New Member/Needs help selling the RV Idea

Hello all,

Long time reader and donator to the website. I've been patiently waiting for the day when I'd have a chance to build an RV for my wife and myself. We're finally in a happy place and I'm relatively close to my airport. I'm on the waiting list for a hanger at my airport but I don't know if I want to wait to get started building.

My flight club has a hanger that isn't being used. I'm going in front of our board and am going to try to convince them to let me use the hanger to start building the RV (not sure of which model... 9... 14... probably a 14). I'm going to try to sell it by saying that all of the club members can help if they want and that they'd be getting some educational benefit to it. I'll of course supply the parts, the tools, etc. Once my hanger become available I'll move the project into that hanger but will still welcome all members to help in the build should they want to.

Does that sound like an enticing sell?

Thanks.

Didn't Tom Sawyer try something like that?

Dave

Do you have a garage at home? if given a choice, I would not build one in a hangar. O, and welcome!

Welcome to VAF!

Andrew-------welcome aboard

bret said:

Do you have a garage at home? if given a choice, I would not build one in a hangar. O, and welcome!

Click to expand...

I don't have a garage. I have an unfinished, creepy basement but its verboten. Plus its exactly 6' tall and so am I and I have to wear a hard hat to keep my scalp on.

David Paule said:

Didn't Tom Sawyer try something like that?

Dave

Click to expand...

I actually laughed out loud.

What airport are you at?
I'm at LVK.

Start it at home. Even 5 minutes to the airport can interrupt progress. Aske how I know

Sorry this doesn't address your question but as others have stated. Build at home. You will triple your build time if you build off site.
Read Vlad's story, I think he built most of an RV-9A in a NY apartment.
I was able to spend 10-20 minutes in the morning before work, sometimes lunch, 1/2 hour before dinner and a couple of hours after dinner since it was in the garage. Could have never done that in a hanger.

MarkW said:

Sorry this doesn't address your question but as others have stated. Build at home. You will triple your build time if you build off site.
Read Vlad's story, I think he built most of an RV-9A in a NY apartment.
I was able to spend 10-20 minutes in the morning before work, sometimes lunch, 1/2 hour before dinner and a couple of hours after dinner since it was in the garage. Could have never done that in a hanger.

Click to expand...

Same suggestion and story here.

TS Flightlines said:

Start it at home. Even 5 minutes to the airport can interrupt progress. Aske how I know

Click to expand...

I really wish I could build at home but I can't. There are people between us and the basement in this house and its an old Victorian with no sound insulation. You can hear a mouse fart from the basement.

I'm close enough to my airport that it's irrelevant (5 minutes to my field).

Welcome

Welcome Andrew. Best of luck. Hope your significant other doesn't take over your VAF handle (kiljoy).
Seriously. Take your SO to sit and ride. Buy flowers!

The major issues that I can see are liability insurance, quality control of other builder's work when you're not there, and theft or damage of parts and materials.

Better to see if they'd like to rent the hangar to you until you get one.

Dave

David Paule said:

The major issues that I can see are liability insurance, quality control of other builder's work when you're not there, and theft or damage of parts and materials.

Better to see if they'd like to rent the hangar to you until you get one.

Dave

Click to expand...

The insurance issue is understandable. I can alleviate one other as there would be no working on the plane if I'm not there.

So if you and your significant other want a short ride in a -10 just let me know. I'm retired and prefer weekdays (off commute hours) but Sat or Sun can work too. As a bonus my hangar neighbor also has a -10 which I can show you, as long as he isn't out flying. Might give you some ideas, too. His has a pro paint job ($12K I think) and looks great; I painted mine myself, I'm not good at it and it shows! He also bought a pre-finished interior, mine is 'bare bones'. My plane is also 30 lbs lighter. We chose different avionics, although both are 'full' ifr. Just let me know if you want to come out to LVK.
Bob

PS Guy across from me is building a -14, but I don't know his schedule and do not have access to his hangar, so that's a hit or miss.

I'm building in a hangar located 15 minutes from home. The posts above are right on the money - eating the elephant one bite at a time becomes much more difficult when it costs 30 minutes of travel time before you can even pick up a tool.

With that having been said, the advantage to working on the airplane in the hangar is that it doesn't have to be moved, there is lots of space for storage of completed assemblies, and once you put the wings on, they can stay on. The other advantage to working at the hangar is that it can become something of a vacation spot. A trip to the hangar is a get-away from everyday life. At the hangar you can also have the benefit of people dropping in to share knowledge, tools, parts, etc. Of course sometimes those visits also slow you down, but add immeasurably to the enjoyment of building.

The alternative is to build a workshop in the back yard. It can be a temporary building, shed-like in construction. This might be a place where you do sub-assemblies before taking them to the airport, so it doesn't necessarily have to be an "airplane-sized" building. Something like 10'x10' would likely be big enough to do the tail and flight control surfaces. Pre-wiring the instrument panel likewise doesn't take a very big shop - I did mine, including all the metal work and painting, in a 19x13 shop and had tons of room to spare.

BobTurner said:

So if you and your significant other want a short ride in a -10 just let me know. I'm retired and prefer weekdays (off commute hours) but Sat or Sun can work too. As a bonus my hangar neighbor also has a -10 which I can show you, as long as he isn't out flying. Might give you some ideas, too. His has a pro paint job ($12K I think) and looks great; I painted mine myself, I'm not good at it and it shows! He also bought a pre-finished interior, mine is 'bare bones'. My plane is also 30 lbs lighter. We chose different avionics, although both are 'full' ifr. Just let me know if you want to come out to LVK.
Bob

PS Guy across from me is building a -14, but I don't know his schedule and do not have access to his hangar, so that's a hit or miss.

Click to expand...

PM sent sir.

kiljoy said:

I'm going to try to sell it by saying that all of the club members can help if they want...

Click to expand...

Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't want others within 50' of my project when I'm not there. Helping out *while you're supervising* might be okay, but depending on how much traffic this hangar gets normally from other members, I can almost guarantee that even if they *don't* pick up a tool and "help", you'll find "things" that somehow mysteriously got damaged, and nobody knows how.

ETA: I see that you say it's not currently being used, so that might work out okay, IF you have the key and nobody else (because "let's just take a look at the project" can also turn into "ooooops").

How long is the wait for your own hangar?

RV7A Flyer said:

Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't want others within 50' of my project when I'm not there. Helping out *while you're supervising* might be okay, but depending on how much traffic this hangar gets normally from other members, I can almost guarantee that even if they *don't* pick up a tool and "help", you'll find "things" that somehow mysteriously got damaged, and nobody knows how.

ETA: I see that you say it's not currently being used, so that might work out okay, IF you have the key and nobody else (because "let's just take a look at the project" can also turn into "ooooops").

How long is the wait for your own hangar?

Click to expand...

There's no estimate. Only that there are a few people in front of me and the last person before me put their name on the list in 2014. So clearly not happening next week...

I don't see why you need a hanger to start building. If you can't build at home, maybe there is a secure space nearby to rent where you can start building.

Jim

If you can get into the flying club's hangar and it's super close to your house, then that sounds doable. I also think selling it via the educational benefits is your best route. I agree that there is a risk of damage, theft or other, due to the location, but you will simply have to be vigilant to mitigate those risks as much as possible, and accept those that still remain.

As long as the members of your flying club look on your project with awe, I think this will work out. If, however, they see it as a nuisance, I think the risks may outweigh the benefits. Be mindful of their initial reactions to your proposition and treat it as an indicator of things to come, rather than just an obstacle to your objective. Otherwise, you may just talk yourself into a bad situation.

I've had my meeting with the board and they approved!!! It feels like a pipe dream coming true!!!

I'm planning to order a tail kit for the beginning of June. That will give me plenty of time to gather tools on the cheap. I did promise my wife I would try to save some $$$ wherever possible.

I'm also going to plan the whole thing out and try to schedule the members and when they'd like to help, etc.

Beware what you wish for etc etc...

Excellent news! I was worried you would have to resort to alternative locations for your manufacturing 'hobby' and there would be a downward spiral: