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Getting boxes off the truck...

bsbarnes10

Active Member
To All,
My apologies if this is the wrong forum or threads already exist on this topic (my searching didn't turn up much). My question is regarding unloading the crates from Van's. My understanding is that they say you (the receiver) are responsible for getting them off the truck and into your garage (hangar, teepee, etc.). For the shippers you have used, is this really true? I.e. do these things really arrive on a truck with no lift gate and no pallet jack? I don't usually have a lot of extra help around my place so my plan (hope?) is to get a number of furniture dollies from Harbor Freight and if I can get the guy to get them off the truck on onto the dollies (with his lift gate and pallet jack) then I can roll them up the driveway into the garage.

How realistic is this?

When your crates arrived what did it take to get them from the truck to your building area?

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

-Bruce
 
Both Fedex (wings) and Dominion (fuselage) had lift gate trucks and a trolley we used to get the boxes into my garage. Just make sure that you request lift gate service with your order.

Aitor
 
my plan (hope?) is to get a number of furniture dollies from Harbor Freight and if I can get the guy to get them off the truck on onto the dollies (with his lift gate and pallet jack) then I can roll them up the driveway into the garage.

No lift gate on the truck that delivered my heaviest crate. RV-7 330 lbs. https://www.vansaircraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/crate-dimensions-weights-dec2018.pdf.

We (mostly me) just slid one end off the back and set it on a HF furniture dolly. Then hand lowered the end still on the truck to another dolly and I rolled up the driveway to the garage. Much less of an issue than expected.
 
As long as Van?s sets it up as residential delivery with lift gate service, there is no reason that you?d have to unload anything. Every time I?ve received a crate, they?ve actually rolled it into my garage.
 
I've only taken one delivery at home, and that was the wing kit. As I recall, there was a liftgate even though I didn't request or anticipate one. A couple friends and I used a furniture dolly to get the crates down the driveway and into the garage. The driver was certainly helpful.
 
When my fuse kit showed up and I was the only one at home, I looked at the driver and pointed at the garage and said "20 bucks and a cold beer for a minutes work..." He just laughed, and started putting on his gloves. It was all we wanted for just 2 of us, but we got it done.
 
Wow, thanks for all the responses guys!

Sounds like this shouldn't be too much of a problem but I'll make sure to request a residential delivery with a lift gate. My father and I are building an RV-12 and the plan is to start ordering kits in the next few months with a "first rivet" date in late June / early July so we're trying to get all the details worked out.

Much appreciated....

Bruce
 
If you have a pickup truck, it goes pretty easy. Those low 4 wheel dollys from HF help move it around or even a piece of 3" PVC can make it roll pretty easy.
 
No lift gate on the truck that delivered my heaviest crate. .....

We (mostly me) just slid one end off the back and set it on a HF furniture dolly. Then hand lowered the end still on the truck to another dolly and I rolled up the driveway to the garage. Much less of an issue than expected.

Exactly what we did. RV-8 slow-build fuselage crate. No problems!
 
Moving dolly

If you have a pickup truck, it goes pretty easy. Those low 4 wheel dollys from HF help move it around or even a piece of 3" PVC can make it roll pretty easy.

That's how I did as well.
I hauled the last mile for every crate. Once with a U-haul and once my Mentor helped with his truck. Several HF piano dollies and a good standard dolly. Use the two wheeler to lift the downhill end. Slide in a couple piano dollies and strap them down. Use the two wheeler to lift the uphill end and to stear. Sweetie and I did it no problem.
 
I cheated a bit, and got my good mate John Deere and his offsiders "Rusty" Shackles and "Ropey" Slings to do the unloading.

Having said that, the boxes aren't that heavy and once on a smooth concrete surface they can be pushed around single handed fairly easily.
 
Boxes? My kit came in one box:

RitnZs.jpg
 
When my RV-10 empennage was shipped, I had to rent a U-haul and go pick it up from the ODFL terminal. I was a little miffed at that.

My RV-12 empennage (much smaller box), was delivered to my home by ODFL with a liftgate and lowered onto Hazzard Frought dollies like others have used. The driver seemed surprised that they would ask him to deliver such a large box to a residence, and was skeptical he could get it off the truck, but I assured him, "dude, we got this." And it was no big deal.

Why couldn't they deliver my RV-10 emp? Too big for the liftgate I assumed?
 
I picked up all of my kits at the depot with my pickup truck. I have a full-width ATV ramp, so I just slid them down the ramp. Due to timing, I moved all of the kits by myself, it was never a problem.
 
Let Vans know when you order (or when it's being crated) that you need a lift gate service and to send you the shipping info once they have it. I called the shipping company once I had a tracking number to verify that they would send it out with lift gate service so the driver would have to get it off the truck with a pallet jack.

Some areas may not have the ability to provide lift-gate service or it may not have been coordinated properly. If that is the case, talking to the shipper to make sure you understand options. Rent a trailer, borrow a pick-up, or get a u-haul and pick it up at the depot if necessary.

Guess I was lucky that for each of my slow-build kits so far I was able to get a lift-gate and the driver was able to easily get the box in my garage for me with his pallet jack.
 
I have a 4X8 work table on casters, I rolled it up to the end of the truck, the driver used the pallet jack to bring the empennage to the back of the truck and we just slid it onto the table and rolled it right back into the shop. it was just a drop of a few inches due to the elevation of my shop versus the drive and worked well.

It was my first delivery, but went well, much better than I expected. I'll likely need a little bit more help for the heavier crates, but I was pleased with how easy it went on the first one.
 
Hinges

When i get the crate in the garage, i pit hinges on the lid. That way i can open the lid and get to stuff in the crate as i need it.
 
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