PVI Singlefold Portable Ramp

Most access problems are one step tall: a side door, a curb between the parking spot and the sidewalk, a garage step, a low porch. A long ramp is wasted on that job and a heavy one gets left in the closet. The PVI Singlefold is the smallest folding ramp PVI makes: a welded aluminum platform 30 in wide in 2 ft, 3 ft, 4 ft, 5 ft and 6 ft lengths, with a single hinge down the middle so it closes in half to a 16 in wide package only 4.875 in thick, and weights from 10 lb for the 2 ft model to 33 lb for the 6 ft.

The trade-off for that simplicity is reach. PVI's slope guidance is the same as for every portable ramp: 1:12 is the recommended slope, an occupied wheelchair or scooter should never travel steeper than 2:12 and then only with an assistant, and 3:12 is for loading an unoccupied chair. In practice that gives occupied-use rise ranges of 2 in to 4 in for the 2 ft model, 3 in to 6 in for the 3 ft, 4 in to 8 in for the 4 ft and 5 in to 10 in for the 5 ft; no range is published for the 6 ft SFW630. A taller rise calls for a longer PVI Multifold or Wheel-a-Bout rather than a Singlefold set at a steeper angle.

Key Features

• One hinge, one fold: The ramp closes in half along a single center hinge, with no second joint to align and no halves to separate, so opening it is a one-motion job.
• Lightest of PVI's folding ramps: PVI lists the 2 ft SFW230 at 10 lb and the 6 ft SFW630 at 33 lb; the next folding ramp up, the Multifold, starts at 34 lb.
• Suitcase handle on 3 ft and longer: The SFW330, SFW430, SFW530 and SFW630 carry by a handle like a suitcase; PVI's footnote confirms the 2 ft SFW230 has no handle.
• Fits in a car trunk: Folded, every length is 16 in wide and 4.875 in thick, from 24 in long on the 2 ft to 72 in on the 6 ft, and PVI's 2026 catalog notes the ramp fits in most car trunks.
• Full 30 in platform with curbs: A single deck the full width of the ramp supports casters and drive wheels wherever they fall, and a 1.5 in safety curb keeps them on the deck.
• Traction tape surface: PVI describes the walking surface of its portable ramps as high-tack adhesive-backed non-slip tape, which grips tires and shoes.
• 800 lb on two axles: PVI rates every Singlefold length at 800 lb with both axles on the deck and 400 lb when a single axle is loaded, and lists testing at a 3X safety factor.

Who It Is For

Short-rise entries are where this ramp lives: one step at a side or garage door, a curb, a low porch, a raised landing at a clinic, church or school. The 2 ft SFW230 covers the lowest rises, 2 in to 4 in, and at 10 lb it rides in a trunk or stands in a closet between uses; the 5 ft and 6 ft lengths handle a taller single step. Caregivers who carry one ramp between a home, a relative's house and the car, mobility dealers who need a ramp a customer can lift unaided, and venues that set up temporary access for an event will all find a length in the range. The ramp is made by PVI in Fairbury, Nebraska.

Dimensions

• Lengths: 2 ft, 3 ft, 4 ft, 5 ft and 6 ft (SFW230 to SFW630), all 30 in wide
• Folded: 24 in, 36 in, 48 in, 60 in or 72 in long by 16 in wide by 4.875 in thick
• Weight: 10 lb, 15 lb, 20 lb, 24 lb and 33 lb by length
• Occupied-use rise: 2 in to 4 in (2 ft), 3 in to 6 in (3 ft), 4 in to 8 in (4 ft), 5 in to 10 in (5 ft); not published for the 6 ft

Stand a tape on the ground where the bottom of the ramp will sit and read the height of the step or landing edge it will rest on; that rise, set against PVI's slope guidance, picks the length, and the folded length tells you whether it fits the trunk or closet it will live in.

Installation

PVI publishes a Singlefold instruction sheet (linked below). Opening the ramp and placing it needs no tools; the steel security pins in the box are for fixing the top of the ramp to a landing it will return to, which PVI's catalog safety guidelines recommend where the landing allows.

1. Unfold the ramp and lay it flat with the hinge fully open.
2. Rest the top lip on the step or landing so the whole 30 in width is supported, and set the lower end on firm, level ground.
3. Check the rise against the length: PVI recommends 1:12, allows up to 2:12 for an occupied chair with an assistant, and 3:12 only for an unoccupied chair.
4. Where the ramp will stay at one landing, fix the top with the included steel security pins.
5. Watch the safety DVD before the first use, and keep an assistant at hand whenever the chair or scooter is occupied.

PVI Singlefold SFW-330 in use, under 2 minutes

Manufacturer documents: Singlefold product sheet (PDF), Singlefold instructions (PDF).

Warranty

PVI Manufacturing Limited Lifetime Warranty

Limited lifetime warranty, which applies to all end purchasers other than residents of the State of California: PVI Manufacturing warrants to the original end purchaser of the product that the product is free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. This warranty does not apply to any product that has been subject to misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, accident, usage not in accordance with product instructions, acts of God, or improper installation, or that has been used for rental purposes or repaired by someone other than PVI Manufacturing. This warranty does not cover normal deterioration of the product due to wear and exposure.

Five year warranty, which applies to residents of the State of California: For a period of five years after the purchase of the product by the original end purchaser of the product, PVI Manufacturing warrants to the original end purchaser of the product that the product is free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. The same exclusions apply: misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, accident, usage not in accordance with product instructions, acts of God, improper installation, rental use, repair by someone other than PVI Manufacturing, and normal deterioration due to wear and exposure.

Remedy: This warranty is limited to repairing or replacing, at the option of PVI Manufacturing, any product that is returned to PVI Manufacturing and is reasonably determined by PVI Manufacturing to be defective. The repair or replacement of a defective product under this warranty will be made by PVI Manufacturing without charge for parts or labor. This excludes shipping or delivery charges to and from PVI Manufacturing's place of business. If the product has been discontinued, PVI Manufacturing may replace the product with a new product of comparable value and function. PVI Manufacturing also reserves the right to refund the purchase price as its exclusive warranty remedy.

Claims: Any claim alleging that the product fails to conform to this warranty may be made only by the original end purchaser and only while such purchaser owns the product. A defective product that is covered by this warranty must be returned, at the purchaser's expense, along with proof of date of original purchase (such as a receipt, check or other document PVI Manufacturing deems acceptable that shows the date of purchase and the identity of the product and purchaser), along with a description of the alleged defect, to PVI Manufacturing, 2620 Industrial Drive, Fairbury, Nebraska 68352.

Except as set forth herein, PVI Manufacturing makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and PVI Manufacturing disclaims and negates all other warranties, including, without limitation, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, conformity to models or samples, or any warranties or indemnities against intellectual property infringement. Some states do not allow limitations on implied warranties, so these limitations may not apply to you. In no event will Prairie View Industries, Inc. be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages or for any liability in excess of the purchase price of the product.

Before using the product, the purchaser must first determine the suitability of the product for its intended use, and the purchaser assumes all risk and liability whatsoever in connection therewith. No person, agent, distributor, dealer or company is authorized to change, amend or modify the terms of this warranty. This warranty gives the purchaser specific legal rights, and the purchaser may also have other rights that vary from state to state. The purchaser may not assign the purchaser's rights or obligations under this warranty without the prior written consent of PVI Manufacturing.

PVI warranty document (PDF)