My Driving Setup - How I Drive | Quadriplegic (C5,C6,C7)
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- Опубликовано: 22 авг 2024
- After a spinal cord injury, a big question is can you drive a vehicle. The answer is yes and in this video, I show you how I drive from my power wheelchair as a C5 quadriplegic! This is a 2015 Toyota Sienna van with a VMI NorthStar conversion, which has a ramp and lowered floorboard to allow for wheelchair access. How do you drive a vehicle and what is your setup?
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Mason Ellis is a quadriplegic dedicated to mentoring people who have spinal cord injuries, helping people who have disabilities live life just like they would've able-bodied, and inspiring people who are able-bodied. Subscribe if you are interested in becoming more independent or what it's like to live life with a spinal cord injury!
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How do you drive a vehicle and what is your setup?
We have The same Injury
I hope my videos help you out!
I currently drive a VW Caddy van that I’ve had for 5 years here in the UK.. It’s drive from wheelchair. It has an automatic tailgate and ramp at the rear. I use Gosling hand controls and a lodgesons steering ball with secondary controls.
How do you like having the ramp at the rear of the van?
Mason Ellis It suits me very well. The advantages include the ability to park in a regular space if needed. Occasionally the handicapped spaces are all taken. You can’t park on a street unless it’s somewhere you know you won’t be blocked in. You can’t always reverse park if there is a sign or bollard as you need room to deploy the ramp. It’s worked well for me in the last 5 years despite a few limitations.
Thanks for the video.
U a lucky guy , I can't even afford a van
Im a c6c7 due to a gun shot wound in my neck
I been looking for a van and trying to get help for years
God bless u
Hello Mason 👋 I'm from Jamaica don't have access to these awesome accessories but it do help to see that hope is there. Continue to motivate Mason a loyal you fan Rock on.
I wish you did have access to these life-changing accessories. Even though you don't now, you may have in the near future! Thanks for watching my videos and commenting!
I'm from Jamaica and setup my own thing and get my license here in Jamaica I buy a normal SUV r any car
Mason, your videos help so many people now and will help countless people in the future too. You are such a good awesome teacher! Your videos are so valuable. Thank you so much for making them and helping people. You rock!! 🙌🏼❤️🌈
Thank you very much! I appreciate you watching my videos and commenting!
Agreed!
Thank you!
Hi
writes from Poland -
your car is beautiful, it's great that you can drive it!
I also use a wheelchair, have MS and quadriplegia.
I wish you all the best !
Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@masonx54 Hi
we disabled people have to cope.
That's awesome man i just finished driving school and go next Saturday to get fitted in a Toyota sienna se just like yours bro! I can't wait. I'm a C6 C7 incomplete sci
Thanks! That's great news! It's definitely a long process but it is totally worth it in the end! So much freedom and independence!
@@masonx54 it's been man that's for sure! How long after driving school did it take to get your vehicle?
I've actually had my vehicle since January 2016, I just didn't get hand controls until last year. I started driver's training in July and got my hand controls installed in November.
That's awesome brother, I'm definitely getting anxious but like you said it's definitely worth it. I really like those Siennas. I tried to get in a Chevy Silverado but Im too tall and not a lot of room.
Yeah, that's one of the advantages to vans in general, especially the Toyota Sienna.
Very nice setup Mason. I'm still in my 2004 Sienna that still runs and looks new although I only put a few miles on it each year. My wife does the driving these days though I did drive earlier on in my injury. As I've gotten older I don't have the same desire to drive as I did previously. You're a true inspiration for those that find themselves in this lifestyle and you do such a professional job with each video. You have that natural voice that sounds like a professional announcer. Keep up the good work young man, God bless!
Thank you!
Thank you for this video. I am a PTA student and I found it very helpful in understanding how you are able to drive.
Awesome! Thank you for watching and commenting!
I am glad this video popped up I was looking for it but couldn't find it. Very cool!
Awesome! Thank you for watching and commenting!
This is awesome Mason. My new van arrives in approx 3 months. Mine is right hand drive as I’m in the UK.
That's great news!
wonder, great overcoming, strength and honor to all of us in wheelchair 👊Beautiful car is yours 👏👏👏
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Right on thanks for this video I’m a c7 quad getting ready to start driving in the near future
Awesome! Here are two of my other videos that you might want to watch about driving.
Driving With Hand Controls - On The Road: ruclips.net/video/JhELPIL1mkM/видео.html
The Process of Driving Again - Everything You Need To Know: ruclips.net/video/gBOV9xp1lA0/видео.html
Super neat set up
I’m very proud OF YOU and for you…
Never to speak for others, but my independence across the whole spectrum of”disability” (i have grown to hate that word) 😖
That’s my priority always.
I really like how you don’t have to transfer. THAT IS WAY COOL!
I do have to transfer, but I’m para so it’s not super bad… except the day I got out of routine (didn’t buckle seat belt) and fell out of my truck.
It was brutal. I cut my head, looked like a murder scene but honestly the cut wasn’t that bad.. it just bled a lot.
My main truck is a Ram Power Wagon… probably the most inconvenient disabled truck on the planet.
Plus I run farm tags and only a placard on it..
The “disable” police 😂😂😂 always seem to be making sure I’m not going to go sprinting in a store!
Not hardly, and most often just opt out of disabled parking in the truck
My other truck is a 2 door wrangler rubicon. I already owned them. I love my wrangler the most but being honest it’s harder to transfer (the doors are small), the chair tends to hang on lower rail getting it in and I’m pretty small guy but with seat back and reclined I can barely get the frame piece in… it gave mr a fat lip a couple days ago… plus I’m just sort of clumsy these days?
The power wagon other than height, isn’t bad. We put amp steps and a wheel chair winch in back
I can crutch my way from hookup on chair to cab easy. Rain is an issue… but there are covers and stuff
Always lots of “stuff” and I’m not big on more and more “stuff”.
When I fell out I didn’t have the steps or winch so it was a situation to where I really needed to go, or I would opt out.
I was going to trade both of them but so far haven’t found anything I want (maybe Grand Cherokee) but i actually use my truck as a truck. I still haul lumber and build stuff (in very slow motion) but it’s what I love. I still cut and haul some wood (it’s not a marathon, sometimes it’s a joke, a bad one).
But I had just finished paying them off about the time I got hurt. No payments on 2 still very good vehicles is a plus for me.
Broken bodies have expensive consequences… so im not gonna complain ever
I’m happy if I have to keep them years…. It’s not something horrible
Shopping is horrible… I am still VERY SELF CONSCIOUS and people sometimes are pretty brutal.
Im actually looking for a different wheeler for the Rubicon, because I only need the truck ever now and then.
The frame on the short chair is the issue, the rest is easy.
I have a few different ones picked out, hoping one will fold and zip right past me.
It has to be light and most of them are getting on the heavy side.
Luckily I can do light weight chairs at 160 pounds, so that gives me some options also.
I can load it in back… the release and re-locking the spare tire swing out is a problem I never had before my accident
It takes some effort and balance is obviously a thing with me these days… but I’m looking at maybe redoing something there also and I can have my good chair with me dry and all that…
Good videos guy!
You do excellent work.
Sounds like you know what works for you, and that's what matters. Thank you for watching and commenting!
"It looks like an old Cadillac seat belt. I don't know why". LOL that was funny.
It's true though! Haha
Mason Ellis - God bless you for staying strong & positive. Hope you have a great summer. Keep us posted!
I'm not sure what year it is, but after Granddaddy had a stroke on the 4th of July back in 2009, Uncle Bob found a wheelchair accessible Toyota Sienna van for him and Mamie and they didn't even know about the kneel option on it for the 13 years that they had it. We have it now since Mamie's in an assisted living facility and Granddaddy's in heaven and we just discovered the kneel option on it yesterday afternoon after going for a test drive on Monday night
Was the kneel feature not turned on? Lol
@@masonx54 it is now after I asked dad about it on Thursday because I felt nervous about going down the ramp in my manual chair on Tuesday 😂 Aunt Anne and I were talking about it last night and she said "I just looked it up and saw a video of a van lowering. I had no idea a van could do that. I wish I had known about it when I was taking care of Bill because the ramp was so steep. His power chair pulled him up, but I had to guide it to be sure he stayed on the ramp." She had asked me if I knew about the kneel option and I told her yes because of this video. I also think Granddaddy had an ez lock system on the passenger side, but we learned what worked for Mamie and Granddaddy doesn't work for us
I'm getting a 2018 toyota sienna braunablity floor and ramp. I should be getting here in about 3 weeks cause they're installing hand controls at his moment. Watched a few of these videos getting me excited for my van to be done. i'll have the push pull hand controls with the tripin or a spinner knob on the steering wheel. Keep the videos coming.
Awesome! Thank you for watching and commenting!
Wow that dashboard looks so complicated. Reminds me of the inside of a cockpit lol. Well now that you own a quad-adapted car, you're more or less on your own. Having your own ride imo is a huge part of a quad's independence
Haha I know it was complicated at first! I agree that having the ability to drive yourself around is a big step in independence and freedom.
Awesome video thank you for sharing how you are able to drive Can drive press 40
You're welcome! Thank you for watching and commenting!
Great video!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching and commenting!
You've got a very nice car
I appreciate that, and I am blessed to have it. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Great video mason I drive a toyota camry my roommate is a paraplegic he bought a lexus and gave me camry but hand controls got switched over to lexus I'm not disabled but I can drive with hand controls easy,hope to see you drive in a future video.
Thanks! I plan on making a video of me actually driving.
After just reading the comment by Jason Torres, I thought of an interesting idea for a video. He mentioned that he's tall. And I think you mentioned that you're also tall. And just about every quad youtuber is taller than average. So here's what I think you might wanna look into: conduct a study which takes the average height of a quad and see if there's any correlation between that possible extra height and a propensity for spinal injury. Can be correlative, doesn't have to be scientific
Yes, that's actually true! I have read that most tall people (let's say above six feet tall) that have spinal cord injuries, are quadriplegics. I find that interesting!
@@masonx54 and they tend to be skinny before and after injury. It could be that their bones are, forgive me, scrawnier or less dense and so possibly more prone to breakage. I've never seen or heard of a big stocky man breaking his neck or back. Think of a power lifter. They put tremendous weight on their necks and spines without a break. I could be wrong about all this, but it seems to make sense.
That does seem possible. As for me, getting ejected out of my vehicle and being found 96 feet from where my vehicle stopped rolling, I think everyone would break their neck. Lol
I use the same tri-pin for steering but place it at the top of the steering wheel. But my hand controls are different.
I've never tried using the tri-pin at the top of the steering wheel.
Awesome video man! Loved it! I cant wait to start driving soon(:
Thanks! I'm excited for you because it's awesome! Haha
Doppppeeee!!
Thanks! Not as cool as your truck but it gets the job done for sure!
Nice knob ;-). My 2005 Grand Caravan isn't so fancy with all the electronics! Have you had issues with the in-floor ramp dragging dirt and stuff into the door track? I use the forward brake, down throttle style control, I'm not sure I could hold the throttle with your style on long trips. I also removed the front part of my EZ-Lock because it was in the way of my footrest and I don't have tilt on my chair. The EZ-Lock bolt is great at catching on water hoses, air lines, electrical cords, throw rugs, big rocks, weeds.......
Thanks, I really like that knob! I haven't had any issues with the ramp other than the black textured material peeling off. My dad scraped off two strips from the ramp and put down new strips. Yeah, I get my EZ-Lock bolt stuck on everything.
Hi, Mason. Happy Thanksgiving!
I drive a 2017 Sienna also with rocker hand controls, but I have conversion seats that I transfer to from my chair (Permobil F3). I need to change to drive in lockdowns, but concerned about the clearance of the extension hook under the chair. Have you had trouble with clearing curbs or sidewalks or tall grass? Also concerned about getting stuck on the mount. Has that ever happened to you?
Elizabeth Hilburn
Hey, Elizabeth. Yes, I had Superior Van and Mobility install a spacer between the floorboard of my van and the EZ-Lock to raise it up and allow the bolt on the bottom of my wheelchair to be higher. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Awesome can ya do a video of you driving around
Yes, I plan to make a video of me actually driving. I just wanted to show my driving setup first. Thanks for the video request!
Excellent video Mason....Oh, I did have a question I am asking for another C4 quad. He has no use of his arms and would like a chair with a leg bag emptier. There is no such thing, is there? Do you know of any leg bag emptiers you don't need arm or hand function with? He operates his chair with his head on his head rest...not a sip and puff.
This might be what you're looking for: ruclips.net/video/7U8hiR3VMIo/видео.html
@@masonx54 thank you very much, it is what I was looking for. I am subscribed to his channel...but I think the wireless one slipped my mind.
Awesome video thanks.. Ima a quad too with the exact same injury and I would love to one day drive again.. Can you please give me names of a few vehicles i can equip with this mechanism?
Thanks! Hand controls can be equipped to any vehicle but the van in my video is a 2015 Toyota Sienna.
@@masonx54 thnx alot wil dfntly search fr it coz i dnt gt th vehicle here in my country thou..
Same! Looks like a James Bond car with all the gadgets!
Impressive set up. Did you have any concerns with returning to driving considering your injury occured while driving?
I was nervous about riding as a passenger in a taxi to go to appointments while I was in rehab but I got used to it.
Hello Messin Please tell me how much it cost to install manual control on the car. How much did you buy it for and how much did it cost in general?
I went through Vocational Rehabilitation, which each state in the United States has, and they paid for the modifications. So, I don't know the costs. Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@masonx54Thank you for answering, you can still ask how much it costs. In general, assembled for the steering wheel and gas brake
I don't know because I never received a receipt.
How did you make enough money to purchase a van? Work? Grants? I need a van buy have limited resources as far as I know
My family sold a vehicle that we owned and purchased a van with a ramp. I went through Vocational Rehab to pay for the modifications. Once I got a job, I was able to pay it off.
@@masonx54 man, thank you for the response. I'm starting school in the fall through voc rehab.
Awesome!
Hello, I'm C7 incomplete 2016. I have an almost identical setup in my Toyota Sienna. For my dash button to turn on the hand control throttle/gas if I miss the timer when it's flashing I can hit it three times and it comes on. I found it out by accident, my supplier had said I needed to just make sure I hit within the flashing time. Not sure if yours is the same or if you already know about it but thanks for your videos I'm new to the channel and look forward to checking out more videos.
Wow, that's good to know! I will give it a try! Thanks!
It worked! Thank you very much!
@@masonx54 Nice! Still the best habit to push it quick, a few times I've coasted out of my driveway or parking lot and then AHHH no gas lol then it's a frantic knuckle punch of the button.
Looks a little complicated and must have taken some practice! But awesome !
It's not too complicated because when you can't use your legs, your only choice is to use your arms. Lol
@Mason Ellis I guess so lol just a little practice
Hi Mason, How much is your power steering lightened, if any?
I have regular steering. When I did my driving sessions, the no-effort steering was way too loose for me. Zero Effort Steering lowers the amount of effort required to steer a vehicle approximately 75-95%. There is also Low Effort Steering, which lowers the amount of effort required to steer a vehicle approximately 50%. So if Zero Effort Steering is too loose for you, you could try Low Effort Steering. Thank you for watching and commenting!
OK thank you very much for your reply. I will definitely try the low effort steering. Thank you for the good advice Mason. I am a C5 quad from Denmark. I wish you all the best.😃
Do you drive with your hand in the tri-pin 100% of the time?
My hand is almost always in the tri-pin when driving. The exceptions are when I mess with the radio on the screen or vent controls. I also sometimes take my hand out of the tri-pin when on cruise control. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Has the floor of your van been lowered.
Yes, I believe it was lowered 8 inches.
Do you like the Honda Odyssey
I don't know. I've never rode in a Honda Odyssey but I like my Toyota Sienna.
What is the cost of a vehicle like yours?
Google should know.
So I got adhd can I still drive
Well, as long as you don't forget you're driving. Lol
Do you have no effort steering installed ?
No, I have regular steering. When I did my driving sessions, the no-effort steering was way too loose for me.
@@masonx54 ah I felt same way when I tried no effort. I haven't tried regular yet. Hopefully I have enough strength for regular. I'm c5/6 as well. Thanks for the reply and content!
Zero Effort Steering lowers the amount of effort required to steer a vehicle approximately 75-95%.
There is also Low Effort Steering, which lowers the amount of effort required to steer a vehicle approximately 50%.
So if Zero Effort Steering is too loose for you, you could try Low Effort Steering. Thank you for watching and commenting!
সুন্দর গাড়ি
Thanks!