Should I buy myself my own personal wheelchair tank… a Ripchair

[Quadomated]

Hey there Mustachians,

Long time follower, electrical engineer techi guy, chased my dream job to Salt Lake City where I worked as a ski lift engineer for the large ski lift manufacturer, Doppelmayr, before a little bad luck and a skiing accident left me a quadriplegic. Life is great and I’m kicking ass at life as always, but have a pretty unique Money Mustache question for you all.

Should I buy myself my own personal tank… a Ripchair, at a rather significant expense to get back a piece of my independence and life?!?
 


It pains me to say the price tag in the Mustache forum, $39,500, because over the past several years I’ve been all about curbing my incremental expenses and avoiding the exorbitant. At first blush, I said this thing is too expensive, it’s excessive, it’s exorbitant, but then I get thinking about all the things I’ve completely written off in life… Climbing to the top of my old ski hill, getting down to my favorite stream to go fishing, watching my niece go skiing, going on a mountain bike ride/gravel grind with my buddies, or just getting deep into the backcountry. Those things have been off-limits to me for the past 8 years, so off-limits that I’ve almost stopped thinking about the very things that used to be my life. And now I see this awesome piece of equipment and realize it doesn’t have to be that way. But then the practical side of me looks at the price tag and thinks that’s blasphemy for a wannabe Mustachian, but then I keep thinking about what I could do and where I could go and who I could do it with and I think about how it would change my life and how much happiness it would bring, and the two sides are clashing back and forth so I figured who’d know better than a bunch of Mustachians… Oh what should I do????

Here’s a breakdown of my finances…

Income/Assets
Fixed Income: $3000 per month (combination of Social Security and Long Term Disability)
Savings: $35,000
No Retirement or Stocks - Having over 50K disqualify me from home healthcare aid help.
Own my adapted house
Own my 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan (Yes… It's a minivan!)

Expenses
$1000 per month Housing (portion of taxes, home insurance, heat, electric, utilities, upkeep, etc.)
$300 per month Medical (medical insurance, home healthcare co-pay, pharmacy and medical bills)
$300 per month Food (groceries, coffee/going out to eat 1 x per week)
$150 per month Vehicle (vehicle insurance, maintenance, gasoline, etc.)
$100 per month Phone/Technology (cell phone bill, Internet, Netflix, etc.)
$100 per month Miscellaneous (clothing, electronics, service dog food and bills)

Quick math/approximation leaves $1200 per month ($3000 fixed income - $1800 expenses) to buy my personal tank/gateway to awesomeness (i.e. really getting back to nature and extreme independence). Am I being crazy even considering this?!? We’re not talking about an expensive toy or an expensive ATV here, we’re talking about a piece of equipment that would change my life and let me do things I never believed I could do again. This would hugely increase my independence, it would allow me to enjoy and build relationships with friends and family, it would allow me to explore and enjoy the outdoors all over again, and at the very core it would allow me to be me and kick ass and do things and go places and up and down and wherever that I want, with who I want, when I want. And at the very core it would allow me to be me. So what’s the price tag of that?

So here’s the big question… Am I being a normal consumerism driven fool looking to deplete half my savings and tie up a few years of my fixed income, or am I being a reasonable dood that just wants every bit of happiness and life that he can have?

Check out this bad ass wheelchair tank!

http://www.trackchairextreme.com/index.html
https://youtu.be/Qnrcr-rOcuw

So what do ya think?!?
-Quadomated
I Am the Quad in Quadomated.com
Come read about Life and Technology through the Eyes of a Quad

[use2betrix]

I won't be able to go into the financials like I'm sure someone here can, but that thing is seriously beyond badass. I wonder if you could get one of those gofundme acts going for donations? Most people take advantage of those, but you truly have good reasoning. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[Inevitable]

but then I keep thinking about what I could do and where I could go and who I could do it with and I think about how it would change my life and how much happiness it would bring

This is the entire point of mustachianism.

[AnEDO]

You've thought this through and are fairly certain this will substantially increase your quality in life and happiness.  To me the question isn't whether you should acquire an awesome wheelchair tank, the question is how can you acquire one in the smartest most frugal way possible.  I doubt there are many wheelchair tanks out there but is a used one a possibility?  Are there other models that may be less expensive that could do the trick?  As a previous poster stated, I would bet money that you could also raise some cash on go fund me. 

[GuitarStv]

Hmm.  It seems like something that would positively impact your life.  What kind of maintenance and upkeep goes into keeping a personal tank running?

[slugline]

If possible, seek out current Ripchair owners and ask them about their experiences, especially the amount of time and money these things require to keep going. They sound awesome, but also strike me as devices that could cost a lot in ongoing fuel, maintenance and repair beyond the upfront costs of acquistion.

[GuitarStv]

It may also be difficult to DIY repairs on something like that . . . if there's a lot of 'dealer only' fixing type stuff, it might not be worth it.

[James]

If possible, seek out current Ripchair owners and ask them about their experiences, especially the amount of time and money these things require to keep going. They sound awesome, but also strike me as devices that could cost a lot in ongoing fuel, maintenance and repair beyond the upfront costs of acquistion.

I would highly second this opinion. Finding input from someone who owns one and is not connected to the company should be possible and highly helpful.

After watching the video, a couple other thoughts. It is pretty wide, which it has to be to fit the wheelchair and the wide stable tracks. But with that width you are going to be limited to pretty wide paths, there are a lot of trails that won't be wide enough.

Tracks make sense for the off road conditions, but remember that tracks can really rip up turf and dirt. That means going through grass or other more delicate terrain may be off limits, especially when conditions aren't really dry. Ripping up grass trails could be an issue...

You will need a trailer which I assume is an added expense, and depending on the weight your van might have difficulty pulling it. Tracked vehicles weigh a lot, and combined with the trailer the tow weight is going to be pretty high.

I would make sure you spend a lot of time saving up for it, talking to those who have used it, seeing what alternatives are on the market, etc. But if it's a vehicle that would work for you I would understand making it a financial priority.

[Quadomated]

Thanks guys, it’s a pretty awesome piece of machinery I keep finding my mind going back to. I’ve only talked with people connected with the company so far, one of them is a fellow quadriplegic who has one of his own, but definitely a good point on reaching out to one of the other owners NOT connected with Howe and Howe.

What I’ve found so far is that these are custom one-off designs built to the user specifications/dimensions using many ruggedized/industrial off-the-shelf parts (i.e. tracks, diesel engine, hydrostatic drive, etc.) with significant custom CNC work to build the frame, drive gears, and a number of other parts. There is a 1 year warranty on the power/drivetrain and the company who builds these is approximately 5 hour drive from my home.

Not something that just any ole person could repair, but my grandfather spent a lifetime working as a small engine repairman, and I’ve got a good friend who actually manufactures farm equipment so if anything minor happened we could probably figure it out on our own and if it was major that would mean a trip south. Just the same, I have asked around with a few friends who do earthwork and farming and work with this type of equipment (it’s basically a skid steer minus some of the extra parts) and they all feel given the very light load and how overbuilt the Ripped Chair looks that there should be relatively minimal expensive maintenance and breakdowns. Overall it seems like primarily a big upfront investment, and then a little diesel and routine maintenance to keep it running.

I’ll poke around a little more and try chatting with somebody not connected to the company and see how much they still use it, and if there’s been any surprises or expensive issues along the way.

[Quadomated]

I would highly second this opinion. Finding input from someone who owns one and is not connected to the company should be possible and highly helpful.

After watching the video, a couple other thoughts. It is pretty wide, which it has to be to fit the wheelchair and the wide stable tracks. But with that width you are going to be limited to pretty wide paths, there are a lot of trails that won't be wide enough.

Tracks make sense for the off road conditions, but remember that tracks can really rip up turf and dirt. That means going through grass or other more delicate terrain may be off limits, especially when conditions aren't really dry. Ripping up grass trails could be an issue...

You will need a trailer which I assume is an added expense, and depending on the weight your van might have difficulty pulling it. Tracked vehicles weigh a lot, and combined with the trailer the tow weight is going to be pretty high.

I would make sure you spend a lot of time saving up for it, talking to those who have used it, seeing what alternatives are on the market, etc. But if it's a vehicle that would work for you I would understand making it a financial priority.

Thanks James, lots of good input/thoughts. I’m actually having the van checked out next week to see if it can be set up with a trailer. These handicapped accessible vans have significant work done to the underneath; i.e. a 14 inch dropped floor, custom gas tanks, etc. so I need to make sure a significant sized hitch can still be attached and that the van has the capacity to pull it.

As far as the tracks… a big part of the appeal here is the ability to use this device not just in the summer, but during the many months when it is winter. So I’m thinking I’d be able to get way more use, fun, accessibility and badassity, but also totally hear you on how this could rip up the environment. Fortunately I live in a community with a network of hundreds of miles of snowmobile, ATV, and rail bed converted to multiuse trails that I think I’d have plenty of places to go out and explore. Actually I know a couple of very specific places I’d like to go that I’ve previously gotten my wheelchair mired in mud.

[Gone Fishing]

What are the alternatives, if any?  Are there such things as adapted ATV/UTVs?  Or even a 4x4 Jeep(or similar)? How would they work?

Unless one of those appears to be a better option,  I say go for it, as it appears your stache is pretty permanently capped at $50k.  Doesn't sound like you have any kids, correct?  Anything else you would rather to spend the money on? 

[James]

https://www.facebook.com/wheelchairrecycler/


Might be an interested Facebook page to follow...

[MayDay]

Whether that is the specific right model for you, definitely I can't say, and make sure you do a ton of research and thinking. 

But in general, yes, I'd spend the money.  Partly because you have a big surplus in your monthly budget, but you aren't allowed to accumulate more than 50K.  So you gotta do something with it, right?  Might as well be this!

This does seem like something that would be cool to cost share with other people.  Are you networked with other people with mobility limitations who might want to share it with you or rent it for a weekend or whatnot?

[The_path_less_taken]

IF you can't find a less costly alternative, please go for it! Life is short and the things you say you are 'missing' are worth every penny, and then some.

But...it might also be worth an email to hit up some 'design' schools....you could be their senior project. "Can you make an all terrain chair at a reasonable cost?" I'm thinking MIT or a serious school. Although Hollywood and maybe even (possibly) something like the SciFi "Face OFF" series that builds things for movie competitions might have some concepts for you?

I'm also thinking that the military might be a place to research all terrain mobility. Tanks aren't everything...

Can't recall it but there have been 'lunar' modules and things designed at the tech colleges that were semi-articulated for all terrain movement...that also might be something to look into.

I'm not familiar enough with your injury (and I'm not a doc) but if you don't require the full chair, I would think having one narrow to fit through a conventional doorway would be preferable to a wide path unit.

Good luck! I used to work at a ski resort that had an Adaptive Ski school: those guys have killer ski units and basketball wheelchairs, and would probably know about Beta Testing for competitors to that rig. That would of course be ideal: volunteering to Beta test units....I'd get as many brains working on this from as many angles as possible...because that will get you to your end goal quickest.

Please report back!

[Gone Fishing]

This does seem like something that would be cool to cost share with other people.  Are you networked with other people with mobility limitations who might want to share it with you or rent it for a weekend or whatnot?

Mustachian gold star winner of the day!