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.

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.

Another Rascal Owner Contacts Me, About A Seat Problem

Suddenly I've become the go to guy for Rascal. Probably because their customer service is shut down, I don't know for sure, I haven't called, but I imagine that's the reason. By the way, my demo scooter, a new used 306B three wheeler is still for sale, check a couple posts down, end of commercial.
Yesterday a vet got in touch, he was trying to check his batteries, but couldn't get the seat off, and it was hard to turn. First the way it comes off is on the right pull the handle at the bottom, that releases the seat to turn, back, (or on the right if there is one push forward, it's pinned in the middle), and then with the seat centered pull straight up and it should pop right off. Look right under the seat in the picture, you'll see the handle in this case on both sides.  Once off look at the seat post, you'll see what we called the flower. There are two versions, on one there are four slots and on the other there are eight slots. The slots are for the end of the release handle to go into to keep the seat from turning as you drive the scooter, unless you release it by pulling back, or forward, on the handle to turn the seat.
One thing that prevents you from pulling the seat off is that it's not straight when you pull up, at a slight angle left or right, when you pull up the release bar is just off from the slot and catches the edge of the flower. The other reason, much less common is that left unlubricated the seat post on the seat, it's about 6 inches long in the plate on the bottom of the seat, starts to bind inside the seat post on the scooter. This makes it hard to turn, and can make it from difficult to impossible to pull off. This is what happened to the vet that contacted me.
What you, or your son, daughter, friend, neighbor, or last resort service center, do is hold the handle back and wiggle the seat, not easy they're heavy and awkward, up and down one side and the other. Usually sooner or later you can work them up until they finally pop free.
Occasionally though you have to use long screwdrivers or prybars between the seat base and flower and once I had one so bad I had to fiddle around between the scooter and seat taking out the bolts in the seat base to get the seat off and out of the way, then took the post apart, a real hassle, put it in a vice and finally got it apart. For this, unless you or your helper are mechanically inclined, have a service center do it, which will unfortunately be expensive and they'll probably want to sell you a new seat post, which you may need anyway depending on if you damage it too much, which I did on one. In my case I had extras, but you won't, so be careful if you can.
 Something I'm embarrassed  to admit never occurred to me then, would have been put the scooter on its rear bumper then remove the four 7/16ths bolts holding the seat post to the scooter, much easier, wish I'd thought of it. Make sure if you try this someone or something is holding the seat while you take out the bolts so it doesn't just drop away, maybe damaging something.  Also use blue locktite or double nut the bolts, or both, when you've gotten the seat post apart and you bolt it back on the scooter, I'd do both but that's just me. Actually I just realized, this won't work, because the seat will keep you from getting the plastic off and removing the batteries. Oh well another good idea that wasn't, but I'll leave it in maybe you'll think of something I haven't.
As a matter of course, pull your seat off once a year or so, or have your service center do it, and take a finger full of white grease to lubricate the inside of the seat post and the top of the flower, I always did this before delivering to a vet. If you've had binding, on the part of the post attached to the seat base, take course sandpaper wrap it around and twist it until you have bare metal, this should relieve future binding and the grease in the post should protect it, but you can also grease this part if you want to make sure. Hope this helps.

Lee Murray

Surprisingly, I keep hearing from Rascal people...

The smart ones that bought Rascals.  I don't know if I ever said it, and now I don't have to be PC anymore, I don't sell them and Rascal is gone, but in my opinion the Rascal was flat out the best, and most well thought out scooter on the market, plain and simple. If it was treated well and maintained it would last pracically forever.
If not, well there was a veteran in Syracuse years back, he's gone south to the Carolinas if he's still here at all, that had a heavy duty scooter with a 24" seat, yeah a big guy. He used to drive his Rascal to the bar, every night. Yes the VA told him not to, for all the good it did, but his wife was high up in, well you get the idea. He charged it when he thought about it, drove it off curbs, through potholes, to say the least he really abused the hell out of it, did I mention that he's a big guy? About 350-360 pounds. They used to issue him a new scooter every 12-18 months, because he was beating them to death.
But here's the point, I'd take him his new scooter, and every time his poor, abused, beaten Rascal with soft tires, cracked and broken plastic, cracked frame, once a cracked front end, would start right up and drive to my van where I'd back it up the ramp and inside. Yes, Rascals do have problems just like anything mechanical, yes there's the occasional lemon, but if you treat them right they'll usually last a long time.
Another example, when I was at the start, 98 or 99, before working full time VA.  I sold a Littlest Rascal to an elderly lady I think in her 80's who traded in a Littlest Rascal her husband had bought her before he died several years before. It was 13 years old, and looked near new. She said she used it nearly every day, charged it when she was through every day overnight, and, get this, she was sure it still had the original batteries.  I don't know, but that's what she said.

Lee Murray

Rascal Closes It's Doors

I got some unfortunate news last month. We had a conference call in which we were told by the owner of the company, Mike Flowers, that the company, due to some errors on his part, was closing it's doors, and would not be accepting new orders effective April 1. This took all of us by surprise to say the least because we all knew how good the Rascal is, and especially the fact that the new 600B is the safest scooter out there bar none. But for some reason he was apparently unable to convince the banks or lenders that we could continue providing the best and safest scooters to those that needed them. It's taken this long for me to post this bad news really because it's taken me this long to accept that it had happened. That it wasn't a mistake of some kind that would go away. It hasn't, so Goodbye Rascal, it was great knowing you and together we helped a LOT of people.
Lee Murray

Yes... You Can Buy a Scooter From Me - Wherever You Are

I'm not sure if I've ever said this, I thought I had, but maybe I wasn't clear. You can email me or comment to let me know you need a scooter or powerchair, a lift, or anything else we sell. Yes, as I said in the previous post I am moving to the west coast, and yes, I'm taking a brief hiatus from selling to the VA's but based on a conversation I had a day or two ago, I am going to continue working with Rascal and selling to VA's in the LA area.
But that aside, in the past, I have sold a scooter to a friend of my mother when I was living in NYS and he was in Buena Park, Calif. He called and said he needed one, I asked him if he could go online to http://www.rascalscooters.com/ ? He said he couldn't, so I mailed him a brochure, called in a couple days and he bought a 600T three wheel scooter by credit card.
The VA div. asked a rep in Calif. to deliver the scooter and do the training. My mothers friend was so pleased that a couple years later he bought a second scooter, a 600F four wheeler for his girl friend, at the time he was in his 80's she was 76. Unfortunately he bought the second one from an inhome rep not from me. He appologized later, when I asked why, they called him from Rascal to follow up, I guess he mentioned wanting another one and they sent a rep out the next day.
My point being that I can and have sold equipment by telephone. If I can do it for my mothers friend, I can do it for you. If you need something, and can go online, or not, contact me and I can help you, even while I'm moving. Although I may not be checking my email or this blog every day, I will contact you ASAP. So whether or not you're a veteran, (if you are contact the VA first, before even thinking about buying yourself), I can and will help you get your own Rascal. We accept Cash, major credit cards, insurance, and offer financing.

Lee Murray

On Temporary Hiatus as of the end of December '10

As I make the move from New York State back to California. I moved back here in '92 figuring to be here a year or two,  and here it is 2010 and I'm still here. I tell my friends that NY is like quicksand, easy to get in, hard to get out. But due to personal illness, family problems, and a growing hatred of the winters and cold snowy weather, it's finally time to make the move back. Better late than never. Of course part of the reason I've stayed so long is that I was lucky enough to begin working with Rascal, so far staying with them 13 years, actually I'm in the 13th now. In sales it's rare to find an honest company, a company with a good product, a company with an attitude that the customer is important, an attitude that the salesperson is important. Most I've worked for have one or two going for them, but most also consider the sales people a necessary evil, which I'm happy to say Rascal doesn't, at least not often. Not to mention that the money was too good to leave for a long time, of course that came to a screeching halt in the last couple years, so for many reasons I'm going home.
Yes I was born here, and grew up about 20-25 miles away, but then we moved to Fullerton, CA and ever since, that's been my home town.
The good news is that I may be able to continue working with Rascal in Calif., I may be able to work with some of the VA hospitals in the Los Angeles area. So with luck I'll continue, the new contract will give us the 3 wheel scooters to sell the VA's and it'll be a gold mine out there.  We'll see, right now I have to wind things up here, get moved, find an office or warehouse, and then we'll see...

Lee Murray

Tracker Lift (aka Backpacker Lift) the Best Choice for a Van or SUV

Well actually the best choice if you don't need the rear seat.  The Tracker gives you the advantages of both a crane type like the Trunk Lift or Equalizer and the Rack and Roll.  It has a platform that you drive your scooter or powerchair onto, like the Rack and Roll, but instead of hanging behind your van, the platform and scooter or powerchair are lifted up and  pulled inside the vehicle, out of the weather, out of the way when backing up and less vulnerable should your car be hit from behind. Over the years I have known of a couple veterans who were rearended and their scooters and lifts were destroyed.

The Tracker has all the features you need in a scooter lift. It offers an exclusive high threshold kit that allows it to be installed in vehicles with raised cargo opening thresholds without altering the vehicle, i.e. Dodge Grand Caravan.  There is also a false bottom kit that allows it to be installed in those vans that have seats that go down into the floor instead of being removed.  The Tracker platform has two options in docking systems, the Dock 'N' Lock  positive self-guiding docking system for powerchairs, or the more generic strapping system for scooters or powerchairs. This provides some flexibility in docking your power chair or scooter.  Once secured to the platform, the Tracker easily lifts and stows your scooter or power chair inside the cargo area of your vehicle for clean and safe transportation to wherever you're going. Two other options are a wireless remote and battery pack for power instead of having it hard wired to your vehicle.   Also the Tracker is ATRS Ready, which I'll talk about in another post.

                                                              Vehicle Requirements:

The Tracker inside van lift fits in the cargo area of most mini vans, and should always be installed by a qualified installer to ensure proper installation and to avoid possible damage. Please refer to the following dimensional requirements to ensure proper lift application:

Minimum Cargo Area Height (A): 37.25"
Minimum Cargo Area Width (E): 45"
Minimum Cargo Area Depth (B): 45"
Maximum Threshold Height (C): 3.75" High Threshold Kit
Maximum Vehicle Cargo Height (D): 27.5" with Threshold Kit, 29.5" w/o Threshold Kit

Specifications:

Recommended Maximum Lifting Capacity: 350 pounds
Platform Overall Width: 44"
Platform Depth: 27"
Maximum Lifting Height: 28"
Actuation: 12 VDC motors powered by vehicle battery or mobile power pack (optional)
Weight of Lift: 181 pounds

The Tracker XT Lift for Full Size SUVs is slightly different.  With the added functionality of a retracting column, the Tracker XT can raise your POV up to cargo heights of 36" - fitting the largest of SUVs on the market.
The Tracker XT inside  lift fits in the cargo area of most full size SUVs. Any Tracker should be installed by a qualified installer to ensure proper installation and to avoid possible damage to your vehicle. Please refer to the following dimensional requirements to ensure proper lift application:


Minimum Cargo Area Height (A): 37.25"
Minimum Cargo Area Width (E): 45"
Minimum Cargo Area Depth (B): 45"
Maximum Vehicle Cargo Height (D): 36"

Specifications :
Recommended Maximum Lifting Capacity: 350 pounds

Platform Depth: 27"
Platform Overall Width: 44"
Maximum Lifting Height: 36"
Actuation: 12 VDC motors powered by vehicle battery
Weight of Lift: 192 pounds

Here is a comparison of the two lifts showing the differences:
                                                            Tracker   Tracker XT


• Maximum Lifting Capacity           350 lbs.    350 lbs.

• Lift Platform Dimensions             44” x 27” 44” x 27”

• Minimum Cargo Area Height       37.25”       34”

Required (See Diagram A)     • Minimum Cargo Area Width 45” 45”

(See Diagram E)                       • Minimum Cargo Area Depth 45” 45”

Hatch Threshold to 2nd Row of Seats    (See Diagram B)

• Maximum Threshold Height        3.75”          2”

High Threshold Configuration  (See Diagram C)

• Maximum Vehicle Cargo Height 27.5”          36”

With Threshold Plate                (See Diagram D)

• Maximum Vehicle Cargo Height  29.5”        36”

With Threshold Plate Removed  (See Diagram D)

• Cargo Floor to Top of Platform 5” 3”

A minus F = Maximum Height of Power Chair

Equalizer & Tailgater Lifts

First a Tailgater lift is an Equalizer. The difference is that the Tailgater is designed to be used in a pickup with a dual offeset upright and comes with a weather  package.  Othwise it's pretty much the same as an Equalizer  3.
There are three Equalizers, 1, 2 and 3...duh. The Equalizer 1 is the basic unit, it lifts the scooter or powerchair but requires you to rotate it into the vehicle, making it essentially a larger thrunk lift. It comes with a weight capacity of either 250 or 400 lbs. Which are the same as the trunklift. So if you're buying for yourself, and can handle the manual rotation into the vehicle you'll pay less for a trunklift and get essentially the same thing. But, the Equalizer 1 is the foundation of a modular system that can grow with you as your needs change.

The strap saver feature and patented gimbal roller eliminate most handling issues associated to trunk lifts, preventing  folds or twists.

The Equalizer 2 is the same as the Equalizer 1, but adds power rotation, which makes it better than the trunklift for those who don't have the strength to manually rotate, or push and twist the scooter or powerchair into the vehicle. There is a hand control that's designed to be comfortable to use, making it easier to control the lift. Two wireless remote control key fobs are included at no extra charge.

The Equalizer 3 is the same as an Equalizer 2 with power lift and rotation, but adds a powered boom that moves 12" allowing it to clear the rear bumper of larger vehicles, or pickup from the curb, as well as place the powerchair or scooter exactly where you want in the vehicle. Like the Equalizer 2, the Equalizer 3 offers an ergonomic hand control and two wireless key fobs at no additional charge.

The Equalizer 3 is an ideal lift for use in pickup trucks when the chair or scooter is handled from the curb. Please specify the weather package, (which makes it a Tailgater), when installing the Equalizer 3 in pickup truck's without tonneaus or caps.

You'll also want a Seat On Lift Hook with your Equalizer or Tailgater to make removing the seat unnecessary.  There is a False Bottom Kit which makes it possible to install the Equalizer in those vans that have seats that recess into the floor.

The Scooter Comes Apart for Transport - Sometimes NO Lift Works Better

This should really have been the first post, before any lifts, but here it is, better late than never. The scooters, and the powerchairs to some degree, are designed to be broken down for transport in a car, truck, or van. I'm only going to talk about cars because the process is the same for trucks, vans and SUV's but they have so much more room it's easier. 
As I said in an earlier post, when I first started, I had an 83 Olds 98, and I could fit two full scooters in the trunk, broken down. Big old cars are great, but every year they seem to make the cars, and the trunks, and especially the opening into the trunks, smaller. By now there are fewer cars, that will hold the whole scooter without using the back seat too. 
But the other side of the coin is, when I was still selling inhome, probably 1999, (I was doing both inhome and VA then), I had an appointment with a guy in, I think, Rome, NY not Italy, who was in need of a scooter.  He bought a 245, which was a heavy duty three wheel about 48 inches long comparable to a current 600F.  He had a Ford Festiva, a really really small car. we broke his scooter down to put it in the Festiva's trunk.
Broken down, in the order you take them apart, you have the front basket, the flag, the handlbar, the seat (which can range from std. 18" wide to 24" wide or wider on special order), two batteries, then you stand it on the rear bumper, pull a pin, and the front section pulls away from the rear section, making a total of 8 pieces.  As I said I could get two scooters broken down, like this, in my Olds 98, big cars with big trunks and big trunk openings, are fantastic.
But, as I remember, this time, in this tiny car, we got the rear section, the two batteries, the handlebar, front basket, and flag  in his trunk, it was a small trunk. The front section and the seat had to go in the back seat of the Festiva.  At that point he and his wife had to decide whether to take the Rascal, or their kids.  He ended up buying a small trailer to carry his scooter.
The moral being that if you're serious, you can fit your Rascal in virtually any car, from large, a Lincoln Town Car, to probably even as tiny as something like a Prius. You might not fit anything else though, so you'd have to be serious.  If your car is tiny, don't take my word, or anybody elses that it'll all fit, break it down, put it in the car, and make sure... BEFORE you buy,
Another aspect is that while the heaviest part, when taken apart as I've described, is about 60-70 pounds, (the rear section), it's more awkward than heavy. But still it's not light, and needs someone in decent shape to put it in and out of a trunk. I've always had the person who wants to transport this way actually break down, load, unload and put the scooter back together, to make sure they can.  It's more than some people can, or should, handle.  Believe it or not, I've sold scooters where the husband and wife worked together to lift the heavy parts, this works too. Another reason to break it down and try it before you buy.
The fact that not everybody can or should do it, and not everybody has help, is the reason we sell lifts, and the correct lift does make transporting easier, but if necessary you can do it without a lift.
FYI One other thing is that while they're apart you can change fronts, from a four wheel to a three wheel, this is a patented feature only available from Rascal, just thought I'd mention it.

Lee Murray

Yes... I Do Sell Scooters and Other Stuff

I got an interesting call today from a guy that saw this blog and wanted to know if I actually sell scooters or if it's just the name of my blog. He'd called Rascal and got in touch with me. The answer, short and sweet, as I told them when I called him back, is that I DO sell Rascal scooters, powerchairs, and other products.

As I also told him, if YOU need one, or just have questions,  email me at lmurray@citlink.net, and if you include your phone number I'll call you back. If you live within a reasonable distance I will come right to you, or you can come here, and try all the machines you want. If you're too far away or in another state we can do business over the phone, I sold a scooter to a guy in Buena Park Calif, a while back, over the phone, or I can ask a local rep to get in touch with you.

They both were on the phone this am, he said she needs a scooter because she has MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and while she still has good days and bad days, she is finding it increasingly difficult to walk more than a few steps, and has moved from a cane to crutches. Which she said are becoming  more difficult and painful to use. But she said she doesn't think she needs a scooter or chair. She's fine in the house, and using their lawn tractor, or a John Deere Gator to get around outside, and says they work fine.

My aunt, my uncles second wife, Betty has MS, and it's the same thing good days and bad. When she's feeling well, if they're at their camp, near Oxford, she'll come with him to visit. Most of the time he helps her in and out of the car and up and down the steps to the porch. But otherwise she does pretty good, still using a cane. From what this guy said when we spoke his wife's worse off than that. But my aunt won't consider a scooter either. Off the point slightly, My mother and her sister, also my aunt, who live here too are both in their mid 80's and while neither has anything like MS both have a hard time walking, but God help you if you suggest they should get a scooter. It's not an unusual attitude at all to resist getting one, especially if you need it.
MS can be very, very bad, when I first started working with the Canandaigua, NY, VA. I went to see a veteran that lived in Canandaigua about a new three wheel scooter. He was in his early fifties as I remember, had MS and was unable to walk at all,  riding his Rascals 24/7 for something like 20 years. It breaks your heart to see it. I never realized how many sick people there are until I started this job. But he had his life, house, van, all oriented around being on the scooter. He had his life under control.
As it turned out the VA got him a new scooter but the larger seat he hated. They'd ordered a 20" seat do to his size, but he'd been using what we call a Tempress seat that is 18". He insisted on another Tempress seat because the arms, which had been reinforced, made it easier to transfer on and off the scooter, and being narrower helped keep his legs together. He had, due to no muscular control in his legs, what the therapists informally called frog legs, and he liked this seat because he didn't need to use a strap to keep his legs together. We made him a new Tempress with even better reinforced arms, but since the old one was still good, the VA kept the new one as a spare for him. 
A couple years ago, they got him a Rascal powerchair, with a tilt n space seating system. Much against his will, because he was still using the same Rascal scooter and the Tempress seat and saw no need to change. He agreed to try the powerchair mostly to make the therapist happy, but only if he could keep his scooter too. Unfortunately, the powerchair ultimately went to another veteran, as he had passed away, just before I delivered the chair to him.
As it turned out this am, this guy that saw the blog, and his wife are only in their fifties, and live on a farm about twenty miles away over toward Cortland. After we'd talked about an hour his wife said if I'll bring a scooter out there she'll take a look. She started to change her mind, I think, when I told her that it would make shopping, eating out, and visiting friends easier. She can take it with her when she travels, and can't take the lawn tractor or Gator. Anyway we'll see when I get there.

Lee Murray

Need is relative

Yesterday I delivered a scooter to a veteran down in Binghamton, NY. He was like most who get a scooter, able to get around. Many who met him would ask why should he get a scooter? The facts of his pain and inability to go very far are not obvious. True he's not as bad as some I've worked with who may be in either powerchairs or scooters, and absolutely can't get around without them. But that doesn't mean his quality of life hasn't been lowered by his physical problems. The  purpose of a scooter in particular is to improve your quality of life, making it possible to live as you want to. In many ways he reminded me of a guy I met when I first started selling Rascal. I did an in-home appointment with a man and his wife near Cooperstown, for a scooter for the man. If you walked in and met him he looked perfectly normal. You wouldn't see the back problems, and the emphsema. As we talked he said that while he loved his wife, and appreciated everything she did every day to help him, he resented the fact that he was no longer in control of his own life.  That he could no longer do even the simple things that he'd done without thinking every day of his life. 
There's nothing simpler for most people than getting their mail. He told me that for him to go to get their mail was a twenty to thirty minute trip in good weather. No, he wasn't driving to the post office in Cooperstown. He was just walking to the mailbox at the end of the driveway, about 100 feet from his door.  He said that to do it, he carried a small stool with him. He'd walk a few feet, sit on the stool to get his breath back, then walk a few feet more, over and over, out and back. 
When he and his wife watched me take the scooter out of the trunk of my car and assemble it, you could see the doubt in both of their faces they were in their 70's after all. I went over assmbly and disassembly with them and they working together were able to do it easily, putting it in and taking it out of their car. This was when cars still had big trunks. I could carry two scooters in the trunk of my Olds 98.
But driving the scooter was what convinced him. He drove the scooter for the first time, and he went right to the mailbox, and back, in about 30 seconds.  You should have seen the look on this guys face, I'll never forget it, he was normal, once again able to do one of those the things he'd done so easily all his life.  That's the purpose of getting the scooter, or a powerchair for those who need them, to regain as much control as possible.

Lee Murray

What's the biggest danger of ANY three wheel scooter? Tipping Over...

Enter the 600/700Balance scooter.  Many people are afraid of three wheel scooters because they feel tippy. A Rascal is less so because at 25 inches wide it's wider than many, for instance the Golden Companion is narrower and I personally know of several people who've tipped them over, one guy was still in the cast from breaking his arm. Rascals always came with tip wheels on both sides of their three wheels to help prevent tipping.  I actually talked many people out of a four wheel in favor of a three wheel by standing on one side of the platform and jumping up and down, at the time I weighed over 200 pounds, and rarely could  get the tip wheel to touch the ground. That sold a lot of three wheelers. But, still, if you tried hard enough you could tip even it. This was a concern to Rascal, and the owner, who holds several patents, so he decided to see if he could improve the design, and he did.  They widened the platform slightly, made the tip wheels larger and moved them out to the front corners. They are also magnetically centered.  Now when the scooter turns or tips the front mounted tip wheels touch down and effectively change it to a four wheel scooter. I was given an opportunity to try it out while it was in development and was challenged to tip it if I could, I tried, driving through the building as fast as I could and turning sharp, spinning in circles. I couldn't tip it.  I was told by one of the managers that they had put one of the new B fronts on a rear section that would do 10mph and almost took out some file cabinets but could not make it tip over. 
Last spring it was released as the 600B or Balance. I took one around to the VA hospitals, to everybody that tried it I said, "I have 20.00 that says you can't tip it."  Many of them were good sized, and really tried, but I never had to pay the 20.00.  The owner of Rascal has told us that he believes this design will obsolete the four wheel scooter, by giving the manueverability of a three wheel, and the stability and safety of a four wheel. Now we also have a smaller unit originally called the 300B, now the called the700B, it's 4 inches shorter and even more manueverable.  Here is an overview of the 600B put out by Rascal:

The Rascal Balance 3-Wheel Mobility Scooter

“Ride with Confidence”

The Rascal Company has led the industry in technological breakthroughs in personal electric vehicle technology for 35 years. Michael Flowers founded The Rascal Company with his late father, Francis, and is co-inventor of the original Rascal 3-wheeler. He is also the inventor of the

two vehicle-in-one Rascal ConvertAbleÒ and the powerfolding Rascal AutoGo.  The new Rascal Balance 3-wheeler features magnetic self-centering, stabilizer wheels.

Remarking on his latest invention, Flowers says: “4-wheeled scooters are stable, but are not

maneuverable and are uncomfortable for larger riders. 3-wheelers can tip sideways in sharp

turns, which is disconcerting and sometimes dangerous. The Rascal Balance is different. It's

comfortable and stable, plus it’s easy to maneuver in tight spots like stores and riding in crowds.

The Rascal Balance makes you feel better and safer!”

The magnetic stabilizer™ is a major technological breakthrough. It is currently offered on 2 new

models in 2 different sizes – 300 B, mid-size, 43” long and 600 B, full-size, 46” long.

The stabilizer technology automatically deploys when the Rascal Balance turns at any reasonable

speed. As the front wheel turns, the outside stabilizer wheel touches down on the riding surface.

The centrifugal force immediately releases the magnetic field holding the stabilizer fork and

wheel in place. At this point, the 3-wheeler becomes a 4-wheeler.

As the Rascal Balance turns, the stabilizer wheel follows the identical path of the steerable wheel.

When the front wheel is turned in a straight direction, the stabilizer wheel automatically returns to

its normal position above the riding surface and the magnets lock the fork and wheel back in

place.

These maneuverable Rascal 3-wheelers also feature a superior frame-forward™ design. This

frame design provides maximum comfort in lower body posture. There is a much larger foot and

leg accommodation range when compared to most other 3-wheelers and especially their 4-

wheeler counterparts. They provide all of the benefits of current Rascal 300 and 600 3-and-4

wheelers combined:

• Safety

• Comfort

• Ease-of-use

• Maneuverability

• Style

No other 3-wheeler provides all of these important benefits in one package! There’s a new

Rascal Balance model that will provide outstanding comfort whether the Rascal rider is 4’6” or 6’6”.

FAQs for the Rascal Balance

1. What is the Rascal Balance?

It’s a highly maneuverable, stable, comfortable and easy to use 3-wheeled mobility vehicle for personal use. The Rascal Balance is The Rascal Company’s solution to having to choose between safety (4- wheelers) and comfort (3-wheelers). Both of the Rascal Balance 3-Wheelers incorporate Frame-Forward™ Design and Self-Centering Magnetic Stabilizer™ Technology.

2. What makes The Rascal Balance different from its predecessor, the Rascal 600T?

The 600T has long been known as the industry leading 3-wheeler for style, comfort, handling, durability, weight bearing capacity and stability. With the Rascal Balance, The Rascal Company has made the best even better with the addition of our unique Frame-Forward Design and Self-Centering Magnetic Stabilizer Wheels.

3. What is Frame-Forward Design?

Frame-Forward Design improves your seated posture because it provides added foot room and comfort for a wide range of customers. It allows leg extension and improves vehicular weight distribution.

4. Why is Posture so Important?

Similar to automobile seating, the comfort of a scooter seat is a direct result of hip, knee and ankle position. Also known as body posture, most people base their buying decision primarily on seating comfort. Anatomical studies indicate the angles at the joints of the hip, knee and ankle should be greater than 90° to maintain a comfortable, seated body posture. Although a couple of degrees may not seem to make a big difference, it may be what causes a person to feel comfortable or become prematurely fatigued or deal with induced pain from poor seated position.  The Rascal Balance superior postural positioning provides users with a minimum of 90° joint angles at the hip, knee, and ankle. This is a direct result of how the ergonomic adjustable seat, the adjustable dash and adjustable handlebar, and the roomy Frame-Forward designs interact with each other to perfectly fit riders of various weights and sizes!

Lee Murray

The WE-GO An answer for those people in wheelchairs that need

to be pushed, usually by much smaller wives. I can't tell you how many times I've delivered a scooter to a large man who says he got it because his wife, who usually weighs in around a hundred pounds soaking wet, can't push him anymore.  Many times she has disabilities of her own.  You also see people who work in the hospitals, men and women, pushing patients around. The WE-GO is designed to answer both of these situations. It is an attendant controlled powerchair. The patient sits in it and his wife or the hospital employee uses the attendant control handlebar to drive the chair where they need to go. Here is information direct from Rascal about the WE-GO development.

Background of the Rascal We Go Development

Purpose of Development of New Technology

For over a century manual wheelchairs have been the primary way to move temporarily or permanently disabled people in healthcare facilities. The New Rascal We Go is designed to replace manual wheelchairs, manual transport chairs, power wheelchairs with expensive companion controlled joysticks, and, in some situations, cumbersome gurneys and stretchers, as a means of transporting people who require mobility assistance. The patent pending Rascal We Go provides top level convenience, comfort and safety for patients and caregivers/companions alike.

Risk of Injury from Existing Technology

The number of healthcare workers who experience painful back injuries from transferring and transporting patients in wheelchairs is well documented (“Big Patients, Higher Cost”, Philadelphia Inquirer March 10, 2008; Safe Patient Handling and Movement: A Practical Guide for Health Care Professionals, Nelson, A. Ed. (2006); Patient Safety Center of Inquiry of the Veterans Administration Medical Center (www.visn8.med.va.gov/patientsafetycenter/)). Hundreds of thousands of hours of lost work time occur each year due to the multitude of neck, shoulder, leg, and back injuries caused by employees pushing patients in manual wheelchairs (A Back Injury Prevention Guide for Healthcare Workers, Cal/OSHA; US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, News Release, “Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Requiring Days Away from Work, 2006,” November 8, 2007. Accessible at www.bls.gov/iif/).

Because most manual wheelchairs are designed to be self-propelled and not designed to be pushed from behind, the handles for attendants are not ergonomically positioned. In fact, the handles should be turned 90º for comfort. Carpel Tunnel injuries are one symptom of this poor position for manual wheelchair’s push handles. Most caregivers must bend over to reach the handles to push a wheelchair. As a result, back, neck, and shoulder injuries are common.
The Rascal We Go has an automatic parking brake so it won’t accidentally roll away like a wheelchair, without their wheel locks engaged. Hills and inclines are a breeze for The Rascal We Go’s powerful electric motor. The automatic regenerative braking provides another level of safety because it automatically and instantly brakes when the attendant releases the power lever, even on inclines.
The manual wheelchair is also a source of ankle injury for caregivers and transporters. Because the attendant’s feet end up under the wheelchair as the attendant walks behind it, the outside of the ankle bone hits against the ends of the wheelchair frame. This type of injury is painful.
Because the manual wheelchair’s push handles are part of the seat frame, the pushing and turning forces of the attendant are conducted directly to the upper torso of the patient. For anyone in pain, these forces are magnified and cause even a short trip in a wheelchair to be an uncomfortable experience for the patient.
The wheelchair seat is obvious as a poor ergonomic design. The canvas or vinyl material is slung between the two side frame members to form a back and bottom seating surface. This puts the body in a hunched forward position and transfers most of the body weight to the area of the buttocks most prone to bed sores.
Manual wheelchairs are also dangerous for patient transfer for both the attendant and patient. Because each wheel must be physically locked, one at a time, wheels often go unlocked. When a transfer is attempted without the wheels locked, patient may fall and attendant strains may often occur.
In addition, most manual wheelchairs have fixed armrests and their seats are 17” – 19” off of the floor. Healthcare workers must physically lift non-ambulatory patients in and out of their beds which sit about 26” – 28” off the floor and into the lower wheelchair seat at 17” – 19”.

Inhibitors to Use of a Wheelchair as a Patient Transporters

Some electric wheelchairs are equipped with joystick controls behind the chair for use by companions or transporters. Unfortunately, trying to control a joystick while seated is hard enough, but, controlling one while walking is nearly impossible. Electric wheelchairs with attendant controls are very expensive starting at $6,000 for basic models.
Temporary or permanently disabled or injured people do not like being pushed around in a wheelchair. The stigma of their disability and the guilt caused by their dependence on their relatives and friends to push them is demeaning. Therefore, the manual wheelchair is disliked by both the companion and the individual with a disability.
Many elderly people are fearful of crashing an electric scooter or powerchair and, as a result, are afraid to use them. The Rascal We Go eliminates the fear many people have of operating power mobility vehicles, especially in crowds found in malls, sporting events, and in larger public venues. Often this leads to inactivity outside the home and increased danger of accidental falls from walking inside their homes. These falls lead to even greater injury and disability for the patient.
People who suffer vision loss are often pushed around in manual wheelchairs especially in supermarkets and shopping malls where falling accidentally is a problem. Because most electric wheelchairs require the patient to also be the operator, powered mobility has never before been an option for people who suffer vision impairment.

Rascal We Go - The Best Transport Solution

Healthcare workers, especially nurses who are in great demand, recognize the risks of pushing people around in manual wheelchairs and gurneys. Airport and Healthcare Facility wheelchair transporters fear jetways and inclines inside terminals because of the potential for injury to themselves and the traveler. Until now, there hasn’t been another solution.
The Rascal We Go Companion Controlled Portable Power Wheelchair fills the gap between the wheelchair and the electric wheelchair with rear-mounted controls. In fact, it is easier to maneuver than both a manual wheelchair and an electric wheelchair. Not only does the Rascal We Go improve the comfort and dignity for wheelchair users, it also saves injuries to both the patient or rider and the transporter/companion. The Rascal We Go is the “Companion’s Mobility Solution”, and the “Transporter’s Mobility Solution”.
The Rascal We Go is designed to be easily transported by disassembling without tools and DOES NOT REQUIRE the removal of your rear van seat or the multitude of scooter travel accessories like electric trunk lifts and carrier racks. When disassembled, which takes only seconds; it fits in the trunk of most compact cars with ease. It also meets airline FAA regulations for free shipping as a power mobility vehicle.
The Rascal We Go uses mobility scooter technology which is mass-produced so its price is reasonable and affordable. The savings alone from the elimination of transporter/caregiver injuries or expensive trips to emergency wards from a manual wheelchair run away on a ramp will pay off quickly for healthcare and airport facilities, as well as, consumers.
The Rascal We Go is patent pending because of its unique technology.

Rascal Products

You can see the Rascal product line at www.rascalscooters.com or click on the link:

Rascal Products

Lee Murray