Adam Henning the Marketing Manager for Action Manufacturing explained, “The first 50 or so Trackchairs were sold through Action Sports, which was Tim’s powersports dealership. October 1, 2009, Tim sold Action Sports to his son Jim, and founded Action Manufacturing, Inc. to focus on building Action Trackchair.
Action Trackchairs are all-terrain tracked electric powered wheelchairs. Basically, they are wheelchairs on steroids that are made to go through places that a regular manual wheelchair or electric wheelchair could not even think of going without getting stuck. These all-terrain wheelchairs give disabled individuals freedom to go places they did not think was possible.
Now disabled individuals have the opportunity to use and try one of these chairs with help from North Dakota Game & Fish, South Dakota Game Fish & Parks and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Trackchairs provide comfort, stability, and safety for outdoor users whether they are looking to hunt, fish, or simply get out outside in areas they would normally not be able to go.
North Dakota:
The North Dakota Game & Fish Department has a Trackchair available for use at the Outdoor Wildlife Learning Center located in Bismarck and at NDGF Department sponsored field events. There is no charge for the use of the chair. When the chair is not being used by the NDGF, the Trackchair can be reserved by approved user groups for offsite use at outdoor educational or hunting programs.
A waiver of liability must be signed by the user or guardian before using the Trackchair. The Trackchair may be reserved for offsite use for up to 72 hours. The Trackchair must be picked up by a representative of the organization responsible for the outdoor program or event at which it is being used. An enclosed trailer is provided for transporting the chair. Towing the trailer requires the towing vehicle have a 2-inch ball. A short tutorial on how to run and load the wheelchair properly will be given upon pick up of the chair. To reserve the use of the Trackchair call 701-328-6615.
South Dakota:
The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department has partnered with South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures to provide physically disabled individuals with an Action Trackchair. The chair is available free of charge and can be reserved up to two weeks by calling the Outdoor Campus West at 605-394-2391. This number can also be reached if there are any questions about the Trackchair.
Minnesota:
Trackchairs are available in 13 different Minnesota State Parks for visitors with mobility issues. The chairs are available year-round in some locations but only seasonally in others. The state does not charge for the use of the chairs but a state park vehicle permit is required for all vehicles entering the parks. People with disabilities can get a discounted vehicle permit for entering parks.
Jamie McBride is the State Park & Recreation Area Program Consultant in the Parks & Trails Division for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
“The parks with the highest visitation generally get the most use,” said McBride. He went on to say, “In our first year most of the chairs were used an average of three to four days per week in the summer, and one to two days per week in the spring and fall. Use at Fort Snelling State Park had the highest use (five to six days per week in the summer and 3 to 5 days per week in the spring and fall). Their increased use is likely due to its proximity to the population based in the metro area.”
McBride explained about the positive feedback, “Users have told us that using the chair is life-changing, that they are now able to get out into the park to see the major attractions rather than staying on the paved surfaces while their friends and families explore overlooks, waterfalls, and other significant natural and cultural resources.”
McBride said when asked if there had been any problems or concerns with the chairs, “Our planning worked to anticipate all of the problems we have faced thus far. For example, we have a plan for when a battery runs out while a chair is in use.” He went on to say, “Almost all of the feedback we’ve gotten has been focused on how to make little tweaks to the program or equipment to make it better.”
When users sign in for the track chairs, the length of use varies in each park. McBride explained, “Some parks let you use it just for the day, and if you want multiple days, you must bring it back to the storage location for an overnight charge. Others have opportunities for overnight use for as long as the user is in the park. In those cases, we send the charging cord and cover, making sure the visitor knows how to charge it between uses. All chairs need to remain in the park at all times. If the user has a campsite or lodging unit with electricity it’s possible to use some chairs overnight.”
The Minnesota DNR received the first track chair by donation in 2016. McBride said, “Four additional chairs were rolled out in the summer of 2022, with eight more arriving in August of 2023. We’re in the process of purchasing ten more chairs which will start arriving in the parks and 2025. This expansion is funded through 2023 legislation called Get Out More that dedicated $1,000,000 to track chairs and other adaptive devices.” The Minnesota DNR has not awarded the contract to build the new tracked chairs to any company in particular.
“At this point they can only be used on DNR’s Parks and Trails managed lands. There is some future possibility that they’ll be able to be used on other DNR managed lands, especially for specialized hunting, and we’ve explored the idea of allowing use on public lands that neighbor state parks but those details are yet to be fully realized. We don’t have plans to allow visitors to transport the chair by vehicle to another location,” added McBride.
Contact the Minnesota park you plan to visit ahead of time to reserve a Trackchair. A waiver must be signed before use. For more information contact the individual Minnesota State Park you wish to visit or call 888-646-6367.
Henning said, “They roughly sell 550 to 600 Trackchairs in a given year and we are looking to grow that number in the next couple years.” Action Manufacturing eclipsed serial number 7,000 earlier this year.
“Battery life is highly dependent on many variables including terrain, weather, weight of the user, battery age, etc., but the AXIS 30 and AXIS 40 can get up to 10 miles on a charge. Or about 2-3 hours of continuous use,” explained Henning.
Henning went on to say, “We proudly offer a one-year bumper-to-bumper warranty. Three years on the welding/frame. Three years on the tracks. Two or three years on the battery charger, depending on brand. Very little maintenance is needed in regard to the tracks. But, they may need replacing several years after the warranty expires depending on the application and how often the Trackchair gets used. Replacement tracks are available for order through our dealer network.”
Action Manufacturing has a new model that is only 30 inches wide, which is a game changer for a lot of users that do not want to transfer in and out of different wheelchairs just in order to get into a house. Most doorframes in homes are at least 30 inches wide these days.
Trackchairs can be modified/fitted for each individual user. Leg rests, armrests, controllers, seat cushions, backrests among other parts can be adjusted and changed depending on the disability or size of the user.
The different models and options can be found on the website (www.actiontrackchair.com) under the models page. For more information contact: 507-532-5940.
Thanks for reading, Clint.
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