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Author Topic: More Disabled Driver stuff .... with implications.  (Read 1414 times)

w3526602

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More Disabled Driver stuff .... with implications.
« on: November 23, 2021, 05:20:32 AM »

Hi,

It happened! Barbara drove us to Care Co, in Milton Keynes yesterday. Only about three miles, but that's the first time she's driven since the day before Lockdown.

Transfer from her "power-chair" to the driver's seat was not too difficult, coz she had the steering wheel to use as a struggling bar. She stayed in the car, and let the Manager come to her (to take back the small-wheeled wheel chair, that wasn't suited).

Driving wasn't a problem, but she found the clutch pedal a bit heavier than was comfortable. Prognosis (if that's the correct word) ... she needs a new car, which will have to be an automatic ...

,,, or battery powered.

It would be silly to buy a new IC (Internal Combustion), or a CI (Compression Ignition) car that will become UC (Unclean) within a couple of years. It will also have to be GKF (Gammy Knee Friendly). I have reached the stage where if I have to hobble (six inch steps) more than about 25 yards, I take the car. We are paying a fiver a day to have Wilkie walked, during the week (but that doubles as Grandson's pocket money). Our daughter visits on Saturdays, to do whatever she feels necessary, including walking Wilkie (FOC). And Wilkie sulks on Sundays.

But back to disabled friendly cars. What is available, for not a lot of money? Lots of head-room under the roof gutter, wide door, and driver's seat cushion at close to bum height when driver is standing beside the open door.

Is this Personal Contract Plan the way to go?

Barbara's Hyundai (bought new) has just had it's first MOT, with about 5,000 miles on the clock. We also have the Freelander, which also has done very few miles since I bought it. Difficult to justify keeping it, but I tend to get miserable without a Land Rover parked on the drive.

Incidentally, the Hyundai's first MOT almost coincided with the final monthly payment., which was a nice surprise (for me), I thought there was a another two years to run.  I have no idea what we borrowed, nor how much we paid monthly. That's women's business.  :tiphat

So ... what to buy that is "cripple friendly", and what is the best way of paying for it? In view of the short life of batteries, is PCP the way to go? I have always regarded PCP as a sort of rental agreement with a large deposit, with the rent being based on "anticipated mileage", and any over or under usage being credited or debited at the end of the hire period .... with a penalty for any damage. The vehicle has to be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's schedule, etc.

I'm guessing that when regular cars become illegal, there will be a surge in demand , but insufficient supply, for second hand battery cars, but with the need to factor in the price of replacing the batteries. (I'm only six 82 ... you go figure!)

Can anybody offer any forecasts, suggestions or advice, that will enable me to keep a Land Rover on the drive?

602

PS. I wonder how DVLC will react to their multi million vehicle database suddenly becoming full of illegal vehicles?

PPS. I'm guessing that petrol station will cease trading before the final crunch? And central heating oil supplies?

Very OT. Many yonks ago, I read about a small-holder who fenced off an acre of land, and planted a coppice of (I think) rowan trees ... capable of producing a ton of fuel for his wood burner every year, ad infinitum. He kept the undergrowth down by running Chinese Water Deer (for conversion into venison) on the same one acre. Chinese Water dear, are the only species that don't "browse" (eat trees).  Double harvest!

Rowan is also known as "Mountain Ash". Ash will burn when "green".

Coppicing/pollarding (slight difference) means cutting the tree for fuel, then waiting seven years, before harvesting it again. I'm happy to be corrected.

My (many times Great) grandfather used to be a lumber-jack in the Sahara Forest, but he claims that goats ruined the business. Goats don't have upper teeth, but use their lower teeth to strip the bark off tree trunks, which kills the trees. Many of the worlds great deserts are blamed on goats.

PPPS. I have eaten my own pigs and goats .... but wasn't really happy about it.
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w3526602

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Re: More Disabled Driver stuff .... with implications.
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2021, 08:22:57 AM »

PS to the above ...

My understanding is that coppicing means cutting the tree at ground level. Problem ... when it grows again, it an absolute mess at ground level. I'm guessing that we have all met such nuisance clumps. I usually wrap an old seat belt round the clump, as low as possible, and pull it out with a Land Rover. As seat belts are slightly elastic, the clump flies over the Landy.

I recently pulled a thorn hedge, by the roots, out of my front garden, with the Freelander ... no LO ratio, so more difficult than a Series, but spectacular aerobatics.

Pollarding means cutting at about four feet above the ground, so all the fresh growing branches are at that height. A much neater arrangement.
I have no experience of pollarding.

I'm happy to be educated.

602
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Clifford Pope

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Re: More Disabled Driver stuff .... with implications.
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2021, 08:44:12 AM »

I thought pollarding meant cutting at head height, or perhaps higher so that someone on horeseback could pass underneath?
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w3526602

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Re: More Disabled Driver stuff .... with implications.
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2021, 09:57:10 AM »

Hi Clifford,

I can't argue with what you say. Stupidly I sold my copy of SELF SUFFICIENCY (John Seymour  .. sp?) for a lot of money. I'm guessing they sell for even more now. If you can find an affordable copy .... grab it ... and keep it. Wonderful book.

602
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linesrg

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Re: More Disabled Driver stuff .... with implications.
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2021, 03:45:12 PM »

I'm not at all sure which would be the most handicapped (Rather then use your wording of cripple!) EV friendly vehicle.

One thing I would comment on is don't believe all the nay sayers and doom and gloom over battery life.  The initial concerns over this have been, mostly put to bed.

Renault had a grand scheme of taking what they thought would be "expired" batteries out of 3yr old cars and re-purposing them as home storage battery packs.  The scheme never got off the ground as the batteries failed to deteriorate at anything like forecast rates.

Off the top of my head the MG5 might be a vehicle to consider.  It is certainly one of the cheaper EV's out there at this time (yes I know it is all relative).

Regards

Richard (owned an EV for 3 1/2yrs now)
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w3526602

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Re: More Disabled Driver stuff .... with implications.
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2021, 11:28:24 PM »

The scheme never got off the ground as the batteries failed to deteriorate at anything like forecast rates.

Hi Richard,

It's my understanding (which may be wrong) that it's deep discharge that destroys batteries. That suggests that recharging ASAP, with give a battery a longer life, than constantly running the battery flat before recharging, is what shortens their life.

Many yonks ago, I read of a home-brewed electric car, that had a small petrol engine running a generator, at steady RPM. I think it was giving 300mpg ... but don't quote me on that.

I read a road test on the 2.4 Jaguar, when it first came out. Memory says it did 30mpg at a steady 100mph, but only 20mpg normal driving.

Commercial Motor magazine had a "4 stops per mile" test .... accelerate hard from a standstill, to 30mph, then stop after a quarter mile. Repeat ad nauseum A 1500cc Moskvitch van returned 26mpg, but an 850cc Citroen van managed only 18mpg.

The testers explained that the Moskvich was cruising very soon after take-off, while the Citroen spent most of the test struggling to reach 30mph. I bought a brand new Moskvich van in 1971 (circa £600, the cheapest thing on four wheels) It went like a bat out of Hell ... it would hit 70mph up a hill that some of my other cars struggled to reach 50mph ... and that was with the Moskvitch pulling a 12ft caravan.

For those living in that area, the hill started at Morriston traffic lights, and passed DVLC. 40mph limit.  :whistle On one occasion, I distinctly heard a police car change gear as it passed me. Show off!

602

602
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Clifford Pope

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Re: More Disabled Driver stuff .... with implications.
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2021, 09:39:15 AM »

Hi Clifford,

I can't argue with what you say. Stupidly I sold my copy of SELF SUFFICIENCY (John Seymour  .. sp?)

I've got that - marvellous book. I've just checked, but there's nothing in it about pollarding.
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w3526602

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Re: More Disabled Driver stuff .... with implications.
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2022, 08:40:01 AM »

(Rather then use your wording of cripple!)

Hi Richard,

I apologise if I offended ... I did not intend the word to be offensive, more a protest against political correctness. Ask anybody in a wheelchair if they find that many people talk over them, "elephant in the room" style.

I remember Sammy Davis Juniour introducing himself, using three potentially offensive words. By getting them in first, he obviated their use as insults against himself. PM me if you're interested in those words.

Me? If I meet somebody in a electric invalid buggy, I'll ask how they find it.  In all cases, I have found they a very happy to tell me about it.

602
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