Love is one of the most powerful motivators in life. That is what inspired this man to create a fully electric off-road wheelchair for his paralyzed girlfriend. Cambry, like most wheelchair users, has spent the majority of her adult life on the ground. Aside from that, traveling long distances in a wheelchair causes her shoulders to ache.
Zack Nelson, her boyfriend at the time, wanted her to be able to explore more places more easily, so he built her a special wheelchair that would allow her to do so. Zack started by combining two electric bikes and adding a seat in the middle – it worked! Cambry felt a whole new level of freedom thanks to her new “ride,” and she couldn’t be more grateful to Zack for devising it. Fast forward a year, and Cambry and Zack married.
They also started mass-producing the vehicle, dubbed “Not-a-Wheelchair.” During that time, the couple tweaked the original design to make it a more dependable off-roader. While similar vehicles do exist on the market, the couple claims they are either too slow or cost the same as a car. Cambry and Zack wanted to create something that was quick, light, super long-range, and affordable. However, developing such an electric off-roader was not easy.
“The most difficult challenge in developing ‘Not-A-Wheelchair’ was the price. We wanted to make something that was accessible to everyone. “It took a long time to find quality components and a simple enough design at the lowest possible price,” Zack explained in an interview with Bored Panda. “However, I believe we now have something that everyone will be able to enjoy at a fraction of the cost of other ‘off-road wheelchairs’ on the market.”
“Not-a-Wheelchair” is not an indoor machine, according to Zack. Cambry still uses her regular wheelchair at home, but whenever they go to the park or on a hike, she jumps in The Rig. Another advantage of the vehicle is that it is silent; the rider will have no trouble conversing with their companion while using it. During the couple’s previous trips, the Rig proved to be a capable machine.
“We took The Rig to Hawaii twice for testing,” Zack boasted. The bike must be shipped by a freight company before we leave, but we ship The Rig about a week before we fly out, and it will be waiting for us when we arrive.” “This was all before COVID was a thing. “Fortunately, we also live near mountains and snow, with long wide flat trails to try out the bike on,” Zack added.
During the couple’s previous trips, the Rig proved to be a capable machine. “We took The Rig to Hawaii twice for testing,” Zack boasted. The bike must be shipped by a freight company before we leave, but we ship The Rig about a week before we fly out, and it will be waiting for us when we arrive.” “This was all before COVID was a thing. “Fortunately, we also live near mountains and snow, with long wide flat trails to try out the bike on,” Zack added.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the “Not-a-Wheelchair” is not a medical device; it is simply a bicycle. This means that its owner must be prepared to deal with the normal maintenance and problems that come with owning a bike. Nonetheless, Cambry and Zack are pleased with the fully-electric machine and hope that other wheelchair users will benefit from it as well.
The Rig has a top speed of 12 miles per hour and a range of 10-20 miles on one battery and 25-35 miles on two batteries. These figures will be determined by the terrain as well as the combined weight of the user and the cargo. The recommended maximum weight is 225 pounds. It also has a rear rack mounting system for wheelchairs, camping equipment, or a picnic basket.
It has a lightweight aluminum frame, a detachable bumper, and four-inch off-road bike tires. Without the bumper, the Rig is 5 feet long and 32 inches wide. It is small enough to fit in short-bed pickup trucks, Jeeps, and Subaru Outbacks. The Rig, like any other bike, struggles in soft sand or snow, but it handles most terrain admirably. For $3,750, you can get your own “Not-a-Wheelchair” with no suspension and only one battery. See The Rig in action in the video below.