We had a Chev Uplander Braun conversion. The rear suspension high strength trailing arms were cut and made into a Z shaped arm to clear the floor. This was done with mild steel 3/16”plate with zero fish plating or profiling to regain strength. The inserted plate failed while my wife was driving. Luckily this was in a parking lot as on the highway she would have surely lost control of the vehicle. This trailing arm locates the rear axle! Braun finally accepted the vehicle for repair AND IT TOOK 8 MONTHS for them to return the vehicle. The repair? No re-engineering, simply re-welded the bloody bracket! We replaced the Uplander with a VMI Grand Caravan Northstar. This unit showed significant rust on the Jack pads within 25,000 miles. I put on the hoist and stripped the rubber rust guard off. I found the Jack pads were made from multiple layers of sheet metal tacked together making the stand off. This resulted in vastly accelerated corrosion which destroyed both rear jack pads. Upon further investigation, I found the added structure for the conversion WAS NOT EVEN WELDED TO THE BODY and simply covered with seam sealer. This absolutely affects the structural integrity of the vehicles safety structure and contributes to noise and rattles. It is unbelievable (and quite possibly opens them to litigation) that such a poor conversion is allowed by the NHTSA. The workmanship on both of our vehicles, one a Braun and the other a VMI, is so poor, it is inconceivable to me that these people sleep at night. Shame in every single one of you.

I’ve been a quadriplegic for over 40 years and have owned a vehicle that I could drive since 1983. It was a 1983 Ford E-150 which was converted by a company named Target Industries out of Connecticut. Then a 1988 Ford E-150 converted by the same company. Both of those vehicles had dual batteries. But that company went out of business and my next vehicle was in 1995 Ford E-150 which was converted by Drive-master in New Jersey. After that a 1999 E150 also converted by Drive-master. Both the 95 and the 99 did not have back up batteries. So if my battery was dead I was essentially stranded. There were ways to get out of the vehicle but certainly not by myself, and I doubt a paraplegic would be able to do it completely independently. I am a quadriplegic so I would not be able to do it anyway. Just this past fall I bought a 2018 Braunability Chrysler Pacifica. Yes the power back up system of the VMI is nice to have but I’ve been driving for 20 years without battery back up. Plus the 2018 Braunability model has a much wider doorway and ramp(fold out) than the VMI. In addition Braunability offers two different floor depths for the Pacifica. I also prefer the fold out a model because that technology has been around for many many years and is easily manually operated by somebody who is able bodied. Both companies do a great job of converting the vehicles. But for me I went with the Braunability because of the choice of floor height and the wider door. So in that sense there really was no choice. As far as possibly getting “stranded“ thank God for cell phones. There is always risk involved for us who use these vehicles, we just have to live with that. And we’ve both been living with that for decades. I use an electric wheelchair. That could also die while I’m inside the vehicle.Anyway, it was difficult at first to go from a full-size van to the Pacifica. Now I absolutely love the Pacifica, but I am only driving it from time to time until spring. The Ford gets winter duty. Syracuse New York. I now make it a practice to keep my cell phone or Apple Watch on me at all times even when I’m at home. I’ll be 57 in about a week and have had many many close calls so I know enough to keep communication and meet at all times. I appreciate your video and I’ll have to check out your others. Thanks.

@TheArjulaad

Жыл бұрын

Wow that brings a lot of memories….I’m 45 years c-6 post injury and i have to sell the car and get a van, i went with VMI and a Honda Chassis for the the lower angle of the ramp 🤞🏻Stay well!

@KRogSlp

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for your insight. It is really helpful!

@cnyphotovideo

5 ай бұрын

@@KRogSlp You’re welcome.

I so appreciate you making these videos! Very helpful advice for my disabled partner and I as we begin the journey of selecting a new vehicle.

Our FIRST handicap van was a 2004 Dodge Caravan by Braun, with the fold up ramp. Nothing ever work properly. The van itself was incredibly reliable but it sits in the driveway now gathering dust because we're having trouble selling a wheelchair van with a busted ramp mechanism that Braun cannot or will not fix. Our new van is a 2017 Pacifica by VMI, works as advertised, perfect.

@goldenwestmobility8501

5 жыл бұрын

Hi deepfreezevideo Please send me a PM, I'll buy your Braun van! =]

@Maples01

3 ай бұрын

Requires a braun certified dealer to get anything done, they will not deal with outside agencies, have an accident and the body shop needs the plastic door extension, tough shit, braun wont send it to them. I can't even get a wiring diagram for power door motors that they discontinued, couldn't get my lift fixed by their certified dealer either, refused to order anything, the shop treated me as if I was bothering them, I junked their lift and bought a used VMI/Ricon s2000 and put it in ourselves, I hate braun!

This guy is misleading peaple I have owned both Van's and Braun is a very good van and very safe

Interesting, is the back-up situation for the ramps still the same in 2023? I have a 2023 Odyssey being currently modified at VMI…..🤞🏻

Excellent video, wonder if after seven years Braun has corrected the back up issue

Awesome review and you are so right about having redundant backups in place!

@callenomari1403

2 жыл бұрын

i guess Im asking randomly but does any of you know of a way to get back into an Instagram account? I was stupid lost the login password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me

@cassiusnoel671

2 жыл бұрын

@Callen Omari instablaster :)

@callenomari1403

2 жыл бұрын

@Cassius Noel Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and im in the hacking process atm. Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.

@callenomari1403

2 жыл бұрын

@Cassius Noel it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy! Thanks so much, you really help me out :D

@cassiusnoel671

2 жыл бұрын

@Callen Omari happy to help :)

I’d like to actually see you demonstrate cranking that ramp up and down from inside and outside van

This is very helpful. I'm currently looking at vans, we've got a paid off 2013 Toyota Sienna that my husband has to pull out a 4-piece fold up aluminum ramp, put it together, and then lay the back down on my chair, run it in, then put it up again. Reverse the process going out of the van, then back in....you see what I mean. I can still walk a few steps to climb into the passenger front seat but I am afraid this is going to get too hard to do by the time I'm 70 (5-years). I can't go anywhere without him either, because there is no way I can do that routine. My husband's 66, and isn't getting any younger, he will need something easier to help me in and out. So, I've been looking. After sticker shock (we paid 35,000 for the Toyota, new), I started trying to figure out a way to get one that I could take out and drive. I can still drive, and if I had hand controls, it would be much easier. So, now I know that Braun was not worth as much as the VMI model when it comes to reliability. Thank you for the work put in on this.

Thank you, have you reviewed E-WAV's and HE-WAV's, Gurkhamum Wendy and Wheelchaircharlie39 David from the UK

Great itemized review!

Great review! Can you do a review for accessible SUV?

@077Survivor

2 жыл бұрын

Horrible and false review!

Completely agree with you. I have a Traverse with Braun Conversion and it has been a lemon in one year of use.

@machewkaH1

5 ай бұрын

Same! finally going after the dealer to repurchase my vehicle.

Where can I find your follow up video on seating fir manual wheelchair users

@rowboatUT

Жыл бұрын

Was their a follow-up video ever posted on transfer seats?

What do you say of a VMI 2016 dodge caravan conversion? I’m looking at one now? And are you familiar with the driverge conversion?

@KRogSlp

5 ай бұрын

We are looking to and I haven’t run across any reviews on driverge yet. I was wondering the same thing.

How much will it cost

Thank you Wheelchair Jimmy but in all fairness I have a few observations. Does the VMI backup battery power the door? no, so if you have a dead battery you will also have to manually open the door. and as for the ramp, when the backup battery is dead from non use (about 6 months) you have to manually crank out the ramp with a manual crank, nearly impossible for most in a wheelchair. The Braunability allows you to simply push on the ramp to deploy in case of emergency. As for the fold out ramp it was designed for safety. it has a 2" lip on both sides to help keep the manual or power wheelchair user on the ramp. this is vital for chair users using a head array or alternative joystick and also power assist wheels. I also find this review interesting that all of your factory footage is in the VMI plant. At Ability Center we take our clients mobility extremely seriously and urge doing your homework. visit a genuine mobility dealership that can demonstrate both sides. Both VMI and Braunability are great products and should be considered when making such an important decision.

@kizzpizz_skate1856

2 жыл бұрын

I like that your telling someone in a wheelchair what they should be looking out for. Its clear he knows what he is talking about and what he is looking for. As for the issue of a back up battery being dead? at least it has a back up battery in the first place, which would be charged off the main system, so would rarely go flat. Who would letting a vehicle sit for that long anyway?

@karenhalgren3889

2 жыл бұрын

@@kizzpizz_skate1856 :Who would letting a vehicle sit for that long anyway?: Someone who has been stuck on bed with a pressure sore. :) As for the in floor backup crank- it's ok if you're able to reach both the crank and being able to remove the cover off the floor which some of us aren't. I have always had VMI vans and loved them but recently mine has been acting up not allowing me to open the door or deploy the ramp. I'm thinking of switching to a Braun next time. They each have their plusses. His opinion of both vans are just that- opinions...they both have their pros and cons.

@kevinw3030

2 жыл бұрын

Pick a better battery. I disconnected the battery in my dad's Lincoln about 3 years ago. Reconnected it two weeks ago and started the car.

@nwgwc

Жыл бұрын

Our Braun has NO backup and was told there is NO back up on/for them...we found out the hard way, being stranded out of state when our infloor BraunDisability power ramp linkage broke and we couldn't get the ramp out...I was STUCK in the van. When I finally got out and did some investigating on this a tech from Braun told me they know of this issue but still make the linkage out of very breakable plastic so that the owner will have to pay for the repair and that they don't put in a back up manual operating system for same reason. I got a hold of the Braun CEO and was told that if I didn't like their produt I was free to go get someone elses...HHMMM...some kind of customer service that was, and that was the CEO of Braun...I don't want a Braun, if for no other reason...but that way I was treated by the highest one up on top!

Funny thing is back in 2019 at an auto show a VMI Sales person said that Braunability makes a superior product compared to VMI. He went on to say that the quality, ride and functionality of the Braun van was top notch. He told me that with all the issues VMI has he was surprised that they were still in business.

This is great.

I was on the verge of purchasing a Braunability van simply because I liked the looks a lot more. However when I watched this video and learned that Bran had no backup system for their ramps the first thing I did was find another dealer since my original dealer failed to disclose this information to me, I went to a new dealer with my wife and we looked at both the Braun and VMI systems. I knew before going to the new dealer I was going to purchase the VMI, but I wanted to see if my wife ( who does most of the driving) agreed that a back up system for the ramp was very important. Of course she agreed. I really wish Brau had a backup system because I really liked the looks of their vehicle more, but I need to be sure I can get around and looks don't assure anything. The chances of needing a backup system for the ramp are about the same as needing a spare tire, and my spare tire on my 2010 Ford has never been on the ground, but if I need it, I have it.... Brau needs to wake up and start putting backup ramp systems in their vans.

@wheelchairjimmyusa

5 жыл бұрын

Rick, you made a good decision. You'll end up needing the backup more than you think. Braun does need to wake up.

@goldenwestmobility8501

5 жыл бұрын

Oh Rick... please don't tell me you made a decision on a youtube video alone?? Anyway... you may want to see my reply to Song Min below. You have been deceived.

@rickb8639

5 жыл бұрын

No I did not make my decision based on this video alone, I actually compared both the Braun and VMI by physically looking at both models and trying out the ramps, asking questions, and doing a lot of research. Your reply to Song Min below is the first I ever herd of any kind of Braun system and believe me the right questions were asked at two different dealers, (one in Waco and one in Austin) . Neither dealer mentioned anything about a power override system for the Braun. In fact, I was so upset with one dealer ( I had worked with for 3 weeks) he had not shared the information about VMI's system with me, and when questioned he never said anything about an override system in the Braun. And I was ready to purchase a Braun on his recommendation, before I learned about this issue. I also found Braun vehicles cost more and offered nothing more in return except maybe the external looks. Finally, VMI and USAA both offered a $1000 rebate to veterans who purchased a VMI. Braun from what I could find didn't offer a damn thing to support veterans. So again no my decision was not made base on this video alone. If Braun has a power override why was it not mentioned by either dealer and why is it not mentioned in any of Braun's advertisements, or on their web pages, I didn't find any information at all. I don't doubt your word, but I will say putting toggle switches under the rear passenger seat also doesn't make much sense, why not put the switch in plan sight like VMI did. I don't think I was deceived, and I don't agree that a power override is the same as a backup system. Also since I am in a wheelchair, have COPD, and a senior citizen, I doubt that I would be able to manual move any ramp in or out a vehicle. I do agree both have the potential to leave one stranded, but I would rather have the spare tire that I might never use than to be without it when I need it. I told the Waco dealer, that Braun made a serious marketing blunder, and I really believe this, again he never mentioned anything about Braun having any kind of backup system. I was so upset I found a different dealer. The second dealer when asked said, " I feel good about selling both Braun and VMI " explaining that it was a matter of customer preference and also the second dealer was not trying to sell me on one vehicle or the other. Finally, VMI has a battery back up system and a crank system, which I mention for the benefit of the readers.

@brians48now

5 жыл бұрын

@@rickb8639 Now your comment is what I was looking for. Thanks very much.

@nwgwc

Жыл бұрын

@@rickb8639 We were left stranded and the CEO of Braun told me I could get a different ramp conversion if I didn't like theirs...what a idiotic thing for a CEO to tell someone. And, no, Braun's don't have any override nor can a powered ramp be operated manually...except our can be because of the plastic linkage (instead of metal) being broke. And, my wife is handicap as well and it about kills her to operate our ramp manually, and I can't get it from in my chair. BraunAbility is or should be named BraunDISability...

I am a T-12 SCI 1981 now 63 next month. I owned a 1979 Chevy van no lift. I usedit for flyfishing from a kayakcamping, bed in it.. No lift. I just transfer in onto the floor and pull my manual wheelchair in. I replaced that vehicle with a brand new 2010 AWD GMC Savana full sizevan. Same use purpose transporting my kayak for flyfishing and camping out of it sleeping in it on aplatform bed I made. It is tough parking it getting in and out of the passenger side cargo door in parking lots and I don'teven have a lift! Side lift must beareal pain in the ass. I am looking into a rear lift or ramp entry on a mini van just for going to the grocery store and around town. If the battery goes dead whycan't a person just jump start the vehicle and restore power to the lift once the engine is running?????? Also why not call AAA????? ......

Does Bruno make conversation vans?

@user-cd8ri1mc6s

10 ай бұрын

No. Their equipment is made for mobility scooters.

Yeah

Probably right!

I have never owned a new van to find out how good or bad any of them are. Sure would be nice to find out how good or bad they are. But with the cost of those things i just don't understand how they make money off of handicapped people. 90% or more cannot afford those new vans. $54,000 or higher is ridiculous. They know handicapped people cannot afford those vans at those prices so why even selling that high. 😢🤷‍♂️

@user-cd8ri1mc6s

10 ай бұрын

You're paying for 2 vans. Remember, the floor on minivans must be lowered. That's expensive, as is the adaptive equipment

I looked at both and bought a VMI Honda Odyssey. After 6 months, I'm pleased with my choice. I've have only one unsolved issue. It's a wiring issue from VMI's manufacturing that my local VMI dealer service dept can not correct. When I open the driver's door, the light on the insturment cluster shows BOTH the driver's door and the side ramp door open. The side ramp door is not physically open. The reverse is also happening. If only the ramp door is open, the cluster shows BOTH the ramp door and driver's door open. I called the VMI corp service number and sadly they were useless. I could not talk directly with anyone who could help. Annoying, but I'm living with it.

@danpayerle

Жыл бұрын

I have a 2020 VMI Odyssey and it does the same thing and I think it's intentional. There are several systems in any modern vehicle that are connected to the driver door opening when the vehicle is turned off. Two main ones are the radio and fuel door lock on the Odyssey. When you turn the van off, the radio stays on until the driver's door is open. I find this very convenient when I go somewhere and need to wait for something/someone. I can continue listening to the radio or be on the phone with the engine off. When I open the side door/ramp the van acts as though the driver door was opened and turns off the audio system so you don't have to press the Power/Start button again. The other system is that the fuel door lock is connected to the door locks. When the van is locked the fuel door is locked. And when the van is unlocked the fuel door is unlocked. However if the doors are locked and the driver door is opened, the fuel door unlocks while the other doors remain locked. So a driver doesn't need to press the unlock button to refuel. Because the side door/ramp is connected to the driver door, when I get out on the ramp the fuel door unlocks. There might be other reasons that the side door is electrically connected to the driver door, but these are the two that I find helpful. As an aside, I have been having a ton of electrical issues with my van. It has left me stranded several times and not started or stalled and died in the middle of the road. The dealer has found problems where VMI did not properly tighten electrical connectors on the fuel system but it's still having issues. Just two days ago I got in after a doctor appointment and it would not drive faster than 12mph so I could not get home. I'm now about to start a lemon law claim to get VMI to buy the van back. So I'm not a VMI fanboy, just wanted to give you a reason why the driver and side door sensors are tied together.

I owned a BraunAbility 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE and just traded it in for a 2017 BraunAbility Pacifica Limited. Your assessment of no backup for a power failure is plain wrong. Both vehicles do have a backup system. On the Toyota Sienna I used it several times. The backup system on the Pacifica is in a really hard to reach place, which is definitely a design flaw, but it's there and it works. Someone at Braun must've ticked you off a lot to post such a video with falsehoods. I would much rather have a fold-out ramp than an in-floor because I had a bad experience with the in-floor ramp on a bus. Nothing worked and I was stuck on a bus at Disney World for 45 minutes until a mechanic showed up and was able to get it working again. I'll never trust an in-floor ramp. Also, the space inside a Pacifica is about 3 inches more on the ramp door side than on the Sienna. That's a huge improvement that Braun has made because they have relocated the door motor. Speaking of the door on the Pacifica, it has a hinge on it that allows it to fully open so that you have the entire door space to enter. You should do another video and correct your errors, sir.

@wheelchairjimmyusa

5 жыл бұрын

The Braun backup system works off the main battery. If the main battery fails, the backup fails as well. VMI has a 2nd battery that operates the backup.

@ronsherman4199

4 жыл бұрын

Sir, (as a seasoned wheelchair van mechanic) you are correct about brauns not having a backup battery BUT my MOST COMMON repair on vmi vans are the backup batteries either not working, not charging (everytime you jump start a vmi it blows the fuse to the backup battery charger) or related and as such vmi only warrantys them for “1year” compared to the rest of the van having a 3 year warranty. Both vans have their issues but you need to speak with an experienced & unbiased mechanic before misleading people. For example vmi’s have a “known cold weather issue” causing them not to work in cold climates which strands clients in extreme cold weather temps and they have no fix for it as yet. (This is extremely dangerous for clients with no feeling as they dont know they are getting frost bite until its too late).

@charleshackney5798

3 жыл бұрын

VMI introduces a new electronic primary backup system. The SURE DEPLOY* gives the customer a simple way to operate the VMI Northstar In-Floor ramp when the standard electronic control system is not functioning. As of July 1, 2007 all Chrysler/Dodge minivans with the Northstar in-floor ramp, are being produced with the SURE DEPLOY installed as standard equipment. -It bypasses the VMI 5 control system as well as other existing system elements .-A backup battery, independent of the vehicle 12V system provides continuous power to the SURE DEPLOY system -The backup battery is charged from the vehicle electrical system using a built in “smart” charger and charges primarily when the vehicle is running. -Eliminates physical exertion required by the customer to operate the manual crank to deploy the Northstar ramp -Operation is controlled by a simple mounted key pad strategically located to be easily accessible from either inside or outside of the vehicle, on the
C Pillar -Basic protections are built into the controls to prevent inadvertent operation and to prevent children from easily operating the now primary backup system . In a recent product demonstration, 9 out of 10 dealers recommended that VMI offer the SURE DEPLOY as standard equipment.

@mikeapple7021

3 жыл бұрын

@@ronsherman4199 is correct about the BLOWN FUSE issue for the Sure-Deploy backup system. VMI is very aware of it, but they have no remedy. I usually tell my clients that buy a VMI van to call me or come by any time they jumpstart or replace their vehicle battery and have the backup system checked out free of charge (usually takes 5 minutes or less to check) The reason I do this is because if the 3 amp fuse that protects that system blows, it also disables the "low sure deploy battery" warning beeper, which means the client will probably need to buy a new 12V8AH battery during their next maintenance visit or when the need arises to use the backup system and it doesn't work. As for the cold weather issue, I am unaware of any problems on newer (2011 or above) except for possible "weak" battery issues. The VMI controller does various strange failures once the battery under load approaches the 12.0 volt or below range. That is usually remedied by warming the vehicle with remote start or simply starting the vehicle before operating the conversion. But I'm in middle TN and it's rarely below 20 degrees here! Keep up the good work!!!

@SoleEpiphany

2 жыл бұрын

@@ronsherman4199 has this been rectified for the 2021 years? Just purchased a 21 Sienna XSE AWD VMI Northstar.

Does this observation still hold true with a more current wheelchair accessible van? Is VMI better?

@077Survivor

2 жыл бұрын

it is a false review now and when it was published. Braun is very simple deploying the ramp when there is no power versus a weekend backup battery that may not work with a Vmi

There are a couple of those MV1’s around here. They are terrible quality and such a Frankenstein of parts. It was a cool idea with terrible implementation.

Great review Jimmy , I had a VMI Town and Country and had to use both backups several times ,I have since bought a newer Odyssey with the same ramp system as I found it to be so handy that I put up with the negatives including interior noise as a worthwhile trade off . I imagine all the dislikes are Braun customers that are delusional.

@jamesquay7399

4 жыл бұрын

Actually I'm in the market for a van for my father. This is a first time purchase. I have no bias one way or the other. When he said in the video that the Braun had no backup, I looked it up and found a video from 2014 and another on the current website, and they both showed a powered backup. Also he showed the ramp height of the Braun without lowering the car. Lowering the car decreases the ramp angle. That is why the video was downvoted.

@TheArmystutz

2 жыл бұрын

I love my 2012 Braun Dodge Grand Caravan(turbo), despite its simple flaws. Super fast, cheap to fill up, incredible mileage, straightforward to rear load and lock in any wheelchair, very easy fold-down ramp, but poor rear door seal and road noise. The check engine light comes on if you open the gas cap while running because of the evap canister design, but I just hook up and reset it myself. I like my locking floor turnbuckles and how I can move them anywhere. I also have a freedom motors really nice ford transit, and im thinking about buying another ford and a different wheelchair van.

@user-cd8ri1mc6s

10 ай бұрын

The VMI interior noise drove me nuts on a demo. Plus it felt less well built. BraunAbility in recent years is better built, less noisy, still keeps the ride quality (even 2006 which I had a Dodge as a rental).

I have owned both VMI and Braun the big problems I have had (in MN) is rust. My current van is an 2012 Dodge caravan that was converted in 2014. It has 50k miles and need a complete floor rebuild estimate is $10,000 for repairs. I have had this problem with both manufactures. It's not the factory metal that fails it's the conversion itself. The doors and ramps are going to be a problem at some point with or without backup. I have a c5 complete injury and for that ramp crank I may as well throw it in the trash. I have a strap to hook on the door handle to manually open it, a rope on the ramp to pull it down, a second rope that I can hook on the ramp loop over the upper grab handle and use my power chair to pull up the ramp, unlatch the door and do a quick stop to close it. I think if I added a double pully I could pull up the ramp by hand. One last thought on ramps I personally like high sides so the in floor design is out for me.

@james1787

Жыл бұрын

We have a Braun side entry odyssey and we have the same issue - rust. I've had to make some supports for the lower door tracks to keep them at the right level due to the door track supports rusting away (a ton of water gets in there). I hope to get a few more years out of it - but I would have gladly paid more $$ if they built it out of stainless. We've had numerous problems with the ramp and a few other things. Knowing what I know now - we will never own another lowered floor minivan due to the problems we encountered. It's sad they don't build these to last a long time. The drive train will go 200-300k miles but you would be luckly to get 7-10 years out of a conversion before it's literally junk. I'm one that likes to keep cars a long time (& not have a car payment) - not just get something new and shiny every couple of years. These vehicles are huge investments - with all the medical bills, money doesn't exactly flow freely so a vehicle I invest in needs to last a long time. It would be nice if they put a little more thought into logevity rather than planned obsolescence.

I had 2 Braunability vans, the hardware for the conversion like floor sheetmetal screws are cheap metal that rot , behind the plastic side skirts on my Chrysler the entire surface rotted and the cost was $2600 to fix. I will never buy or recommend a Braunability van period. I wonder what steps are taken to prevent rust in the VMI built vans, and if they use stainless steel screws and fasteners to assemble the conversion. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks George

@julemarie4550

2 жыл бұрын

Coating undercarriage helps

BraunAbility 100% has backup over rides switches in case of a failure? Cmon Jimmy..

@Maples01

3 ай бұрын

Junk, never braun, they are garbage, and they will not maintain it!

Thank You so much!!!! You bring up the very important point...emergency back up system

@goldenwestmobility8501

5 жыл бұрын

Keep in mind that this video FAILS to mention that Bruan does, in fact, have a POWERED OVERRIDE for both the ramp AND kneel system. (easy to use toggle switches are hidden right underneath the rear passenger seat). Not to mention that manually pushing out a Bruan bi-fold ramp is a LOT EASIER than trying to deploy a VMI in-floor with that manual crank. In the end, you simply can not rely on a video like this alone to make a proper choice as both manufactures have their pro's and con's. The truth is that both have the equal potential to leave you stranded, but both have a means to make sure you are not stuck in your van while stranded and THAT is the most important. Videos like this does give you points to ask questions on, so go visit your local dealer and ask questions and physically see it for yourself ;-) I'm a dealer for both, if you are in the Washington state area, hit me up, I'll be more than happy to show you both. I will even let you manually try to get out of both with no power, and then you will be able to tell us, which one you would prefer. (this would be a great thing to ask of your local dealer)

@inesillgen7722

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your impartial expert comment as I’m in the market for my first mobility van and need all the help I can get.

Our first, and only so far, is a Chevrilet Venture Braun that 'broke down' while we were 650 mies from home. We called around and found a Braun facility but was tild it would be over a week for them to look at it and it would cost over $1300 for them to just look at it and would be over $3000 to fix it...don't know how they came up with that; afterall, they hadn't even looked at it. I called the tech support and chatted with a very helpful technician. This person told me what was most likely the issue after I very detaildly explained to them what was happening. "Oh yeah, they were designed with a plastic part instead of metal so they'd break and the customer would have to pay for the fix." OK, so if they know what the problem is why is it going to cost me over $1300 to to have it looked at? And, if they know (or are at least pretty sure because of what I explained to them and they 'know' what the most likely problem is) why do they even have to 'look' at it but instead just go in and fix it? Plus, how can a manufacturer knowlingly produce something inferior and expect to not get found out and still expect people to pay for the fix? We have figured out how to manually pull out and retract the ramp; however, my wife is disabled and struggles greatly to operate the ramp in this manner...and I cannot reach it from my wheelchair at all. To top it all off, I contacted the CEO of BraunAbility and was basically told that they didn't really care and that I was "free to go elsewhere if I didn't like the product or the service from their dealership/service department." WHAT?!?!? BraunAbility is pitifully-pathetic...from the top clear down through...except for that poor online tech who could/would most likely get fired if the higher-ups knew the info they gave me...I'm not telling on that person, that's for sure...LOL! Thank you for this great video...we need a new (to us anyway) ramp van and didn't want a Braun, and now we really do NOT want a Braun.

How about the vw Routan? Anyone ever reviewed it?

I have owned a VMI Northstar since 2017. By far the worse quality vehicle produced in any new vehicle that I have seen. Be vey careful about VMI products. For example, the kneel chain broke in September, 2020, May of 2021 and yesterday. (While it was at the Mobilty dealer getting the door and ramp fixed.) Direct quote from VMI - “you can’t expect quality like a Ford, because we need to keep the cost at $70,000.” Be more than happy to discuss the journey to help others.

I have owned a VMI Northstar since 2017. By far the worse quality vehicle produced in any new vehicle. Be vey careful about VMI products. For example, the kneel chain broke in September, 2020, May of 2021 and yesterday. (While it was at the Mobilty dealer getting the door and ramp fixed.) Direct quote from VMI - you can’t expect quality like a Ford, because we need to keep the cost at $70,000. Be more than happy to discuss the journey to help others.

This video is VERY MISLEADING!! Vmi conversions back-up battery never works when you're actually in these situations. Also Braun conversions does have an overpowering battery for the ramp and the door. AND if that ever goes wrong it is much much easier to push the Braun foldable ramp down EASILY versus trying to deploy an in-floor ramp that Vmi provide. I find it strange that in your entire video you are in a VMI dealership.. so you clearly work for them somehow or you are sponsoring them for a secret deal. You as a wheelchair user should be ashamed of yourself. We take these things serious and need honest reviews and not only that, we need facts!

Braun ability Power folding ramp can be deployed manually. The no backup system is false. Comparing a in floor vmi to a bifold braun is foolish.