Back last August I was setting up for a show on a Saturday morning well before sunrise. There wasn't any light on the lawn of the courthouse where I could see the booth flags well. As luck would have it, I tripped sideways over a small utility box sticking up out of the ground. I knew it wasn't good when I fell, and luckily a friend showed up later to visit and was able to stick around and help me pack up. After several doctor's visits and getting into a specialist with MRI's and X-rays, the verdict was a couple of severed tendons, another one knocked out of the bone groove it's supposed to wrap around, and another one frayed and damaged. I think I would have been better off with a broken wrist instead. Of course all this has to be my dominant arm. Surgery was done the day before Thanksgiving with recuperation and healing to extend out to beyond six months.
My first set of shows are going to start before that, possibly the beginning of April and definitely by the end of the month, so I need to find some work-arounds. I can reduce the weight of some of the tubs a bit but still will have 40-50 pounds containers to schlepp around. At this point I'm trying to figure out how to easily move the Rough Totes from the van to the dolly without having to straight-arm lift these guys.
I seem to recall someone making a kind of grip for moving Propanels, kind of like a two-prong fork with a rope and handle that lets you carry them sideways between your body and arm. I've not seen this lately and haven't a clue to what the name of it was.
The Physical Therapist feels I'll be able to do some lifting but definitely not much that involves with arms raised and limited amount of weight. I'll be able to move the boat batteries with my left arm but that's only because they don't have to be lifted high and can be done with a carry handle on them.
One thing that helps here is that I have a plywood floor for the van (I have a Ford E-350 full size van) to cover over the metal seat brackets that stick up, and the wood is covered with slick vinyl floor tile. The heavy tubs slide across that pretty easy.
I'd be interested in hearing how other people have handled injuries like that or similar restrictions on lifting.
Replies
Robert,
Have you considered making a ramp that would allow you to slide things from your van to a dolly/cart?
I have used this method to load and unload some quite heavy stationary woodworking tools into my shop...some weighing several hundred pounds. I slid the tools right down the ramp onto the cart and then rolled it into my shop. This should be a very easy solution considering the weight that you would need to move.
I also have a Ford E350 and this solution works.
My ramps were made with 2x10 lumber and had heavy aluminum brackets (purchased at Home Depot) that bolted to the ends of the wood and were angled to fit flat on the van floor.
Could you share a picture or schematic, Greg? I might need some kind of accommodation myself, though for a different kind of injury. If you could, thank you.
I also have a Ford 350, though without a raised floor like Robert has.
Linnea,
I use these brackets that I bought at Home Depot. I still have the brackets but they are no longer bolted to the ends of the 2x10 boards. I took them off since I had not used them in quite a while and the boards got used for another project.
They are very simple to install if you have a drill... the brackets butt up against the end of the board and I drilled 2 holes through each board using the holes in the aluminum brackets as a template. I Installed 3/8" x 2" carriage bolts and nuts. It took only about 5 minutes. If you don't have a drill the people at Home Depot could probably drill the holes for you if you got the boards, bolts and brackets from them.
My E350 does not have a raised floor because removed the seats and took out the seat brackets to get a flat surface. I put new carpet in since the existing carpet had cut outs for the brackets.
Raising the floor height would have increased the angle necessary to reach the dolly and require longer boards for the ramps
Thanks for your reply, Greg. I am having trouble picturing how you secure these to your van so they stay in place once you start sliding things to and down them. I read the reviews on the Home Depot page and no one answered that quetion.
I have never had a problem with them being secure. The metal plate sits flat on the floor of the van and friction heal it in place.Originally I had thought of lining the bottom plate that sits on the van with some adhesive rubber stair tread material but found I did not need it.
I always placed my cart sideways so it is stable and doesn't move away as the things being moved come down the ramp. If the bottom of the ramp doesn't move then the top will not either. I moved large power woodworking tools that were much heavier than anything I would ever have to move for my booth and merchandise.
That's an idea; the boards can be stored under the wood flooring and slid out when needed. I could slide the tubs down the ramp and off onto the dolly, and vice-versa. I could put more stick-on vinyl floor tiles on the boards to make it easier to slide the tubs up the ramp when loading up. I may have to take all three seats out so I don't have to stack tubs on top of each other.
How long were your ramps? If too long, that could complicate loading and unloading in tight quarters. I'm guessing 6 or 8 feet at the most. A shorter ramp could be propped up even with the bed of the dolly, maybe with a hinging panel at the end.
My ramps were originally 8 ft and that was mainly because the lumber came in 8 ft lengths. that was a good length for sliding something to the ground but I cut them shorter once I started to set the ends on the cart.. 5 or 6 ft should be sufficient for your lighter containers.
A little imagination provides many solutions
Yeah, the worse your shoulder injury, the easier it is to fall down in the dark. Or is it the other way around....
Larry Berman
Hi Robert. I had worse in my right (dominant) shoulder when I fell and tore three of the four muscles in my shoulder. I found that physical therapy did wonders but I only have about 75% of the strength I originally had. About nine months later I could set up entirely except for pulling the top over my light dome. For that I have to ask a friend or neighbor (new friend) for help.
Larry Berman