Over 3 years using Seg as a mobility device

[noalox]

Sounds like the segvator has been a challenge for you. Just curious, why don't you use ramps and simply put the seg in the back of the truck?

[gracefuli]

Can't speak for anyone but myself... Segvator was a game changer for me! Did ramps for awhile. But they were heavy and ackward for us to use. They and the seg also took up too much space. Only have a suv so really couldn't put anything else in the back. With Segvator the back is available.

I have had mine for much more than 3 years and never had these issues. Granted I do live in suburea and never nearly as dirty and dusty as Discussed. I keep the motor closed and covered with a plastic bag when not in use. I take curbs, driveways and speed bumps cautiously with and without seg on it. Yes, there are rust spots, up/down switch is now fussy and it has gotten bumped and pushed over the years (I added bright reflective tape to help others see it, especially in parking lots!) But overall, it's an incredible device that has been one of my best investments! Well worth the cost!

[OPMD]

The music festival was a success. Like always there were a lot of people interested in the Segway. Most have never seen one in person and a few thought it might help them deal with their disability. I've found that a Segway with a seat is very rare everywhere I go.

The down side of the trip was more problems with the Segavator. I never wired my wife's Toyota Avalon to allow me to plug the Segavator in and I use a cordless drill to raise and lower it. On our way home the top plastic cap blew off and disconnected a few wires.

Once home I couldn't get the wires connected so that the lift worked on my truck. I contacted Segavator through their website about getting a wiring diagram but they never got back to me. I'll try contacting Burr Engineering to see if they can help me figure out the wiring.

Meanwhile I kept using the cordless drill raise and lower the lift. This weekend the lifting screw (actuator) jammed and wouldn't turn either way. I finally got it to move but I ended up stripping the slotted fitting that screws onto the top of the actuator. I used a tap and die to clean up the male and female threads and tried putting it back together. It didn't work. The threads were too stripped out.

I have access to a tig welder so I will probably weld the nut onto the thread and hope that I don't have problems with the assembly in the future. I know I am just buying time before I have to replace the Segavator.

In the meantime I am looking for a Segavator replacement. I really like the Segavator and if I can just replace the actuator assembly I will do that. I already have reinforced most of the arms on the lift.

I also like the Trilift but wonder about all the stress being put on the triangle that is mounted to the actuator. I will call them to discuss this. As I said before my Segway lives on the back of my truck.

Karl. I was just looking for your setup in the photo section but haven't found it yet. What is the folder I am looking for. I like the idea of covering the Segway but I will probably have to make the box out of coroplast to keep it light so it would work on the back of my wife's Toyota.

As to why I don't use ramps to load it into the back of my truck, my disability makes it difficult to climb into the bed to somehow lock it into place. Also I use my truck as a truck and frequently haul various things in
the bed.

Jeff

[airdale]

Just a heads up there is Locktight or even more simple nail polish to keep nuts on....

The thought of making somthing non removable makes me cringe..

Good luck either way.

[jgbackes]

I purchase and entire "head unit" for my segvator have a major wire meltdown. Sometimes it takes them a while to get back to you, but they will.

[OPMD]

Locktite didn't work. The threads were too stripped. By the time I got the male threads cleaned up I took too much metal off of them to allow good engagement with the female threads. I suppose I could try tig welding more metal on them, annealing, and recutting, but my muscular dystrophy is making it hard to do these kind of projects anymore.

I need to give this more thought. I need my lift so I can use the Segway. I don't have time to wait for Segavator.

I just contacted my local dealer. We will try to come up with something.

Jeff

[Tritium]

Originally Posted by OPMD

Locktite didn't work. The threads were too stripped. By the time I got the male threads cleaned up I took too much metal off of them to allow good engagement with the female threads. I suppose I could try tig welding more metal on them, annealing, and recutting, but my muscular dystrophy is making it hard to do these kind of projects anymore.

I need to give this more thought. I need my lift so I can use the Segway. I don't have time to wait for Segavator.

I just contacted my local dealer. We will try to come up with something.

Jeff

Welding may void the warranty for your SegVator.

[jgbackes]

A local camping world may be able to help. Perhaps a trailer's tongue jack is close enough. I know the motor assembly sure looks like a tongue jack.

Also, I have seen similar lifts for Hover Round scooters, perhaps that will give you some ideas.

[KSagal]

Originally Posted by jgbackes

A local camping world may be able to help. Perhaps a trailer's tongue jack is close enough. I know the motor assembly sure looks like a tongue jack.

Also, I have seen similar lifts for Hover Round scooters, perhaps that will give you some ideas.

I agree 100%. I made a similar lift for my segways from an electric tongue lift from JC Whitney. I like to keep my segways out of the weather, which is why my lift was a big piano looking box for the two segways...



If you look between the two segways, you will see the lift mechanism.

[Bob.Kerns]

Originally Posted by OPMD

The music festival was a success. Like always there were a lot of people interested in the Segway. Most have never seen one in person and a few thought it might help them deal with their disability. I've found that a Segway with a seat is very rare everywhere I go.

The down side of the trip was more problems with the Segavator. I never wired my wife's Toyota Avalon to allow me to plug the Segavator in and I use a cordless drill to raise and lower it. On our way home the top plastic cap blew off and disconnected a few wires.

Once home I couldn't get the wires connected so that the lift worked on my truck. I contacted Segavator through their website about getting a wiring diagram but they never got back to me. I'll try contacting Burr Engineering to see if they can help me figure out the wiring.

Meanwhile I kept using the cordless drill raise and lower the lift. This weekend the lifting screw (actuator) jammed and wouldn't turn either way. I finally got it to move but I ended up stripping the slotted fitting that screws onto the top of the actuator. I used a tap and die to clean up the male and female threads and tried putting it back together. It didn't work. The threads were too stripped out.

I have access to a tig welder so I will probably weld the nut onto the thread and hope that I don't have problems with the assembly in the future. I know I am just buying time before I have to replace the Segavator.

In the meantime I am looking for a Segavator replacement. I really like the Segavator and if I can just replace the actuator assembly I will do that. I already have reinforced most of the arms on the lift.

I also like the Trilift but wonder about all the stress being put on the triangle that is mounted to the actuator. I will call them to discuss this. As I said before my Segway lives on the back of my truck.

Karl. I was just looking for your setup in the photo section but haven't found it yet. What is the folder I am looking for. I like the idea of covering the Segway but I will probably have to make the box out of coroplast to keep it light so it would work on the back of my wife's Toyota.

As to why I don't use ramps to load it into the back of my truck, my disability makes it difficult to climb into the bed to somehow lock it into place. Also I use my truck as a truck and frequently haul various things in
the bed.

Jeff

I can't quite picture exactly what happened to your unit from memory, and I'm not going out in the dark to look. But I think welding a nut on would constitute a permanent solution, not just "buying time"? If you need to, you can grind it off again, for whatever reason -- and weld on a new one.

Anyway, the wiring is pretty straight-foward. You need a battery connection, a ground, and a third connected to the tail lights (be sure to identify the tail light, not brake or backup).

Use 10ga wire or better (e.g. 8ga), especially for the +/- 12V power leads -- the one connected to the light just operates a relay. I suggest going straight to the battery for the power, if at all possible. Also, protecting the wiring with some sort of wiring-guide shielding will prevent shorts from things like vibration-induced wear, cargo or road-debris-induced damage, etc. Put a fuse inline at the + battery end.

Ah -- I just found the wiring diagram online:

http://www.segvator.com/Joomla/image...structions.pdf