Walkin Wheels - Tire Problems

[wdpete737]

I want to ask if anyone else is having trouble with the hardware and especially the pnumatic tires supplied by "Walkin Wheels"? I have a large German Shepard (125lbs) with calcified vertibra that have left him paralyzed in the hindquarters. We've had the wheels device for about 4 months. In my opinion, the concept is great and has saved his life. However, the quality of the components, especially the wheels, is poor to very-poor. The harnesses are constantly slipping and the frame is forever coming loose because the setscrews don't stay tight, even with Locktight on them. However, the tires are the biggest problem. They won't stay inflated and we rupture the tubes constantly! We go through several tubes every week so was curious to see if anyone had found a tire/tube combination that would stay inflated.

I'm an experienced cyclist and frankly have never encountered tube troubles. My cycle shop tells me it's the cheap "mag" wheels". But because of the axle design (a simple through-bolt, also very cheap) we can't find a substitute. I've spoken with the folks at Walkin Wheels about my problems but so far they have not responded even though they told me the owner would want to discuss my issues and would be calling me personally.

Quite frankly if I was not a very handy person the device would not even be servicible. I work on it, fixing something, nearly every day! If the dog did not need it so badly I'd have sent it back and demanded a full refund of the nearly $600 spent for their product.

Has anyone else out there had these problems or is this an anomoly? HELP????

[markcrobinson]

Pete,
Thank you for your time when you called, and for your comments. As we discussed, there are several areas that we are working on, especially for very heavy dogs. I'm glad that Rocky is doing well and will address your points.

Loosening Screws: Although rare, we have had some cases where heavier dogs put too much 'twisting pressure' on the screws that hold the knuckle to the frame. This can cause them loosen over time. We have made a adjustment in the mold that will be available in the fall and solve that. This is something covered by our five year guarantee and we will replace the frames for anyone with this problem. When the new design is available, we will provide you with that at no charge.

Tires: I am sorry to hear that your tires are not holding up. This is not a common problem and we will replace the tires. I will send you out a set of tubleless foam tires. Your suggestion to use 'bicycle' type spoke tires for large dogs is a good one. I will check into this.

Harness: The rear harness has straps that clip over the dog's back. Some users have complained that these straps slip off. This is due to the shape of the dog's rear and varies from breed to breed. If the straps do not stay on, we recommend you cut them off and seal the end of the nylon webbing by applying a little heat. We are working on a new design where the buckles are replaced with Velcro. This should solve the problem.

Leg Ring Buckles

If the buckles are slipping, you may want to try and secure them like this:

You mentioned that the leg rings themselves may be slipping. I will check into this and, if necessary, adjust them.

Your other comment was a little disturbing:
I've spoken with the folks at Walkin' Wheels about my problems but so far they have not responded even though they told me the owner would want to discuss my issues and would be calling me personally
My customer service department always responds quickly. I apologize that I did not get back to you sooner. Although I try to handle problems personally when requested, I am not always able to address then quickly and, more important, the customer service department is often better at being responsive than I. Anyone in that department is authorized to send you replacement parts and provide help and warranty returns. After speaking with you, I understand that you were looking to make suggestions for improvements for heavier dogs, and your comments are helpful. I appreciate that.

I'll be sending out replacement tires (please send your address to me at Mark@HandicappedPets.com). When the new knuckle is made, you, and any other large dog with a problem will be able to get a free upgrade (we will announce this in our newsletter). We are always trying to improve the product as we learn more and more.

Thank you again, and warmest regards to Rocky. How about posting a photo or two?

Mark Robinson
President
HandicappedPets.com