Help! Hit a deer; need a rental!

[Lynne]

Well, it happened. A deer hit us, extensively damaging my mini ramp van (hand controls). Insurance will pay $31/day which obviously won't come close to covering the expense of a rental van with these modifications. ANY van is expensive. I HAVE pulled my chair (ZRA) into my van from the side sliding back door in a pinch. (I also use a power chair for big shopping; won't be happening) Are there vehicles with similar or wide opening doors I could do the same? (pull the chair in?) Enterprise will include hand controls at no added expense, as I understand it. My van will be in the shop for some time. Any suggestions will be much appreciated! FYI I'm an incomplete C6-7 with not a lot of arm strength or trunk.

[SCI-Nurse]

Are you eligible for and have access to paratransit as an alternative form of transportation until your van is repaired?

Are you able to independently transfer into a regular van seat?

(KLD)

[SCIfor55+yrs.]

See if these people can help.
http://wheelersvanrentals.com/US/geo...r-van-rentals/

[Lone Beagle]

These guys have let me use some of the pre-owned vehicles on their lot while mine was being repaired. https://www.vantagemobility.com/deal...boro/#about-us
Other dealers might be willing to rent one, seems like it would be money coming in instead of sitting on the lot depreciating.

[Lynne]

Thanks, all for responses. KLD we don't have reliable public trans system in our small rural community. I can transfer into my husband's car and he loads my chair to go places with him, but I'm an independent driver with my van, (hand controls) with my own schedule, which also includes taking my 98yo mother to her appts, etc. SCIfor55+yrs thanks for that site. Haven't yet called them, but looked at their site. Lone Beagle, they look like they're just in VA. A long way from me in S. GA. We've tried anyone around us and no one rents vans. I'll follow up on wheelervan rentals, but they're probably out of $$ reach. That's why I was hoping to get advice about a car with an opening wide enough to pull my chair in behind the driver seat. Years ago I did that with a folder; not so easy with a rigid, I guess. Thanks, if you've read this far; thanks even more for more suggestions!

[triumph]

Any chance you could call back insurance company and explain the daily/monthly cost of rental, adapted van? There may be some wiggle room there.

[Lynne]

There's a thought. Thanks, triumph. Nothing to lose.

Any chance you could call back insurance company and explain the daily/monthly cost of rental, adapted van? There may be some wiggle room there.

[Jimmay]

I used to be an insurance adjuster and in a no fault event such as hitting a deer, the insurance adjuster will be limited by the cap for rentals on the policy.

I am glad that enterprise is still installing hand controls (usually the portable variety) free of charge as that would have been my suggestion as enterprise has been good to me and my clients in the past.

I am wondering if you cannot get access to a suitcase style ramp which can be used to enter/exit the vehicle. If you are travelling with another person this could be a viable solution in the event you do not have the functional capabilities to enter/exit on your own. I know this is so very remote from ideal but I do know it has worked for friends and a former client I worked with in almost the exact same predicament.

Oh, and another thing is to put a piece of soft rope through the hand hold on the side entrance behind the driver, this way you can connect it to the chair and use it to help pull your ZRA wheelchair in through the side if you are travelling by yourself.

Good luck and all the best.

[Lynne]

Good ideas, Jimmay. I need to be able to drive/travel on my own, so the temp ramp thing won't work. As it is now, my husband just puts my chair in the rear of his car and I transfer from my chair to the passenger seat to go with him. But our schedules are very different, and we're busy folks. I was hoping I could rent a CAR with a wide enough back seat door opening to pull the chair into as I'm seated in the driver's seat. A CAR rental is so much cheaper than a van, but I don't know which car might allow me to do that. Is there nobody doing this? What about an Element? BTW, good idea about the rope.

I used to be an insurance adjuster and in a no fault event such as hitting a deer, the insurance adjuster will be limited by the cap for rentals on the policy.

I am glad that enterprise is still installing hand controls (usually the portable variety) free of charge as that would have been my suggestion as enterprise has been good to me and my clients in the past.

I am wondering if you cannot get access to a suitcase style ramp which can be used to enter/exit the vehicle. If you are travelling with another person this could be a viable solution in the event you do not have the functional capabilities to enter/exit on your own. I know this is so very remote from ideal but I do know it has worked for friends and a former client I worked with in almost the exact same predicament.

Oh, and another thing is to put a piece of soft rope through the hand hold on the side entrance behind the driver, this way you can connect it to the chair and use it to help pull your ZRA wheelchair in through the side if you are travelling by yourself.

Good luck and all the best.

[Lynne]

Can you believe that usual car rental places like Enterprise will rent a car with hand controls, or a van without, but not a van with hand controls? I could probably pull my chair into a van (without a ramp) but I can't drive without hand controls. I see no cars with openings wide enough to pull a chair into. I am SO frustrated! We have to use Enterprise for our ins. to pay and they don't put hand controls on their vans! Ludicrous! Sorry to be ranting, but we've talked ourselves "blue" over this with Ins. and Enterprise.