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Unloading your kit?

sloengineer

Active Member
I've received liftgate freight before, but the Van's crates are significantly longer than what I've received in the past. Especially the 11 foot long QB crates! How have you ladies and gentlemen unloaded your kits once they arrive? Personal forklift, front end loader, bunch of strong and easily conscripted friends.......?
 
I've had kits delivered by two freight providers .... FedX Ground and Old Dominion trucking company. Each time I received a call to verify the delivery date. During the call, I mentioned it was a residential area and no shipping dock was available ... so please deliver using a vehicle with a lift gate.

I had a few Harbor Freight four wheeled moving dollies available and we slid the crates onto those a couple of times ... and a couple of times the FedX Ground driver was nice enough to back up the driveway to the shop (non 18 wheeler delivery truck) and used his pallet jack to roll the crate into the shop for me. (Think the wing spar crate was at least 15' and moving it was no issue). Either way worked nicely. If you have a gravel driveway, the dollies will have a tough go of it to be sure ... so you will likely need to ratchet strap them onto the crate so they don't slide out.

Have a couple of the four wheeled movers dollies at the ready and you will be good to go.
 
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My QB wings and fuselage were delivered by Partain, and they used a trailer with an overhead hoist. Set the fuselage directly onto a dolly on the ground. Scheduling delivery through them might take a bit longer, but no crating makes the costs comparable. :cool:
 
Have a couple of the four wheeled movers dollies at the ready and you will be good to go.

+1 if you have a smooth driveway. Didn’t use a liftgate for any of the crates. The driver and I slid the crates partially hanging off the back of the truck and then tilted and lowered one end at a time onto the furniture dollies.
 
+2 Furniture dollies. Harbor freight specials. Moved -14 wing kits from semi-trailer to pickup truck bed assisted by pallet jack to edge of trailer...then one end at a time to the bed. Repeated at the house, may have used a couple of 2x8 ramps that I have made up to assist getting the box out of the bed.
 
Both the wing kit and the fuselage kit for my RV-7 I request a liftgate. Both were off loaded with out any issues with the the driver, myself and my 16 year old son. I used furniture dollies as well. I forget how exactly we did it, but in the end it was a whole lot easier than it sounds. The driver on the fuselage was a little worried over the phone, and even he admitted it was easier than it looks. Currently my finishing kit is still sitting on the dollies, and while I was working on the fuselage, that crate sat on tp of the finishing crate. My son and I were able to life the box on top with out any issues. The boxes look heavier and less maneuverable than they really are due to their size. Lots of tilting, lift one end slide the wheels under, then lift the other end.
 
Moving

Lots of experience unloading off U-haul ramps. I hauled all my kits the last leg.
Four little furniture dollies from Harbor Fright
Set of ratchet straps
Two wheel dolly
Use the two wheel to lift the end nearest the ramp. Slide a furniture dolly under. Two if it's a big crate like a fuse or finishing kit. Strap them. Use the two wheel to drive the crate from the other end till it starts going down the ramp. The back end dragging keeps it from going too fast. You can add a person sitting on the dragging end if it's really steep. If you put dollies both ends it shoots right down out of control. Once on the ground, add the dollies under the free end to move it on level ground.
 
I got my kits delivered with a lift gate. The driver used his pallet jack and we positioned exactly where I wanted it. No problem. The furniture dollies will work too.
 
Lift gate to truck then..

When my kit arrived we transferred it from the big truck using the lift gate into the bed of my truck. Strapped it down really good and headed up the driveway. Backed into the garage and transferred the crate onto a work bench with wheels. We then inventoried and started figuring out what to do.
 
For the RV-10, I have had all of my kits delivered with liftgate service without any issue. I'll be honest, that it looked a little sketchy watching the driver get the kits unloaded with his little pallet jack, but "typically" these guys know what they are doing and don't do any damage (or additional damage) getting them off the truck. (Video of my fuse delivery). Didn't record the wings or emp, but basically went the same way. My driveway is steep, and they unloaded into the street and I helped the guy push it into my garage using his pallet jack

With that said, I did get a chance to see the video from PlaneLady of her RV-10 fuselage and that was nothing but cringe watching that driver unload the crate.

Only other option is pick up from the shipping depot using a trailer if you are really concerned.
 
Thank you all so much for the feedback! I feel a lot better about it. Fortunately we have a nice level concrete drive and have had successful liftagte deliveries in the past. I just wasn't sure about the box length. But watching the video I see how they could turn it sideways and get it down. Good idea about Harbor Freight furniture dollies. We have a brick and mortar HF in the next town. I love that place!
 
Just got my slow build fuselage delivered and it was a non-event. When you order, there's a box to click if you want lift gate service. For me it was $75 well spent.

Driver backed into the cul-de-sac, and after a bunch of 3 pt turns with a pallet jack, had the crate on the lift gate. With me and a buddy pushing and the driver steering we rolled it up the driveway and into the garage still on the pallet jack, then dropped it on a couple of harbor freight furniture dollies.

I know that the QB boxes are quite a bit bigger, but I don't see why some variation of the same process wouldn't work.
 
I just went to the freight terminal and had them load the crates into the back of my truck. That also let me pick it up on my schedule, not theirs. That could be an option if you have a truck or a suitable trailer.
 
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