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

Add caption

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

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