4.8
What carries a power wheelchair behind a car
There are two ways to take a power chair with you when it will not go inside the car. A hitch lift holds the chair on a platform behind the bumper and raises it off the road with an electric motor. A trailer tows behind the car, and the chair rolls up a ramp into it. We sell one of each, the EZ-Carrier Electric Lift and the ScootaTrailer.
The lift stays on the car, so there is nothing to hitch up before a trip and nothing extra to park. The trailer takes chairs up to 600 lb, almost twice what the lift is rated for, and with its aluminum top the chair rides covered.
Hitch class and tongue weight
A hitch lift hangs all of its weight on the hitch, so the hitch rating is the number that matters most. Every receiver hitch has a class stamped on its label, and every vehicle has a tongue weight limit in its owner’s manual. Tongue weight is the downward load the hitch can hold.
| Hitch | Receiver opening | What the EZ-Carrier Electric Lift carries on it |
|---|---|---|
| Class II | 1.25 in | 185 lb chair |
| Class III | 2 in | 330 lb chair |
| Class IV | 2 in | 600 lb chair |
The lift itself weighs 92 lb. So a 250 lb power chair on the lift puts about 342 lb on the hitch, and your vehicle and hitch both need a tongue weight rating of at least that much. The finder above works that number out for you. Adding the swing away option, which lets you open the rear hatch with the chair on board, lowers each rating by 50 lb.
A trailer is different. It rolls on its own wheels, so only a small share of its weight presses on the hitch. ScootaTrailer says any vehicle that can be fitted with a hitch can tow it with a chair of up to 600 lb inside. It needs a 2 in ball set 17 to 19 in off the ground.
Picking a platform size
The lift comes with a 28 by 42 in platform, and you can order it 28 or 32 in wide and 42, 50 or 60 in long. What has to fit is the chair’s wheels, not its footrests or armrests, which can hang past the edge. Most power chairs list only their overall size, so the finder takes about 80 percent of the overall length and 90 percent of the width as the wheel footprint and leaves a little room around it. When the chair fits, the finder names the smallest platform that holds it.
If you want to check it yourself, measure from the front of the front casters to the back of the drive wheels, and across the outside of the drive wheels. Add 4 in to the length and 2 in to the width, and pick the platform that covers both.
Folding power chairs
A folding power chair that weighs 100 lb or less is made to go in the trunk, so the finder never pairs one with a trailer. You can still put one on the lift if you would rather not fold it and lift it into the trunk at every stop. The lift does not care whether the chair folds, only what it weighs and how big it is when open.
Before you order
- Find the tongue weight limit in your vehicle’s owner’s manual and the class on your hitch label.
- Measure the height of the hitch receiver from the ground. The lift fits receivers from 10.25 to 35.25 in high.
- Check your state’s rules on a covered license plate. A plate relocation kit is sold as an option on the lift.
- If your chair is not in the finder, use the weight with batteries and the overall size from its manual, or call us.
Every new EZ-Carrier lift comes with the maker’s 1 year limited factory warranty, and the ScootaTrailer with a 1 year limited warranty. Call 1-888-233-5563 with your vehicle, your hitch and your chair, and we will tell you which one to order before you pay anything.
