Technical help needed: accessibility of truck bed/open tailgate

[Minnie-da-Mulcher]

A technical question - how high off the ground is the bed of the truck/the open tailgate? I ask because in my current Volvo XC70 station wagon I tote around my husband's electric mobility scooter, and I would need fairly easy loading/unloading access in a Maverick truck - if I bought a Maverick. (At present I can load into/unload out of the station wagon all by myself without needing a ramp.)

And, yes, I'd need some sort of truck bed cover to keep the scooter clean and dry. Suggestions?

Note that I do currently schlep a LOT of other items in my Volvo wagon - vast amounts of recycling; surplus/spoilt food for a farm animal rescue group; community garden plants, tools and supplies. (It's amazing what you can get involved with when you're "retired".)

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[Fcnrwy]

I was just going out to retreive something from the truck...

30.5" is the distance of ground to top edge of lowered tailgate.

Jerry

 

[mepot101]

Look into Harmar scooter lifts.
My wife has one on her Subaru, with the swing away bracket.
Mounts in the trailer hitch, works great and no lifting the scooter.

 

[Minnie-da-Mulcher]

I was just going out to retreive something from the truck...

30.5" is the distance of ground to top edge of lowered tailgate.

Jerry

Euww -
- equivalent Volvo XC wagon distance - 23" with incline up to 23.5",
- equivalent Dodge Ram Maxivan distance - 26.5" (I handle that height OK too),
- wheelbase of Golden LiteRider electric scooter - 33" long, so I'd need something sturdy to elevate the rear wheels to create a manageable hypotenuse.
(After removing the 27+lb battery and the seat, the front end of the scooter is lifted up and those wheels get pushed in first.)
Suggestions???
(and thank you so much Jerry for your prompt reply)

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

FWIW, my '24 Lariat AWD 4K has a 28.5" height to the tailgate. Not sure why it's 2" less than fcnrwy's?

HRG

 

[Minnie-da-Mulcher]

Look into Harmar scooter lifts.
My wife has one on her Subaru, with the swing away bracket.
Mounts in the trailer hitch, works great and no lifting the scooter.

Thank you so much for that suggestion, mepot101.

Definitely going to have to check out that idea for the Maverick. I suppose the Maverick doesn't already come with a tow hitch?

I'd thought of it before but not having a back-up camera on either the Dodge Maxivan or the Volvo wagon has deterred me from toting the scooter in a rack, especially when I'm carrying around my usual haul of stuff and can't see out through the back window! Also, the scooter does live happily protected in the back of my car ready for use by DH. I would worry about it getting weathered. It's an outdoor-use machine, not used inside the house.

Of course, making the scooter easier to unload/load at home would mean that it might not have to stay tucked away inside a vehicle in between excursions.

 

[Minnie-da-Mulcher]

FWIW, my '24 Lariat AWD 4K has a 28.5" height to the tailgate. Not sure why it's 2" less than fcnrwy's?

HRG

Ooh, Hot Runr Guy, 28.5" is sounding more manageable. Could the height difference be due to the type of wheels/tires?
Thanks for taking the time to measure.

 

[Fcnrwy]

FWIW, my '24 Lariat AWD 4K has a 28.5" height to the tailgate. Not sure why it's 2" less than fcnrwy's?
HRG

Mine is a XL 2WD and it does seem to appear a little high in the back.
Like my Ranger's use to be... As I applied a load they did drop in height..

Jerry

 

[FabMav]

Check out this hitch mounted scooter carrier with loading ramp:
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/popsicle-hauler.51663/
From:
https://www.harborfreight.com/aluminum-mobility-wheelchair-and-scooter-carrier-67599.html

 

[dfwrere]

Check out this hitch mounted scooter carrier with loading ramp:
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/popsicle-hauler.51663/
From:
https://www.harborfreight.com/aluminum-mobility-wheelchair-and-scooter-carrier-67599.html

We have the harbor freight scooter carrier to carry my mother's scooter with us when we travel. It works well and is not terribly expensive. My only gripe about it is the ramp. There are spaces between the crossbars that those little scooter wheels love to get stuck in and it can be a bear to push it out of them. Driving it up the ramp is near impossible because of it. I'm planning on getting some sort of screen or plate to mount over it to stop that problem.

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

We have the harbor freight scooter carrier to carry my mother's scooter with us when we travel. It works well and is not terribly expensive. My only gripe about it is the ramp. There are spaces between the crossbars that those little scooter wheels love to get stuck in and it can be a bear to push it out of them. Driving it up the ramp is near impossible because of it. I'm planning on getting some sort of screen or plate to mount over it to stop that problem.

something like this? https://www.amazon.com/ECOTRIC-Trai...9d100477f53830b68850d84284db6b8e&gad_source=1

HRG

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

A technical question - how high off the ground is the bed of the truck/the open tailgate? I ask because in my current Volvo XC70 station wagon I tote around my husband's electric mobility scooter, and I would need fairly easy loading/unloading access in a Maverick truck - if I bought a Maverick. (At present I can load into/unload out of the station wagon all by myself without needing a ramp.)

And, yes, I'd need some sort of truck bed cover to keep the scooter clean and dry. Suggestions?

Note that I do currently schlep a LOT of other items in my Volvo wagon - vast amounts of recycling; surplus/spoilt food for a farm animal rescue group; community garden plants, tools and supplies. (It's amazing what you can get involved with when you're "retired".)

With the truck being level.
My Maverick hybrid xlt equipped with standard Continental Tires,
has a tailgate lift-onto height of 32 inches as pictured below
Fords own specs. Put it at 31.7"

• Bed depth: 20.8 inches.
• Tailgate height: 31.7 inches.
• Tailgate width: 50 inches.

I'm not a fanboy of any particular vehicle. I'm a realist. I'm not going to puff up any vehicle just because I own it.
Maverick may or may not be the best suited vehicle for you. Even groceries can be a pain, having to reach over the tailgate to put the bags in the bed.
My wife absolutely will not use the Maverick to go grocery shopping.
Even for me, loading my wife's Escape is easier than my truck specially if we buy a couple 44lb. bags of salt.
With a SUV most times they have a lower loading height. Plus you don't have to contend with a tailgate in your way, you're loading right into the vehicle.
Remember that 32-in lift just gets the wheelchair ONTO the tailgate.
You are going to have to lift it higher than 32" just to get it onto the tailgate. Unless you plan on driving home with it sitting on the tailgate. You are going to have to push it into the bed over the tailgate GAP, while bending over the tailgate.
It may be easier ifyou have a slide out bed floor. Even with that it could still be too heavy.
Reverse the process for unloading.
Sounds like the Volvo is your perfect vehicle.
Good luck, take care.
GB

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

Here are some pictures to consider in your circumstances.

Most SUVs one lift and it's in the vehicle.

With a pickup truck you have to first get it up onto the tailgate.

Then while bending you have to slide it over the tailgate Gap into the bed.

At almost 70 years old with arthritis in my spine it's not the easiest thing for me to do. With the Escape it is far easier, being able to walk right up to the cargo area and putting things right inside.
My wife has trouble lifting grocery bags over the tailgate into the bed she prefers her Escape
That's our situation.
I look at facts. For most people an SUV with a lift up tailgate, is far easier to load the cargo area than loading a pickup truck OVER the tailgate. No if I'm hauling gas cans or rolls of sod I prefer using one of my trucks. My wife is forbid me for putting gas cans in the back of her Escape.

 

[dfwrere]

something like this? https://www.amazon.com/ECOTRIC-Trai...9d100477f53830b68850d84284db6b8e&gad_source=1

HRG

Exactly! That would work so much better.

 

[Mr Pibb]

Here are some pictures to consider in your circumstances.

Most SUVs one lift and it's in the vehicle.

With a pickup truck you have to first get it up onto the tailgate.

Then while bending you have to slide it over the tailgate Gap into the bed.

At almost 70 years old with arthritis in my spine it's not the easiest thing for me to do. With the Escape it is far easier, being able to walk right up to the cargo area and putting things right inside.
My wife has trouble lifting grocery bags over the tailgate into the bed she prefers her Escape
That's our situation.
I look at facts. For most people an SUV with a lift up tailgate, is far easier to load the cargo area than loading a pickup truck OVER the tailgate. No if I'm hauling gas cans or rolls of sod I prefer using one of my trucks. My wife is forbid me for putting gas cans in the back of her Escape.

Do you think a bed rug that includes the tailgate would help?

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