Ramps and handrail for the disabled

[dcsingos]

My other half needs a hips replacement and finds it very hard to get up and down steps. We where loaned a Gopher for her use so I had to come up with a loading idea. I had seen a van with a ramp and handrail in Victoria last year and I decided this could fix two problems.
I bought 2 alloy folding bike racks, which are bolted together to stabilise the ramps, I attached a hand rail down one side. I got a piece of 4mm x 50mm flat plate bent to size and this is screwed underneath the bottom step of van. I bought 2 x 20mm threaded flanges which are bolted to the side of one of the ramps. I bought 2 x 20mm elbows which screw into the flanges to mount the uprights, the uprights are 2 x 900mm x 20mm threaded pipe which have 2 x 20mm joiners. The OD of the joiners are 25mm which fit into the cyclone fencing tee clamps which are 25mm. I used 1 x 900mm 20mm pipe and 2 x 20mm joiners plus 1 x 500mm 20mm pipe and a end cap for the top rail. It all screws together and can be disassembled in a few minutes and packed up. Once the handrail is removed I can then lift the ramps up to the top step and drive the Gopher in through the van door and tie it down to the floor of the van, most of the weight is over the dual axles. Pictures will give you a better idea.
Chris loves the Gopher and the ramps.
Hope it might help someone else having problems getting around.

[Dot]

Pretty nifty job there, well done.

[T1 Terry]

Quite a neat looking set up, does Chris drive the gopher to the door or use the ramps to walk up as it is easier on the hips than the stairs?

[dcsingos]

Quite a neat looking set up, does Chris drive the gopher to the door or use the ramps to walk up as it is easier on the hips than the stairs?

She uses the ramps to walk up, parks the gopher beside the ramp.

[dcsingos]

If I could nut out a folding lower part for the door I could put the ramp up so she could drive into the van LOL, only problem is I would really have to remember to duck going in the door, nearly knock myself out once a week now. Busy concentrating on something else when I am walking in or out of door. Have sat myself on my backside once now, you would think I would remember !!!!!! Old old age maybe ???

[T1 Terry]

An auto door opener and self raising ramp.... a man of your talents and the power of lithium batteries should make it a simple addition to this fine design. As for belting the head going through the doorway, when you come up with solution for that one I'll incorporate it in the Mazda's doorway as well.. coming down the stairs seems to have a much greater effect than the walking into the door frame on the way in, had the legs buckle a few times now and my vocabulary near matches that of the banshee across the road when she has a full head of steam up

[dcsingos]

Terry the Mazda is easy, just need to install a electric powered lid over the stairs, you are handy with a angle grinder LOL should not be a problem as long as ou keep your hand out of the way LOL had to put that one in.

[T1 Terry]

Terry the Mazda is easy, just need to install a electric powered lid over the stairs, you are handy with a angle grinder LOL should not be a problem as long as ou keep your hand out of the way LOL had to put that one in.

Hmmm..... angle grinders still hold a special place of fear and reverence for me at the moment
So, a gullwing door linked to the ramp for the van is it David?..... with a locking mechanism so the door doesn't smack you in the face when you step on the ramp perhaps?

[dcsingos]

No bugger it lets go fully automatic, a little remote on the gopher that will operate the gullwing door plus the lifting of the ramps and opening the door for her to enter, all powered by Lithium. Only problem I can see is I will have to upgrade the ATM and probably upgrade the tow vehicle. The other problem could be is that Chris could lock me out then by turning the inverter off Bugga LOL