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Hi,
I am struggling to find a vehicle that meets some very specific requirements because of where I live and was hoping someone on here might have some experience and advice please.
I need a car with the following features:
* sliding back passenger door that can be opened and closed from the driver seat so I can get a ceiling hoist to lift my wheelchair in and out (my chair doesn’t meet the legal requirements to drive from so I need to transfer to the driver seat then get the wheelchair in and out)
* able to take me, 2 kids, my husband, and either a large dog or groceries or the kids’ school bags and sports kit etc. (so ideally a 7-seater so I can remove the seat immediately behind the driver to make room for the wheelchair to be stowed)
* less than 71 inches/180.34cm wide – length doesn’t matter but I live in a block of flats and my parking spot is too narrow to have anything wider and still be able to get my wheelchair alongside (this is the one that is causing the most problems)
If anyone has any experience of having a vehicle with the ceiling hoist (I have never used one before but it seems like the best solution for my needs as there is no way I could afford the robot arm and boot hoists would leave me stuck at the wrong end of the car) or recommendations for a car that would work, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you.
- Replies
The width will likely limit choice.
Dacia Jogger 7 seat 1784mm not including exterior mirrors
Nissan X-Trail 7 seat 1840mm not including exterior mirrors
VW Tiguan All space 1839mm not including exterior mirrors
Skoda Kodiaq 7 seat 1864mm not including exterior mirrors
Peugeot 5008 7 seat 1895mm not including exterior mirrors
Van derived
VW Caddy max 1855mm excluding esterior mirrors
Ford Grand Tourneo 1855mm excluding exterior mirrors
The width will likely limit choice. Dacia Jogger 7 seat 1784mm not including exterior mirrors
Which is the only one that comes within the OP’s width parameters (assuming mirrors have been discounted). However it doesn’t have the sliding rear passenger door the OP also requires.
To be honest, I am struggling to think of any vehicle (on or off the scheme) that meets the OP’s full requirements when width, passenger/load carrying and sliding rear passenger door are taken into consideration.
OP – Is there any chance of changing your wheelchair to a compliant ‘drive from wheelchair’ one?
Or perhaps trying to snag a wider or ‘end space’ in your car park?
The width will likely limit choice. Dacia Jogger 7 seat 1784mm not including exterior mirrors
Which is the only one that comes within the OP’s width parameters (assuming mirrors have been discounted). However it doesn’t have the sliding rear passenger door the OP also requires. To be honest, I am struggling to think of any vehicle (on or off the scheme) that meets the OP’s full requirements when width, passenger/load carrying and sliding rear passenger door are taken into consideration. OP – Is there any chance of changing your wheelchair to a compliant ‘drive from wheelchair’ one? Or perhaps trying to snag a wider or ‘end space’ in your car park?
Totally agree mate. The Toureno/Caddy would meet the sliding door requirements, only to fall down on dimmensions, which will be the hardest part to overcome.
@Glos-Guy has had a person hoist fitted to the Tucson but its not attached to the roof of the car and I don’t know how easy it is to operate without assistance.Person hoists need an able bodied assistant to set up, operate (as a degree of ‘pushing’ is still required) and to disassemble and stow once the user is in the car, so wouldn’t be an option in this scenario.
Thank you everyone who has responded. Unfortunately that spot is the only one available as it is the only one that does not require me to be able to go up steps (they created a spot specifically for me because access to the building is a problem – I wasn’t disabled when I bought the flat but was hit by a car a couple of years ago which messed up my spine so they have been as accommodating as possible given the circumstances by giving me a spot up on the pavement against a wall).
A bit more detail that is relevant – I am able to flip myself between the chair and the car and back to the chair so don’t need assistance there. Just don’t tell my OT. She would have kittens at my “launch and hope” approach. I just need a way to get the wheelchair from outside the driver’s side inside the car. I had looked at the top box options also, but I live on the coast and everything gets corroded by salt so it wouldn’t last very long as they aren’t fully sealed so the cable that hangs from the ceiling of the car and just lifts the weight of the chair while the user guides it in the right place from the front seemed like my best option. But as you have said, finding something with that sliding door that is not to wide is proving a challenge.
It does not have to be available on the scheme – the insurance of the person who hit me will have to pay for the first car I get modified anyway, so ANY suggestions would be appreciated.
I have been struggling with this for months now so just having access to people who understand the challenge has made a difference to my stress levels, even if there isn’t a solution to the problem. In that case I would have to look at moving somewhere actually wheelchair accessible, which wouldn’t be the worst idea. There are steps inside my flat that limit where I can go even inside without having to make modifications my husband doesn’t want. So thank you everyone for giving it a go.
Hello there,
I don’t know if speaking to a company like this would be an idea? There’s a few out there. Good luck
Edited to add https://www.gmmobility.co.uk/browse/wav-motability
https://findadealer.motability.co.uk/adaptations
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