help? suggestions?

[Dave Fales]

is this a van you bought your self or did an organization by it for you if
an org did maybe you can go back to them and maybe they might have the power
to fight them the repair place
----- Original Message -----
From: <AngelOnly at aol.com>
To: Amputee Information Network <amp-l at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2000 8:39 PM
Subject: help? suggestions?


> Warning, this is LONG!
>
> Once again I am runnin' to amp for help.  I know there are very few if any
> wheelchair users on the list but here goes!  I  am as some of you  know, a
> double amputee, I use a wheelchair exclusively,  my van is my only means
of
> transportation and is more than that ... it is my means of independence
and
> of caring for myself and my 13 yr old son.  Five years ago after a 3 yr
> lawsuit against my insurance comp.
> ( this is another story all together!) I was finally  provided with a
van.
> It is a dodge caravan and  with all the conversions etc, it was supposed
to
> help me. The door is an automatic one  that opens with the push of a
toggle
> switch then a ramp unfolds as the van itself lowers so there is less of a
> grade for me to deal iwith. The ramp has gotten stuck on the door
repeatedly,
> finally knocking off the molding -- no big deal , the molding is just
visual
> anyway. We drove back and forth to a place several times for stupid little
> repairs that should not have been necessary.  Next problem was a BIG One--
we
> are smelling gas.. INSIDE the van. For weeks this went on with the
mechanics
> locally and at the place that does conversion van work telling me that it
was
> summer and it was just me smelling the gas cos the window was open. My son
> goes out to the van to clean up and comes in .. sticking his bare foot in
my
> face. IT is full of gasoline. Seems when they did the conversion work,
> someone goofed and the gas had been spraying inside slowly  for a long
long
> time til the leak got bigger and it was obviously soaking the rug. The
call
> to the repair shop yielded nothing, the long distance call to VANTAGE
motors
> did the trick, flat bed picked it up within 24 hrs and it was repaired and
i
> got apologies from the company.  Then the door starts to stick, the ramp
has
> all sorts of problems til one fine day i drove to a different repair place
( 
> there are only a few of them that do this sort of work) I Get to the place 
> late and the mechanic comes to look at the ramp/motor just 5 min before 
> closing. i open the ramp .. motor falls out ( they call it an 'actuator'?)  I 
> find a cheap hotel they rig it temporarily. 2 weeks later they put in an 
> entire new ramp and motor. all covered by warranty of course. this is about a 
> yr and a half ago.  Then the power seat starts to give me trouble. they fix 
> that then the airbag that raises  n lowers the van goes. i spend ohhhh 2 days 
> in a cheap hotel awaiting the repair.  When i first got the van I was soo 
> happy! finally safe transportation that would not cause constant injuries as 
> my station wagon did ( pulling it in n out over n over kept me in PT or 
> taking anti inflamatory pills etc) The lawsuit did not include any sort of 
> repairs or maintenance which i agreed to when the lawyer brought it up.  I 
> have had none stop problems for months now. the door will not open , there 
> seems to be a wire that appears to be melted in the batch of wires that are 
> at the door/ramp.  I have to open and close the door manually and it is very 
> hard. This morning at a job I was trying to open the door when i pulled 
> something in my shoulder. Terrible pain shot thru arm. i got out of the van 
> but had trouble rolling the chair. something is badly pulled or strained. DR 
> appt tomorrow. 
>  
> The company has a good reputation but sigh... the problems i have had, well i 
> feel .. as if when they do work such as van conversions that are supposed to 
> provide help and independance, safety and the vehicle seems to be falling 
> apart-- I think they need to make s
ome sort of repairs. I feel like I got a
> LEMON of a conversion job. I am a single mom with a job that doesn't pay
> well. I absolutely need reliable transportation. I want to somehow try to
> make VANTAGE sit up and take notice of all the problems i have had over
the
> years. What is my next step? I can't afford a lawyer . Do i write to
> disability related publications? am at wits end.
> angel
>