RVing With Quadriplegia

[ol__yeller]

My wife became quadriplegic a year ago due to a tumor in her spinal cord and the resultant surgery. She has some movement but at least for the foreseeable future, she will be wheelchair bound. Prior to this we enjoyed camping in our 26' Class C. Now, a year later I am trying to figure out how can we get back into this hobby.

I would like to hear from those who have solved some of the challenges that quadriplegia presents with respect to camping and RVing. I'm thinking that instead of her expensive, powered wheelchair, a manual tilt in space chair would be easier to manage in the confines of an RV. I know there are manufacturers of lift devices to get her into the RV. I also think that the passenger seat could be removed and anchors installed so she can ride up front. We use a Hoyer lift at home to transfer her from chair to bed but I think the confines of the RV are too tight for this device. She is working hard in therapy to effect a slide board transfer but we are not there yet. Also, I am 64 with a heart condition so I don't have the stamina to physically lift her. I'm thinking that either the dinette bed would work for her with foam wedges or I could look into installing a hospital bed in that space.

Finally I wonder how I would go about showering her. There is no way I could get her into the RV shower. As we mostly showered in the RV before, I never paid much attention to what campgrounds offered in the way of shower facilities. Do most or many campgounds have showers big enough for a handicapped person with a wheelchair? At home we use a tilting shower commode chair so I will also have to figure out what I will shower her in.

All things considered I may just have to bite the bullet and buy a larger RV to accommodate everything we need. I know resale on these is very poor due to the low demand so I would probably look at buying a used one.

I know many would think that this endeavor is a big waste of money and we should just give it up. She has been the most wonderful spouse and as her time here is going to be limited, I'd like to fulfill as many of her wishes as I can. Anyone whose life has been touched with quadriplegia knows that anytime one can experience things they did before is very precious. Any references to resources would be appreciated. Of course cost will enter into any decisions as we are comfortable and retired but by no means rich.

[mama_sylvia]

Remember the timing of RV sales. Summer is peak season, so people are looking to buy in March-May and looking to sell in September or later. Be patient and keep looking. Even if you don't find one in time to use it this summer, your wife can enjoy weekend trips over fall and winter and look forward to next summer. As someone else suggested, look for bus conversions. Even if you can't find one that has everything you need, you can probably come close enough to make it worth modifying. The toy hauler idea sounded promising too. I have mobility issues and have been looking for months for a motorhome that I can use. Finally found a lovely Class A last week. So don't give up!

Also, travelling in a motor home without a tow vehicle is quite manageable. That is what I did with our previous 2 motorhomes, a 29' Fleetwood and a 34' Fleetwood. We never took along a toad. Very occasionally it kept us from doing something (I chickened out of trying one steep-looking road in Yellowstone) but not often. It did require some advance planning, but OTOH it was a plus to only have to unload the groceries once. 😉

[Nutinelse2do]

Here is a Newmar. Might give you some ideas

[Naio]

If you get another Class C or A, what will you use for sightseeing, grocery runs, etc.?

That might be an advantage of the van plus toy hauler option. But you can see from my sig I am a van fan :B

[ol__yeller]

Wow! I appreciate everyone's suggestions and willingness to help us work through this. When I told her yesterday about what I am trying to work out, she was very excited about it.

I think I'm going to have to give up on our current RV. There is just so little room to carry everything she requires at this point. I looked at The Winnebago website and really liked what they are doing for access enabled RVs. At this point, I don't know what the costs would be and I assume that to add handicap access is expensive on a new rig. I also know WB likes to steer you to their dealers but I don't think that most dealers would know much about ordering an access RV. I have looked at the used market and there isn't a lot available right now, probably because we are in the heart of the summer camping season. It will probably be our best option.

I also considered toy haulers. It would have to be a bumper pull as we need an access van for my wife to travel in. She wouldn't be able to very easily get up into a large pick-up. That would mean besides buying a trailer, we'd have to sell our Sienna access van and get something bigger like an E450 van which could prove to be costly on top of the price of the new TT.

I really appreciate everyone's help and suggestions especially those that had resources to suggest. At this point, I think I might try to sell our RV and plan on looking for a nice used accessible unit. Maybe we can get one in time to enjoy some of the late Indian summer we enjoy here in the Great Northwet.

[Naio]

Some RV parks have a wheelchair accessible shower. Many just have the home-type stall showers, but they often have a floor drain in the private dressing area outside each stall. You could simply unscrew the showerhead and screw on a handheld shower that you bring with you, and shower her in the dressing area.

Or you could make a simple ramp, that you also carry with you, to get her chair over the lip of the shower stall. But those stalls are small!

You will also want to make a sign to hang on the outside door, warning women that there is a man in the women's bathroom :).

I think it's great that you are helping make this happen!

[thestoloffs]

If you want to stay with a Class C, look for used Born Free mobility units. Before they closed their doors this year, they built several custom units for wheelchair & power chair users.

DW is a quad from polio, and uses a 3 wheel scooter with a seat lift full-time (indoors & out). Our current lift van couldn't be towed 4 wheels down, so we wanted a medium sized C without a tow vehicle.

You can see our floor plan as "Mobility RV 3" @ Born Free Mobility RV's.

The key to our shorter unit is the mounting of the wheelchair lift on the back door, rather than the more normal curb-side mount. We selected a Ricon lift that splits the platform when retracted, leaving the rear doors usable for "walkers" on the Kwikee retractable steps. That required us to go from 24' to 26' long, but gave us space to store 2 folding DecPac fiberglass ramps (1 & 2 meters long) and DW's backup folding travel scooter. (When a scooter is your legs, you can't go on a cross-country trip without a back-up plan!)

One advantage of the Born Free units is their steel roll-cage, that has been approved by Hoyer as suitable for ceiling mounts. Because she could slide transfer, however, we used a B&D Independence power transfer seat base with a 180 degree rotation to go between the passenger seat, her scooter, and the drop leaf dinette. We also retained the Born Free design for a wet bath (since she couldn't stand for a shower -- and since most campgrounds might have an "ADA" toilet but rarely an "ADA" shower), but added a Big John expanded toilet seat for easier transfer.

Even our sofa is a queen-sized convertible bed, with an air-over-springs mattress to adjusting for "downhill" transfer to/from the scooter seat, using a slide transfer board. DW's scooter would stay in the kitchen aisle next to the bed, and I had a urinal for my new nighttime excursions, so as not to crawl over until morning.

DW is a retired Vocational Rehabilitation counselor, so we knew what adaptable products were on the market. PM us if you have further questions.

Final warning/tip: with a Class C modified for disability, you better be comfortable with living in smaller spaces and work out signals for how/when to pass each other in the passage.

(Because of health issues, we're no longer actively on the road, and will probably have to put our 2010 coach on the market.)

[reluyog]

We met a couple that travelled with their son who spent most of his time in a hospital bed. They had purchased a used Greyhound bus that already had a full size lift on it, and converted it to a motorhome for themselves. That may be more than you want to take on, but it worked very well for them. I've also seen used Ryder/Budget style van trucks with lift gates converted, but again it requires a complete modification into a motorhome. As suggested above, a smaller bumper pull toyhauler might be your best bet to modify to your needs. We use a 5th wheel, and my girlfriend uses a wheelchair full time, but I can lift her easily and put her in the truck, bed, shower, etc. She has had MS for 38 years, but mostly pushes a manual wheelchair. I modified a Burr Handy lift to access the trailer, but sometimes I just pick her up and carry her in to the couch.

[lizzie]

In response to your question about showering, public facilities such as campgrounds are required to have ADA approved restrooms and you can notify the management that she will need assistance so that you can go with her. Most campgrounds have designated handicapped sites that make it easier to manage wheelchairs. My husband and I have discussed our increasing mobility issues and we feel that staying with our small Class C and making necessary modifications will be our best bet. Best of luck to you. lizzie

[kerrlakeRoo]

Quick response to your inquiry would be to look at towing a TT with a van.
A full sized van with either a ramp or a wheelchair lift would keep her with you, up front the whole time your rolling,
A TT based Toyhauler with the open ramp, and the ability to build out whatever you need in the garage just seems to make sense. Be it a bed lift onto a bed, or something to help with bathing, you would have a stronger frame and room to work.

If you want me to look for floorplans with a rear entry and even a rear/mid bath, I would be glad to search. I have the time if I can help.

[BB_TX]

Do a google search for handicap RV. There are some manufacturers that make accessible RVs. And you will find links to other web sites addressing the issue.

[the_bear_II]

We would take my Dad with us on our RV trips. He was in a wheelchair so I equipped our 5th wheel with a lift that would allow me to get him inside of the RV through the door. I had to use one of the narrow transport type wheelchairs so it would fit through the door. Once inside he could be transferred from the wheelchair to the sofa. We used an over sized TV Tray for his food. A bedside commode was used next to the sofa. The sofa is deep enough to use as a single bed without the need to open up the sofa sleeper. I was able to move him from sofa to wheelchair to commode without the need for a Hoyer lift.

I did use a Hoyer lift to get him from the wheelchair in and out of our truck we used to tow the 5th wheel. He really enjoyed the trips.

Now my DW is beginning to have mobility issues so we are considering a new RV and I believe the best choice would be a ToyHauler type either bumper tow, 5th wheel or MH with a ramp at the rear. The ramp would allow her to enter or exit using her mobility scooter. The garage area can be customized to meet her needs for sleeping and bathroom.

Good luck in your search, hope you find the right combination. I truly believe getting out of the house and into a different environment and scenery really helps their well being.

[Nutinelse2do]

Newmar offers wheelchair friendly motorhomes. I have seen several very nice used ones on the market in the last couple of years.

Being out and about is great for the soul. If it will increase quality of life, it wont be a waste of time, or money.

Good luck. Hope to meet you on the road!

[Tiger4x4RV]

Take a look at Rolling in an RV. There is a section on how they modified their RV. Most of the blog is devoted to evaluating the accessibility of places visited along the way, which will come in handy once you and your wife get on the road again.

[Lwiddis]

"I know many would think that this endeavor is a big waste of money"

Trying to find options to continue to camp is not a waste of time and doesn't cost much if anything. I wish I had some solutions for you.