ECV questions

[rngrblu9]

hi everyone! i have a couple of questions about ecv's that i hope can be answered...where is the best place to rent ecv's? r they easy to load into cars? r they big & heavy to lift? any other info u could give me that u feel is important would be great! thanks!

 

[mechurchlady]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=595713
That is this board's FAQs and ha a list of places that rent ECVs. This list only includes those companies that have been used by board members and good things said about the companies.

The ones that are rented are usually pretty easy to take apart with the heaviest piece around 25 pounds. Make sure you have a shower cap or large baggie with you to cover the controls in the rain.

The companies drop off at your hotel so you can then test drive it around the resorts. DO NOT RIDE ONE IN A BUS. Trust me I do public buses and know that powerchairs and ECVs are top heavy. I can ride mine on a bus but I have to have my feet on the ground and stand on corners or I could fall, very scary.

An old stuntman trick is to go straight down a 45 degree hill side without rolling but if he goes at an angle then he rolls the car. Same with ECVs and even wheelchairs. You can take an ECV straight down a hill with no problem but even a small angle taken sideways can tip them.

Tacking is my term for how to get an ECV up a hill and actually is from the Model T days of cars. You zoom up the hill then turn to one side. Ket the ECV rest and it will quickly go back to full power then go back to straight up the hill. Just keep repeating until you are at the top. When you turn to the side you change the angle of the ECV and it lets it rest, not sure how to explain.

 

[rngrblu9]

thanks!

 

[ckdsnynt]

I was at WDW last week and rented an ECV offsite and had it delivered to our resort. It was very reasonably priced. Everything went very well for several days but then we started having problems. The ecv would not start. You had to jiggle the key or hold the key in place while you drove it to keep the ecv turned on. We called them and they asked it it had gotten wet. Did you see the rain last week in Orlando? Of course it got wet! They said to let it dry out and if it still would not start to call them back and they would replace it. Well, it did dry out and it did not start any better. In fact, it started dying while you were riding it! Very dangerous! We called and they wouldn't even return our call. All we got was a recorder. PM me and I will give you the company's name. I will never rent from them again. I hated it because I had even recommended them to another person the second day I had mine.
But I rode mine right on the Disney busses. Some bus drivers were more helpful than others. The scary bus drivers were the ones that wanted you to pull in and park it while there were other riders on the bus and sitting right where you needed to pull up and turn the wheels and miss their toes! Others made the people move for you or they would park it for you. Also, the wet floors on the busses made the ecvs slide!

 

[peemagg]

As Mechurchlady said, you need to keep the controls dry. Because of all the rain that is going on down there now, the company you rented from is probably being deluged with calls saying all the same thing "My ECV has died". They were probably out trying to replace others ECV's and fix the ones that came back in. Not that that is an excuse but, an explanation that I thought of. They should have returned your call though.

I was at Disney when all the rain began, and I saw all these ECV's running around with the controls uncovered. All I could think of was how long would those keep running. I was the only one I saw keeping their controls dry. I bet there are lots of dead ECV's down there now.

 

[toocherie]

another trick--if a shower cap isn't available--get a large bag from Disney and cover the controls. The really large bags also allow enough maneuverability to "work" the tiller through the bag and keep the entire thing dry. Also, remember not to drive through puddles if you can help it.

(I also keep those big alligator type black clips in my Owner's Locker to keep the bag secure so it doesn't fly off. But they would be easy to pack in a suitcase too.)

 

[Orangeandwild]

I rented from an offsite company, it was a Heavy Duty scooter and we kept taking it in and out of the trunk of our car. We have a full size car and it fit just fine with no problems. Was easy to assemble when we got to each park and then store away when we changed parks or returned to the resort.

To me this is a lot easier than dealing with buses with an ECV