ECV & Rain

[h&D3]

In researching the ECV, it's noted not to operate it in the rain. During the summer months, how is this possible?
How much rain can these handle?
I'd hate to have to cancel a day at the park just because of rain.
And what about if I'm there, in the middle of the parking lot and it begins to pour (thinking august and the daily afternoon downpours)
I'll be watching my radar app on my phone for weather, but what can you do for those unexpected ones?
I've heard most off to protect the tiller as they are worried about the electronics... I'll have some ponchos with me and if I see rain coming and I plan to cover it up the best I can if we're in an attraction at the time. But what about those quick pop-up ones that nobody can prepare for? There is a lot of open spaces with no cover (like leaving the MK and getting to the car... not a lot of cover to stay dry)
If I cover the tiller, can I operate it in the rain, to at least try and get out of the rain?

~D

 

[SteveH]

When my wife needed one back in 2020 we kept a poncho in the basket and covered it when we went on an attraction and if it started to rain while we were zipping around we covered up the front with the extra and the one she wore covered up the rest. Bonus points if you get a clear one.

 

[Genie+]

The rental ECVs are pretty hardy. Really the most important thing is to limit how much water goes on the tiller and how hard it is dumping. The quick fix to this is a shower cap lol. They fit perfectly around and protect. You can even drive just take extra precaution.

That battery compartment protects the batteries unless:
it’s a killer tropical storm where’d you likely not choose to stay outside anyway
Driving through more than 3 or 4 inches of water, also unlikely.

The seat? Obviously you don’t want to leave it outside through heavy storms but it easily withstands light rain.

The rental companies actually throw some shower caps and cheap ponchos in the basket for exactly this scenario. The poncho can protect the seat and battery area, and the shower cap covers the entire tiller and control center.

We were at MK one night when out of nowhere this huge deluge came through. We were only expecting light showers on and off. DH ended up freezing so I rode his ECV back to BLT to get his coat. It was a monsoon! I was driving as fast as possible looking like a drowning rat. The walkways were flooding a bit. No problems at all. BLT resort was nice enough to have towels in the lobby to dry the machine off.

 

[jo-jo]

Bring some Velcro or something to hold that poncho on the tiller. I remember one person has a few ponchos on their scooter, but it was blowing, so ponchos were trying to turn into kites.

 

[CanucksRock]

The Walker ones are waterproof …although the seat is not, so it needs to be covered unless you want a wet butt.

 

[bluecruiser]

I learned the following from the boards here.

I take clear kitchen trash bags to the park, the "cinch" ones with a built-in tie at the open end that you can use to gather up the extra material. As an example, Hefty makes them - Hefty Recycling Trash bags (clear or blue). The clear ones are the best choice because you cover the entire front basket and tiller, and the headlights still work when it's dark. There's enough slack in the bag so you can still operate the controls. I take two bags - one for the front controls/basket and a second one for the seat.

 

[serenitynow]

Bring some Velcro or something to hold that poncho on the tiller. I remember one person has a few ponchos on their scooter, but it was blowing, so ponchos were trying to turn into kites.

Duct tape works

 

[Donald - my hero]

in March we saw someone zooming around our resort when it was pouring with this type of a poncho! Amazon sells them. Hers had reflective stripes down the back and across the arms and her hubby clipped a light to the visor of the poncho (he was having a great time, her - not so much!)

 

[elvispursley]

in March we saw someone zooming around our resort when it was pouring with this type of a poncho! Amazon sells them. Hers had reflective stripes down the back and across the arms and her hubby clipped a light to the visor of the poncho (he was having a great time, her - not so much!)
View attachment 856356

My mom is going to get one of these for our Aug trip. Previously she would use a poncho with some really large clips that secured over the basket and the tiller (she also used a shower cap). Then she would wear her poncho.

Last year it all came in handy. We came off of FEA Tia horrible thunderstorm with wind and inches of rain. EEH had just started and we were stuck in the gift shop with about 100 other people. After 45 min the lightening moved out but the rain continued. We poncho’d up and left Epcot. She had to do some fancy driving since there was flooding over my ankles in places.

 

[jo-jo]

in March we saw someone zooming around our resort when it was pouring with this type of a poncho! Amazon sells them. Hers had reflective stripes down the back and across the arms and her hubby clipped a light to the visor of the poncho (he was having a great time, her - not so much!)
View attachment 856356

Be sure to read any reviews. I ordered something like this ( same idea, different picture) and on my DH, the sides only came down to about his waist. No way even on a thinner person would it drape down to almost ankle.

We purchased one about 18 months ago, sizing may have changed since then.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Be sure to read any reviews. I ordered something like this ( same idea, different picture) and on my DH, the sides only came down to about his waist. No way even on a thinner person would it drape down to almost ankle.

We purchased one about 18 months ago, sizing may have changed since then.

My hubby told me there was no way he'd be caught dead using that

 

[jo-jo]

My hubby told me there was no way he'd be caught dead using that

We suffer from having no fashion sense. On cooler evenings, we'll be the weird ones wearing cheap ponchos with clear skies to hold body heat in.

 

[Donald - my hero]

We suffer from having no fashion sense. On cooler evenings, we'll be the weird ones wearing cheap ponchos with clear skies to hold body heat in.

Yeah that's us as well, he just doesn't want to draw anymore attention to his method of transportation, hates the constant reminder that his body refuses to move like it did when we were young 'uns Getting old SUCKS!

 

[jo-jo]

Yeah that's us as well, he just doesn't want to draw anymore attention to his method of transportation, hates the constant reminder that his body refuses to move like it did when we were young 'uns Getting old SUCKS!

Ha, a trip two years ago, I had Christmas decorations on DH's scooter with lights all over the basket. Nothing like tinsel garland to say "don't look at me"

He's lucky I didn't have him wear an elf's hat.

I feel, can't do this anymore, but still can do that.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

in March we saw someone zooming around our resort when it was pouring with this type of a poncho! Amazon sells them. Hers had reflective stripes down the back and across the arms and her hubby clipped a light to the visor of the poncho (he was having a great time, her - not so much!)
View attachment 856356

Yes - my family has used this before - worked well!

 

[Simba's Mom]

In researching the ECV, it's noted not to operate it in the rain. During the summer months, how is this possible?
How much rain can these handle?
I'd hate to have to cancel a day at the park just because of rain.
And what about if I'm there, in the middle of the parking lot and it begins to pour (thinking august and the daily afternoon downpours)
I'll be watching my radar app on my phone for weather, but what can you do for those unexpected ones?
I've heard most off to protect the tiller as they are worried about the electronics... I'll have some ponchos with me and if I see rain coming and I plan to cover it up the best I can if we're in an attraction at the time. But what about those quick pop-up ones that nobody can prepare for? There is a lot of open spaces with no cover (like leaving the MK and getting to the car... not a lot of cover to stay dry)
If I cover the tiller, can I operate it in the rain, to at least try and get out of the rain?

~D
View attachment 856291

From my experience, an ECV handles rain pretty well as long as the tiller's covered. I remember getting caught in a major downpour in the Africa section of AK once, just as I realized that I needed to get back to my resort to meet friends. There was a huge "lake" right outside the entrance, so deep that people were taking their shoes off and wading through-gives you some idea how heavy the rain was! When I got back to the resort (fortunately the buses were pretty frequent!), I realized I was soaked to the skin, but my ECV never stopped.
One tip, given the frequency and unpredictability of rain showers, cover your ECV whenever you go inside but leave your ECV outside. I once parked my ECV outside while we went into Tusker House to eat. It was sunny with no rain predicted. After the meal, when we came out, it was sunny, but there'd been a brief rain shower-just enough for a big puddle to be sitting on the seat of my ECV!

 

[maryblanchard49]

Walker Mobility Scooters is all I ever use and their scooters are water resistant, it can down pour and it will still keep going.

 

[bookgirl]

When my wife needed one back in 2020 we kept a poncho in the basket and covered it when we went on an attraction and if it started to rain while we were zipping around we covered up the front with the extra and the one she wore covered up the rest. Bonus points if you get a clear one.

This is what I did. Two poncho's, one for me and the seat (I put the poncho on and put the back over the seat) and one for the front of the evc that I put on the handle bars/basket and down over the mechanics backwards so I could put my hands in the armholes to operate the scooter. Worked great. Though next time I'd bring along some clothespins so I could secure it a little better and take up the extra material closer to the base so it wasn't flopping in the wind so to speak.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

This is what I did. Two poncho's, one for me and the seat (I put the poncho on and put the back over the seat) and one for the front of the evc that I put on the handle bars/basket and down over the mechanics backwards so I could put my hands in the armholes to operate the scooter. Worked great. Though next time I'd bring along some clothespins so I could secure it a little better and take up the extra material closer to the base so it wasn't flopping in the wind so to speak.

That over the back of seat is very important to keep rain off seat. Don’t ask how I learned this

 

[bookgirl]

That over the back of seat is very important to keep rain off seat. Don’t ask how I learned this

I read a few reports of that happening. I brought a towel with me and kept it in a bag just for any rain incidents. It also came in handy when the seat was warm and I was wearing shorts. I also pulled a Steve Irwin and used it and my hat to rescue a wild crawdad





Don't Panic and Always Carry a Towel | Douglas Adams