I ordered my wings kit just after this past Christmas and I recently received word last week that the estimated crating date is the last week of August/first week of September of this year. Balanced is now paid. Saving my pennies for the fuselage kit.
My crating date is scheduled for next week. I just checked with Vans to see if the date would hold and they are telling me the date is good!
Yep. Window closed on the 6th. I know all about the global supply situation. I live this on a daily basis at work. I have parts for projects with year long lead times. dI ordered my wings the day I got my empennage kit and knew I was hooked. I did that because at the time they gave an 8 month lead time and I figured it would take me that long to be ready for them. I'm now at 16 months and no news. Further I checked in the week before my crating window and was told I was all good. Last week and the week before I was excited and now with my window in the past, silence. I wouldn't be so annoyed right now if I hadn't been told that all was good and would be on time. I have been relatively patient and understanding of the good ship Vans thus far because of the unusual times, but my patience is gone. Calling and getting someone on the phone since they won't answer my e-mail is on the agenda for tomorrow. I just had to vent so I can talk calmly and rationally to whoever might be the unfortunate soul to answer the phone tomorrow.Vans provides a crating window, not a specific date. It's on the status webpage. Are you now past the window entirely?
I will say this. The days of building an RV aircraft from start to finish in less than two years is probably a thing of the past.
It is frustrating. Delays suck. If I'm honest, I don't even have time to work on it now if it was here, but what I can't abide is the communication, or lack thereof. I was told the week before the crating window all was on track and would be on schedule, then nothing. Not a yes sir; Not a no sir; not an FU sir. Nothing. If the week before the crating window I had been told they were behind and wouldn't make the window, I wouldn't be here venting. If I had an e-mail at then end of the crating window with a sorry we missed it, but here is what we expect to happen, I wouldn't be here venting.It's frustrating for everyone right now. I'm sure it's frustrating for Vans and their employees as well. I do think there is light at the end of the tunnel finally. Things do seem to be getting better as companies figure out work arounds. Transportation costs should start to ease as fuel prices come back to reality.
My crating window starts in a few days, I'm not holding my breath at this point. Fine by me as the elevators are taking longer than I had anticipated!
I will say this. The days of building an RV aircraft from start to finish in less than two years is probably a thing of the past.
I do think these longer lead times will eventually reduce the number of builders who are willing to deal with the longer overall completion times. That in turn probably keeps the used RV market pretty hot for a while.
Not if you count from when you actually start building (not ordering) and you order everything up front. Maybe not starting NOW, but I think it'll work out in the next year or so.
Assuming engine lead times don't get any worse, that is. I haven't been paying any attention to that, since I'm getting a Rotax.
"Parts Being Produced
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I am sending this message to a different address because I’m not getting an answer from the normal channels. I ordered my wing kit for my RV-8 in April 2021. I was originally given a crating window of November 2021. The date came and went with no update from Vans. Later in December, this was changed to January 2021. Again this date came and went with no word from Vans. Then the date just went away and was updated with delayed with no estimate. All of this information is coming from the kitstatus page, no communication from Vans. I inquired at this point as to when I could expect my wings and was sent a form letter that things were delayed and I would get an update later. A few months went by when I finally got a phone call from Vans with an update. At this point I’m approaching a year from order when the estimate when I placed my order was 8 months. The date I was given was August. 16 months after order, but I finally had a date. I was also told this was a conservative estimate because Vans didn’t want to have to change my date again.
The week before my crating date, I checked in with [email protected] to see if this date would hold. I was told yes! Well my crating window came and went. No news and no update from Vans. I sent multiple e-mails and got no response. I called and when I finally spoke with someone they told me they would check and let me know by the end of the day. That didn’t happen. Two days later, I received an automated message when my status was changed to ‘Parts Being Produced.’ The crating date was not update and there was no estimated time in the update e-mail I did receive. I e-mailed again for an update and still have not received a response. As of this writing, I still have no idea when I might see my wing kit.
At this point I am disgusted with Vans. I just don’t know how my status can go from, “everything is on track to crate as scheduled” to “we just started making your parts” the week after they should have been packed. And to add insult to injury, I am being ignored. I can live with the delays. I deal with supply chain deliveries daily in my work and know what we are all facing. What I cannot accept is this lack communication. If you’re going to be late, fine. Just tell me. And don’t tell me we are on track if we are not.
Hi Adam,
You’re right, we need to communicate more, and better. I won’t make excuses for that but I do want to tell you that I handle most of that effort through our staff so in the end responsibility falls directly on my shoulders and I am the guy to talk to about it. I take responsibility for the communication issues that are understandably frustrating you, I respect and appreciate your feedback.
VAF makes it complicated to know for certain the actual person you’re speaking with so to be sure could you send me your full name and your kit serial number? I can work to determine where we’re at. We’ve had a number of very recent materials that were not delivered as expected which in turn shifts some schedules.
That's really odd. I've always gotten quick replies from Vans. Also, my 8 wings crating date is Aug 12th- Sept 2nd. Really hope they ship soon, it's been 15-16 months since I ordered and I haven't been building all year.
The crating date for my fuse kit has just gone back from September to January/February 2023.
Not sure what’s happened, I wonder if the “materials not delivered as expected” have pushed it back?
Finish kit ordered 13 months ago with a 5 month ETA. Still no ETA, but if I order a finish kit today it shows a 12 month ETA. Trying to remain positive and optimistic.
We have had some recent unexpected delays to several materials, parts, QB kit deliveries, and shipping. We also had some damage during manufacturing at an anodizer that will require us to manufacture some replacement parts. We're working to get things done, but the current environment is still challenging, to be sure.
We'll be communicating more info this week. We're unhappy about the overall situation since even though we are shipping about 80 kits a week now (used to be around 40 a week as recently as 9-12 months ago) the overall situation is quite frustrating at times.
Yikes, I was in the Aug 12th - Sept 2nd Crating window and now it's Dec 24 2022 - Jan 14 2023. This is just depressing.
We'll be communicating more info this week. We're unhappy about the overall situation since even though we are shipping about 80 kits a week now (used to be around 40 a week as recently as 9-12 months ago) the overall situation is quite frustrating at times.
... we are shipping about 80 kits a week now (used to be around 40 a week as recently as 9-12 months ago) the overall situation is quite frustrating at times.
Received my -10 slow build wings and fuselage yesterday after a small delay for the above mentioned issue. Happily into my inventory and storage process! Should I start on the wing work, or wait for the backordered trailing edge wedge strips to finish up elevators and rudder? I think I’ll start on wings!
Patrick
Got my email as well. Ordered March 2021. Can't wait to finally get back to building!
Just got the email to pay the balance on the wing kit today. Hopefully it will go to crating soon. Ordered a year ago, crating window is supposed to be after Christmas. We'll see.
Good luck. I received the same email back in July, paid them and still have not seen a wing kit.
Good luck. I received the same email back in July, paid them and still have not seen a wing kit.
Did you order QB or standard wings?
Looks like my wings kit has been given the assigned to crating status.