of the standard procedure that most people do, but that wasnt working for me for my truck. When I first started figuring out how to get my chair in and out of my truck it was taking me betwene 7-12 minutes. Now after figuring this system out it takes me approx 30 sec.