Modified Pickup Accommodates Wheelchairs

Modified Pickup Accommodates Wheelchairs AUGERS  Instead of being limited to minivans wheelchair-bound drivers now have the option of driving a 2-WD or 4-WD pickup while sitting in a wheelchair thanks to a new design by GoShichi LLC The door of a GM extended cab or crew cab truck slides out 36 in and is attached to a platform that lowers with an electric actuator The wheelchair locks in place on the platform which raises and then moves horizontally to place the chair and person behind the steering wheel Between the wheelchair lock and the truck’s seatbelt the driver is as safe or safer than if he were sitting on a regular seat GoShichi-adapted trucks were tested and passed U S crash tests before they were cleared to go on the market The first truck owned by Steve Kitchin one of GoShichi’s owners was modified in a barn The Fort Wayne mechanical engineer advertising executive had been an active young man until a 1999 car accident left him a quadriplegic He wasn’t excited about the available options “A minivan is not the most stylish vehicle ” Kitchin laughs “That was my biggest thing – my driving force I always drove a 4WD before ” After a decade of driving minivans he and a friend who was also an engineer decided to modify a truck that could pass crash tests – something that had never been done before Kitchin’s team worked on a design for a couple of weeks applied for a patent and modified a truck for Kitchin When he posted it on the internet he discovered there were many other people in wheelchairs who wanted pickups Trucks especially make sense for ranchers and farmers outdoors people and certain regions of the country Military people usually prefer them Though it’s completely a U S company Kitchin named his business GoShichi – Go is Japanese for five and Shichi is Japanese for seven – after the numbers he and his fellow designer wore while playing softball They were also in martial arts together where they spoke numbers in Japanese The Indiana company started production in March 2010 and modified more than 200 vehicles by the end of 2011 “We use GM extended and crew cab trucks because the chassis is good and it’s a solid-built truck ” Kitchin says “We use over 250 parts and we save costs by building on the same thing There are no surprises ” To maintain the truck’s original clearance GoShichi lifts the truck 3 in with a standard lift kit and then cuts into the frame on the side the wheelchair platform is installed That lowers the floor to accommodate the chair and the cut frame is reinforced with steel Lift capacity is 750 lbs so it can handle manual and power wheelchairs “We use an electric actuator ” Kitchin says “It has powerful pick-up for a lot of weight It’s also very precise to stop in the right spot every time ” That’s important for the door to close tight Since everything is in the cab it’s not exposed to the weather Inside there is still room for a passenger in the front and passengers in back Kitchin notes that the passenger side can also be modified The system is designed and built with quality parts to last longer than the truck So far GoShichi sells its modification package through 157 mobility dealerships across the U S and Canada In addition to the price of the truck modification costs range from $24 000 to $35 000 Contact GoShichi to find a dealer in your area Contact: FARM SHOW Followup GoShichi LLC 505 Avenue of Autos Fort Wayne Ind 46804 ph 260 434-4777; www goshichi com

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