What's a travel mobility scooter?

By now you probably know what a mobility scooter is, and perhaps you might even own one. Or you may be new to the scooter world and want to know more about them. This blog is going to give you some more information on the travel scooter specifically, and if it is a good fit for you.

Traveling freedom.

Travel scooters are design to be light weight, and or with the ability to be taken apart into sections, so that you can transport the scooter without a lift or ramp. Travel scooters can also be used in some homes with their great turning radius, and smaller footprints.

How heavy are they?

The weight of the scooter can vary greatly. It's nearly impossible to know the specs of the many travel scooters online. I have seen advertised weights from 35lbs to 140lbs.

If you have a lifting capacity of 35lbs, and the model you are interested in has a heaviest piece that weighs in at 48lbs, well that model is not necessarily for you. I have seen many travel scooters with a heaviest piece of 25-29lbs . If the weight of the heaviest piece is still too heavy, then investing in a lifting aid to make transporting the scooter possible is a good option.

Warning

Before I mention harsher, loose and uneven terrains, be sure to read your owners manual or contact the manufacture or professional before thinking about taking your scooter on this type of terrain. It can be very dangerous traveling on uneven surfaces, especially if you have a scooter that is not designed for that type of traveling.

What's the terrain like?

With terrain that may have grass, gravel, and multiple inclines, then you may want to think about a scooter that has suspension, bigger tires and a long range battery. This is where those upgraded models out-perform the smaller units that may have small, slender tires that can suffer greatly in this type of environment. This is where the trade offs can be fairly big. With the ultra lightweight models, you can get some great portability, but with that great portability, the scooter is going to lack somewhere and its usually in the harsher terrain. The demanding terrain is going cause more resistance for the scooter and in turn, consume more battery power. So make sure your model scooter is made for the type of terrain you are going to attempt to travel on.

Weight capacity.

Its important to make sure that your travel scooter can carry the riders weight. Don't strain the scooter by overloading the listed weight limit. This will ultimately strain the scooter and wear the parts out quicker and give you less mileage and can damage the scooter, as well as may not be safe to ride. My rule of thumb is: to make sure that the weight capacity is higher than the actual weight of the rider. If the scooter says it can carry x amount of weight, and you are right at that limit, well the scooter should be able to handle that weight, but I always recommend going with the higher capacity to ensure you have a model that is more than able to carry your weight. This will get you better performance out of your scooter. There are many factors that go into max weight capacity; frame strength, motor and trans-axle, battery size, seat configuration, electronics, etc.

Range.

The range of the scooter can be more or less than its listed number miles. The riders weight and the terrain the scooter is going to be on, is going to make a big difference. If the listed range is 10 miles, but the rider is at the maximum weight capacity, and you have many inclines to travel, well that distance can go way down. If the rider is half of the max weight capacity, and the terrain is paved and has no inclines, the mileage might be met or may even surpass the listed number. Battery condition has a lot to do with how far you can travel. If you have new batteries, your going to get the most out of your mileage no matter what the terrain is like. If your batteries are aging, and you haven't kept them charged properly, you will most likely get poor performance and much less mileage. Be sure to follow the proper charging procedures and make sure your scooter is fully charged before going out on an a ride.

Inclines

Always consult the manual and or the factory when it comes to inclines and or general safety. Too steep of an incline can cause the scooter to flip over. Every scooter is different, so get familiar with your owners manual to ensure you are taking the best measures of precaution. This will ultimately provide a better riding experience, knowing the limits of your machine.

Inclines that are long winded and steep can have a huge affect on how well your batteries hold up as well. It puts a strain on the machine that drains the power resulting in less range. In many cases my clients will map out a route that avoids the obstacles as much as possible.

Returns

Returns can be costly, so be sure that the scooter you are buying is the best option for you. Talk to an experienced professional about the scooter you are interested in, to get some insight that can help you make a decision. In many cases returns are 15% of the price of the scooter, plus shipping fees. So do some homework before you buy!

Some final thoughts.

There is so much that can be said for the travel line. If you have some questions and you are not sure about your future scooter, feel free to contact me and I can try and give you some more information.

#Travelscooter #Mobilityscooter #Foldingscooter