Reply #12: The stretcher need not be only wider... [View All]

[catnhatnh]

but also heavier. The width of the doors was almost never a factor except that the rails of the stretcher locking devices (a few floor pieces of mounted hardware) would need to be moved more toward the center. Almost every rig could easily accept a 500lber through the doors...the ambulance is designed to (normally) have the stretcher loaded thru the center and then pushed toward the driver side to leave room on the right (looking from the rear) for a jump bench and monitoring equipment. In short they fit 90%+ of the population now...and moving a few pieces could make them accessible to 95% or more. But it comes at the cost of limiting the mobility of the medic treating the patient...