Folding mobility scooters info sought

Hedgehurst
Hedgehurst Forum Participant Posts: 576
100 Comments
edited August 2022 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

Until knee replacement surgery happens, if it does, my wife's severely impaired in walking round places we like to visit.
We've seen various ads for portable folding mobility scooters: there's the Richard Branson model at a mere £2,500, as well as one I spotted in one of the clubs' magazines, showing a happy looking man of respectable years lightly holding it aloft, though can't locate it just now. (And suspect the battery wasn't in at the time!)

If any of you have experience of any models of these things to recommend or avoid, ones  that don't take up much car space, and can be folded and wheeled along when not needed, we'll be grateful for info please.

We've noted the discussion about mobility scooters from a year ago, and wonder if there's updated information now, though are concerned that lightweight ones might only be good on billiard table smooth surfaces as a result of reading that thread.

No chance of towing it in a trailer, the caravan is the trailer already!

I've posted a parallel thread on CT forum too.

Thanks for any help.

PS We're also interested to learn how well they re-charge on your average to small (generally non club) site, please.

Comments

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2022 #2

    Just this very hour seen an advert on ITV3  for such items  From  " CARECO.co.uk "

    No warranty from yours truly, but   just  somewhere for you to start, perhaps  !!

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2022 #3

    My wife has a mobility scooter that comes apart to fit in the boot of our car or as now in the trailer behind our camper van

    Any mobility showroom should have a selection of them , we looked at the ultra light folding models and did not find one that had any suspension and all had solid tyres which made for a "feel every bump ride"

    We have a kymco scooter there are many other similar makes  with a 15mile range?they are like EVCars  you will be lucky to obtain that 

    It has all round spring suspension and inflatable tyres which makes for a better ride on most surfaces 

    It braiks down into 3 parts.  Main chassis.  Motor and rear wheels and then battery that can be charged in situ or off the scooter

     

    I think it was about £1200

    You can also find them on eBay? 

     

     

     

  • Hja
    Hja Club Member Posts: 848 ✭✭
    500 Likes 500 Comments Name Dropper
    edited August 2022 #4

    We have two different sorts of efoldi scooters. They fit in the under bed part of our pvc. I had the original, now oh has the newer one. Find them really useful.

    The batteries just charge up from ordinary power point in van. Never had any problems.

    efoldi come out to your house and you can try out the scooter. On neither occasion did we feel under pressure to buy. If you keep your van at home you would be able to see how you can store it for travel, either in the van or in the car.

    Just had my second knee replaced. In some areas waiting lists are not too bad. I went on the list in May and had my op three weeks ago. It is worth checking out your local waiting list times. Locally they are now taking in people from Leicester that have been on the list for a while.

  • Hedgehurst
    Hedgehurst Forum Participant Posts: 576
    100 Comments
    edited August 2022 #5

    Thanks, and I also hope your second knee feels well and useful again soon!
    I'm amazed how good replacements can be: I was walking the hilly part of Guerney's coast a few years ago and was impressed by a lady, maybe in her 60's, who'd had both knees done and was celebrating with a 12 mile walk at some speed along there!
    We're working through the physio stages with my wife's knees first, and she knows she needs to lose some weight and is progressing through that too!


    While Efoldi's are expensive they do look quite useful.

    I've read that 3 wheels are less stable than 4 - how do you find them on anything other than smooth flat paths? And how good is the range?

  • paul56
    paul56 Forum Participant Posts: 937
    500 Comments
    edited August 2022 #6

    Hope this link works but my father in law bought one of these Optimus  Mobility scooter a few years ago. He has an older model and anything other than pretty flat, even path/road way it is quite uncomfortable due to the hard wheels. Advantage is the auto fold to go in the boot of the car but 26kg is still a hefty weight! The battery is very light but packed up recently and is costing £350 to replace. 

    I've seen the lightweight ones advertised in the Club magazine and would have a look at them. 

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,383
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited August 2022 #7

     When we had a caravan, I used to use ramps to drive a "Shoprider" mobility scooter (similar to todays Cadiz model) up ramps into the back of our towcar. As I recall I just took the seat off and folded the handle bars down flat onto where the seat had been. The seat went in seperately.

    >This< is what we use with a motorhome, very portable if you need a wheelchair as well.

    peedee

    P.S. "Which" have just done a report on >Mobility Scooters< which might be useful to read.