[mjrcpd]

Hey Gang !!

I'm in the market for a new vehicle, and recently looked at the Honda Ridgeline pick-up truck. Lots of room behind both seats for the chair, and several other attractive features. My question to my para friends out there..............in making the transfer to a higher vehicle such as this truck, is it best to just pivot from the chair to the seat, or put your legs into the vehicle first, then make the transfer into the cab???????? I'd love to hear your thoughts on which way works best for those of you who leave your wheels to drive. AGAIN, thanks to all who contribute as this site is the best for getting the "real" scoop from the "real" experiences.

[LuckyinKentucky]

1 leg in 1 leg out both ways.

[jass1]

watch this and more on youtube

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=zmSNs69uuvQ

[Hawkeye]

I transfer in and out of my pickup, an Chevy Colorado, several times a day. I'll try to describe how I do it.

I position my chair pointed at the door hinges. Remove the right chair arm and toss it inside.
I scoot forward a bit and lift my right leg up and place my foot just in front of the front left corner of the drivers seat. Knee is bent at over 90 degrees. I have a shoe size strip of 3M stair tread traction tape applied just inside the rocker panel that I put my foot on. This keeps my foot from sliding forward durring the transfer, and is critical for me. I use my right leg as a "lever" to do most of the lifting.

Right hand graps up high on the front door frame, sorta above where the side mirror is. Right hand, I make a fist and position it at the left rear edge of the drivers seat. Right elbo is against the left edge of the seat back.

I start by lifting with my left arm, while levering off my right arm, elbo pushing into the seat back. Once I get my body weight moving a little up and in, I start lifting more with my right arm and pushing in with my left.

The key for me is to not try to liftt my weight, but just get it moving with my arms and let my lower right leg act as a pivot to lever my right in.

I know this will be really hard to visualize, but it does work for me. By using my leg like a pole vault, I can tansfer into some really high trucks, as long as I can keep my foot from siding.

Good Luck...

Joe (T-4 complete)

[Big Valley]

Grab handles in high vehicles are ideal for me. If I can reach the handle I can pull myself up. I also start with my inside (depending on side of vehicle) leg up in the vehicle bent with foot flat. Position your foot/leg in such a way that as you lift it will not be caught under the edge of the seat as you go up. Without stomach control I find the lifting with my arms spread out on door frames and seat to unstable. Then if I do get raised up I can't get my butt into a secure place.

The part I have trouble with is the disassembling and storage of my chair when I am so much higher up. I don't want to damage someone else's vehicle while doing this so I usually have someone else take my chair apart and hand it to me or put it away for me. As opposed to a lower vehicle or my own cars where I always do it myself and usually faster than someone else can do.

Every vehicle and person has its/their own way of doing a transfer. You just have to experiment and see what works for you. Have a spotter to catch you if you are inexperienced while you figure out your own way of doing it. It will definitely take more than a few tries to get it done and lots of practice before it becomes easy.

This post has been edited by Big Valley: 28 March 2008 - 05:44 PM

[Andrew Meddings]

Grab handles in high vehicles are ideal for me. If I can reach the handle I can pull myself up. I also start with my inside (depending on side of vehicle) leg up in the vehicle bent with foot flat. Position your foot/leg in such a way that as you lift it will not be caught under the edge of the seat as you go up. Without stomach control I find the lifting with my arms spread out on door frames and seat to unstable. Then if I do get raised up I can't get my butt into a secure place.


i get in my landcruiser exactly this way. i have shown lots of people this method & seems to work for most . i just have to be carful when inside leg spazm"s

[Texaswheelz]

I also have went with both feet in first, even when I lifted em in my lifted 4x4 that sits about the height of my shoulders. Just seems easier to me then with a leg out that is then more dead weight, with legs in they support a little bit of the weight.