[Brad zellner]

So I love my Durango but I hate my powerchair lift. The Durango is such a great platform.
Allow me to explain my background. I’m a racer at heart. I had a brief professional career driving formula 2000 cars as a teen and have since pursued cars and racing as a hobby.
A Van or full-sized SUV is way too big to provide the driving dynamics I prefer.
i don’t use my powerchair very often currently. I won’t go into myphysical condition too deeply, let’s just say I’m a wounded warrior. Oh yeah, I was an engineer mechanic in the army.
for now the Durango is a stock 2020 R/T. I couldn’t afford an SRT. I’ve done a bit of research into upgrades and I’ll share my plan. To make a fun HELLCATish Durango that can transport my family and my powerchair in the trunk easily.

I can get a swivel hoist for my chair but it’d just be easier on me if I could just drive it in. The VA got me this type of ramp as I have 5 kids.

because of the extra weight I’m making changes…
Ill share what I have in mind
I have made changes to interior so it looks less shitty to me anyway
I’m slowly removing weight. Tools jack and spare tire for now. Next year my twin girls will get their licenses and I’ll remove 3rd row seats along with the seatbelts. I’m following HEMIWOT on here as he’s done most of what I have in mind.
I need brakes but not convinced brembos provide additional power. Anyway I want rotors and pads and in addition I want to add eibach springs as well as 20x11 wheels with 315/35 rubber
Power is the last upgrade, the nearly 400lbft are ok for now.

here’s some pics and the ramp VA put on for me

 

[Chase300]

Not truck based like the first gen was. The current gen is a unibody design...but I'm sure you can modify it just like you want...just takes time and money.

 

[Urbish]

So I love my Durango but I hate my powerchair lift. The Durango is such a great platform. Who can direct me towards like blueprints or schematics for the entire vehicle behind the 2nd row seats? This vehicle is truck based? (not sure about 3rd gen)

for now it’s a stock R/T. I couldn’t afford an SRT. I’ve done a bit of research into upgrades and I’ll share my plan. To make a fun HELLCATish Durango that can transport my family and my powerchair in the trunk easily.

because of the extra weight I’m making changes…

There are no blueprints or schematics available for the vehicle chassis.

 

[Tin Foil Hat]

You need a wheelchair van. No one makes an SUV wheelchair compatible. Only aftermarket upfitters even do this kind of work.

 

[6104696]

You need a wheelchair van. No one makes an SUV wheelchair compatible. Only aftermarket upfitters even do this kind of work.

True until very recently. BraunAbility now has a mobility-conversion for the Chevy Traverse. Maybe contact them to see if they can do anything for a Durango? ("Cha-ching" will certainly be a part of that conversation, however)

 

[Brad zellner]

Good idea about Braun ability or one of those companies. I really don’t want a van. I’m a racer at heart. Didn’t get to finish original post I’ll keep updating.

 

[cerd]

Good idea about Braun ability or one of those companies. I really don’t want a van. I’m a racer at heart. Didn’t get to finish original post I’ll keep updating.

I just wanted to mention that the DD is very short and most wheelchair vehicles are lifted to accommodate the ramp, etc. This is going to be a very difficult conversion for you.

However, the Grand Caravan with the V6 has an option for a supercharger. I think it was 450HP and you can buy prefab wheelchair converted GC's. Just hire a shop to install the supercharger and tune the ECU and you are ready to burn rubber!

 

[44410]

First off, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE... I'd really love to see you get your wish here.

But, does the Durango actually have enough interior height between the floor and the roof for you in a wheel chair? Keep in mind the stock floor of the Durango is pretty lumpy. You may have to put some sort of flat load floor on top of the factory sheet metal in order to get something smooth enough for your setup to work. For that matter, Is the driver's seat area wide enough? I'm not sure you will be able to take the center console out and reclaim any space.

As for the brakes... Having owned both an R/T and a R/T TnG, I can tell you that Brembos with wider rubber are ABSOLUTELY a stronger and more effective braking setup. The stock R/T brakes were pretty weak IMHO, but I could never tell if that was because of the narrow, LRR Ecopia tires or the R/T calipers and rotors. I'm guessing both. Regardless, the SRT brakes my TnG are no joke. They can stop this thing on a dime.

I'm sure as hell pulling for you on this. But honestly, I'm going to agree with the folks above who recommend an up-fitted minivan. There is simply a huge amount of work necessary to get a Durango where you need it, and in the end it might not even be possible. Think about how sketchy the ramps will need to be in order to get you up and over the rear bumper. Then you have to get thru the hatch opening. Then you have to somehow get to the front, and tuck in under the steering wheel. I just don't think the necessary space is there.

 

[Big Swede]

Send your Durango to these people.

 

[Tin Foil Hat]

Whoa, there's a $75K conversion.

 

[44410]

Looks like they do full size pickup trucks (Silverado, Sierra), full sized SUVs (Tahoe, Yukon), and minivans (Pacifica, Odyssey). I searched for something from them using a Durango and couldn't find anything. But that truck in the video is pretty impressive.

 

[Big Swede]

Whoa, there's a $75K conversion.

Is it really that much. I knew it wasn’t cheap but I didn’t think it would be that much.

 

[Tin Foil Hat]

I have no idea how much but from what the vehicle looks like I wouldn't be surprised at that price.

 

[GT_Plus]

Yeah, it's too bad that Ma Mopar didn't follow through with the Hellcat-The-World concept and stick that thing into minivans! This was a NICE concept on the Pacifica. Would make a nice conversion candidate.

 

[Brad zellner]

I did check out that conversion with the folding doors. I’m not permanently wheelchair bound. I wAnted a scooter but I qualified for a chair so that’s what I got. My current quantum chair WILL fit behind 2nd row seats with zero modifications. But I found an easy answer to my problem. A 34 lb carbon fiber electric power chair that folds. Eventually I wanna get a pro master, rip off rear axle and put a truck diff in and power that with electric motor. This stuff is available. Durango will be hot rod. Also just the ok to use the wife’s BMW for scca tracknights so it’s all good in the hood! Thanks for all your support

 

[cerd]

Is it really that much. I knew it wasn’t cheap but I didn’t think it would be that much.

A buddy of mine is well versed in WC conversion vehicles. There were few options, but they ended up getting a RollX Grand Caravan conversion. That is the most common conversion and it still costs $30k plus the price of the base vehicle for a side ramp entry. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if something as custom as in the video was actually a $75k conversion new.

Edit: there was a link to the ad for the vehicle in the video. They are asking $82k, its a 2016 and has about 25k miles. I could definitely see it having been a $50k vehicle plus $50k+ conversion.

https://access2mobility.com/wheelchair-vans/inventory/2016-gmc-yukon-denali/

 

[Brad zellner]

VA will only give me $20k for a vehicle conversion so a lightweight folding powerchair seems like my best option.

 

[Tony H]

So I love my Durango but I hate my powerchair lift. The Durango is such a great platform.
Allow me to explain my background. I’m a racer at heart. I had a brief professional career driving formula 2000 cars as a teen and have since pursued cars and racing as a hobby.
A Van or full-sized SUV is way too big to provide the driving dynamics I prefer.
i don’t use my powerchair very often currently. I won’t go into myphysical condition too deeply, let’s just say I’m a wounded warrior. Oh yeah, I was an engineer mechanic in the army.
for now the Durango is a stock 2020 R/T. I couldn’t afford an SRT. I’ve done a bit of research into upgrades and I’ll share my plan. To make a fun HELLCATish Durango that can transport my family and my powerchair in the trunk easily.

I can get a swivel hoist for my chair but it’d just be easier on me if I could just drive it in. The VA got me this type of ramp as I have 5 kids.

because of the extra weight I’m making changes…
Ill share what I have in mind
I have made changes to interior so it looks less shitty to me anyway
I’m slowly removing weight. Tools jack and spare tire for now. Next year my twin girls will get their licenses and I’ll remove 3rd row seats along with the seatbelts. I’m following HEMIWOT on here as he’s done most of what I have in mind.
I need brakes but not convinced brembos provide additional power. Anyway I want rotors and pads and in addition I want to add eibach springs as well as 20x11 wheels with 315/35 rubber
Power is the last upgrade, the nearly 400lbft are ok for now.

here’s some pics and the ramp VA put on for me View attachment 124924
View attachment 124925
View attachment 124923

I didn’t catch the part that you need help with, but I will tell you that the Brembo’s are 100% better than stock. However, you can get a 8 piston caliper set up from R1 Concepts if you need more.

 

[Brad zellner]

Yeah I know about that R1concepts BBK and it’s like $8k price tag. And I know they’re better, but I want my theory proven to justify the extra expense. On a race car they’re worth every penny, on a daily driver suv maybe not.

 

[44410]

A very strong +1 for the Brembos, assuming you put wider wheels and tires on it too. I've owned Durangos with both setups. The bigger brakes and tires are TOTALLY worth it. The regular (smaller) R/T setup was just barely good enough under standard loads. Add a trailer, and they were pretty weak. To be honest, I would have kept my first R/T if they hadn't offered the TnG. I literally upgraded to get the better stopping power.