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Getting a wheelchair into a car (view report contents)

Rooftop Hoists

The idea is that you transfer to the car seat and the hoist puts the wheelchair on the roof for you. You don’t need help to do this, and you don’t need to be able to walk round the car as you do with most hoists or racks on the back of the car. The boot of your car remains free to carry other luggage.

The summaries give details of how each hoist tested works. For all of them you use a switch to lower the hoist mechanism from the roof of the car. You hook the wheelchair on by hand. Some hoists fold the wheelchair for you, with others you have to fold them before you attach them to the lifting hook. The hoist then lifts the chair on to the roof and automatically secures it safely. Most carry the wheelchair in a box. With others the chair is exposed to the weather.

The maximum weight they can lift ranged up to 40kg, although in practice what can be carried is limited by loading regulationssee below for details. The chair has to be of the type that folds. This means that rooftop hoists can only be used with folding manual chairs. All can be fitted to either the driver’s or passenger’s side of the car.

The Cowal GZ91
Below is a diagram showing use of the GZ91. Further product details can be found in the section on the Cowal GZ91.


pictures showing how the GZ91 works

How well do they work?

All of the rooftop hoists we tested in 1999 worked well. Generally they were easy to use, even for people with more severe disabilities. Although some dexterity is needed, most of our testers managed to load and unload our test wheelchair without much trouble. They all could be used without help from anyone else, although the Wymo was not suitable for people with limited reach or poor trunk stability. All controls were easy to use.

Once our testers had transferred into the car, it took an average of around two minutes for them to load a wheelchair and slightly less time to unload it.

How they are fitted

Rooftop hoists can be fitted to any type of car - but see roof loading limit below. All are fixed to a roof rack or roof rack fixing points and all needed wiring in apart from the ‘plug in’ version of the Wymo. All have to be fitted by the manufacturer or an approved agent apart from this version of the Wymo which the manufacturers say can be fitted by a competent mechanic.
You cannot use a roof rack with any of the rooftop hoists in place.

The Wymo
Below is a diagram showing use of the Wymo. Further details can be found in the section on the Wymo.

pictures showing how the Wymo works

Roof loading limits

The total weight of anything you carry on the roof - hoist, wheelchair and roof rack must not exceed the loading limit set by the car’s manufacturer. This is usually 75kg, although it is higher on some vehicles - check with your dealer or car handbook. The summaries give the weight of each rooftop hoist.

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Report Contents

Introduction
Which type?
Wheelchair hoists

Wheelchair hoist summaries

Rooftop Hoists

Rooftop hoist summaries


Other ways of carrying a wheelchair
Racks and containers
Buying guide

Specialist trailers

Ramps
Finance
Helpful organisations
Mobility Centres
Suppliers