Vehicle Lifts

An inside lift loads the scooter or wheelchair into the vehicle’s cargo area, usually with a boom arm or a platform, so the device travels protected from rain, snow and road salt and the vehicle stays its normal length. An outside lift mounts to the vehicle’s hitch and carries the device on a platform behind the vehicle, which leaves the cargo space free and suits vehicles too small for an inside lift, but exposes the device to the weather.

Most outside platform lifts mount to a Class II or Class III receiver hitch, and heavier lifts typically need a 2 inch Class III receiver. The vehicle’s hitch tongue weight rating must cover the weight of the lift plus the scooter or power chair. Check the lift’s specifications and your vehicle and hitch ratings, and use any anti-rattle and stabilizer parts the lift maker supplies.

Measure the vehicle’s cargo opening height and width and the floor depth, and compare them with the size and weight of the scooter or chair and the lift’s footprint. Lift makers such as Harmar publish vehicle fit information by make and model. Remember that boom lifts need headroom to swing the device in, and the seat on some scooters must be removed or folded to fit.

Many vehicle lifts are installed by a mobility dealer or installer because they are bolted to the vehicle frame or floor and wired to the battery. Some models are designed for simpler installation, such as hitch-mounted lifts that need no change to the vehicle and lifts sold as no-drill. Follow the installation instructions exactly, since a lift carries a heavy load in a moving vehicle.

Lift capacity varies by model, from lighter lifts for folding travel scooters to heavy-duty platform lifts rated for about 180 kg (400 lb). Choose a lift rated above the weight of the device it will carry, including any baskets and batteries, and check that the vehicle and hitch can carry the combined weight of the lift and the device.

Products in this category ship free anywhere in Canada. Because these are large items, each product page shows its own processing time, usually 9 to 14 business days before the item leaves, plus transit time. Orders are processed Monday to Friday. See the Shipping page for full details.