mobility scooter, foldable and carry-able??

[bellebud]

Are there any mobility scooters out there that we can carry onto a bus (like you'd fold and carry a stroller).

dd17 has muscular dystrophy and doesn't need any help walking at home, but Disney just does her in.

Every trip we end up renting a wheelchair about 2 days in. But they're hard to push herself, hard for me to push her, and uncomfortable for her.

I'm thinking of purchasing her a mobility scooter, but we want it super small, lightweight, foldable, etc.

The offsite rental ones are so big and clunky, and she's only 17. (but even after she's 18, she'd like something slimmer). She'd love a HoverBoard with a seat, lol.

 

[cobright]

I don't personally use a mobility scooter but I own a few that I tinker with (I'm developing some ECV/Powerchair improvements). One of them is a 'Lexis Light Classic Scooter' and it fits your description. It's very light, maybe 55 lbs, and folds up like a largish stroller. I haven't actually done anything to put this chair through the paces so I can't endorse it directly but if you can find one to rent I would look into it. I mean, I weigh 200 lbs and this thing zips me around fine. But just fine. I have no idea what the range is on a charge, but I suspect it's fine.

If the driver is of a substantial size ... like me sized ... I would think carefully before buying an ultra-lite ECV. They really are not built as well as the beefier chairs and scooters.

Hope that helps...

ETA: I pulled up my notes and found an ultra-light power chair in my 'want to get' list. It's a Foldawheel PW-1000XL Power Chair and is much more what I look for. Some people prefer ECV with steering yoke like the common ecv/scooter. A powerchair with independently driven wheels steers with differential power to the wheels has a much smaller footprint and a much smaller turn radius. A more agile vehicle.

 

[bellebud]

I don't personally use a mobility scooter but I own a few that I tinker with (I'm developing some ECV/Powerchair improvements). One of them is a 'Lexis Light Classic Scooter' and it fits your description. It's very light, maybe 55 lbs, and folds up like a largish stroller. I haven't actually done anything to put this chair through the paces so I can't endorse it directly but if you can find one to rent I would look into it. I mean, I weigh 200 lbs and this thing zips me around fine. But just fine. I have no idea what the range is on a charge, but I suspect it's fine.

If the driver is of a substantial size ... like me sized ... I would think carefully before buying an ultra-lite ECV. They really are not built as well as the beefier chairs and scooters.

Hope that helps...

ETA: I pulled up my notes and found an ultra-light power chair in my 'want to get' list. It's a Foldawheel PW-1000XL Power Chair and is much more what I look for. Some people prefer ECV with steering yoke like the common ecv/scooter. A powerchair with independently driven wheels steers with differential power to the wheels has a much smaller footprint and a much smaller turn radius. A more agile vehicle.

wow, thank you so much!!! that's very helpful

 

[lanejudy]

I think @mamabunny has a very lightweight, possibly easily portable one that she uses. I'm not sure that you would really want to fold it for buses, but she can tell you more about it.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Kaytie]

Are there any mobility scooters out there that we can carry onto a bus (like you'd fold and carry a stroller).

Several. Google mobility scooter that folds up. Or search Amazon for folding mobility scooter. But you might want to reconsider the wheelchair. Some off-site rental companies offer multiple sizes. Walker starts at 16" wide seats. If you can remove the arms, it will be easier for her to propel herself, and its, a smaller, lighter chair so it would be easier on you, too.

but if you can find one to rent I would look into it.

Same issue as the other 17 year old - most places won't rent to users under 18.

I checked Buena Vista, Best, Apple, Walker, Randy's, Scooterbug, Orlando Medical Rentals, and Scootarama. None rent folding scooters. They do all offer transportable scooters, but given the bulk and weight of some of the pieces, it wouldn't make sense to break down the scooter for bus transport

 

[mamabunny]

:::waving Hi to @lanejudy !:::

@bellebud - my scooter is a Travelscoot. I will warn you ahead of time - they *are* a bit spendy for some folks, but I'm replacing my legs!

Most importantly in your case is that company makes two sizes of scooters - one for people of shorter stature and children, and one for adults of standard height.

I actually have 2 of them now: Angus (named after Princess Merida's faithful horse from "Brave" & Max (named after Maximus, the Palace horse in "Tangled"!) Both Max and Angus always get me home safe and sound after our adventures, just like in the movies!

It only weighs 35 pounds without me - I don't use the seat back (it pops off easily, and by sitting up straight I help keep my core strong, and that way I can easily get on and off like a tricycle! LOL) so I drop the handlebars, and pop it right in the back of my Kia Soul. Set the brakes, and away I go, on another adventure!

The entire scooter folds and breaks down to fit into a travel bag that is about the size of a golf bag. Not even kidding. When folded into their bags, we can easily put two of them in the back of my Kia Soul and still have plenty of room for luggage on top. (Disclaimer: I have one of my rear seats folded down, as we are a family of three, and don't need the fourth seat.)

I picked this model after hours and hours of research - I wanted something sturdy (I am a 3L - Large Lovely Lady) so it had to hold up to a FULL "Disney Day" which could easily be Rope Drop to EMH. I have an extra battery, and it's easy to "double stack" (although I rarely use the second battery, I have it with me just the same) It had to be easy to use, and have a low center of gravity, so I didn't have to worry about tumping over. I wanted some kind of storage, and the ability to customize it if I wanted to. (and I did! LED undercarriage lighting, cup holders, headlight, tail light...!) I wanted the ability to reverse (although you can also just "Fred Flinstone" it for short distances) and most importantly, I didn't want it to look like a "regular" scooter. I wanted it to be unique, and kinda cool looking.

My hubby is a mechanic for a major airline, so he knows from "aircraft grade aluminum" - he works with the real stuff every day. He was prepared to be skeptical, but is now one of the biggest fans of these little scooters. There is literally almost no maintenance; the solid tires are puncture proof, and all you have to do is fully charge the battery overnight!

I typically run into at least one other Travelscoot owner every trip at WDW - they are super easy to travel with, because everyone from Gate Agents and ground crews at the airport, to bus drivers at WDW love them; they are so lightweight and easy to deal with. The entire scooter is basically one big tie-down point for the WDW drivers; they can hook the tie-downs on almost anywhere, and they love these little guys!

LMK if you have any questions - you can PM or post here!

 

[DisneyOma]

Mamabunny, where does the battery go? Not in the cloth bag, I hope? Or is that the battery between the rear wheels? How long does a full charge last? You say a full day, but do you know how many miles? I'm thinking about my mom, and how she wants to go to WDW with us. She's a 2XL in Tshirt size, probably 220 lbs? ANyways, a full Disney day for us is about 7-8 miles of walking, at least. 7:30 AM -11 PM. Do you think the above scooter would last all day?

 

[cobright]

my scooter is a Travelscoot. I will warn you ahead of time - they *are* a bit spendy for some folks, but I'm replacing my legs!
[...]

My hubby is a mechanic for a major airline, so he knows from "aircraft grade aluminum" - he works with the real stuff every day. He was prepared to be skeptical, but is now one of the biggest fans of these little scooters. There is literally almost no maintenance; the solid tires are puncture proof, and all you have to do is fully charge the battery overnight!

Based on a first glance, I'll second your husband's opinion. That is a clever trike. Do the lever-cam clamps on the telescoping handlebar shaft work well? That's the only thing that really gets my attention, sort of razor scooter-y, but if it's done well then why not. I kind of like the way the footpegs are done. It looks like only the one wheel is driven, does that cause any steering or traction problems?

Mamabunny, where does the battery go? Not in the cloth bag, I hope? Or is that the battery between the rear wheels? How long does a full charge last? You say a full day, but do you know how many miles? [...] ANyways, a full Disney day for us is about 7-8 miles of walking, at least. 7:30 AM -11 PM. Do you think the above scooter would last all day?

The battery goes between the two rear wheels. The canvas is a removable 'floor pan'

I would assume* that the standard heavier 12AH battery would cover you for 8 miles. If not a 15AH replacement battery is available for about $50, and a back up battery is a good thing to have at the house anyway. Another option is the lightweight LiIon 6AH battery pack. It's like 5 pounds instead of 20. You could get one as a backup to the standard battery. Or use the lightweight battery and get a second one as backup. Because it's so much lighter, 2 6AH batteries will provide much more range than the heavier 12 or 15AH lead-acid batteries. That 5 pound battery would barely be noticed in my park bag, but it could just as well hang out all day in a locker, there if you need it.

A lesser known benefit of touring WDW with a mobility compromised companion is that you can charge your phones off their scooter battery. It's like having one of those powerbanks only 20 times the charge.

*-By assume, I mean the math adds up but a lot of variables are pretty fudgey. This is an incredibly light ECV. Half the weight of anything I've really looked into before. For all I know, you get this thing up to 8.8MPH and end up back in the 1950s... Or maybe that's just the sci-fi drive in at DHS.

 

[mamabunny]

Mamabunny, where does the battery go? Not in the cloth bag, I hope? Or is that the battery between the rear wheels? How long does a full charge last? You say a full day, but do you know how many miles? I'm thinking about my mom, and how she wants to go to WDW with us. She's a 2XL in Tshirt size, probably 220 lbs? ANyways, a full Disney day for us is about 7-8 miles of walking, at least. 7:30 AM -11 PM. Do you think the above scooter would last all day?

Hey @DisneyOma - The battery does indeed go between the back wheels. They have Velcro on the top and bottom, and there are Velcro straps that go around to hold the battery firmly in place. I weigh more than your Mom, and I can go all day on one of the high capacity Li-on batteries, no problem. We average between 7 and 10 miles a day. There was only one time when I felt the need to swap batteries*, and I didn't have to - I probably could have gotten back to the Resort, but we had an extra battery with us, so I swapped them! There is a little indicator up by the twist throttle to show battery status - it's very simple, just Green/Yellow/Red dots to show approximate charge remaining. The one thing I would recommend you add for your Mom would be a Crampbuster (you can buy them on Amazon for about $10) that goes over the twist throttle and makes it into a "paddle" that you can push down on.

And the red fabric triangle will hold a TON of stuff - I'm always kind of surprised how much I can carry around with me! LOL.

*I have 2 Travelscoots and 3 batteries!

Based on a first glance, I'll second your husband's opinion. That is a clever trike. Do the lever-cam clamps on the telescoping handlebar shaft work well? That's the only thing that really gets my attention, sort of razor scooter-y, but if it's done well then why not. I kind of like the way the footpegs are done. It looks like only the one wheel is driven, does that cause any steering or traction problems?

Yes - those lever clamps work great, and can be tightened or loosened as needed. I love that I can drop those handlebars, and roll right up under desks and tables while remaining seated; very handy!

The foot pegs are great, and they fold up out of the way. We did purchase the optional foot rests, and the hubs rounded the corners on them, because he felt they were too sharp, and potentially a hazard at WDW. (anywhere else, probably not, but I agree with him on that) The nice part about the foot rests is that it will support the back of my leg(s) if I need to stretch out, and it kind of swivels around the foot peg, so I can adjust the angle that my feet are at on the rests.

The left rear wheel is indeed the drive wheel, and there really aren't any steering or traction issues... the only "problem" is that you can't turn a tight left circle as a result. But, I can literally spin that right rear wheel on a dime, so it's all good!

The battery goes between the two rear wheels. The canvas is a removable 'floor pan'

I would assume* that the standard heavier 12AH battery would cover you for 8 miles. If not a 15AH replacement battery is available for about $50, and a back up battery is a good thing to have at the house anyway. Another option is the lightweight LiIon 6AH battery pack. It's like 5 pounds instead of 20. You could get one as a backup to the standard battery. Or use the lightweight battery and get a second one as backup. Because it's so much lighter, 2 6AH batteries will provide much more range than the heavier 12 or 15AH lead-acid batteries. That 5 pound battery would barely be noticed in my park bag, but it could just as well hang out all day in a locker, there if you need it.

A lesser known benefit of touring WDW with a mobility compromised companion is that you can charge your phones off their scooter battery. It's like having one of those powerbanks only 20 times the charge.

*-By assume, I mean the math adds up but a lot of variables are pretty fudgey. This is an incredibly light ECV. Half the weight of anything I've really looked into before. For all I know, you get this thing up to 8.8MPH and end up back in the 1950s... Or maybe that's just the sci-fi drive in at DHS.

You actually can't charge any other device off of these batteries. Typically, you can buy an adapter for most scooter batteries that will allow this, but the Travelscoot uses a different style - an XLR 4 pin port/plug. So the standard 3 pin to USB charger adapter won't work. There is a company in Great Britain that sells an adaptor that will allegedly work, but I just carry along a high capacity external USB pack, and go on down the road. (literally and figuratively - see what I did there? LOL)

I've never gotten it up to 8.8 mph, but I have been clocked at 6.5 mph - and I'm a big girl! LOL I do have the "cheater" gearing though; it allows me to go faster, but at the expense of overall battery life. I'm not even sure they still have that gear set available; last time I talked to them, they had a limited number of those faster gear sets available, and they didn't know if they would be ordering any more...

Personally, I would avoid the SLA batteries; I know a couple of folks who started off with those, and quickly decided to buy the Li-on packs because they just didn't get the performance out of them that they wanted. They are "go all day" kind of folks who didn't want to have to tote around huge battery packs and chargers. My Li-ons typically recharge overnight in about 6 hours; if I drain one all the way it's to 7+ hours.

I know that one of the biggest selling points is that it's "foldable" (and it does fold down!) but I rarely do, except when we travel by car on a trip. The rest of the time, 'ol Angus just goes in the back of my car with the handlebars down, and the seat back put away (because I ride free - no seat back for me! LOL) and his brakes locked. I zip-tied a set of USB LED color-changing Bias Lights (that go on the back of TV's - also sold on Amazon for about $10) around the underside of the trailing arms, and I plug those into my USB phone charger/battery pack, and wherever I go, I am my own Main Street Electrical Parade!

 

[Bete]

Am I correct that the travelscoot is keyless?

 

[mamabunny]

Am I correct that the travelscoot is keyless?

Yes - there is no key. When I feel the need to make it more secure, I unplug the battery, and tuck the battery wire under the frame where it can't be seen. If someone where to try and take it, it won't turn, won't "go" - so it has the same net effect as removing a key.