Info on folding travel scooters?

[Rascal Rider Ruth]

Iris ... my Scootie batteries are sealed lead acid 12V 12AH ... I have had this scooter for less than a year and have used it quite heavily. I can tell that the batteries are not holding the same charge that it did when I first used it. I plan on replacing these at the one year mark ... not because they will be dead, but because I want maximum performance for my next cruise which just happens to fall on that mark. I tested my scooter out when I first got it and it gave me about 4 hours of continuous driving time and approximately 10 miles on a charge. It has served me well for 41 days of cruising and rigorous use on shore excursions as well as numerous 4 - 6 mile errannds at home. The batteries will still have useful life when I replace them, so I will not know just how long they might have lasted.

 

My Rascal scooter uses 12V 35AH batteries. I have gotten 4-5 years use with moderate useage ... two years with heavier usage. My sister got 7 years out of her original Rascal batteries with light useage.

 

The answer to your question is ... it depends ... depends on quality of batteries, level of usage and how often you charge your batteries. Gel batteries are supposed to have longer life than SLA. You can take your scooter and have the batteries tested to see what the capacity of charge they are holding.

 

If you feel that your scooter feels sluggish, I would suggest you start out your trip with fresh batteries for peace of mind if for nothing else.

 

Perhaps others will give you their experience with battery life.

 

Ruth

[Rascal Rider Ruth]

Iris ... I just read this about batteries when I checked out the AutoGo Vision site. Thought you might be interested. I imagine that NiMH batteries might be very expensive.

 

<LI class=Text>With lead acid batteries, performance drops off as battery charge diminishes. New NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Battery technology gives the AutoGo Vision a responsive ride through the length of the battery charge by sustaining a constant operating voltage. <LI class=Text>The Vision battery pack can be re-charged in less than half the time of conventional lead acid batteries <LI class=Text>Vision goes the same distance as lead acid batteries that weigh twice as much! It’s easy to lift! NiMH battery lifetime is twice as long as lead acid.

[IrisF]

Ruth,

Thanks Ruth for both posts. My DH is testing the load on the fully charged batteries as we speak. I think you are right though, it will give me peace of mind to have new batteries for my cruise in February. These are nearly 2 1/2 years old with mostly moderate use.

 

I wonder if the NiMH batteries will ever be available as a replacement for the SLA/Gel Cell type? As you say, probably very expensive though.

 

Thanks again for your input, I value it very much.

Irisf

[DesrtDrmr]

Just a little note FYI. I thought I needed new batteries as my scooter was acting rather sluggish. My DH thought it might be the tires and he was right. We filled them up and the scooter SCOOTS again! :)

[Rascal Rider Ruth]

DesrtDrmr ... good point! Tire pressure definitely effects performance. Scootie and, I believe, GoGo have solid tires so that is not the problem on these makes. I so wish that I could install larger tires for a slightly higher elevation ... just enough to clear those water-seal doorsills on ships!

[IrisF]

Good point Ruth. Just another 1/2 inch would do it I think! My Go-Go does have solid tires just like your Scootie. One less thing to worry about.

Irisf

[daju22]

Hi Ruth,

It would be wonderful if you send me your journal!!!!

We really like to take off and just wander around too.

My email is da2ju@netzero.com. I'll appreciate it very much.

Did you ever figure out your ramp for your scooter? I saw some advertised on Ebay that were the folding type. There is a new thread about them. We may get one for our Baltic trip. I think you said you could have used one.

 

Thanks,

Judy

 

Hi Ruth,

Maybe you missed my message. Please send your journal to me if you have time. We are starting to book shore excursions for our Baltic cruise. Thanks a million.

Judy

[Rascal Rider Ruth]

Judy,

I tried once and it failed to go through. I will try again now. Sorry!

Ruth

[daju22]

Thanks Ruth!

Your journal really helps!

Judy:D

[pickpart2]

I am planning a group party for my grandma 100 birthday. 30 people will be going and she currently uses a Merits which is Very comfortable, but very heavy. I contacted www.themobilityshop.com and rented a small folding GO-GO SCOOTER for the cruise. Midwest airlines will stow the scooter for free and it does not count as lugage. Rented a van In California (cheaper then cruise line transfer with a group) and booked a room near the elevator for her. Now she can have her independence around the ship with no problem. I will tell you the seat in the GO-GO is NO way as comfortable as the Merits!!! They also gave me a discount on the rental since we got the Merits scooter from them/MEDICARE. no charge

[daju22]

Hi Pickpart,

Your grandma is very lucky to have you to plan the trip. She will love her Go-Go! We love ours. Make sure they don't forget to give you the charger to plug in. Have a wonderful cruise!

[pickpart2]

Hey Judy,

 

Thanks for the tip on the charger. That would shure be a horrible thing to forget.

I was just contacted by the sales department that they have last years demo models on sale for $995.00.

The whole things with batteries is under 100 lbs.

Anyone know if this would be a good deal?

[IrisF]

Hi Pickpart2,

That is a wonderful trip you are planning for your grandma, but I think that price they quoted you may be a bit high. There are several companies on line that sell it for less by close to 200.00. Click on the e-mail me link below to contact me and I'll give you a couple of possibilities for better prices.:)

IrisF

[Arwenmark]

Hey Judy,

 

Thanks for the tip on the charger. That would shure be a horrible thing to forget.

I was just contacted by the sales department that they have last years demo models on sale for $995.00.

The whole things with batteries is under 100 lbs.

Anyone know if this would be a good deal?

 

Americanwheelchairs.com where I just purchased a new Legend has the go go for $785. inc, batteries and shipping

[IrisF]

Scooterlink dot com also has them for about the same price.

[daju22]

Hi all,

I bought ours on Ebay for $550, brand new(and that included shipping). His ebay name was pcandwheels. Don't know if he still auctions them, but he sold around one each week or so.

[your1mom]

My mother uses a "Buzz-Around". It is less than 100 lbs. It comes apart into several pieces, however, I just fold down the seat and the steering part. The clearance is so-so and it has been stuck several times. Mind you, we are new to this.

 

I have never traveled with it on a plane before and our Princess Star trip is coming up in 3 weeks. I am concerned, and have posted here before, about what to expect from the airlines. We are traveling 1st class on United, then Business class on SAS. As long as the scooter arrives in working condition in Copenhagen, I will be happy.

 

Does anyone know about taking a scooter/electic wheelchair AND a manual wheelchair too? Do airlines accomodate this?

 

Like I said, this is all new to me. I want to make this a comfortable and enjoyable trip for Jeanne, but then again, I am going too!

 

Thanks.

trey, what is your experience using a scooter over uneven ground, cobblestones, steep slopes etc.? i'd like to be able to get around town, take it to new york city, florida, & also go abroad.

[your1mom]

Hi Trey,

Are you still with on the Star on 9/22/05? Haven't seen you on the roll call board in some time.

I have never taken a manual chair, just a scooter, but there are others who regularly do so. You should have no problem with the airline transporting both. The scooter will be checked with your luggage and possibly the wheelchair, also. There might be room in the airline cabin closet for one wheelchair and there might not ... in any case it would be first come, gets the space ... everything else goes in with baggage. You might not be able to determine that until you get to the plane door. If you check both, you can borrow an airline wheelchair for your trip to the gate. I would recommend that you call the airline and ask what their procedure is.

My scooter has flown three times and did get a tear in the seat back the third time ... but no mechanical damage. In the event of damage, the airline will make it good for you, however ... it would be wise for you to locate a place in Copenhagen where any repairs could be made if needed and to get a loaner if necessary.

I have just purchased a Scootie. 73# with batteries. It is so cheaply made I fear a little for its welfare in the baggage compartment, but take comfort in the fact that many scooters survive flights just fine, or with cosmetic scratches only. I remove my front basket and leave it home so it doesn't get crushed. Otherwise take it onto the plane with you and reattach after.

Are you taking a voltage converter and adaptor for charging scooter in Copenhagen if you are spending any time there?

Let me know how you make out and what conditions, stairs, cobblestones, etc that you encounter, as I will be taking that same trip in September.

I hope this has been of some help to you.

Have a great trip and report back upon your return!

Ruth

ruth, i respect your opinions so:

what are your recommendations for scooters: folding or not. i prefer one that will go on one of those lifts the city buses use at their side doors, & present no problems when trying to hail a cab. i also want to go over uneven ground, maybe even cobblestones, & up steep inclines.

[your1mom]

My wife just bought her second folding scooter from No Boundaries. She has an Amigo folding scooter which does have a distance problem. The new one from No Boundaries has a larger battery with double the distance battery life. She has taken it all over the world and has had no problems with airlines or cruise ships. It does cobblestones in Europe, uneven garden paths, etc.

what is the no boundries folding scooter you got after their amigo didn't go very far?

[arrow39]

i took my buzzaround to san juan couple yrs ago for a 7 day cruise on golden princess. no real problems able to negociate hallways with cleaning carts in them. able to drive into non hp room.took off ship couple of times with help and drove around ports near dock. airline did not break unit down but did disconnect batteries and taped the heck out of terminals. made difficult to remove as knife was in checked baggage

[your1mom]

just read on the boards that one of the posters had problems with the buzzaround getting stuck on sills & such because of its 2" clearance.

[rascalrider]

your1mom,

 

I have personal experience with only two scooters. Electric Mobility Rascal and Shjoprider Scootie. The BIG Rascal can handle almost any terrain and is quite comfortable but is too big and heavy to put in a taxi without breaking apart which is just too much trouble. It will not pass laundry carts in corridors on ships. You will need something about 22.5" wide to pass the carts easily. It will not fit on older city bus lifts, but on new buses I have had no problem.

 

My Scootie was purchased with travel in mind. It is only 17" wide and will go through the narrowest of souvenir shop aisles. It is light enough to be easily lifted into a van behind the seat or into a taxi trunk or on a pulmonia in Mexico. It does not go over the double-ramped water-sealed exterior doors on the ship without a manual boost, but handles the single ramped doors fine with the 2" ground clearance. The possibility exists that a small portable threshhold ramp might solve the problem, but it would have to be put in place each time you use the door because the door wouldn't close if it were permanent.

 

I now have a small ramp that I will take ashore to handle curbs and single steps (possibly two steps) but do not desire to cart around on board.

 

My Scootie is cheaply made but has survived two flights and four cruises. It travelled over the roughest coblestones in Tallin and has climbed some pretty steep hills. It has a few scratches and lost a piece of trim somewhere along the line but has served me admirably. I just purchased fresh batteries for a trip to Rio and the Amazon in a couple of weeks. I am flirting with uncharted territory! The old batteries still work fine but do not hold a charge as long as I would like for taking on vacation.

 

I would suggest that you create a spreadsheet with the attributes of different scooters and then decide what factors are the most important to you. You will most likely have to make some trade-offs.

 

The things I like least about the Scootie is the short thumb lever (hurt my thumb until I gerrymandered an extension), 2" ground clearance, mileage range ... 10 miles has been adequate, but would like more. Although it is tiny, I have managed to carry a small ramp, carry a voltage converter, tow a suitcase and carry a tote bag. It is serving me well. Without it I could no longer leave the ship.

 

Hope this helps you somewhat. You might want to keep two scooters ... one big, one small and use the big one every day and the small one for travel. Hope you find the perfect match for your needs.

[your1mom]

your reply is very clear, & helpful to me. my problem, & maybe that of others, is that i fear that after i get one i'll find out i should have gotten a different one. i'll look into the rascal & the shoprider as you have so much experience.

 

i was supposed to try out & possibly order a no boundries' moxie tomorrow. i felt it was a compromise between the regular & the portable. i think having one of each is the best idea & maybe i can do that.

 

today i will do more research, ruth. thanks again.

 

marilyn

[IrisF]

Hi Marilyn,

Just as a suggestion, consider renting two different units for a day to try them out before buying. If there is a store that sells scooters in your area, they may let you try them in the store or in their parking lot to get the feel of them. When we finally decided on which unit we wanted we took two cars to the store and experimented with getting them in and out of each of them.

 

I made a decision to buy the Pride Go-Go two and a half years ago and am not sorry, because it allows me to be independent. We have a small Ford station wagon that I can load the scooter in by myself. As Ruth mentioned it is small and gets around in crowded hallways and over MOST door sills just fine. I am able to get off and give it an assist in the rare occasions that I need to help it over a high sill. I want to look into Ruth's small ramp for getting up a curb when using it for shore excursions.

 

Once in a blue moon I have wished for a larger scooter (for use on tall grass for instance) but not often. It would mean that I have to have someone's help to get it loaded/unloaded in order to use it. I'm not ready for that yet.

 

On some ships I can ride my scooter right off down the gangplank. On others, the staff have to carry it down/up due to odd gangplanks. The NCL Spirit has such a gangplank. They are very difficult even for the ablebodied.

 

Another thing is that most people are very, very helpful when you are traveling with your scooter. Some don't even see you and others go out of their way to offer any assistance you might need.

 

You mentioned steep hills I believe. The smaller a person you are the steeper grade your scooter will take. Mine does very well, but I have never really asked it to climb anything really steep. It gets around Disney and up pretty good ramps though.

 

Have a great day and enjoy your scooter,

IrisF

[rascalrider]

Hi Marilyn,

 

Iris made a good point about trying out the scooter before you buy. Also about loading it yourself into your own vehicle. Try lifting it and see if it is light enough to be hefted into a trunk by one person. If it has to be broken down, make sure that you can easily do it yourself today and a few years down the road and that you are willing to do it. Think of how often it must be loaded. One of my biggest criteria when I chose the Scootie was weight and footprint because I wanted something that would not scare off taxi drivers and tour operators and would fit in almost any vehicle with minimum effort. Even though my Scootie will break down, I did not want to have to have it broken down in order to transport. I do not want to run the risk of any loose parts getting misplaced.

 

Another thing to consider is the charging system. Is it built into the scooter or does it need to be carried along? I prefer built-in as it is one less thing to think about.

 

I would suggest having a minimum of 2" ground clearance. That will not clear everything, but most things. I think that you would resent anything less. A 3" ground clearance is preferable, but with it comes increased footprint and weight.

 

Do try out the Moxie, also go to a medical supply store or scooter store and try out more ... attend any abled-disabled expositions that are in your area. I found that many of these sources have limited travel scooters on show. Ask how you can try out certain brands and models that you are considering.

 

Good luck

 

Is the scooter user able to get off and assist the scooter