Howdy guys

[kayak]

I really wasn't sure where to put this, so feel free to move as needed. Just wanted to say hello, I'm not a sportsmobile owner and probably won't be for quite some time as I'm a college student...but dang these things are cool. I have some mobility problems and as a result use a segway as my mobility device, the only caveat with that is that I cannot fly with it; add to that my love of kayaking, fishing, boating, and watersports in general, and it seems like a sportsmobile would be the ultimate coastal fishing base camp.
-kayak

[billwilson]

welcome buddy
poke around here, some great stuff

even a guy that has a special rig for those with less mobility!

[TwoVans]

Welcome!

[hippievan]

Don't hesitate to talk to SMB about any special needs. I have photo shots of some neat 'universal-design' stuff they have done regarding egress, toilet, shower, aisle width. Part of info gathered before I bought an SMB on eBay that I couldn't pass up. You can 'thin-line' the cabinetry and appliances on both sides of a Sportsmobile and leave an aisle plenty wide enough for a Segway. Customization is SMB's middle name.

[jage]

Originally Posted by michaelstead

I have photo shots of some neat 'universal-design' stuff they have done regarding egress, toilet, shower, aisle width.

[billwilson]

Originally Posted by jage

amen!

[kayak]

Luckily I'm relatively mobile and don't require a lot as far as adaptive stuff is concerned. I only use the segway for long distance stuff, around the house and for shorter distances I just use a pair of hiking canes. Really, the most i'd need as far as adaptive stuff is a class 2 hitch with an 8 way plug to carry my segvator segway lift and maybe a set of hand controls.
here's the lift:

and just for fun, from the same folks that make the lift. It's still a prototype, but that's me riding it:

-kayak

[BroncoHauler]

Cool rig. (One leg) Lance may be interested in talking to you.


Herb

[jage]

Well, for the money, don't discount doing a minimal homebrew build out of a non-SMB van... it still beats tent camping!

[kayak]

Originally Posted by jage

Well, for the money, don't discount doing a minimal homebrew build out of a non-SMB van... it still beats tent camping!

I've thought about it, but I know jack squat about the auxiliary electrics and the FWD systems present in a SMB, which is what drew me to them in the first place. I think I'd just be money/time ahead by just finding a nice used 4x4 SMB and redoing the interior myself. I first saw a sportsmobile on margaritaville.com, and dug what I could see from the limited interior shots; it got my thinking about how i'd like my sportsmobile rigged if I owned one. First thing that came to mind was your stock westfalia type rig with a fold down couch in the rear, with an interior galley on the left wall and fold out bar/dish and silverware cabinet on the doors a la every sportsmobile I've ever seen. The custom part comes into play in that ideally I would need an EB, as I'd want the combo shower stall/head to lay in between the galley and the bed. Anybody that's ever done some serious fishing knows how good a hot shower feels at the end of the day, and in my particular case showering seated is far more comfortable, therefore the fiberglass stall shower/head is the way to go. The easy part comes into play in a sense that I've grown up around boats, and could pretty well do all the cabinetry and carpentry myself. I'm thinking bamboo floors and teak cabinets; kinda like a sportfish on wheels. But in the end, I'll leave all the wiring/plumbing to the pros at SMB, as the last thing I need is my segway frying out in the backcountry due to my lack of wiring skills. Of course, this is all here say as I've got 4 years of college to look forward to before I can even contemplate building the rolling sportfish.
-kayak