Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mike 108 on March 03, 2008, 09:22:11 pm
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I want to design a 'lightweight' carriage/trolley that I can get in/out of my van without pulling any muscles!
How do you guys transport your trolleys and get 'em in and out of your vehicles?
Do you need to be built like a Superman?
Thanks
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I want to design a 'lightweight' carriage/trolley that I can get in/out of my van without pulling any muscles!
How do you guys transport your trolleys and get 'em in and out of your vehicles?
Do you need to be built like a Superman?
Thanks
When I used a trolley regularly, I just had a cut down lump of thick 8' x 4' to run it in and out. You can get ramps though which are much easier to handle. I know Omnipole do some. Maybe others do too.
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Shiner
Was it hard work pulling the trolley up the ramp while it still had water in it?
Mike
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The biggest weight in a trolley is the pump box. You can get a smaller battery (Or 2,.. its good to have a spare with the smaller ones!) and make your own pump box out of thin plywood or something similar. I made one and put it on an aluminum collapsible sack truck (A draper one, very lightweight). Just hold the water drums on top of the pump box with bungee cords tied to the trolley.
The other option is just a backpack on the trolley,.. maybe an extra water drum too.
Not pretty, but as lightweight as I've managed so far.
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A van mount would solve all your problems!!! ;)
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Shiner
Was it hard work pulling the trolley up the ramp while it still had water in it?
Mike
No, it was fine. Bear in mind that it would never be full though. It was a 50 litre trolley.
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A van mount would solve all your problems!!! ;)
I'll second that,.. it was the best move I ever made after going WFP. It all depends on your round though. Some rounds do suit trolleys better.
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I havn't found that I've needed ramps with my Freedom trolley. Once there's no water on it the wieght is easily manageable with the built in handles. I think the key is positionong the handles in the right place on the trolley. If there are no handles or if they're positioned in the wrong place then even a lighter wieght trolley may cause you back problems.
I suffer with back problems but so far, in five months of using it my Freedom trolley has caused me no serious problems getting it in and out if my car.
Try to design your trolley so that it can be lifted keeping you back as straight as possible and bending only your knees.
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Vanmount,a bit of hose is a lot lighter than a bulky metal trolley beleive me.
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I intend the setup to be van mounted BUT ALSO be dismountable.
But because I can not stand upright in my van, I can't visualise myself doing anything but struggle to get a trolley in or out!
Mike
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the only wieght is in the barrels of water 25 L = 25 KG ( its not that heavy )
use a sack truck with a box for the pump and battery, we are not taking that much weight, my wife can lift my cart ina dn out of the van
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you can get some decent fishing tackle tolleys that are ideal and imo i dont think you would struggle with one .
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Matt
But can she lift the 25kg barrels of water?
What I am trying to do is make a carriage/trolley holding 2 x 11 litre Di bottles that I can use either in the van (in conjunction with my water tank) OR that I can take out, and onto customers premises, so that I can connect to their water supply.
Thanks for the replies so far.
Mike
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Matt
But can she lift the 25kg barrels of water?
she can pick them up, i doubt she would do it all day though
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just leave your trolley and barrels in car i run 50 mtrs of micro bore of it the only
time i lift the barrels is when i have to refill .i run my pipe out through boot close boot down so lock catches but not completely shut and away i go.
hopefully though will get a more suitable vehicle sooner rather than later
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lifting and setting down the trolley is a piece of cake
when lifting into car squat a little till you can get some part of the
trolley frame resting on your thigh and lift a little so that
the whole weight is on thigh
only someone who is crazy would use the back and arm muscles
the thigh muscle is very very strong can hardly damage it
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Gary999
Do you take any precautions to prevent people walking/tripping on the microbore?
Jikwan
Thanks. I've also come up with the idea of putting small wheels on the handles so that the handles can be tilted onto the van floor and the whole thing part-lifted/part-wheeled into the van.
Off to work now.
Thanks everyone.
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i put down caution trailing cable signs. same as everyone else i expect?
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Gary999
Do you take any precautions to prevent people walking/tripping on the microbore?
Jikwan
Thanks. I've also come up with the idea of putting small wheels on the handles so that the handles can be tilted onto the van floor and the whole thing part-lifted/part-wheeled into the van.
Off to work now.
Thanks everyone.
I use a piuece of hose to bridge the gap between van and hosereel. I lay a rubber mat over it.
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i have a 6ft piece of 1/2 inch hose running from freedom trolley to microbore reel
and i place reel directly behind car in road.then i put my signs out :)
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i thought i'd pulled a muscle in my back last january but by august i was at the point where i couldn't stretch anymore. This was from using the freedom trolley. Mark 1 version. I used to use my thigh to lift it.
I wasted my time seeing an nhs physio in october and then went and had a massage who then told me that i had a raised hip from lifting heavy weight continuously. The only weight i lifted was the trolley.
I have been using van mount since and i am seeing less and less pain down my left side so i can stretch again now.
Using a trolley as a van mount is a good idea but if you buy a freedom trolley or whatever type of trolley eventually, go for the lightest one. In freedoms case get a mark2 rather than the original. There is a big difference in weight between the mark 1 and Mark 2.
Regardless of what anyone says, i would always recommend a trolley as a handy piece of kit. If you get a van, all you need is a tank, submersible pump and hose and the trolley becomes the van mount.
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mark
im the weakest guy in england i use the thigh just above the knee
howd the hell can it be poss to hurt yerself
whars your technique?
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jikwan, i take the barrel off, bend my right knee , pull the trolley back onto my thigh and straighten my leg until the front of the trolley has caught on the van. Then just push in.
I didn't think it was the trolley at 1st, but have been using hosereel since november and have noticed a considerable difference.
The trouble i think was that i only had 1 side of the van to put the trolley and was using the same technique everytime without alternating.
The masseuse woman did say it is caused by continual lifting and twisting my hips as i lifted. She knew i was a window cleaner but thought i worked off of ladders and wondered where i did my lifting if any.
The mark1 freedom was too awkward to lift facing straight on. So i used to do it as above but like in a swinging motion.
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so maybe now you are the 2nd weakest guy in england. :)
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i never alternated at all same ol way on right thigh above knee
i can walk with it perched above knee i could do 100metres no sweat
i reckon you got some really weird ligaments there
i suddently feel light and euphoric having just climbed outta
no1 weakest guy spot