Stowage
The best way to lift your wheelchair or scooter into your car is with a stowage system, such as a boot hoist or rooftop stowage unit. Both options work at the touch of a button, taking the weight of the wheelchair or scooter, helping you guide the product into either your car boot, or your rooftop stowage unit.
Car boot hoist
This is a hoist which stores your wheelchair or scooter in your car boot. Tie-downs are included as part of the hoist package to help secure your scooter or wheelchair into the boot of your car.
Your wheelchair or scooter will affect the type of boot hoist you need and the space required, so you should take your product to the dealership so they can make sure that the cars you are considering will fit the hoist type you need, as well as your scooter or wheelchair. Adding a boot hoist to a car could be an alternative to a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV).
4-way hoist
4-way hoists are ideal if you need to transport a scooter or a larger wheelchair. They help move the product up and into the boot at the touch of a button, although you will also need to guide the product by hand and then secure your product using tie-downs. In many cases, your product will only fit with one or more rear seats folded down. You may also need to dismantle your scooter.
2-way hoist
2-way hoists are for lighter wheelchairs. They operate with an up and down action only, so you will need to push the wheelchair into the boot by hand, then secure the product using tie-downs. Although generally for use with smaller products, the rear seats may still need to be part or fully folded flat, so again this is an important consideration when deciding which hoist is best for you.
Due to the complex nature of boot hoists, it is important that you speak with your adaptation installer to discuss how they work.
Rooftop stowage
A car rooftop stowage unit could be a solution if you transport a manual wheelchair, and need to use your boot to store other items. They can usually be installed on either the passenger or driver side.
The rooftop stowage unit allows you to store a folded wheelchair, in a box, on the roof of your car. An electric hoist lifts the folded wheelchair from the ground and then manoeurvres it into the rooftop box.
Consider the places where you normally park your car as rooftop stowage systems may mean that you are no longer able to park in underground car parks where there are height restrictions.
