Power topper for pickup ?

[addiesue]

Ok I bought an 07 Chevy Silverado back in November. I wanted a truck because out here in the country I have to haul my own trash. I wanted something I could fit bikes and equipment, mulch for the flowers, Etc. Anyway I had plans on getting the turny seat, whatever the thing is called that puts your chair in the back and the power topper. I've been dealing with Voc Rehab since Nov 1. Man they are SSLLLLLOOOOOWWWW.

Finally 2 weeks ago I get the vehicle prescription and it is approved. WELL guess what they don't make a power topper yet for an 07 because the body style changed. SO they will do NOTHING until it is ready. Here I sit with a BRAND new truck I can't drive. Does anyone know if Bruno is the only company who makes these? When I google they are the only ones that come up. Anyone have any connections to help???? Uncles that work at Bruno, anything ... ;)

[KVP612]

When I had the power topper installed on my truck, the installer had to do some customization in order to get it to fit the cap (the stepside bed required a special cap).

What about having them install the PUL-1100 outrider ( that's what the thing is called that puts your chair in the back) for the time being, and then install the power-topper when its available for the '07. Yeah your chair might get dirty or you may not want to go out in inclement weather, but it would at least get you out in the truck, which is better than having it sit in your driveway.... just a thought from someone who looked at their own new truck in their driveway for a couple of months...

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=61774&highlight=baby

[addiesue]

only do it all at once or not at all. I tried just getting them to do the seat and hand controls. NO Way. They think the bid of all at once will be cheaper than bit by bit.

I can't find a price on a topper for say an 06 to see how much it would be.
Thanks for letting me know the name. It slipped my mind. DIDn't feel like searching around for it (:

PS SORry my shift button sticks.

[medic1]

I have a 07 silverado with crew cab. Bruno said they dont make a power topper for the short bed trucks. I thought I was getting the standard bed but after I got it and measured it, it ended up being considered a short bed. They didnt tell me that one would be available. I think they only make caps for the long and standard bed trucks. I really would like the power topper, would save room for putting things in the back having my chair up against the cab of the truck verses having it at the end of the bed of the truck. Let me know if you find anything out, and what size the bed of the truck is.

[darkeyed_daisy]

Well Addiesue....I think we are due some pictures. LOL What color did you end up getting? Mine is an 06 and I did donuts on the beach with it the other day....yep I am reliving the second childhood and all the things I didnt get to do in the first one...LOL

Good luck on the topper. I havent seen one of those but a doc at the hospital I used to work had a set up in the back of his truck that lifted his chair for him with no top on it.

[wheelin 48]

i maybe wrong but i think on the 2007 silverado extended cab truck the back door opens all the way to the bed wich may make it easier putting the chair in i thought about just gettin the seat and when its down transfer into it then keep it down and you would have plenty of room to manualy pick the chair up n put it in thats just my opinion and what ive been thinking

[MotoRacer598]

I just had the power topper put on my 06. It took forever dealing with voc rehab but the company who did mine put the hand controls and out rider in and let me drive around till the topper came in. I didnt think Chevy changed the bed on the 07 just the front end.

[medic1]

my manual chair is fine to pick up and put in. I have a crew cab, not extended. I have four regular doors. I need a lift and topper for my power chair. I think minor changes in vehicles make it a mess for any thing that the company does not produce itself.

[addiesue]

Mine has the "suicide doors" or whatever they are called. THey don't fold all the way back like the ones wheelin was tlaking about. I go the cheaper version. It's very standard just the basics. I thought I had the regular bed, now you have me nervous medic.

I could probably put the chair in the back with the turny seat out but I wanted the arm because I have kids and animals and kids' friends and backpacks and on and on.

I can't see how the bed would be that different but I guess it is. Will keep you posted.

[addiesue]

DD It's silver, not the color of my choice but the one they would give me for the "deal" they gave me.

[Curt Leatherbee]

Can you transfer into the truck Ok? if so it should be no problem if you use a folding wheelchair to open the suicide door behind your seat (drivers seat) pull your chair into the extended cab by using your right arm and brace your left arm somewhere else, I hook my left arm around the bucket seat. As long as the truck is not too high for you to transfer into the drivers seat and the truck being the extended cab with the rear opening doors (not the crew cab with the doors that open the same as the fronts) and you being a low Para, I dont see why you should need any extra equipment other than your hand controls. If the truck is too high, you can do one out of two things. Have it lowered or trade the truck for a Chevy Colorado Zq8 pickup that would be around wheelchair height making for easy transfers. I drive the Colorado and have no special equipment, just hand controls. I do know people who have rear opening door trucks and manage to get their non folding wheelchairs into the extended cabs by removing the wheels and putting the frames back there, but to me its a lot of extra work and wear and tear on the body, thats why I use a folder. I even know Paras who drive Regular cab trucks and pop the wheels off the chair and put the wheels and frame on the passenger seat beside them by lifting it over them. Thats what I do with my Cadillac Eldorado that I have, lift the frame over myself to the passenger side, its a lot of work though, the truck is much easier for me getting the chair in and out.

I like the looks of the 07 Silverados like you have, much lower profile than the old ones and clean lines, think they did a good job with the styling. Do you have the 8 or the 6? I just wonder if the tranfer height is too high from your chair being a full sized truck even if its a 2wd. I kind of wanted a full size truck, but they all were pretty much to high for me to get in and out of on a regular basis. I use to drive a 4wd S-10, but had to have it lowered when I bought it, nobody believed me when I told them it was a 4wd, lol.

[sjean423]

I thought I was getting the standard bed but after I got it and measured it, it ended up being considered a short bed.

I believe it actually comes with THREE different bed lengths .... probably part of the reason as to which is a short bed and all.

[addiesue]

It's 2 wd but high for me to get in. Can't do it more than once a day. I hang on to the steering wheel for dear life and drag myself in there while usually my daughter is giving me a shove. lol. THus the need for the turny. Plus being a EMT Firefighter I was used to driving mega vehicles and hate the grandma feeling I get when driving something low....Before my wreck I had a DUrango 4x4/ I liked the Colorado but wanted a little more room.
Now I tranfer in my car and pass the wheels and chair into my passenger seat now. I have a Quickie ti. But it's a 95 Chrysler piece of junk... I've moved my portable controls over to the truck when the car broke down. It was a rough week.

[TXBELL]

Try www.mainmobility.com

[addiesue]

I only saw vans there on mainmobility

[Curt Leatherbee]

Well, if it were me I'd lower the truck with some custom chrome wheels and low profile tires that were wide and mean looking, through tires and wheels this might lower it enough for an easy tranfer. Then I would get a hypertech powerprogrammer so I could recalibrate the speedo and give the truck a performance boast and I would probabley put dual chrome tips with a custom exhaust using dynomax muflers so it would not be too loud and outragous. This would solve your problems and you would be one mean tennesee hot rodding mama.

This way you would not have to deal with a power lift for the seat which would probabley give you problems plus cost a boatload of money.

[addiesue]

you would be one mean tennesee hot rodding mama
So you are saying I'm not now?

[darkeyed_daisy]

Why not just put some air shocks on it to lower it to the ground then you get in and it lifts back up. Add the rockin' stereo and some colored "ground effect lights" and your back in your second or third childhood...lol

[Andy]

I say get a whole bunch of 'Type R' stickers and plaster them all over that truck. Each one is worth 10 HP!

But getting to that full size truck, I guess you might have to get that seat thing, I remember looking at the Trailblazer SS's with the 'lowered' suspensions...not something I'd like to do even with my fairly tall chair. I can imagine what a full size would look like.

Curt...Hyperbleecch? HPT all the way! BTW, I got this (http://www.vectormotorsports.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=32&category_id=5&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=28) (too lazy to make one myself, and this is plug, drill one hole, and play). Should be good once it warms up. I forget if you said your truck used an intake temp thermister or not, but if it does...hunt down a quicker one like this.

[Broknwing]

Addiesue-
In relation to your current issue at hand....
Can you talk to your dealer(off the record from VR first) and explain the issue that you really need to go ahead & get the mods that you can done now even tho the topper isn't avail yet and ask if they can give an estimate/quote(high if they'd prefer) for everything and the topper based on last year's topper price+inflation and then do the install in two stages...Stage 1 everything that they currently have...Stage 2 the topper once it's available....THEN once they agree to do this, approach your VR person, and ask them to get the quote from your dealer, knowing that your dealer is going to give you a quote with your topper installed at a later date...Your VR person will be happy b/c they're getting priced all in one shot, and you'll get your truck modified in a more realistic timeframe. VR shouldn't hold you up b/c ONE piece of equipment that is not critical for the upcoming season(albeit when it starts raining and next winter it will be)...

[addiesue]

Here they take bids from dealers. They won't take bids except for all at once. Thye won't tell me who vr takes bids from. I'll try though. I talked to Bruno. They said a minimum of 3 months on this. You know when someone says minimum you can usually double that. I am so frustrated.

[medic1]

Did you find out he length of your bed? Is it standard or long? Or is it like mine, considered short? If they are coming out with a topper in three months I will wait. Please let me know what kind of bed you have.

[addiesue]

standard. email bruno and they will tell you when for a short bed. the hold up is on the cap supplier not bruno.

[medic1]

That is odd. I have a cap for the truck already. It is a raider cap, is fiberglass and is custom fit.

[addiesue]

Well I just talked to another guy who says that some 07 had changes to the bed and some didn't. If your seatbelts come out of the shoulder part of the seat an 06 cap will fit. ??????

So all you need is the hydraulics or whatever to make the top raise? I'd call bruno or some of the dealers near you.

[medic1]

I dont have any Bruno dealers near me, one that I did talk to however said that I have to order the Topper through Bruno???? Which I dont understand.