Mission Statement

The Easy Load Ramp System provides unencumbered, safe loading and unloading of hand or foot powered tricycles to and from a transporting vehicle for persons with limited mobility as well as those persons of able body.

ABOUT EASY LOAD

The Easy Load Ramp System (ELRS) was born out of necessity.

The idea came from Scott Reiter, the rider of a recumbent trike. Scott is physically disabled by Spina Bifida and therefore does not stand or walk without some difficulty. The recumbent trike was meant to expand his horizons in mobility while providing exercise and physical therapy. This all worked out very well except, while Scott had no trouble lifting the trike, moving a few steps to load it in his Sport Utility Vehicle proved very difficult and Scott often required help. Scott told his father, Tom, he had an idea to help him get it in and out of his SUV by himself. Thus the ELRS “A Model” was born. The “A” was a successful proof of concept effort. However, it was primarily steel which made it very heavy.

Along came the “B Model” made mostly of aluminum but still with a heavy steel receiver Hitch Insert (RHI). The two Ramps of the “B” were two pieces each, 2’ and 5’, in length. The two foot ramp is hinged to the five foot piece at a latch on the five foot ramp section where it latches to the now all aluminum Ramp Support “T”.

The “C” is a production proof model with some very minor changes from the "B" model and it works as Scott had hoped it would. The “C” is all aluminum and the total system weighs 19 pounds. Each ELRS is four major pieces, one RHI made of 2’ square aluminum tube with rounded corners to fit the vehicles receiver hitch, one Ramp Support “T” made of 1-1/2” round aluminum tube, two five foot ramps, (consisting of the five foot ramp, a two foot extension and ramp latches), are also manufactured of aluminum. There are four ramp spacers with thumb screws serving to hold the correct trike wheel width for the Ramps. Ground contact pads are installed on the ground end of the Ramp to prevent damage and wear.

While Scott was busy designing the print material, advertising and this web site, Tom was busy cutting costs by manufacturing, (cutting to proper lengths and drilling all the holes), for the RHI and the Ramp Support “T”.