how to get wheelchair in?

triplet travelers · 04-27-2009, 06:17 PM

Does anyone have ideas about how to get a wheelchair into the door of a TrailManor? The only thing that stands between our family and a new TrailManor is this question! The door measures about 23 -23.5 inches, and our daughter's chair is about 24.5 inches wide. The factory has told me that they can't do any customization like making a slightly wider door. They suggested that I consult this forum.

Maybe take weather-stripping off the lower part of the door and try to squeeze in? Other suggestions? Anything, please!

We love the trailer--it's perfect for us in every other respect. Help!

Cindy--triplets travelers

04-27-2009, 08:54 PM

I think your chances of a trailer modification are slim. And that will be the case for most any RV I suspect. Do you need to get it in upright with your daughter in it? Or can you put it in sideways and get her in some other way? Or use a folding chair of some kind?

I know the "toy haulers" have ramps at the back that lead to the inside, but I'm guessing that size trailer is out of what you are looking for.

Good luck. Maybe others here will have more creative suggestions than mine.

**ShrimpBurrito** · 04-27-2009, 09:51 PM

You might be able to temporarily widen the lower half of the doorway by unlatching the right side of the door (outside looking in) and swinging the door inside as you do when folding up the TM. It would take literally just a few seconds to do, and you'd have to do it every time you wanted the additional clearance. You'd only get you 0.75", maybe 1", and only for the bottom half of the door. I'm pretty sure that is possible, but my TM is folded up and I don't have a picture handy of that area, so maybe someone can confirm.

What about using a narrow wheelchair, like the ones used on commercial aircraft? Aisles in the coach cabin of commercial aircraft are definitely narrower than the TM doorway. I believe they are ~20 inches, and those wheelchairs glide down the aisle with no problem.

Something like this:

Certainly easier than modifying the doorframe.

Dave

ThePair · 04-27-2009, 09:57 PM

Can you get the chair over the couch, like on an SL model?

That's how we got the lounge chair out of the TM when I got mine -- we wanted the extra floor space, and it seemed like a tight fit to try to get it through the door. But, with the couch area "slid in" there was plenty of room for two people to get the chair out, one lifting over the couch and the other receiving down by the tongue...maybe it would work for you?

**ShrimpBurrito** · 04-27-2009, 10:04 PM

Another thought after reading ThePair's suggestion --- if your daughter can get in and out of the TM without a chair, and she just needs a chair inside to sit/move in, get a second chair, take it inside the TM by going under a shell before you pull the bed out, and keep it in inside the TM permanently.

Dave

triplet travelers · 04-27-2009, 11:27 PM

Hi, Al and Sue,
Thanks for trying to help! We were hoping to use a portable ramp and roll her into the TM in her chair. She is a quadriplegic so the only other way to get her in is to carry her, which might be hard. Her chair is specially designed to support her, so it's the one we have to use. We'll get it figured out! Hope to see you on the road someday---
Thanks again,
Cindy

ThePair · 04-28-2009, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triplet travelers

Hi, Al and Sue,
Thanks for trying to help! We were hoping to use a portable ramp and roll her into the TM in her chair. She is a quadriplegic so the only other way to get her in is to carry her, which might be hard. Her chair is specially designed to support her, so it's the one we have to use. We'll get it figured out! Hope to see you on the road someday---
Thanks again,
Cindy

Ooo. That's a tough one, really. My idea won't work, obviously.

Perhaps there is a "travel chair" that exists or can be adapted to her use, by someone knowledgeable in these things. Have you discussed this with her physical therapists? I have to imagine that a quadriplegic may need to travel by airplane, or even train sometime, and there may be specialized equipment for just this need.

I can ask around, see if anyone knows anything...

Marc

**wbmiller3** · 04-28-2009, 06:31 PM

I seem to recall that Coleman made a tent trailer specifically for disabled folks, but I can't google up anything about it. This would have been around 2000 when we still had a Coleman. Maybe you can find something...

**ShrimpBurrito** · 04-28-2009, 07:31 PM

If the additional inch on the lower half of the door is not sufficient, then why not look into getting a TM modified? I'm sure it's only a matter of money. There are companies out there that do modifications to make RV's accessible. Making the door opening wider would be a bit challenging, but certainly not impossible. I think making the door wider would be pretty easy.

Here are a few links to check out:
http://www.travelunits.com
http://www.startracks.org/trailers_main.html

Another potential problem to evaluate is bathroom accessibility. The hall and bathroom doorway aren't real wide either.

Dave

countrygirl · 04-28-2009, 09:51 PM

Ya know I think about a year ago there was a lady on here that bought a 2720 that is in a wheelchair part of the time. She travels solo too...I will see if I can find anything.

Here is a link to Mary's thread...she does not say what size her wheel chair is but the thread does show...where there's a will there's a way..

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...elchair&page=2