I'm a t-10/t-11 incomplete paraplegic(this means there is a chance my spinal cord could heal enough some day that I might walk again, never normal but getting around is getting around) from a car crash that was my fault and I was ejected, causing me to crush two vertabrae right about the bottom of my rib cage. Not that any of that matters, I was just curious if we have many riders who are in a similar situation and what mods have you done to your 6x6s to make them more accessible or friendly?
The previous owner of my max ii project already added some rollover protection to the factory main hoop so I believe that will help quite a bit for entering and exiting. My wheelchair isn't too much lower than the side of the machine so it should be a pretty easy transfer. My main concerns are some sort of really good padding for the seat and back rest I'm going to custom make and cover them in some decent weight cordura, it's pretty tough stuff and I think it might breathe half decent even though it's supposed to be water resistant, and possibly adding some Paracord grab handles like the Jeep guys run, I have plenty of time to braid them or weave them whichever you prefer to call it. I also have been mulling over the idea of building custom laterals that I can push a button and pop them off and lay them off to the side just so I don't have to fight my right leg too much, it has what the doctor said is tone which is basically to me like a constant muscle spasm where that leg stiffens up and straightens out when I'm transferring or rub my leg against something, if I'm not ready for it can really make doing some stuff a bear. But my idea was to get some of those brass spring loaded buttons like walkers and crutches have to adjust them and sleeve the bottom of my laterals where I will put the lock buttons, maybe, I'll decide if I want to that after it's all back together and I figure out how bad my leg wants to fight me when I'm getting in and out. I'm also thinking of maybe a small blower to pull heat from the engine compartment and blow on the floor area to keep my legs and feet warm in winter, of course it will be switched and most likely I'll get some sort of vents I can close, maybe something like the round vents I've seen in some of the equipment I used to run. I may add a harness to help keep me in the seat better for when I'm doing the rough and bouncy stuff since my legs don't have enough strength to hold me place, I have some movement but not enough to amount to much, I could probably push a dimmer switch with my left foot, the right doesn't really do much but spas out. Like everything I own my body is a work in progress too lol, my wife and I have a joke between us that if it isn't broke or defective in some way it isn't ours haha! I'd also like to build some sort of lift for hunting that I can raise with a winch to pick up deer when I'm hunting, I would build it so it hooked up like the plows do.
Any other suggestions from other members that have been through the same thing or similar or even just things guys may have seen others do that will make it even more of do all handicap buggy? I'm also going to have a cb, at least then if I have a real bad emergency or get stuck by myself I can radio a call to help, I know I shouldn't put myself in that situation but I'm stubborn and I'm not going to stop doing what I love and living. For the amount of money I will have tied up my 76 max ii I could have bought a pretty decent newer machine but I can't see any fun in doing it the easy way. And doing it this way I can spend a little here and there to get the end result I'm picturing in my mind instead of needing to have a lump sum. Thank you guys for all the help and knowledge you've shared with me so far.
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Originally Posted by john swenson
