3 Wheel vs 4 Wheel ECV

[Dlafarrell]

Any advice regarding a 3 wheel vs 4 wheel ECV? Its obvious that a 4 wheel is more stable and a 3 wheel has a tighter turning radius, but what would you recommend in the parks and on Disney transportation? I am getting the EVC for my father, but not sure which would be best. Other pros and cons?

 

[GranJan]

I have a 3 wheeled that I have used a few times at WDW & it did fine since most of the surfaces are pretty level there. I plan to look for a 4 wheeled since I do use mine sometimes on surfaces that aren't so level & it makes me nervous at times when it seems like it might tip. A little more ground clearance would be nice too. I have the Pride Go-Go, which is one of the cheapest & smallest & can be taken apart to put in a car if you have someone with you that can handle it. The battery is the heaviest part of it. Mine could last all day at WDW on a charge but did get low once when we stayed from opening to closing, but a day like that wore me out too so we always take a break mid-day & I'd charge it.

My plan is to look for a 4 wheeled with more ground clearance & a larger battery that still has a tight turn radius & is light weight enough to put in a car without a lift. I'm not sure such a thing exists. When I was researching before buying the Go-Go, I read somewhere that you almost need a scooter for indoors & another for outdoors. I'm hoping to find one that can serve most needs.

I've never used mine on the Disney transportation since we rent a car.

 

[Bete]

but we get by with a 3 wheel, too. We usually rent the pride to go scooters whenever possible. In our travels we have found it harder to get a 4 wheel; most places carry a 3 wheel. In cities like Orlando it's easier to get a 4 wheel. A three wheel is slightly lighter and it can be lifted more easily in the front if you have to manually manipulate the scooter into a tight spot and sometimes it's easier to do this on the bus then to try and park it. There may be times you'll have to park it for your dad, too. We've done that alot for the people we go with that need scooters.

If you get a more heavy duty scooter than it probably doesn't matter much other than what you have already specified. The batteries last longer on a bigger scooter.

A scooter is basically a scooter. For comfort issues maybe your dad should try both kinds at a local medical store that deals with scooters. He probably could do a test drive of both kinds and see what he likes best. He'll be on the scooter a lot and I think his comfort should be a priority.

 

[videogal1]

I have a 3 wheeled that I have used a few times at WDW & it did fine since most of the surfaces are pretty level there. I plan to look for a 4 wheeled since I do use mine sometimes on surfaces that aren't so level & it makes me nervous at times when it seems like it might tip. A little more ground clearance would be nice too. I have the Pride Go-Go, which is one of the cheapest & smallest & can be taken apart to put in a car if you have someone with you that can handle it. The battery is the heaviest part of it. Mine could last all day at WDW on a charge but did get low once when we stayed from opening to closing, but a day like that wore me out too so we always take a break mid-day & I'd charge it.

My plan is to look for a 4 wheeled with more ground clearance & a larger battery that still has a tight turn radius & is light weight enough to put in a car without a lift. I'm not sure such a thing exists. When I was researching before buying the Go-Go, I read somewhere that you almost need a scooter for indoors & another for outdoors. I'm hoping to find one that can serve most needs.

I've never used mine on the Disney transportation since we rent a car.

Unless you're extremely careless about going downhill and turning at the same time, which, in shifting the center of gravity tips you over, a three-wheeled scooter is the most practical ECV that is in use. I use my scooter outside only at home and when I travel. I use a power wheelchair indoors because it is nimble and negotiates around furniture more easily. If you can find one, try and rent a power chair. The four-wheeled ECV , although I have seen them at WDW, is a lot of work to drive (steering is more like driving a truck and the one I saw had to run over a low rock planter in order to negotiate the line at one ride and I think the temptation to use a 4-wheeled ECV as an off road vehicle is a dangerous one.), too cumbersome to corner the entrance paths for the rides, the transportation, and the doorways. Not only is a four-wheeled ECV heavier but the pieces, even if you could break it down, would be very heavy and would not fit in a normal car. What is your problem with the 3-wheeled ECV? If you could find an ECV that met your requirements of more ground clearance, it would, out of necessity, be taller and more dangerous. As for the larger battery, I use a Pride Sundancer and get around 15 to 20 miles on a good charge. At WDW there are many places to recharge a battery if you start losing power so all you would be gaining with an additional battery is a little range, with extra weight to haul around as the downside. You didn't say what the necessity was for your requirements and perhaps you could satisfy them in other ways that are not so impractical.

 

[bedogged]

I own a three wheel Pride Go Go Elite Traveler Plus HD and love it. It has wonderful maneuverability and only weighs 117 pounds. I find it to be quite stable as well. Some of the older models of the Go Go scooters had battery issues, but the newer ones will go over a day of hard running without charging. When renting, just ask if the Go Go scooter has AH 17 or AH 18 batteries. If it does, you should be fine for battery life. Also, with the light weight, as someone else was saying, you can lift the front end or push the scooter into place if you have any problems. There is a button on the lower back that puts the scooter into neutral for pushing. Just remember to put it back into gear for driving.

 

[jdb in AZ]

You don't mention how large your father is. When DH and I go to the parks we both rent ECV's and the rental company asks about our weight. Since DH is built like an NFL linebacker, he rents a 4-wheeler because the frame is sturdier for his size and it has a larger motor. I rent a 3-wheeler and it's definitely easier to maneuver through the mainstreamed lines at WDW.

 

[Dlafarrell]

Thanks for everyone's input! i appreciate your insight and opinions.

 

[GranJan]

Unless you're extremely careless about going downhill and turning at the same time, which, in shifting the center of gravity tips you over, a three-wheeled scooter is the most practical ECV that is in use. I use my scooter outside only at home and when I travel. I use a power wheelchair indoors because it is nimble and negotiates around furniture more easily. If you can find one, try and rent a power chair. The four-wheeled ECV , although I have seen them at WDW, is a lot of work to drive (steering is more like driving a truck and the one I saw had to run over a low rock planter in order to negotiate the line at one ride and I think the temptation to use a 4-wheeled ECV as an off road vehicle is a dangerous one.), too cumbersome to corner the entrance paths for the rides, the transportation, and the doorways. Not only is a four-wheeled ECV heavier but the pieces, even if you could break it down, would be very heavy and would not fit in a normal car. What is your problem with the 3-wheeled ECV? If you could find an ECV that met your requirements of more ground clearance, it would, out of necessity, be taller and more dangerous. As for the larger battery, I use a Pride Sundancer and get around 15 to 20 miles on a good charge. At WDW there are many places to recharge a battery if you start losing power so all you would be gaining with an additional battery is a little range, with extra weight to haul around as the downside. You didn't say what the necessity was for your requirements and perhaps you could satisfy them in other ways that are not so impractical.

I'm probably one of the most careful people on my scooter. In fact, my husband thinks I'm too careful in my refusal to maneuver certain surfaces. I realize that turning on an incline is likely to cause it to tip but I've been in places that make that necessary so I've had to find another route. My husband tries to convince me I can do it but I've had it tip on me before & had to put my foot down. As far as ground clearance, I've had mine scrape the ground before on uneven surfaces such as Animal Kingdom. Mine has 1.375 " ground clearance & I noticed when researching last night that some have 2.1" up to 3" clearance. That little extra clearance might make the difference in scraping ground or not but I doubt it would increase the height enough to make more likely to tip. I also think that maybe having 4 wheels might keep it from dropping down & scraping.

I'm not considering one of the large scooters that, I agree would be harder to maneuver & heavy to lift. Also, I'm not expecting a scooter to be an all-terrain vehicle. Like I said, a scooter that meets all my wishes may not exist but I think one just a little larger may be better on uneven surfaces. I try to avoid uneven surfaces as much as possible &, like I said at WDW that's usually not a problem except at AK. You may have a 3 wheeled scooter that is larger than mine so it may be more stable. I'm not a large person & don't need a large scooter. The person asking the question may need a larger one.

I feel that your response to my comments were a little rude & you basically insinuated that I was extremely careless & impractical. I was just offering my opinion based on my experiences. I've been to some of the National Parks with my scooter & even paved trails that were listed as accessible were very uneven & rough for my little scooter. I was just expressing a desire for a scooter that could handle a little more & still be convenient to travel with & maneuver through crowds & lines at WDW. I just thought that might help someone looking to buy one now, to make sure they get one that can be a good choice for any place they may want to use it...not just WDW.

 

[SueM in MN]

Most of rental companies will only rent a power wheelchair to someone who has used one before. For example, someone who uses one at home, but prefers not to travel with it.
It does take longer to become comfortable with driving a power wheelchair for most people because everything - speed - direction - turning - are controlled at the same time by a single joystick. That can take a while for many people to get the hang of.

The WDW park rental ECVs are 4 wheel models.
The majority of the off site rental ECVs are 3 wheel models, but some of the companies also rent 4 wheel EVCs.

The features of the 4 wheel ECV include:

• They are, in general, very stable. This makes some people feel safer on them.
• Because they have 4 wheels, it may be easier for a bus driver to securely tie it down on the bus.
• Many have more leg room than a similar 3 wheel version. Some taller people or people with legs that don't bend well prefer a 4 wheel ECV for this reason.
• Some do fold/come apart for transport in a car trunk, and depending on the model, might fold down almost as small as a 3 wheel model.

Features of the 3 wheel ECVs include:

• Three wheels can turn sharper than 4, so they require less space to turn, taking between 6 and 14 less inches to turn than a similar sized 4 wheel ECV.
• Most of the models that fold/come apart for transport in a car trunk will have smaller and lighter pieces than a similar 4 wheel model.

A lot is personal preference. Someone once posted that they rented a 3 wheel ECV, but did not feel secure, so they called the company they rented it from and switched it for a 4 wheel one.
Someone else felt a 4 wheel one was too hard for them to turn, so they called and switched to a 3 wheel.

The one piece of advice I would give is that it is recommended that people using ECVs on the buses transfer to a bus seat. I would HIGHLY recommend that with a 3 wheel ECV since they are harderrot tie down and can tip easier on a bus, even if tied down well.

 

[bedogged]

I'm probably one of the most careful people on my scooter. In fact, my husband thinks I'm too careful in my refusal to maneuver certain surfaces. I realize that turning on an incline is likely to cause it to tip but I've been in places that make that necessary so I've had to find another route. My husband tries to convince me I can do it but I've had it tip on me before & had to put my foot down. As far as ground clearance, I've had mine scrape the ground before on uneven surfaces such as Animal Kingdom. Mine has 1.375 " ground clearance & I noticed when researching last night that some have 2.1" up to 3" clearance. That little extra clearance might make the difference in scraping ground or not but I doubt it would increase the height enough to make more likely to tip. I also think that maybe having 4 wheels might keep it from dropping down & scraping.

I'm not considering one of the large scooters that, I agree would be harder to maneuver & heavy to lift. Also, I'm not expecting a scooter to be an all-terrain vehicle. Like I said, a scooter that meets all my wishes may not exist but I think one just a little larger may be better on uneven surfaces. I try to avoid uneven surfaces as much as possible &, like I said at WDW that's usually not a problem except at AK. You may have a 3 wheeled scooter that is larger than mine so it may be more stable. I'm not a large person & don't need a large scooter. The person asking the question may need a larger one.

I feel that your response to my comments were a little rude & you basically insinuated that I was extremely careless & impractical. I was just offering my opinion based on my experiences. I've been to some of the National Parks with my scooter & even paved trails that were listed as accessible were very uneven & rough for my little scooter. I was just expressing a desire for a scooter that could handle a little more & still be convenient to travel with & maneuver through crowds & lines at WDW. I just thought that might help someone looking to buy one now, to make sure they get one that can be a good choice for any place they may want to use it...not just WDW.

I know I was very frustrated when I was trying to find the right scooter to purchase. If I might suggest, look at the Pride Go Go Elite Traveler Plus HD on the Internet. I am assuming from your description that you have another model of Go Go. When I was looking for my scooter, I had some of the same concerns that you have. HD stands for Heavy Duty. Even though I am under the weight limit, I bought it because it has a sturdier body and a little more clearance. It also is available in a 4-wheel model. When comparing prices just be sure that you only look at models with the AH 17 or Ah 18 batteries. FYI, about a year ago I paid $1,100 for mine. Hope this helps.

 

[GranJan]

I know I was very frustrated when I was trying to find the right scooter to purchase. If I might suggest, look at the Pride Go Go Elite Traveler Plus HD on the Internet. I am assuming from your description that you have another model of Go Go. When I was looking for my scooter, I had some of the same concerns that you have. HD stands for Heavy Duty. Even though I am under the weight limit, I bought it because it has a sturdier body and a little more clearance. It also is available in a 4-wheel model. When comparing prices just be sure that you only look at models with the AH 17 or Ah 18 batteries. FYI, about a year ago I paid $1,100 for mine. Hope this helps.

Thanks! I know from experience that finding the right scooter the first time is important. You don't want to be wishing you'd bought something a little more sturdy a few years later. That's why I wanted to share my experience.

You're right, I do have the Go Go...I think the lowest model they have. Even though I'm under the weight limit too, I wish I had gotten the HD model. Most of those who have commented here that they are perfectly happy with their 3 wheel have a different & probably larger model than mine. Maybe I should just look into a larger 3 wheel instead of a 4 wheel. I'm sure the person asking for info wouldn't be buying the model I have anyway since it's for a man, so I guess my experience with mine doesn't matter anyway.

 

[Jacqui8374]

I have a liteway4 which whilst I purchased it in the UK its actually made in the US Its portable but much more heavy duty it takes 294lbs and runs 13 miles. It comes apart and I always say its like a heavy duty only not as heavy if yous ee what I mean. I used to havea 3 wheel but prefer this ave a look at it on the internet I also know some rental companies although not which ones have them for rent I saw one being delivered to the dcl terminal once.
Jacqui