Our new Cat Trikes tip the scales at about 30 pounds. Now that is not bad, but they are awkward to load. I checked my inventory of steel tubing and discovered that I had a couple nice lengths of one inch steel tubing left over from building bicycles. I bent a nice radius curve near one end and mounted it down the center of the van as a monorail. Today I designed a trolley to fit the monorail and built it. It has screen slider rollers with fat O-rings for tires and hand bent aluminum frame.

It was somewhat challenging to bend four identical frame pieces that hold the wheels at a consistent 45 degree angle. I even took a couple photos to document the process. You need to drop by my web site to view them.

The project turned out totally awesome except
for one detail. I mounted the monorail just a tad too close to the van’s side door lip and the trolley will not roll out onto the outside extension. It is really no problem, however. I will make a slightly longer bracket and braze it in place of the one that is too short. It just means I must un-mount the monorail, and get it out on the ground where I can braze again.

I will get that done on the next sun break this weekend. I did have the foresight to mount the monorail with “quick-link” links from a size 41 chain drive. I only need to pop open the “quick links” to drop the mono-rail. Un-bolting the mounts from the ceiling ribs would be much harder.
And no! I did not bolt the mounts through the roof. There were some handy pre-punched holes in the roof support struts. I was able to get some captive nuts that just fit. Love that Ace Hardware guy. He is the one that found the “fat” o-rings that made perfect little rubber tires on the replacement wheels for a sliding glass door screen. My photos show the details. Be sure and visit my web site at www.dinsmore-enterprises.com
We are bravely facing a few days of rainy weather here in Hillsboro, Oregon. We will be back at our familiar haunts in May at Stubb Stewart State Park.