I need help finding a way to carry an electric wheel chair and its carrier.

5787 Views 15 Replies 8 Participants Last post by NickD, Jun 26, 2016

Debra

Discussion Starter · Jun 20, 2016

I need to have a towing hitch put on my 2013 Cruz. I need a way to carry an electric wheelchair. The problem I have ran into is that I need a Class III, 2" hitch for the ramp/carrier, and the only size approved for the Cruz is Class I, 1.25". (or so I have been told) Is there a way to work around this problem? The chair weights 90 lbs. and the carrier weights 75 lbs.
Thank you for any help you can give.

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NickD

· #2 · Jun 20, 2016

Assume the person requiring this wheelchair will not be in it, vans or even minivans are more suitable for this purpose, can be equipped with lifts and tie downs.

Depending on volume, an enclosed small utility trailer can certainly be pulled by the Cruze with a class one hitch and a 2" ball. Tongues for various trailers are also available if stuck with a smaller ball. But this all depends on the hitch, 2" is the most standard. Class III is a 4,500 pound hitch, sure don't need this.

Could talk to the people and etrailer.com, not sure whom you are talking to, but apparently, not very knowledgeable.

Robby

· #3 · Jun 20, 2016

Debra said:
I need to have a towing hitch put on my 2013 Cruz. I need a way to carry an electric wheelchair. The problem I have ran into is that I need a Class III, 2" hitch for the ramp/carrier, and the only size approved for the Cruz is Class I, 1.25". (or so I have been told) Is there a way to work around this problem? The chair weights 90 lbs. and the carrier weights 75 lbs.
Thank you for any help you can give.

There are drawbars that convert 1.25 to 2.0.......any good trailer shop that sells hitch's will have them.....usually around $20.00.

Rob

Reactions: 2

carbon02

· #4 · Jun 21, 2016 (Edited)

I've been down the road of trying to use the drawbars that convert 1.25" to 2" when I did a cargo basket on the back of the Cruze. The problem I found is that it extends the platform too far away from the bumper and the entire carrier starts to sag, causing low clearance issues.

I'd take a look at the Curt Manufacturing Small 1.25" cargo basket. I have it, and I love the design. The shank is S shaped, so the basket sits level with the top of the bumper. This provides a lot more ground clearance for the basket when going over bumps.

My carrier is rated for 200 lbs, and I've had a cooler and grill on them for nearly 1500 miles on a road trip. Getting the mobility scooter up onto that platform maybe a problem. I've seen the carriers that have one side that becomes a ramp and you drive the scooter up it. I think that's too big for the Cruze. It's going to sit too far from the bumper and sag to low.

You would have to google the dimensions of this unit. An electric wheelchair probably doesn't reduce in width, possibly making my suggestion difficult.

Custom Hitch Shop Maybe???

Just some ideas.

Good Luck

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Reactions: 1

NickD

· #5 · Jun 21, 2016

If interested in a carrier here is one rated for 300 pounds.

Flat Carrier Fits 1-1/4 and 2 Inch Hitch Hitch Cargo Carrier | etrailer.com

For both 1.25 and 2" hitches.

Don't let that 1.25 inch fool you, have a hidden mounted on my Supra, rated at 350 pound tongue weight and 3,500 pounds pulling, bit more than you are looking for.

XtremeRevolution

· #6 · Jun 21, 2016

Your options will be limited to a custom hitch unfortunately. A good welder would be able to make a hitch for you using the stock design, but it's going to cost you.

Christopher_2

· #7 · Jun 21, 2016

Debra,
Can you tell me the make and model of electric chair you have? Did you weigh the chair ready to use with batteries installed? The reason I am asking is very few electric chairs are that lite, and I would like to make sure you are getting the correct information.

Debra said:
I need to have a towing hitch put on my 2013 Cruz. I need a way to carry an electric wheelchair. The problem I have ran into is that I need a Class III, 2" hitch for the ramp/carrier, and the only size approved for the Cruz is Class I, 1.25". (or so I have been told) Is there a way to work around this problem? The chair weights 90 lbs. and the carrier weights 75 lbs.
Thank you for any help you can give.

Reactions: 1

Christopher_2

· #8 · Jun 21, 2016

Wheelchair and Mobility Scooter Hitch Carrier - Aluminum

Guessing she is talking about a carrier with a built in ramp to drive the chair up on and park. That way you don't have to pick it up. This one weighs 25lbs less which could help, still he wrong receiver size. A
Also with an adapter as you move the platform further from the car it makes the problem worse. It adds leverage to the weight and increases the tongue weight.

NickD said:
If interested in a carrier here is one rated for 300 pounds.

Flat Carrier Fits 1-1/4 and 2 Inch Hitch Hitch Cargo Carrier | etrailer.com

For both 1.25 and 2" hitches.

Don't let that 1.25 inch fool you, have a hidden mounted on my Supra, rated at 350 pound tongue weight and 3,500 pounds pulling, bit more than you are looking for.

Reactions: 1

Vetterin

· #9 · Jun 21, 2016

Don't think that will work as the total tongue weight will be more than the car's maximum. Looks as though her only play is a small trailer that would be pulled but then she has to add the tail light extension kit. I just don't think the Cruze is the car for this job.

NickD

· #10 · Jun 22, 2016

Tongue weight is generally around 10% of the trailer weight, but what trailer with a carrier? What about a couple of 350 pound people riding in the back seat of you Cruze?

With some cars have to put sand bags in your trunk so you can even drive these things on winter road. A 90 T-bird comes to mind, took four of them, 400 pounds. Make special bags for this, water proof more reinforced packaging so you don't spill sand all over the inside of your trunk.

Since carriers are becoming popular now, should be a separate specification for weight, but try and find them. A hundred pounds is nothing at that back of the vehicle.

Another specification, badly missing is the speed that you are driving. Some give you greater limits if your trailer has brakes, but not all of them. Quite a difference when driving around town at 20 mph, or driving on the interstate at 80 mph.

Note for that posted wheel chair carrier, don't specify the weight of it, but do post this.

notiCe!
"Contact local Department of

Transportation to verify all safety guidelines
are being followed before transporting load."

Do we really have to be told not to ride in your wheel chair will mounted on this carrier?

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Debra

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jun 24, 2016

Drive Medical Bobcat X3 Compact Transportable Power Mobility Scooter, 3 Wheel, Red, the Actual Product Weight: 84 lbs

Debra

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jun 24, 2016 (Edited)

[h=1]This is the carrier I plan to buy.
Economy Hitch Mounted Mobility Scooter Carrier Rack with Ramp[/h]from Discount Ramps

About the Product
- Easy mobility scooter transport using a vehicle's trailer hitch
- Includes an integrated loading ramp which folds upright after the scooter is loaded
- 500 lb capacity supports many power scooter models
- Fits 2" Class III or IV trailer hitch receivers
- Durable aluminum construction built to last
Product Dimensions: 48 x 38.2 x 9.5 inches ; 56 pounds

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Christopher_2

· #13 · Jun 24, 2016 (Edited)

Debra,
I see it is Drive scooter with really small batteries. Most scooter batteries weigh more than that entire scooter. The range is going to be limited, the batteries are 10ah batteries. If you think of AH (amp hours) as gallons it has a 10 gallon tank. The scooters I work on daily from Invacare and Pride have 35 and 55 amp hour batteries. The motor is also going to be very small.

If your use is going to be a short trip to a store or a doctors visit you should be fine. I would think a trip to Wall-Mart driving it up and down the aisles would drain the battery. The recharge time is going to take about 5 hours to charge up between uses.

Drive is not known for making a quality product in my 7 years of experience working on their equipment. If it is very lite use you should be fine. Just don't expect years of reliable service from the scooter. A lot of drive parts such as bearing in my experience are not off the shelf parts and are harder to find if broken. That is my 2 cents worth.

Debra said:
Drive Medical Bobcat X3 Compact Transportable Power Mobility Scooter, 3 Wheel, Red, the Actual Product Weight: 84 lbs

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Reactions: 1

Tomko

· #14 · Jun 24, 2016

Christopher_2 said:
Debra,
I see it is Drive scooter with really small batteries. Most scooters batteries weigh more than that entire scooter. The range is going to be limited, the batteries are 10ah batteries. If you think of AH (amp hours) as gallons it has a 10 gallon tank. The scooters I work on from daily from Invacare and Pride have 35 and 55 amp hour batteries. The motor is also going to be very small,

If your use is going to be a short trip to a store or a doctors visit you should be fine. I would think trip t Wal-Mart driving it up and down the aisles would drain the battery. The recharge time is going to take about 5 hours to charge up between uses.

Drive is not known for making a quality product in my 7 years of experience working on their equipment. If it is very lite use you should be fine. Just don't expect years of reliable service from the scooter. A lot of drive parts such as bearing in my experience are not off the shelf parts and are harder to find if broken. That is my 2 cents worth.

As someone who may be in the market soon, can you recommend a quality option?

Christopher_2

· #15 · Jun 25, 2016

I look more for certain traits from a service standpoint. Does it have real rubber tires that can be replaced or the hybrid hard plastic rubber things like a kids wagon would have?

Does it have batteries that are decent sized most have 35 amp hour batteries as a standard, 35 amp hour group size deep cycle batteries can be purchased easily.

Does it have wheel bearings that are standard that I can get from a local store such as Fastenal, Napa etc. Might sound funny but when you can't identify a bearing that somebodies cousin in China made with no identifying numbers. Take measurements and can't find an equivalent. Contacted the manufacturer to be told we don't use the bearing that you just took off our equipment and took a picture of. It can be frustrating for you and the customer.

I have always had good luck with Invacare and Pride products. If you look at the websites for both companies you can find parts manuals, service manuals etc. When you have a model in mind let me know and I can take a look at it online and see what it looks like and any pro's or con's.

Tomko said:
As someone who may be in the market soon, can you recommend a quality option?

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Reactions: 1

NickD

· #16 · Jun 26, 2016

Debra said:
This is the carrier I plan to buy.
Economy Hitch Mounted Mobility Scooter Carrier Rack with Ramp

from Discount Ramps

About the Product

Easy mobility scooter transport using a vehicle's trailer hitch

Includes an integrated loading ramp which folds upright after the scooter is loaded

500 lb capacity supports many power scooter models

Fits 2" Class III or IV trailer hitch receivers

Durable aluminum construction built to last

Product Dimensions: 48 x 38.2 x 9.5 inches ; 56 pounds

Inspectors sure looked over our Cruze after my wife was rear ended by a drunken driver, couldn't find any unauthorized modifications on it so they could avoid paying a claim.

Just a word of caution here, talking about putting a Class III/IV carrier on a vehicle only rated for a Class I hitch and seem to be running into problems finding any carrier specifications for these compact cars.

And in a court of law, not dealing with logical people, will lie and cheat in anyway possible to avoid paying a claim. Also seem to be having problems finding a hitch for the Cruze that can handle a 2" drawbar. Sure make a statement about a hundred pound tongue weight, would be nice to find documentation that says it can be more for a carrier.

Have seen small trailers with ramps and tie downs for a Class I hitch that only weigh a couple of hundred pounds, you will be well under that 1,000 pound limit as a possible option. Also seen subcompact vehicles that are not even rated for any kind of trailer hitch.

These incidents are terrible, would swear your own attorney is getting a kick back from these insurance companies and they to have a very strong brotherhood. Dealing with four insurance companies now and going nuts. Key one talked to my wife, she said she was very nice and wanted to send her some money to help with the medical bills. If she cashed that tiny check for just $500.00, reading the back of their check with my electron microscope, would relieve them of all future liability.

So what would happen to you if they found you put a Class III/IV hitch on your Cruze if you can even find one?

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