BackPacker Plus

Available for user installation, well-made. Installation instructions were accurate, and fit to designated vehicle type was good. Continues to work well.

None so far. It was not advertised as easy for user to install, and indeed installation took some skill, but that's not a weakness, only a caution.

robert h. from stockton, ca (caregiver)

85 year old WWF with severe LE arthritis limiting mobility, needing to use her scooter away from home.

Is in the rear of vehicle

As stated in the one line statement above

byron w. from austin, tx

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Easy to use and faster than other ones I've seen

Needs a longer control wire, also rattles a little.

virginia b. from jacksonville, nc

Physical disability

Gives my wife freedom.

The remote control cable could be a little longer.

dave h. from new lenox, il (caregiver)

61, arthritis, can't walk very much at one time

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arnold b. from decatur, ga

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Fast and easy

Ver large, takes back third of vehicle

toni c. from bellingham, wa

58 yr old female, heavy with mobility issues, COPD, heart problems

Well made.

Rattles as I am driving.Very distracting.

aubrey w. from indianapolis, in

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william s. from greensboro, nc

male, 66 years old, bad knees

Ease of use

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carol h. from el paso, tx

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Read the reviews before buying and lift lives up my expectations with a few caveats. Strengths: Easy, simply to operate. Works well with Pride Go-Go 4 wheel Traveler. Easy on and off. The Backpacker Plus lift provides me with a renewed sense of freedom since I no longer have to depend on others to get my Pride scooter in and out of my minivan. My minivan still has room for 4 people. The multi-purpose battery pack keeps both my scooter and the lift charged off the cigarette lighter so that I have not had to have someone remove the battery from the scooter so I charge it indoors in the 5 weeks that the lift was installed. Spinlife and Pride stand behind the warranty and professional installation. I very satisfied with this product even with a few shortcomings(since a few engineering modifications can solve them).

Here are the weaknesses that I have found to date: 1. The cords (for battery pack and to the scooter) are long and there is really no method (except for one connector holder) provided to keep them safely out of the way of the lift arm. (Work Around: I ended up putting a cable tie on the battery pack cable and I used velcro to hold up the extra long cable for charging the scooter. ) 2. Manual tool for bringing lift into the car just doesn't work. After the scooter power cord got caught in the lift arm (which is why #1 is the 1st weakness), the battery pack/lift controller no longer worked. Using the manual tool per directions for 45 minutes in 91 deg heat, I had two blisters, I had moved the lift less than an inch and I had to call my husband to bring a cordless power drill to get the lift back into the car. Really recommend that this be re-looked at from an engineering stand point. Even using the cordless drill and the bits/parts provided it was not an easy task or a very workable solution. And we only had to bring the lift horizontally into the minivan. For long trips, I now carry the cordless drill. 3. Noise level inside my 2004 Freestar minivan (from the lift and the scooter creaking and metal on metal rubbing) at times and depending on road conditions can be unpleasant since it is not possible to travel only on new smooth asphalt. I have had two people riding in the minivan at different times comment that the noise level from the combo was annoying. Still working on finding what the root cause is and a possible solution for this issue. Now the the cords are stowed more securely by the methods mentioned above and having a Pride repairman fix the lift controller/battery pack, I am again confident using the lift on trips by myself. I believe that both Pride and Spinlife are quality companies and that they will work to solve the above weaknesses.

eileen t. from carmel, in

Mid-60-ish retired engineer with walking and weight-lifting limitations who depends on a Pride Scooter for distance-walking.

Everything it is designed to do it does. Lots of room still left in back of our VW Routan. Like the fact that I can charge my scooter from the built in battery and not draining the van's battery.

Runs slow. Should have marker on lift to show what is the center of the lift to make it easier to get scooter in the center. Having lots of trouble with parts not being the right parts.

lee j. from appleton, wi

I am a 67 yr old COPD victim with emphysema & can't walk very far.

price

very poor installation instructions

cindy m. from zeeland, mi

quality product for the price