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DelawareTom
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I am thinking of buying a travel scooter(I have MS) and seem to have narrowed my choice between Pride Go-Go Ultra X 3-Wheel and Drive Medical Spitfire Scout 3 Wheel. They seem to be good choices at a reasonable cost. Does anyone have any comments on either of these scooters? Assembly/disassembly? Reliability? Comfort? Other factors? Or is there another travel scooter I am missing out considering?

 

Thanks for your help.

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I am thinking of buying a travel scooter(I have MS) and seem to have narrowed my choice between Pride Go-Go Ultra X 3-Wheel and Drive Medical Spitfire Scout 3 Wheel. They seem to be good choices at a reasonable cost. Does anyone have any comments on either of these scooters? Assembly/disassembly? Reliability? Comfort? Other factors? Or is there another travel scooter I am missing out considering?

 

Thanks for your help.

I have a Pride GoGo Elite Traveler Plus scooter so I can't speak to the scooters you are considering. I will say this though, as a safety measure, just try out a few travel scooters before you purchase. I have MS too, and DH talked me into getting the travel scooter when mobility started to progress a bit. I went to a store where I could try out the scooters before I chose the one that would work for me. I went kicking and screaming, I was dead set against the idea of a scooter, but honestly it's the best purchase we've ever made. It's paid for itself 10x over.

 

I don't require an accessible cabin yet, as I can use my cane/walker, but my mobility is limited. I can't walk very far in large venues, so whenever we are going any distance, the scooter has been a lifesaver. My scooter dimensions allow me to drive right into the cabin and park the scooter. I bring along the foldable cane and a walker, so I can take little short walks maybe in the deck hallway for exercise.

 

There are many things to consider when purchasing a travel scooter, so just give it a try, and if you have never used a scooter, please make sure you feel comfortable operating it before you actually travel with it. That way you'll be safe, and people around you will be safe. Good luck with your purchase.

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I am thinking of buying a travel scooter(I have MS) and seem to have narrowed my choice between Pride Go-Go Ultra X 3-Wheel and Drive Medical Spitfire Scout 3 Wheel. They seem to be good choices at a reasonable cost. Does anyone have any comments on either of these scooters? Assembly/disassembly? Reliability? Comfort? Other factors? Or is there another travel scooter I am missing out considering?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

I prefer Pride Mobility Scooters over Drive Medical Mobility Scooters but that's a personal choice. In fact own 2 Pride GoGo Elite Traveler Models. Both are good companies and produce a good product. As far as comfort goes neither have any form of suspension so you will feel all the cracks and bumps in the pavement as you ride. The only travel scooter in the market that has suspension is the Pride GoGo LX with CTS Suspension.

 

There are several options for reasonable priced travel scooters that disassemble. Therefore I suggest that you check out http://www.spinlife.com and or http://www.wheelchair.com to view other options. Spinlife's website provides a feature to compare several scooter models at the same time.

 

Depending on the weight capacity required being that you're looking at reasonable cost scooters would also recommend you check out the Pride Travel Pro sold on Spinlife and the Rascal sold on Walgreens.com. Both are the same scooter and cost $599.00. Note the Walgreen Rascal was not made by Rascal Mobility that went out of business about 4-5 years ago. Rather Rascal is just the name of the model.

 

All Pride GoGo models as well as the Pride Travel Pro breakdown in the same way to fit into a trunk. Fast forward to the 54 sec. mark in this link

Walgreen's Rascal disassembles in the same manor. This link was provided only for reference. I'm not endorsing on model/maker over another as the end user must purchase a scooter regardless of maker that best fits their needs.

 

Things to consider when comparing scooters :

  • Weight capacity
  • Under clearance
  • Front tire size
  • Rear Tire size
  • Maximum Speed ( Keep in mind this will vary depending on weight capacity, terrain and incline. What the maker lists if the average )
  • Turning radius
  • Overall width at base ( If you're planning to take the scooter on cruises this is important if you don't require an accessible cabin. Reason being the standard cruise door cabins are 23" wide door frame to door frame. 2" than must be deducted for the depth of the door as it does not open flush to the wall. Therefore the actual door clearance is 21" so the scooter must be less than 21" in overall width to fit thru a standard cabin doorway )
  • Overall length
  • Seat to ground height distance
  • Can seat height be adjusted ?
  • Can seat rotate ? ( this helps with getting on off the scooter as well as if you choose to remain seated on the scooter while at a table)
  • Overall weight of scooter and weight of heaviest piece ( Important consideration since it appears that you plan to disassemble for transport)

Edited by xxoocruiser
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I am thinking of buying a travel scooter(I have MS) and seem to have narrowed my choice between Pride Go-Go Ultra X 3-Wheel and Drive Medical Spitfire Scout 3 Wheel. They seem to be good choices at a reasonable cost. Does anyone have any comments on either of these scooters? Assembly/disassembly? Reliability? Comfort? Other factors? Or is there another travel scooter I am missing out considering?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

I would suggest you look at the specs for Shoprider Hero. It can be purchased for well under $600 on the internet. We have 2 and love them!!!

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I'm amazed at the prices being mentioned for scooters in USA. I live in New Zealand and a battery alone for my scooter is nz$1150 (us$800). The scooter I use is a TravelScoot and I purchased this type because of it's lightweight of 15kg. or about 32lbs. It almost completely folds when you need to do this, but because of its light weight it is easily lifted into the back of a Hatchback or SUV.

When going on cruises you have a couple of large suitcases and if it is a smallish car or taxi it can be neatly folded up and put in its carry bag if required.

Here in NZ our main airline also requires you to remove the battery and take it into the aircraft cabin and this is not easily done with some scooters.

It is too wide to easily fit through cabin doors and not many scooters can. Cruise lines require that scooters are not left out in alleyways overnight so I have to fold it up each night. Once folded up it can lie just inside the door and not take up much cabin space.

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I am thinking of buying a travel scooter(I have MS) and seem to have narrowed my choice between Pride Go-Go Ultra X 3-Wheel and Drive Medical Spitfire Scout 3 Wheel. They seem to be good choices at a reasonable cost. Does anyone have any comments on either of these scooters? Assembly/disassembly? Reliability? Comfort? Other factors? Or is there another travel scooter I am missing out considering?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

I have a Pride Victory 10. It comes apart easily but I wouldn't want to take it apart every time I went somewhere. So we bit the bullet and bought the lift for the back of the car. I can go ANYWHERE by myself. I can't walk very far and I have to lean on something so taking it off and on the lift is super easy as I can lean on the car while doing it. It takes about 1 minute to unload it and put the lift back up. If you can afford it you may want to consider the lift. Sorry I can't help with the scooter choices you offer. My advice would be to go and try them out first if you are considering purchasing online. The sales people there can help with your needs.

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I also have a Pride Go-Go Elite Traveller 3 wheel that I take on cruises and shopping with my DW. Before we bought a lift for our vehicle, all we really had to do was remove the battery, fold the tiller back and place it in the back of my truck. The entire scooter only weighs 96 lbs but when you remove the 29 lb. battery it is very manageable with two people. It has been on 6 or 7 cruises and multiple vacations and I have only had to purchase a battery, not really because I needed one but as a precaution.

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I'm amazed at the prices being mentioned for scooters in USA. I live in New Zealand and a battery alone for my scooter is nz$1150 (us$800). The scooter I use is a TravelScoot and I purchased this type because of it's lightweight of 15kg. or about 32lbs. It almost completely folds when you need to do this, but because of its light weight it is easily lifted into the back of a Hatchback or SUV.

When going on cruises you have a couple of large suitcases and if it is a smallish car or taxi it can be neatly folded up and put in its carry bag if required.

Here in NZ our main airline also requires you to remove the battery and take it into the aircraft cabin and this is not easily done with some scooters.

It is too wide to easily fit through cabin doors and not many scooters can. Cruise lines require that scooters are not left out in alleyways overnight so I have to fold it up each night. Once folded up it can lie just inside the door and not take up much cabin space.

 

The Travelscoot is very costly in the USA as well. The Deluxe Model with Lithium battery is about US$2,500.00 and the Shopper model with Non0lithium battery is about US$2,300.00. The reason you have to remove the battery and take it into the cabin is that you most likely have a Lithium Battery. The same regulation applies with most airlines including USA airlines.

 

There are several mobility scooters that actually fit through the door of standard cruise cabin . For example the following scooters are all less than 21"** in width:

  • Pride GoGo Ultra X
  • Pride GoGo Elite Traveler
  • Pride GoGo Folding scooter
  • Pride Travel Pro
  • Luggie
  • Zip-R Roo
  • Zip-R 3 Wheel
  • Spitfire EX 3 wheel
  • Golden Technologies Lite Rider Mini
  • Shop Rider Echo Folding Scooter
  • CTM HS-290 4 wheel scooter
  • CTM HS-125 3 wheel scooter
  • CTM HS-295E Advanced Mini 4-Wheel Scooter
  • Walgreens Rascal

 

** Refer to post #3 as to why the mobility scooter needs to be less than 21" to fit through a standard cruise ship door.

Edited by xxoocruiser
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I have a Pride Victory 10. It comes apart easily but I wouldn't want to take it apart every time I went somewhere. So we bit the bullet and bought the lift for the back of the car. I can go ANYWHERE by myself. I can't walk very far and I have to lean on something so taking it off and on the lift is super easy as I can lean on the car while doing it. It takes about 1 minute to unload it and put the lift back up. If you can afford it you may want to consider the lift. Sorry I can't help with the scooter choices you offer. My advice would be to go and try them out first if you are considering purchasing online. The sales people there can help with your needs.

 

Though the Pride Victory 10 disassembles and is certainly a very good scooter , it's important for the OP to know that this particular model is classified as a "Full Size" Scooter and not a travel portable size. The Pride Victory 10 will not fit through a standard cabin doorway.

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Just an FYI. I have been communicating with smartscoot. In feb they will offer a battery compliant with airline regs within China. Sealed the deal for me.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Correction

 

It is travelscoot coming out with the 160wh battery.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Not clear if battery was defective. I would also wNt to know weight of user. The rep I spoke with at travelscoot said the battery would not be available until February so maybe it's an improved battery

 

I prefer the smartscoot and I have inquired about their future plans for bAttery options. We have a trip to china planned

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Not clear if battery was defective. I would also wNt to know weight of user. The rep I spoke with at travelscoot said the battery would not be available until February so maybe it's an improved battery

 

I prefer the smartscoot and I have inquired about their future plans for bAttery options. We have a trip to china planned

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Suggest you go back and read the entire thread associated with the link I previously posted ncluding the posters update in which he/she ended up taking the original lithium battery and did not have an issue.

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Internal airlines in china will not permit the battery over 160wh. Go on trip advisor and travelscoot website. Airline websites make it clear as well

The posts to which you refer have nothing to do with china. That's our issue. The larger battery is prohibited there

 

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Edited by bitob
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I did a ton of research before recently purchasing a Triaxe Sport scooter. Some questions to think about:

 

- How is your balance? 3-wheel scooters are not as stable as 4-wheel. Many people use them with no problems but if you have balance issues a 4-wheel is probably a better choice.

 

- What is the PRIMARY purpose of your scooter purchase? If it is to take on cruises, a folding scooter is easier to travel with than a scooter you have to disassemble. Also, be sure the scooter has a battery that is FAA-permitted if you will be flying. (The Triaxe Sport I bought comes with a battery that is over the FAA limit, but they have an "airline-friendly" travel model that is not quite as powerful and that I was able to order my scooter with.) From posts I have read here, it looks like some people have been able to fly with batteries over the FAA limit, but I sure would not want to chance it! If you are primarily interested in using it at home and plan to put a lift on your vehicle, then you can always rent a scooter to cruise if you find that disassembling it to travel is too much of a hassle.

 

- Don't even THINK of buying a disassemblable (is that a word?) scooter without trying it (or several models if you don't have a way to try the exact models you are considering). I have one and there is no way I could take it apart and get it put back together without help. Some people can. I STRONGLY urge you to find out whether you can before you lay out money for one! If you don't have a place to buy from near you (I didn't), make sure whoever you buy from has an acceptable return policy. I wound up keeping the one I bought but I could have sent it back (paying postage and a 20% restocking fee - steep but better than getting stuck with a $2000 scooter I couldn't use).

 

- Look at the available folding scooters before making a decision. The Luggie, TravelScoot, and SuperScoot all have fans on here. I couldn't use any of them because of insufficient weight capacity but you may not have that problem. My Triaxe is not as comfortable as my manual wheelchair but I use it for different situations and it is wonderfully portable (and I *can* fold and unfold it without help, although I can't get it in and out of my car alone). There are even a few models that fold and unfold themselves!

 

- Look on YouTube for videos of actual people using the scooters you are considering. Notice details like do they seem to have room for their legs and are they using real-sized models or little skinny people that could fit in anything. ;) The best videos IMNSHO include shots not only of happy people riding along, but ordinary people getting on and off and taking it apart and re-assembling it.

 

Having said that, I love my scooter even though it is far from perfect. Some of the controls are in odd places and my legs are a bit cramped when riding. But the freedom of not having to depend on DH or someone else to push me around is worth any inconvenience.

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Though the Pride Victory 10 disassembles and is certainly a very good scooter , it's important for the OP to know that this particular model is classified as a "Full Size" Scooter and not a travel portable size. The Pride Victory 10 will not fit through a standard cabin doorway.

 

Mine fits through the doors of a Carnival ship. It was a tight fit but it made it just fine. I had to maneuver to get it straight but by the second day I made it the first try. My scooter is the exact scooter that others on the ship had rented. When we entered the ship they were all lined up in the alcove by the mid-ship stairs.

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Mine fits through the doors of a Carnival ship. It was a tight fit but it made it just fine. I had to maneuver to get it straight but by the second day I made it the first try. My scooter is the exact scooter that others on the ship had rented. When we entered the ship they were all lined up in the alcove by the mid-ship stairs.

 

Interesting that you were able to get the Pride Victory 10 which is 22.25" wide at the wheelbase to fit through a Carnival standard cabin door since Carnival states the following on its website :

"Your personal scooter should be able to fit in a standard stateroom with a 21" entry doorway. If your scooter is larger than 21", you must purchase a modified stateroom or rent a smaller scooter."

 

Though you saw rental scooters that were a Pride Victory 10 all lined up in alcove assuming you don't know if they were assigned to passengers that booked accessible cabin vs. a standard cabin. Generally if a passenger is booked in a standard non accessible cabin both CareVacations and SpecialNeedsatSeas will only rent the Pride GoGo Sport (formerly the Pride GoGo Elite Traveler HD Plus) Both companies are well aware of Carnivals scooter size requirement for standard cabins as well as the SOLAS Regulation that requires all mobility scooters to be stored in the cabins so perhaps what was all lined up in the alcove were Pride GoGo Sports.

Edited by xxoocruiser
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Interesting that you were able to get the Pride Victory 10 which is 22.25" wide at the wheelbase to fit through a Carnival standard cabin door since Carnival states the following on its website :

"Your personal scooter should be able to fit in a standard stateroom with a 21" entry doorway. If your scooter is larger than 21", you must purchase a modified stateroom or rent a smaller scooter."

 

Though you saw rental scooters that were a Pride Victory 10 all lined up in alcove assuming you don't know if they were assigned to passengers that booked accessible cabin vs. a standard cabin. Generally if a passenger is booked in a standard non accessible cabin both CareVacations and SpecialNeedsatSeas will only rent the Pride GoGo Sport (formerly the Pride GoGo Elite Traveler HD Plus) Both companies are well aware of Carnivals scooter size requirement for standard cabins as well as the SOLAS Regulation that requires all mobility scooters to be stored in the cabins so perhaps what was all lined up in the alcove were Pride GoGo Sports.

 

Yeah I had no problems on the Breeze or Glory. Did NOT have a HC cabin. There was about 8 or so scooters in that hallway and I don't even think there are that many HC cabins on the Glory. In fact I became friendly with someone on the ship who rented a scooter and gave her tips on getting it thru the doorway the first time. She was in a cabin down the hall from us in an inside cabin. She had them re-arrange the beds in an L fashion so there was room in the middle of the floor to turn around. So yes it is possible.

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Interesting that you were able to get the Pride Victory 10 which is 22.25" wide at the wheelbase to fit through a Carnival standard cabin door since Carnival states the following on its website :

"Your personal scooter should be able to fit in a standard stateroom with a 21" entry doorway. If your scooter is larger than 21", you must purchase a modified stateroom or rent a smaller scooter."

 

Though you saw rental scooters that were a Pride Victory 10 all lined up in alcove assuming you don't know if they were assigned to passengers that booked accessible cabin vs. a standard cabin. Generally if a passenger is booked in a standard non accessible cabin both CareVacations and SpecialNeedsatSeas will only rent the Pride GoGo Sport (formerly the Pride GoGo Elite Traveler HD Plus) Both companies are well aware of Carnivals scooter size requirement for standard cabins as well as the SOLAS Regulation that requires all mobility scooters to be stored in the cabins so perhaps what was all lined up in the alcove were Pride GoGo Sports.

 

Now that I think about it I did have my armrests off. They bug me and I took them off when I first got it. It would have never fit with those on.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just got home tonight and wanted to post that I had no problems at all getting my Travelscoot on planes. I flew from Ottawa to Toronto to Delhi and then from Delhi to Dubai. Flew with Air Canada and Air India. Nobody even asked what the battery size was!!

 

Flew home from Singapore with United and Air Canada with a 7 hour stop over in Hong Kong. Again, no issues at all. Nobody questioned me about the battery. I always take it off at the door to the plane and bring it on the plane with me and they usually ask that I do this.

 

So glad I returned the smaller battery. Saved about $900 and had the bigger battery that comes with the Travelscoot. They refunded me the full cost and are great to deal with (Vancouver office).

 

Wendy

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I'm waiting for someone to tell us they had no problem in china

 

 

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Last I heard, Hong Kong is in China. But I did hear they treat the battery issue differently there than the rest of China. Heard they confiscate the battery. You might try to post a question on Trip Advisor Travel forum for China. I got good information there.

 

Wendy

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  • 4 months later...

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