Best chair

[tooley]

Originally Posted by Dakota02

Looking for a lite weight chair to take in and out of mid size pickup truck, I've never used this kind of chair or driven my truck since sci. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

If you are paying out of pocket and _know_ your wheelchair specs (exactly) check out Mike Box's chairs. He builds nice light chairs specialized for each individual for dirt cheap. http://www.mikeboxdesigns.com/#!about

I will say his website really doesn't do his everyday chairs justice, I have been up-close-and-personal with a few of them and they are excellent rides. (this coming from the proud owner of a Lasher BT-Mg and Oracing Xtreme Box)

my advice (no matter who's paying) - buddy up with a couple local mobility businesses and try out ("demo") as many chairs as you can.. when you find something really comfortable steal the specs from it and order what you want. Do your homework, an educated consumer is a happy one.

[Dakota02]

Thanks loads for the info I have some research to do cause this is all new to me don't own one of these chairs I have power chair and can't travel with it nor do I want to. Thanks again

[BriRi]

What kind of truck do you have? Regular cab, SuperCab or Crew Cab?

I have had SuperCab trucks for the last 15 years because its easy to load folding wheelchair in back without taking off wheels and without taking up passenger seat. Ford has a split back seat so I can have passenger in back along with my chair. You can load faster and easier with a folding chair than a solid frame and take up less space. See pics.

[~Lin]

For me a rigid actually takes up less space and is easier to load. When I'm with someone it goes in the back of my station wagon with just the back folded down, and groceries can be packed in around it still. When alone it goes in the back but broken down because I can't load it whole. But of course I have the ability to walk from the drivers seat to the back when alone.

[allenstevens]

I have a ti-lite aero-x folding chair and I manage to pull this folded up into the passenger side of my pickup between the dash board and seat. It wasnt easy first few attemps but it has became much easier I beleive I can get in my truck just as fast as a fat person, HAHA! My truck is a single cab chevy silverado.

[Dakota02]

I've got a club cab Dakota but don't know what or how a chair will go into passenger seat I can not walk at all so I guess it will pass the steering wheel broken down.

[tooley]

you won't have a problem, may have to recline the seat a little as you put it over there. Some people prefer a fold-down back on their rigid chairs, most not. I hated having the fold-down back flopping around as I fumbled with it, my most recent chairs are both welded solid at a set angle (but are non-adjustable).. lots of options available including ones that lock in place when folded, as I said before do your homework.

When I got out of the hospital a low-para (I'm a C7 quad) had a big impact on me. He'd been in a chair a long time and told me "the less moving parts, the better". As soon as I dialled in my first adjustable (TiLite ZRa) I used the specs to order a completely non-adjustable welded-solid magnesium alloy easy-on-the-shoulders 8-pound Lasher BT-Mg. Best thing I ever did - got me driving, out of the house, confidence back up, travelling, handcycling, started playing wheelchair sports, game on.

[tooley]

thinking about this a little more, you mentioned travel - I don't know your body type but one thing I will add is that if you can fit into a 15" wide chair it makes regional air travel on Boeing 737-200 aircraft alot easier. Westjet (a Canadian carrier, for our American viewers) uses these planes exclusively and treat us wheelers great. 99% of the time they will place us in the first row, window seat. With a 15" or narrower chair you can literally wheel it within inches of the airplane seat by dislodging the inboard (aisle-side) removeable seat cushion/flotation devices and squishing the magazines and puke sacks hanging in the pockets along the bulkhead. I have also convinced Air Canada on occasion to give me that front row seat as long as no one has reserved it and you are forceful yet charming enough to get it. Just explain how much easier it is on the flight crew and yourself to not have to use an aisle chair (something you are probably not yet familiar with) See "washington chair". As far as larger aircraft go, it just gets easier.

Rule of thumb - the smaller the chair, the better off you are.

Good luck Dakota. I know wheelchair shopping sucks. it's a daunting task, but we're all here to help. The quicker you figure it out the better life will get.

[smashms]

what level are you this may help others help you

[Garyis]

Originally Posted by totoL1

with any ultralitht cantilever chair you could do that and with a box frame too, same as mine.

Toto, I like the back upholstery on your chair. What brand and style is it?

Thanks