Who is working on your van, or how do you know your wheelchair lift mechanic knows what he is doing, is a topic I have written about many times. That's because this topic never seems to go away.
I can think of dozens of stories about mechanics who had no business working on a wheelchair lift. These are the guys who put hand controls on backwards and call up requesting a hydraulic cylinder when they are actually working on an electric actuator.
How does the consumer stop this from happening to them? They take their van to a shop that has an NMEDA certification. The program, called QAP, requires minimum competency in many levels of installation and repair of adaptive equipment. It's also a sign that the owner of the company has a commitment to providing quality repair service to his/her customers.
If you are at a shop that does not meet any QAP or NMEDA standards, look to see that they at least have training certificates from the manufacturer. If you own a Braun lift, for example, or EnterVan, Braun Corporation requires training for the mechanics every three years or this business cannot be a Braun dealer.
The newer your equipment, the more you need good, trained, technicians. Modern lifts and wheelchair vans are crammed full of electronics. The guy with the test light and the bright idea that he can fix anything, is going to have a hard time fixing these vehicles. It takes training and experience.
Experience, however, is not enough. Many older lift mechanics have not retrained to be able to repair the new lifts being marketed since 4/1/05 when lift manufacturers were forced to make their products meet Federal Motor Vehicle Standards 403 and 404.
Recently, we've seen a trend where mobility equipment dealerships are bought and sold to other companies or a new person trying to enter this business. Even though this is a place you have dealt with for years, the experienced mechanics could be gone.
Just make sure you know who is working on your van. If you are not sure, contact the lift or van conversion manufacturer to find the closest service point.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tires
If it has eight wheels, it probably has eight tires and tires can be a problem times eight.
My May 2008 New Mobility article is on tires and their importance when dealing with a modified vehicle.
Fortunately, the problems we used to encounter with tires on wheelchair vans have eased somewhat. I don't know how many times I drove vans that had tires worn lopsided, or square as I call it, despite my best efforts to have tires rotated and maintained. All of that stopped when I got my first UVL (under vehicle lift). We upgraded the suspension on my 1998 E150 Ford Club Wagon, stabilizing the vehicle, raising it, and making it a better van. Adding the larger springs stopped all the goofy tire wear problems.
Only years later did Ford recognize that their vehicles were too wimpy. In the 2007 model year they upgraded the suspension and made the E150 van as heavy duty as the older E250 one ton vans.
Road hazards still remain a problem. I wish I had a dollar for every piece of debris I hit. Fortunately, most of my tire repairs have been done in the shop, not on a busy highway.
When I was in college and living at home, my father used to borrow my pick up truck---actually it was his---to haul trash from the farm to the dump. This of course led to tire problems because of all the nails and stuff in the local landfill. One fine Spring day I came out of my class in college to find a flat tire on my truck. I called my mother to bring me the spare, which had been left at home, while I jacked up the truck.
By the time she got there I was sitting on the ground, waiting, with the damaged tire and my wheelchair sitting next to me and a small crowd of students and professors wondering what they could do to help. It was a picture she never forgot and always made her smile.
My hope is that if you ever have a flat tire, it can be as pleasant a memory as this one is for me.
KWB
My May 2008 New Mobility article is on tires and their importance when dealing with a modified vehicle.
Fortunately, the problems we used to encounter with tires on wheelchair vans have eased somewhat. I don't know how many times I drove vans that had tires worn lopsided, or square as I call it, despite my best efforts to have tires rotated and maintained. All of that stopped when I got my first UVL (under vehicle lift). We upgraded the suspension on my 1998 E150 Ford Club Wagon, stabilizing the vehicle, raising it, and making it a better van. Adding the larger springs stopped all the goofy tire wear problems.
Only years later did Ford recognize that their vehicles were too wimpy. In the 2007 model year they upgraded the suspension and made the E150 van as heavy duty as the older E250 one ton vans.
Road hazards still remain a problem. I wish I had a dollar for every piece of debris I hit. Fortunately, most of my tire repairs have been done in the shop, not on a busy highway.
When I was in college and living at home, my father used to borrow my pick up truck---actually it was his---to haul trash from the farm to the dump. This of course led to tire problems because of all the nails and stuff in the local landfill. One fine Spring day I came out of my class in college to find a flat tire on my truck. I called my mother to bring me the spare, which had been left at home, while I jacked up the truck.
By the time she got there I was sitting on the ground, waiting, with the damaged tire and my wheelchair sitting next to me and a small crowd of students and professors wondering what they could do to help. It was a picture she never forgot and always made her smile.
My hope is that if you ever have a flat tire, it can be as pleasant a memory as this one is for me.
KWB
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