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Old 02-18-2020, 06:14 PM   #7
OPMD
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: greenville, sc
Posts: 27
5 yr Member
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I tried to figure out how to do this for quite a while and haven't figured out a way to easily get it in and out of the trunk. Also when traveling I wanted to keep the trunk accessible for luggage or groceries, etc.

I've been using Segways as a mobility device for about 10 years.

The only advice I can give is that putting a lift onto the back of a small car didn't work for me. I put a Segavator onto the back of a 1999 Toyota Avalon. It was more weight than the rear springs could handle. After hitting the bottom of the Segavator on the pavement numerous times, it jammed the screw actuator for the lift several times and finally locked it up hard enough that when I manually tried to unlock it it stripped the screw mechanism, ruining the lift. ( If anyone wants the a Segavator for parts I will give you mine. I'm off I-85 in South Carolina. I won't ship, you need to come pick it up. )

I couldn't find any kind of helper springs/airbags that would allow the car to handle the weight.

The only solution I could come up with is a Bruno Chariot:
https://www.bruno.com/scooter-lifts/chariot
The bad thing is they retail for about $3500!!!

I spent about a year looking for a used one on Craigslist and finally found one about 6 hours away for $650. You will have to put a hitch on the back of your car for another couple hundred dollars and run a wire to the battery for the higher current to run the lift up and down.

The advantage of the Chariot is that with the Segway or other handicap scooter in the lifted position it only puts about 20 pounds of weight on the trailer hitch. Also backing the swivel wheel trailer is easy. My wife can't back a regular trailer but the Chariot follows the car naturally. I attached a wedge shaped box to the platform and use the straps that came with the Chariot to strap the Segway down and a small rope to keep the steering column from flopping around.

I'm on my 3rd Segway and 2nd car with this setup and am still pleased with it. I've probably got 4000 miles on it.

I do use a regular handicap lift on the back of my old pickup truck for short local running around.

I'm sure you could design and build a platform to fit into the trunk that would hold the Segway up high in the trunk. You would have to keep the trunk lid open if you didn't want to lift the Segway and have the platform almost even with the top of the trunk. There just isn't much in the way of crane/lifts that can fold up so you can take it and the ramps with you in a car with a trunk.

While typing this I wondered if you could make a light weight crane that plugged into a 1 1/4" receiver trailer hitch. It would probably need to be pretty high to lift the Segway over the trunk lip and might need to fold in half. It would be difficult, probably expensive to get made but doable.

I don't come onto Segway Chat often so it may be awhile to respond to any questions that anyone may have. I apologize.
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