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Unloading quickbuild crate?

kcameron

Well Known Member
I checked with Vans and it looks like my RV-7 quickbuild kit will arrive at my door around the end of February. While it's great to know that it's finally going to be here, I'm now faced with the proposition of getting the thing off of my truck and into my workshop.

My workshop is in my back yard and there's not really any way to get a vehicle to it. I guess I'll be able to carry the wing crate off the truck and to the shop with the help of a few friends. The fuselage crate is different matter. At 880 lbs and 49 inches wide, I doubt that it will possible to carry it. I guess I'll just open it in the driveway or street and hump it to the shop part by part.

The big question is how to get the fuselage crate off of the truck. I guess it partly depends on what type of truck they use. I've heard of them arriving in an enclosed semi-trailer and on a flat bed. Any ideas on the best way to deal with each type?

Thanks,

Kev
 
loading ramp

I built a loading ramp:

http://home.blarg.net/~ericka/plane/ramp01.jpg

In the pic, I'm just levering the center 2x4 crate foot over the lip of the ramp. Never any worries about anything falling, and it has worked perfectly for fuse, wings, finish, engine. It only took an afternoon to build, mainly 'cuz it's overbuilt by a factor of at least 10.

Also useful for renting rototillers, unloading a truckful of dirt by wheelbarrow, and Evel Knievel wannabes.
 
Call the trucking company and find out what kind of truck they use for deliveries. They may have a lift gate truck which would make it easier. If not, they can tell you what the truck is like and you can plan from there. Van's can tell you who the trucking company is.
 
ptrotter said:
...they can tell you what the truck is like and you can plan from there...
I urge caution. I did that every time, and every time the truck that showed up was significantly different from what was promised. I'm darned glad I had a truck-neutral unloading system.

...now if I had a truck-neutral front gate, things would have been *much* easier!!
 
Alan Erickson said:
I urge caution. I did that every time, and every time the truck that showed up was significantly different from what was promised. I'm darned glad I had a truck-neutral unloading system.
Interesting. I haven't had that problem. I guess it must depend on which company it is and where you are.
 
Unloading

In my case I had to rent a truck and pick up the QB fuselage crate at the trucking terminal about 30 miles away. I backed the rented truck into my driveway and took the top, ends and sides off of the crate and took the parts out 1 by 1. Then got some help with the "canoe" . Two adults can carry it, three if you really wanted added support. Maybe you could slip the delivery truckdriver a $10 or $20 or lunch and ask him if he could wait while you unload it. It doesn't take that long (30 minutes) after you get the crate apart. If your delivery truck is low enough to the ground, get some help, lift it off the truck and just sit it in your driveway and then take the crate apart, etc. Jack
 
Off loading the QB kit

I've done it twice, both times from an enclosed semi-trailer and both times used a forklift. Preferably one with lateral movement of the forks. Without a forlift or a loading ramp, you are on thin ice unloading the fuselage. With the forklift I pulled the fuselage crate out of the semi, then backed my pickup truck close enough to the semi so I could move the fuselage crate from the semi to my pickup and then into the garage. If you cannot get a vehicle in your back yard, the fuselage (once uncrated) can be carried by two adults fairly easy. Obviously, the front is a little more difficult to carry than the tail.
 
Dude, don't sweat the small stuff. If the truck isn't too high just get one end of the crate on the ground then have the driver move the truck forward while two of you (Standing on the ground) hold the end on both sides, then lower it to the ground. Put 2X4's on the ground so you can get your fingers out from underneath. Piece o cake. One other thing, pay attention to the instruction for opening the crate. If you remove the top side screws holding the 2x4 supports before removing the top, they will fall in and damage the fuselage. Good luck.. Rick
 
Thanks for the ideas guys.

That's quite a ramp, Alan. However, I don't have room to store such a thing so it would be a one-time deal. A little too wasteful for my blood.

Sweating the small stuff, Rick? 880 lbs doesn't seem small to me. Are you saying to slide the crate off of the truck until one end tips onto the ground? Who hard is it to slide? Is the crate stong enough to withstand being supported by a single point in the middle? Two people on one end would each need to hold, control, and lower to the ground 220 lb. I couldn't do that even in my prime. It would be dicey even with four men. Perhaps you're joking?

The most practical ideas seem to be having the shipping company keep their truck on site for a few hours while I disassemble it, have them load it into my own rental truck or tralier so I can disassemble it on my own schedule, or to use a fork lift. I'll do one of those.

BTW. I just got a call from Vans. My QB is going to ship this week.

Kev
 
unloading QB crates

kcameron said:
I checked with Vans and it looks like my RV-7 quickbuild kit will arrive at my door around the end of February. While it's great to know that it's finally going to be here, I'm now faced with the proposition of getting the thing off of my truck and into my workshop.

My workshop is in my back yard and there's not really any way to get a vehicle to it. I guess I'll be able to carry the wing crate off the truck and to the shop with the help of a few friends. The fuselage crate is different matter. At 880 lbs and 49 inches wide, I doubt that it will possible to carry it. I guess I'll just open it in the driveway or street and hump it to the shop part by part.

The big question is how to get the fuselage crate off of the truck. I guess it partly depends on what type of truck they use. I've heard of them arriving in an enclosed semi-trailer and on a flat bed. Any ideas on the best way to deal with each type?

Thanks,

Kev

I called the local lumbar yard and they sent out a guy on a forktruck. Best $45 I ever spent.
Mark Andrews N598X
 
unloading quickbuild crate

When my QB fuselage and wings arrived in Dec via Roadway truck, I had 6 neighbors and 4 roller 2'x2' dollies to unload and roll into my hangar. Fortunately, the Roadway truck had a hydro tailgate and the unload and roll into the hangar went well. It really did take all 4 dollies to move the fuselage in the hangar. It is really big!!! Good luck - Tom
 
Hopefully you'll figure out how to unload it. I uncrated mine in the driveway and a friend and I carried the canoe into my shop without any trouble. That thing is very light by itself. The wings are even lighter. You'll be amazed that something for light can take 6 G's and weigh so little.
 
Gentleman I am starting a transport company to deliver airplane kits. We will be using trailer's that have a deck hieght only 18 inches off of the ground. They also will have a ramp that will allow us to roll the QB crate on dollies right into your garage or hanger. This will eliminate the need for ramps,fork lifts or dock pick ups.

Our service will start in April. We will be advertising on vansairforce.net the month before we start. Our initial service area will be the 11 western states. You can contact me off of the list for quotes. Our pricing will be comparable to the carriers that Vans uses.

Tony Partain
Partain Transport Company
Bend Oregon
800-774-0828
 
Tony Partain said:
Gentleman I am starting a transport company to deliver airplane kits. We will be using trailer's that have a deck hieght only 18 inches off of the ground. They also will have a ramp that will allow us to roll the QB crate on dollies right into your garage or hanger. This will eliminate the need for ramps,fork lifts or dock pick ups.

Our service will start in April. We will be advertising on vansairforce.net the month before we start. Our initial service area will be the 11 western states. You can contact me off of the list for quotes. Our pricing will be comparable to the carriers that Vans uses.

Tony Partain
Partain Transport Company
Bend Oregon
800-774-0828

Too bad mine's shipping mid-March.
 
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