Evc ?

[starwishing]

Hi, I am looking into renting an ECV offsite for the week I am in Disney. I am staying offsite, so my family & I will be transporting the evc back & forth. Does anyone know if you can fit an evc in a SUV or Minivan WITHOUT disassembling it???? (Just popping the WHOLE thing in the back) Also, I have RA & if I try to walk the parks I am going to end up with a severe flare up with inflammation & pain. But I do not have to be in the evc 24/7.....meaning I can go on rides & even stand in short lines without it. So my other question is, can I park my evc outside a ride & how about a restaurant??? Are you aloud to do that??? Thanks so much for you help.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The answer is "Yes, But". A rental ECV weighs between 130 and 140 pounds. The battery packs are 24 pounds each. The rear wheel/motor assembly is very close to 40 pounds. The front assembly (wheel, tiller, frame, seat structure) is about another 40, and then there is the weight of the seat. Even if it does fit through the rear, you will need two strong people to lift it in and out.

There is never any problem in parking outside a ride or restaurant. Just be sure to take your key and don't leave anything you are unwilling to lose in the basket.

 

[starwishing]

The answer is "Yes, But". A rental ECV weighs between 130 and 140 pounds. The battery packs are 24 pounds each. The rear wheel/motor assembly is very close to 40 pounds. The front assembly (wheel, tiller, frame, seat structure) is about another 40, and then there is the weight of the seat. Even if it does fit through the rear, you will need two strong people to lift it in and out.

There is never any problem in parking outside a ride or restaurant. Just be sure to take your key and don't leave anything you are unwilling to lose in the basket.

Thanks so much for responding!! WOW, I wasn't aware that they are that heavy! Although my husband & son (18) should be able to lift that, I think?? See, my husband thinks I should rent one at the parks....I am fine with that, but what if they are all rented out??? I don't want to use a reg. wheelchair because I would never want to ask someone to spend THEIR vacation pushing me around. (Gosh that's gotta be tiring!) So, I suggested to my husband that we rent offsite. (We are staying offsite, too) But he really didn't seem like he was all too happy about disassembling it to put it in a trunk, then reassembling it at the park, only to have to redo this again at the end of the day X 7!!!! (Plus, if we leave the park to come back later it's even more.) So....I thought that if I could rent a minivan or suv then I could just have them put the WHOLE thing in the back, that it would make it easier on him. I was just hoping that someone would maybe have done this & know if it can fit. Thank you!!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

It only takes about two or three minutes to disassemble it and put it in the trunk, or to remove it and assemble it. Having an off-site rental also allows you touse it if you go to Downtown Disney or anyplace else where there might be a lot of walking.

Also, if you ask, you can be given a charger that will charge the batteries directly and you can leave the rest of the ECV in the trunk overnight. That way the only assembly/disassembly is actually at the parks when you will be using it.

 

[starwishing]

Oooooooooooh! Thanks for that great info. Maybe the fact of him just charging the batteries & leaving the rest in the trunk would make him feel better about it. (We saw a thread where they discribed how to take apart the ECV & it sounded COMPLICATED!!!!!!!!!!) I promise you that we are NOT braindead!! lol We have just never used one before.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Also, I would STRONGLY recommend renting from Randy's Mobility (see disABILITIES FAQ for link).
While most companies drop off the ECV at your hotel's Bell Services before you arrive and pick it up there after you leave, Randy's requires you to call them from your room and they will come deliver it to YOU. Advantage? They will demonstrate how to disassemble it and have you or someone in your party reassemble it.
Walker's Mobility (link also in FAQ) DOES have these instructions on their website.
Also, if you rent your car from Avis, you can arrange for it to come with a scooter (from Scooataround, link also in FAQ) already in the trunk!

 

[starwishing]

OK everybody another question.... I rented a minivan....this should be fine, right????

 

[HappyCamperToo]

Also, if you ask, you can be given a charger that will charge the batteries directly and you can leave the rest of the ECV in the trunk overnight.

I've been trying to buy one of these! Could you please steer me in the right direction? The medical supply store that my scooter came from told me to talk with an automotive store, but they weren't really helpful. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[HappyCamperToo]

I've been trying to buy one of these! Could you please steer me in the right direction? The medical supply store that my scooter came from told me to talk with an automotive store, but they weren't really helpful. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

anyone?

 

[Nanajo1]

OK everybody another question.... I rented a minivan....this should be fine, right????

We rented a minivan several years ago and my DH an DS would just lift the ECV into the back of the van without disassembling it. So you should be fine with a mini van. But we did not use the rear seat so if you need to use that row for seating it might be cramped.

 

[HappyCamperToo]

Also, if you ask, you can be given a charger that will charge the batteries directly and you can leave the rest of the ECV in the trunk overnight. That way the only assembly/disassembly is actually at the parks when you will be using it.

I called the manufacturer of my scooter, and they said they don't make a separate charger. I just spoke with Bob Walker, from Walker Mobility and he said that probably the only way to do this would be to buy a 12v charger from Wal-Mart for less than 10 amps, and connect that to the batteries. But I'm nervous about popping off the battery covers to get to the terminals, both for the first time, and for repeated use. What do you think? Anyone do this with their scooter?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

My ECV is a former Walker rental. I have been dealing with a different location (actually a dealer) and looking into a lift and other stuff. They were able to get me a connector that you connect to the regular output connector from the charger and plug into both batteries.

That way all I have to do is take the batteries out of the trunk at night. Actually I have found that I can keep the trunk lid down (but not shut) so the light does not go on and I don't even have to take the batteries out of the car.

 

[RNMOM]

My ECV weighs about 175# as it is a heavy duty one. My DH and I removed the seat then lifted the unit directly into the back of our rented minivan. I took the front, lighter, end and he the back. It can be done easily.

Now I am lobbying for a minivan with a lift unit at home.

 

[HappyCamperToo]

Cheshire Figment, apparently the connections on my brand of scooter/batteries are not the right type for the kind of charger that you got from Walker. Never thought about it when I was buying the scooter. I guess we'll be bringing it in each night, since I'm worried about ruining the batteries by taking off the covers.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Mine was not an off-the-shelf item. What the dealer did was make a cable for me. One end had a female receptacle with the same connectors as the charger output cable. The other end has two plugs similar to the ones that plug into the battery packs on the scooter. This way I only take the two barrety packs out of the car and use the special cable and don't have to take everything else out of the trunk.

 

[HappyCamperToo]

Mine was not an off-the-shelf item. What the dealer did was make a cable for me. One end had a female receptacle with the same connectors as the charger output cable. The other end has two plugs similar to the ones that plug into the battery packs on the scooter. This way I only take the two barrety packs out of the car and use the special cable and don't have to take everything else out of the trunk.

Thanks. It sounds great. I wish I knew someone who could do that for me. The dealer here won't touch it, nor the manufacturer. I even tried to see if Walker could (would have gone in while we're on vacation), but he said no for my brand.

I'm sure I should give up, but I think I'll stop by the autoparts store and the battery store each one more time.