Large tires for wheelchair?

Greetings.

We are in our 80's and have limited our recent cruises to/from San Francisco to avoid the hassle of flying to and from other ports.

I am pretty able-bodied but my wife can only walk a short distance with a cane.

We have tried cruising with her walker but we can get around the ship faster if I push her in her Medline collapsible wheelchair.

This works well on hard surfaces like the promenade deck, but weather doesn't always permit this. Inside,the chair wheels sink into the thick carpeting and make it very hard to push the wheelchair.

Is it possible to fit a wheelchair with wider tires that will work better? If so, can someone suggest a source for them?

Thank you,

Ray Mac

Hi Ray,

Have you considered buying or renting a mobility scooter. I use one and it has changed my life, it gives me much more independence as I can go where I want, i love being with my wife but when we are onboard ship she can do what she wants and I can do what I want.

Pete

Thanks, Pete,

We are considering a motorised scooter, but only for use on land.

As of 3 years ago when we last cruised, the ships (Princess) appeared not to be equipped to handle motorised scooters, at least not very great numbers of them. We found them to be an inconvenience to us and to others aboard ship, especially on elevators and in the buffet.

It's likely that the increasing popularity of scooters caught the cruise line by surprise. Maybe newer ships are now in operation that can better accomodate them.

Ray Mac.

The carpet isn't THAT thick! But, there are thresholds you'll have to get over...at the firedoors and such.

Is the chair you are using now a transport chair (with 4 small wheels)? I never recommend those for cruising. Hard to push any distance, and the person in it cannot change their position if they cannot move themselves with their feet.

A regular manual wheelchair with large rear wheels is much easier to push. You can find fairly inexpensive ones; but be sure to get one that folds, and ideally one that has quick-release hubs so that you can easily remove the wheels to get it into a cab or other car easily. One good place to look on-line is http://www.spinlife.com/. You can also check out http://www.1800wheelchair.com or http://www.sportaid.com

Sorry for the delay in replying, and thanks.

Ours is a proper wheelchair. It does not have the large rear wheels which probably would not sink as deeply into the carpeting; the front wheels are 6 inchs in diameter and the rears are 8 inches.

I have to say, the chair is very difficult to push on carpeting, while it goes effortlessly on the deck.

Probably I should have asked about fatter tires, they don't need to be bigger!

Better yet, maybe a belt or track to go between front & rear wheels, like a battle tank--that would attract some attention.

Ray Mac.

I think in order to be able to handle the carpet, you would need to have a regular wheelchair not one with 4 small wheels. I don't think that your chair can have wider or larger wheels put on it, so it always going to be hard to push in carpet or other things.

I use either a wheelchair (TiLite ZRA series 2, rigid model), or a mobility scooter when I travel anywhere. I would change your chair to one that has bicycle size rear tires (24" possibly) and 6" tires at on the front.

You can rent wheelchairs for the cruise that will be delivered to you cabin. I can't remember the name of the two companies that are allowed to do this. I know someone will come along with the names or you can look on the cruise website and I am sure it will be listed there.

I found the link to one of the companies:http://www.specialneedsatsea.com/reserve-equipment/wheelchair-rentals/

For what it is worth, I am reading a trip report right now from someone who uses a wheelchair full-time and she was having difficulty with trying to roll on the carpets and this was on Celebrity cruise line.

many years ago i was actually able to borrow a chair from the ship (before i started to travel with my own). to give you an idea of how long ago, it was on the celebrity horizon (and perhaps the galaxy also). so, maybe 2001 or 2002. a folding wheelchair with large wheels is a great advantage! it makes it easier on the carpet and less frustrating for the occupant. also, if the bumps are large, going over backwards makes a world of difference.

mine is an invacare...here is a similar, yet less expensive model - all in all, it looks like a great deal: http://www.1800wheelchair.com/product/limited-offer-invacare-tracer-ex2-old-36-lbs-wheelchair/