Disabled access to Holiday Home abroad

[King Billy]

And thanks to matty as well. I was trying to avoid the manhandling scenario.
Home-made ramps tend to be heavy and cumbersome. But the angle is too extreme without going into the road.

I think I need a solution whereby the wheelchair is pushed onto one end of a "ramp", (but not a ramp), which is then raised to about 72 cm higher allowing a flat approach to the house.

A motorcycle lift workbench, with a hinged "bridge" to the house floor level might work, but I have to ensure it couldn't overbalance the workbench.
To achieve that, I think the bridge must be fixed to both the motorbike workbench by a hinge, and the house floor, by a hinge. And the position of the motorbike workbench locked in place somehow, to prevent the base from skidding backwards. But allow the small movement due to the "ramp/bridge" going from an angle to a level surface. Or some sort of sliding connection either at the workbench end or the house floor end.
But in a way that would allow it to be dismantled and stowed, ready for the next time.

If anyone can see any problems or solutions with that, please advise. Or if anyone can see any other options, similarly, please advise.
It's doing my head in.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

A motorcycle lift workbench, with a hinged "bridge" to the house floor level might work, but I have to ensure it couldn't overbalance the workbench.

A motorcycle workbench, will be longer than needed, and narrow, a better option might be an ATV type lift. To prevent the tipping over, a weight transfers onto the 'bridge', a pair of arms should work, from the upper, leading edge down at 45 degrees, to the wedge against a step.

The 'bridge' needed, seems around 70cms, some light-weight steel U channel would do for that, maybe vertically braced in the middle, down to a step.

 

[cdbe]

I think you'd be best with a simple two part ramp with a fixed (for the duration of the visits) section on your property and a section that could be pulled out onto the road for a few minutes when required. Total length about 4.5- 5m long, constructed of marine plywood with 3x2 supports - underneath and on top on the long edges - the top pieces will also act as guide rails, make the lower ramp narrower so it will lie inside the upper one. You'll need to design a simple locking system to make the connection safe (something simple like a length of 2x2 across the top end of the lower ramp to drop in a slot at the bottom of the upper).
If you Google telescopic ramps you'll get the idea (and the fact that to buy something of the required length would cost thousands - Vs hundreds to make something - obviously assuming you possess basic carpentry skills)

I wouldn't be trying to jack up a wheelchair (and you'd still need half the ramp).

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I wouldn't be trying to jack up a wheelchair (and you'd still need half the ramp).

This, the long version, plus a winch. https://cavendishhealthcare.co.uk/folding-suitcase-ramp

 

[Tigercubrider]

Any chance of a plan view showing the house/steps/boundary?
And a photo?
A lot of loading bays have a hinged fold down ramp that acts as a barrier when up.

M/C benches tend to come with a ramp to get the bike onto it. You could maybe use that to get on, then move it for the “off”
M/c benches tend to move forwards when moving up, as they are a parallelogram
scissor lifts go straight up
If considering a bike lift, check width if you don’t want to modify it

 

[King Billy]

A motorcycle workbench, will be longer than needed, and narrow, a better option might be an ATV type lift. To prevent the tipping over, a weight transfers onto the 'bridge', a pair of arms should work, from the upper, leading edge down at 45 degrees, to the wedge against a step.

The 'bridge' needed, seems around 70cms, some light-weight steel U channel would do for that, maybe vertically braced in the middle, down to a step.

I was thinking that I didn't want too much of a "setting up/down" to use it. Your suggestion of the arms at 45 degrees made me think, I'm nearly building a scaffold here.
Then it hit me, not the scaffold but the idea of it.
An ATV lift is very nice, especially with electrical operation, but for the occasional use, a bit too expensive.
Whereas the price of a modified M/C lift is not bad. Except there are problems. I've already mentioned the overbalancing problem, and when I've explained to a supplier how I intend to use it, they run a mile.
Yes, Tigercubrider, the parallelogram lift has the forward movement as well as the upward movement, which I initially thought would be great, but when I tell 'em how it will be used, the parallel movements, like this: ZZ, suddenly become unavailable. Only the scissor lifts are available, like this: X. Which is why I thought I needed a bridge, then I realised, I don't. A free standing 'scaffold' designed to sit on the steps, flush with the top of a scissor lift, level with the house floor, will 'bridge' the gap without exerting any force on the M/C lift. and a scissor lift will be more stable.
I can easily get something to sit on the steps, made in metal, or even make something in wood myself. And sure, I need to extend the width of the table, unless I can source a 720 mm wide lift table. There's also space for a 'pusher' to stand behind the wheelchair. And the on-ramp creates a reversing stop while in the air.
The steps cover the full width of the bifold doors, so there's plenty of width to leave the 'scaffold' in place while there's a chance of the wheelchair access required, and still leave plenty of pedestrian room.
I'll need to test it out, but if necessary I can probably create some kind of connector to, or support from, the scaffold to prevent any overbalancing of the lift table.

Hopefully the beauty of it will be that the M/C lift table needs minimum modification, if it's not needed in the long term it'll have some resale value and the 'scaffold' to sit on the steps will be dead easy to make.

I'll report back, maybe in a few weeks, when I've got everything together and tried it out.

Thanks to everyone for their ideas.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Hopefully the beauty of it will be that the M/C lift table needs minimum modification, if it's not needed in the long term it'll have some resale value and the 'scaffold' to sit on the steps will be dead easy to make.

There are usually a few used ones, on Facebook Market.