Door to Door QB Shipment

Has anyone shipped a QB kit directly to you home or airport where there was not a loading dock? If so how did you get it off the truck? I'm told by Van's that a lift gate is not an option because of the length of the QB crates. I know about shipping to a terminal and picking it up myself but that won't work for me because of the current border restrictions. Also Stewart shipping is not an option as they they do not ship to Canada.

Any help would be appreciated.

How heavy are the crates? That's the key. An engine hoist or two could be your friend.

They are:

Length X Height X Width

132?x22?x58? (443 lbs)
106?x62?x52? (660 lbs)

I think a engine hoist would be too low. The truck is 4 ft high plus the crates. The length is the problem.

Most places are closed so renting equipment is likely out of the question as is getting 6 friends to lift it off.

There are several ways. Helpers would help, but you and the driver can manage if you're careful. Here's one idea. Someone will be along in a minute with a better one:

Use a pry bar or something to lift the crate off of the floor of the truck.

Shove 2" pipes under the crate every 2' to act like a conveyor so you can roll the crate off the truck.

Roll the crate to the end of the truck so a foot or two protrudes beyond the end of the truck.

Place a 6"x6" beam under the crate so 6" extends beyond each side. Put an eyebolt or strap through or around each end of the beam.

Use 2 engine hoists to lift that end of the crate using the beam/eyebolts/straps. Have the driver roll forward with the truck until only a quarter or so of the length of the crate is left inside the truck. Lower the suspended end of the crate to the ground.

Remove the 6x6, move it to the other end of the crate, lift that end of the crate using the engine lifts, then move the truck out of the way. Fully lower the crate.

Think through each step clearly. Uneven loads, unlevel surfaces, etc. will make it more challenging.

We unlaoded my QB RV10 fuse in my hangar. No lift gate, or anything special.

I?ve used Tony Partain for all my kits. Good service and packed in a way that two people can handle.

Djgeib said:

I?ve used Tony Partain for all my kits. Good service and packed in a way that two people can handle.

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Tony Partain is now Stewart and they don't ship to Canada.

Are you going to buy the whole kit at one time? It might be better to wait till post virus time.

Stop by one of the local trucking docks and take a look at the rear of the trailer, take a few measurements and construct a ramp.

The ramp can be made from two 2 x 8?s on edge, about 40? apart with cross members. Notch the 2 x 8?s so they will sit on the rear of the truck bed.
Secure the ramp to the ICC bar with ratchet straps, slide the box to the rear of the truck with the rollers Kyle mentioned and down the ramp.
Once the box is near the ground put two furniture dollys under the leading edge and continue sliding off, follow the trailing edge with two dollys and roll it away.

I'm expecting QB wings and fuselage to be delivered sometime in April and have been tossing around ideas for how best to unload them as well. The current best plan I've come up with is to rent a u-haul that can fit both boxes and pick up the crates at the shipping depot where they'll have a forklift on hand. That way I can have them sit in the truck until I can get 8-10 people over to my place after work to help me unload.

I just know it'll be difficult to impossible for the driver and I to handle alone and I don't want to try to schedule the delivery and the friends to arrive at the same time. That kind of coordination will also be nearly impossible.

Looking forward to other recommendations that cost less than a u-haul though, it's gonna be an involved process to do it my way.

Back a full size REAL pick up truck with an 8? bed to the back of the delivery truck. With the tailgate down it gives you almost 10? of a level platform to transfer the box. It?s a short drop from the delivery truck to the bed of the truck and once it?s on your truck, you can get manual labor help at your leisure and convenience to unload it. I have done many large item deliveries this way by myself with only the drivers help. Tip your delivery driver and don?t be cheap about it.

Aviatrix439 said:

I'm expecting QB wings and fuselage to be delivered sometime in April and have been tossing around ideas for how best to unload them as well. The current best plan I've come up with is to rent a u-haul that can fit both boxes and pick up the crates at the shipping depot where they'll have a forklift on hand. That way I can have them sit in the truck until I can get 8-10 people over to my place after work to help me unload.

I just know it'll be difficult to impossible for the driver and I to handle alone and I don't want to try to schedule the delivery and the friends to arrive at the same time. That kind of coordination will also be nearly impossible.

Looking forward to other recommendations that cost less than a u-haul though, it's gonna be an involved process to do it my way.

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This was my original plan up until the Canadian/US border closed to nonessential traffic. The shipping depot is 20 minutes into the US. The QB kit is ordered, built, and crated ready to ship. I put a hold on it last week when they closed the border.

Took delivery of a QB fuselage, QB wings and Finish kit about two weeks ago at my hanger. Since I do not have a loading dock or anything equivalent, we went with Stewart Trucking. Glad I did since it was only myself and my wife who were available to help and we are not much to look at in the strength department to be hauling crates off of trucks.

Stewart arrived in their 18-wheeler which has a built in crane to move things on and off the truck. Now mind you that the kits were not created (Fuselage and wings). The driver activated the crane and in about 30 minutes of effort had the entire load sitting in my hanger, on dollies and undamaged.

I don't know if my experience with Stewart is typical (don't take delivery of RV14A kits that often!) but I am a very satisfied customer. They turned out to be slightly more expense than other alternatives but IMHO very well worth the cost.

I had a 4 post car lift delivered to my house. Just as long as a fuselage and definitely more than 600 #'s. Driver and I had no issues getting it off the truck. Too many years ago to remember how we did it.

I purchased a 10 kit with a QB fuse on a dolly. We got it onto a truck with a lift gate with only three guys. Got it off with three guys as well. Can't remember exactly what we did, but it wasn't hard.

Larry

I have received carpet in excess of 2000 lbs. (12 feet long 42inch diameter.) Placed 2"PVC pipes under the load and rolled it into a pickup truck. If you can get it into a pickup and back it into your work space, then you can unpack from the back of the pickup. On your 600 lbs package, you would have to pick up on 300 pound end to get the pic pipes under it.

lr172 said:

I had a 4 post car lift delivered to my house. Just as long as a fuselage and definitely more than 600 #'s. Driver and I had no issues getting it off the truck. Too many years ago to remember how we did it.

I purchased a 10 kit with a QB fuse on a dolly. We got it onto a truck with a lift gate with only three guys. Got it off with three guys as well. Can't remember exactly what we did, but it wasn't hard.

Larry

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If you have a car lift, couldn't the truck with the plane parts back up against the lift (matched to the truck trailer height), slide the plane onto the lift, then lower everything ?

Jetmart said:

This was my original plan up until the Canadian/US border closed to nonessential traffic. The shipping depot is 20 minutes into the US. The QB kit is ordered, built, and crated ready to ship. I put a hold on it last week when they closed the border.

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Sorry to hear, that's just unfortunate timing.