More On Batteries

Just wanted to add a note. If you ride your scooter, or power chair every day, plug it in to charge when you're done, every time. This extends the life of the batteries. These are sealed lead acid batteries and unlike many things you can't shorten their life by charging. If you aren't using it, as I used to tell Veterans when delivering, plug it in once a week overnight, this will keep it charged and protect the batteries.
Once I had a scooter on loan at the Bath, NY VA and they didn't charge it for more than a year. When I picked it up, after pushing it a 1/4 mile back to my van and getting it home, I charged the batteries over a week and they wouldn't charge, just swelled up and got fat. The moral is if you want to protect the batteries and you're using your scooter or powerchair infrequently or not at all plug it in and charge it at leeast once a week, if using it every day charge it overnight every time.

Lee Murray

Service For Rascal Owners In UpState NY

I've had several people in NY  who have Rascals that I delivered or sold ask where can they get service. Keep in mind they may not service Rascal anymore or they may charge more now, but I know they were Rascal service centers when I was back there. Here they are:

In the Syracuse NY area, I know he's covered from Cooperstown to Bath so in Central NY call and ask he may be able to help.   George Gratton  315 638 1489

In the Albany/Schenectady area and up the Northway and into the Aderondacks is Mario at Adaptive Equip. 518 747 4815 He's in Fort Edwards...

In Norwich there's Jack Parker at Park n Go 607 335 1336  or 607 334 2413

In western NY located in Bath there's  Everything Medical 607 776 8000

If you have a lift these guys also service them but here's Freedom Lift too  800 755 2856

They all good and also service other scooters and powerchairs like Pride, Amigo, Golden, etc. just call and ask


Lee Murray

                           

Rascal Scooter Still for Sale - For Sure

I posted awhile back that I was thinking of selling the new demo scooter that I bought after Rascal went out of business last year. Well I've decided that I need the cash more than the scooter. All I'm using it for is to drive my laundry 100 ft or so down the long hallway to the laundry room and having a great seat to sit in and read while the washer and dryer work. But, there are people out there that really need it more and need a good deal too. Money's getting tight, and I need the cash, as much as one of you needs a good scooter at a good price. It's an effectively new scooter just used for one demo.  If you need a Rascal and  you can have it shipped to you or have someone you know pick it up as soon as your payment clears  that's ok, but truthfully I still prefer to sell it to someone local in Southern Calif., who can come check it out for themselves, ride it, and I can make sure it fits and they know how to do everything. List price was 3900. but I got a deal which I'm passing on. I have it on Craigs list @ 1800. or best offer, used, no warranty. If that's too much for you,  and you desperately need a scooter, or you know someone who does, come take a look if you can and make me an offer. A reasonable offer. I'll work with you as much as I can.  Contact me at the email address leroy.murray.48@gmail.com

Lee Murray

New Owner of Rascal Scooters????

Just read on-line in a forum that an owner looking for service was told to call the new owner of Rascal for service. The post was dated 12/12.  I'll post more information as I get it. I googled but found no information yet.

Lee Murray

Answer To Question: How Do I Wire A Scooter Lift In My Car?

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I've had several people contact me about lifts that they bought used, or were moving, to be installed in their cars or vans to load their scooters or powerchairs. The main question was how to wire the lifts. It's, as I remember, comparatively easy. The first thing is, never, never, wire your lift into the trailer connector, the cigarette lighter, the taillights, or any other way that connects it to the vehicles electrical system. The reason we were given is that if this rule isn't followed and there was a short, it could create any number of problems up to a fire in the vehicle. This is unlikely, but why chance it.
When I dated a girl I worked with in the late 70's, on our first date we went to see the premier of Star Wars in Santa Ana. As we stood in line outside waiting, we saw smoke coming from a Cadillac in the parking lot. Soon the car was blazing, flames everywhere, the police and fire dept showed up. By the time we got out of the movie, all that was left was a blackened hulk, gutted, sitting on the bare wheels, over melted asphalt. It's not pretty, don't wire into the electrical system.
The way the instructions say to do it is: open the hood, and using the coil of wire, connect the wire with the fuse to the positive terminal of the battery. Connect the ground wire to a ground in the engine compartment. They recommend running the wire from the back, through the vehicle under the carpet, through the firewall, and connecting to the battery/ground.  I installed one lift, an outside trunk lift on my first Astro van. I followed the instructions except instead of running the power harness through the van and firewall I ran it under the van, from the battery, down along the frame on the drivers side up high wiretied to the fuel line. Thinking if the fuel line is protected by the frame, so is the power harness. I turned left at the rear crossmember, running the harness across the van inside the crossmember, and then back on the frame passenger side to the rear bumper. I wound the wires around the bumper mount and then up behind the bumper and through the corner of the door so it was inside the van where I wiretied it leaving the end long enough to go back out the door to connect to the lift when I used it. I used it like this for two years or so with no problems.
All the lifts, are wired pretty much the same. But some, those inside the vehicle have to be run under the carpet and through the fiorewall, those outside can be run along the frame as I did. Just make sure however you do it, the wires are protected, up where the won't be damaged, wrap a short piece of rubber or hose around where there're sharp corners or metal, and they may be damaged or shorted. Use lots of wire ties to hold them in place as needed, wire ties are cheap, cheaper than a new lift or car.
Good luck, any questions ask and if I know the answer I'll get back to you.

Lee Murray

Introducing the Directors of the VA Division - Kathy Bower and Gabe Andre




Kathy Bower

  Kathy Bower was the first Director of the VA Div.  She developed it, and grew it from the beginning. She brought all of us aboard, helped us open the accounts, developed the BPA contracts in each VISN that got my sales to 6-700k/yr before the lowbid VA contract in '04, along with everybody else, some of who were selling over a million dollars a year. She managed the Div., traveled around the country, working with all of us, and still hosted an annual meeting for the div each year, as well as training for the VA employees once to several times each year. Kathy was the VA Division to many of us.
She brought Gabe aboard from Executive Sales, and I don't know if it was official but he seemed to be her second in command. She was promoted to VP of the VA Div. To a large degree it was Kathy that made us successful. I for one was very sorry to see her leave in '07.

Gabe Andre

Gabe Andre was the Director of the VA Div. after Kathy left the company in '07. He had been my Area Mngr. previously as well as filling other positions at the same time, all of which I don't remember. What I do remember is he made my job easier, he was always on the go. I'd be surprised if he was home more than a couple days a month. As I said above he seemed to be Cathy's second in command. He was handling many projects like the VA training. If you needed help, just call Gabe. In many ways between Cathy and Gabe you'd get what you needed to make sales. When Kathy left, he was the natural one to take over for her. In most ways not that much changed except he got busier. He was still my Area Mngr. so I saw him but not as frequently, the good news was that I had my territory in control, and so it didn't hurt. I thought he did a great job taking over the Div. and leading it. Gabe was to a large degree the one that kept us successful after Kathy left and he took over.

These pictures were taken at the '03 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. Both of them did a fantastic job, bringing many talented salespeople together as a team, and making it possible for us to sell effectively and profitably. It wasn't our fault or theirs that the VA Div., and Rascal are no longer there.

You Need New Batteries - Is It Expensive?

Yes, it can be, after all batteries are expensive, but it doesn't have to be that bad. When I first started with Rascal in 1998, they were charging something like $288. for a set. Now that is expensive. In the last Rascal price list it says for 32 amp battery, the std scooter battery, I don't know if this is single or set price since I never sold any, $249.99, and a 40 amp upgrade is priced at $739.97. Now THAT"S expensive. A battery pack for the Autogo is 299.99. For the Autogo you're pretty well locked in.
From the beginning, I always advised not to buy new scooter batteries from Rascal. You can get the same thing 32 amp or 40 amp for a longer charge/more power deep cycle sealed battery, lead acid is what Rascal used for better life, at Battery Warehouse, Sears, Walmart, etc. just about anyplace that sells batteries. Just write down the information or take one with you to match. They're about the same size a a riding mower battery. They MUST be deep cycle. From what I've seen buying them this way: From Battery Mart  Link to Battery  runs $64.95 ea.

 Product Description: 

12 Volt 35 Ah AGM Sealed

Lead Acid Battery

This battery is a replacement for:

Optiway Technology 1700FS, Optiway Technology 1700SP, Optiway Technology 1704FS, BP33-12S, BP35-12S, CFM12V33, Craftmatic Coach 3 Mobility Scooter, DCS-33, DG12-32, EP33-12, GT160S5, LC-L12V33AP, LC-LA1233P, NP-33, PC12330, PS-12350, Pride TSS300, U1-34, UB12350, UB-U1, UPS12-140

Brand New First Quality Factory Direct

Deep Cycle Sealed Maintenance Free

The valve regulated, spill-proof construction of this battery allows trouble-free, safe operation in any position. There is no need to add electrolyte, as gases generated during charging are recombined in a unique "oxygen cycle".

Long Service Life

A dependable service life can be expected under normal operating conditions.

Long Shelf Life

Low self-discharge rate allows for storage of fully charged batteries for longer periods of time before charging is required. Lower storage temperatures will further extend shelf life.

Wide Operating Temperature Range

May be discharged over a temperature range of -40°C to +60°C (-40°F to +140°F), and charged at temperatures ranging from -20°C to +50°C (4°F to +122°F).

Rugged Construction

The high-impact resistant battery case is made either of non-conductive ABS plastic or styrene. Large capacity batteries frequently have polypropylene cases, all of these materials impart great resistance to shock, vibration, chemicals and heat.

Specifications:

Length 7 5/8 in.

Width 5 1/8 in.

Height 7 3/16 in. including terminals

Terminal BO Group U1

BCI Group U1

Replacement for Rascal Scooters

1 Year Warranty

The moral being look around, this is true whatever scooter or powerchair you have, whether Rascal, Pride, Golden, Jazzy, whatever. None of them are difficult to change, if you can't do it, you probably have someone who's moderately handy that can. Just transfer the cables to the new batteries replace them and go.
 
Lee Murray

Electric Seat Lift

In my post about the seatpost binding making the seat difficult to turn or pull off I didn't mention it, but the same thing can happen with the electric seat lift. In the case of the ESL it's easier because you can raise the seat 5" which gives more room to work underneath it. It's comprised of two pieces the seat lift, and a "flower" that limits the turning of the seat. The flower is bolted on with a 7/16" bolt. To remove the seat take out the bolt which releases the flower and the seat should pull right off at which point you can remove the flower from the seat, put it back on the ESL replace the bolt, and lubricate the h*** out of it using white grease inside the lift, and on the top of the flower, just like with the seat post.

If you ever need to remove the lift. Remove the seat and batteries, then the 4 screws that hold the plastic to the frame. Put slack in the velcro straps that hold the batteries to make it easier to work under the plastic, it's not necessary to remove it. lift the black plastic that covers the electronics on the left side, looking from the rear toward the front, locate the two wires connected to the lift. They'll be plugged into two wires in the harness. The orange wire plugged into the orange and the black into the black, pull the connectors apart gently, so you don't break the small wires in the harness.  Tip the scooter straight up on it's bumper so it's vertical making it easier to get to the bottom. There are 4 7/16" bolts holding the lift to the frame, I use a 7/16" wrench under the plastic and a rachet/socket outside to release the nuts and screw them off, being careful not to lose the washers. Remove the bolts holding the lift, it's heavy. Now lift and draw the lift out the bottom of the frame making sure the two wires don't get caught.

When you put it back make sure the motor, the short round part, faces the rear of the scooter. Just do the reverse of above, making sure the bolts are tight. I'd double nut, or use blue loctite, or both as with the seat post. Connect the wires orange to orange and black to black. FYI Orange is the hot wire, Black is the ground.

The same process more or less works with power chairs, but there may be more involved depending on the chair due to being smaller and everything being tightly packed.