I've seen internet forums galore with discussions on how to get your chair in and out of your vehicle. Everybody has their own preference it seems and alot of people would prefer to stay with a manual chair as long as possible and avoid the van scenario till necessary. With that in mind, I know rigid chairs are much lighter but then you have the problem of storage.I recall several years ago when I began using a chair. I was driving a Mitsubishi Mighty Max Extended Cab Pickup (whew, that's a mouth full). With a tonneau to keep my chair dry and still being able to walk a little, I was good to go. But when it became dangerous for me to stand and walk, I need something different. My choice: a 1993 Chevy S10 w/third door. First I lowered the truck to get it close enough to the ground to allow me to slide straight out of my chair and into the drivers seat. Then a hand-brake was added (I could still use my right foot for the gas). Finally, the Bruno Cab-Sider.
The Cab-Sider gave me the advantage of driving a pickup truck while still being able to store my chair inside the cab, protected from the weather. And it was compact enough to allow small items or soft luggage to be placed in the cab area when the chair was stored. The truck bed remained free for other use.
It was simple to operate, too, and I took the control apart and custom fitted the switches into the center console. Then it just had to be wired straight to the trucks battery. All I had to do was roll up next to the truck, transfer, and use the switches to do the rest.
I've since went to a power chair and chose to pair it with a Braun Entervan. But I would strongly recommend the Cab-Sider to anyone still using a manual, folding chair and wanting to have a cool ride at the same time.
Check out this short video to see the Cab-Sider in action.
