Using a Vehicle Wheelchair Lift
The first wheelchair has roots that date back many thousands of years and since then, they have been used by almost all cultures. These early wheelchairs did not follow any specific pattern though, but were merely devices used to carry a person and often were reserved for the royalty, who had very extravagant carriages designed.

It would not be until after the First World War that wheelchairs began to resemble what we are accustomed to today. Currently there are many different types of mobility vehicles available, many of which utilize battery power. Transporting these battery powered mobility vehicles can often be very difficult, unless you have a vehicle lift.

Vehicle lifts are installed into or onto a van, SUV, truck, or car. They allow a mobility vehicle to be easily moved and usually are electrically powered. There are a few types of vehicle lifts that are available.

One of the most common is the external vehicle lift. These are designed to be mounted onto a standard receiving hitch. A hitch is most often used to attach a trailer to a car or truck, but they have many other practical uses. A receiving hitch is square shaped and allows a square shaped shaft to be slid into it.

External vehicle lifts are simply slid into the vehicles hitch. These lifts are very popular due to how easily they can be installed and removed, which usually only takes a minute or two. Most of these lifts use a small platform that is lowered onto the ground and allow the mobility device to be driven directly onto the platform. They are then raised off of the ground. These electronically controlled external vehicle lifts are either powered from a rechargeable battery pack or get their power from the vehicle’s battery.

There are a few available that do not use any power at all and instead are simply tilted down, then tilted back up once the scooter is on the platform. These lifts usually can not support as much weight as battery powered vehicle lifts. The upside is that you do not need to worry about recharging a battery or having cables installed, but as a safety feature, many of the more popular battery powered external vehicle lifts have a manual override, which can be used if you run out of juice.

The other type of lift is the internal lift and these come in two flavors. Those that own SUVs, trucks and vans are able to use a platform lift that works similar to the external vehicle lifts. A platform extends from inside the vehicle and the scooter is driven onto it. The platform is then retracted into the vehicle. Many of these lifts have an available adapter, which can be used to charge your mobility vehicle.

For those who wish to use their lift with a car, a crane type internal vehicle lift is available. These lifts use a cable winch system that attaches to the mobility vehicle and lifts it off of the ground. They pivot, so the mobility vehicle can be swung into the car. They are also used in larger vehicles.

About the author: Sean, a writer, is familiar with vehicle wheelchair lifts, which are similar to the vertical platform lifts, which are used in the home. Using these types of lifting aids makes transporting your mobility scooter or electric wheelchair much easier. Learn more at AmeriGlide.