The best place to build?

Wes Morgan · #1 10-01-2012, 05:22 PM

I am in the Air Force and have decided that I am going to get an RV7A when I get to my next base. I should be moving in the spring and as such will be in the market for a new place to live. I have already decided I will only get a place with a 2 car garage or with a shop. My question for you veteran RV builders is this: what other considerations would you suggest I take into account? Is there something besides space I should be looking for or that would be helpful? Also, would you recommend ordering/buildling the tail kit and then crating it for the move?

P.S. I don't know where I am going yet, just that I will be moving.

SmilingJack · #2 10-01-2012, 05:29 PM

Wes, welcome aboard!

I built mine in my 2 car garage and still fit both cars in at night.

Since the Tail only takes a few weeks to build, I would wait until you get to your new base. This way you don't have to repack it and risk denting it.

Good Luck!

DaAV8R · #3 10-01-2012, 05:31 PM

Climate controlled. You will be spending a lot of time in that space.

Mike S · #4 10-01-2012, 05:46 PM

Wes, welcome aboard the good ship VAF

A two car garage will be just fine, you could make do with a single if you had to.

As was already mentioned, climate control is a must, as is good lighting, tunes, ETC.

Make it someplace you want to be, not feel you have to be.

Good to have you here, and thanks for your service.

RWoodard · #5 10-01-2012, 05:49 PM

For me the best place I could imagine is an unfinished walk-out basement. You're already paying for heat and air conditioning and it's a 30 second commute from your living room.

I have a fairly nice hangar, but it's 20 minutes away by car. Tough to justify driving the 20 mile round trip unless you can spend at least a half day working on the project.

flion · #6 10-01-2012, 06:37 PM

How long will you be at your next base? If you are going to finish the aircraft there, then moving the tail kit would make sense. If you're only going to finish some of the components, I'd say don't move things anymore than you have to. You make it sound like you have a permanent home or place to keep things until your tour with the USAF is done. It's not difficult to move stuff around, but why put yourself to more trouble than you have to?

Just for context: I built the tail and wings of my RV-6A in the living room of a 2-bedroom apartment in Ann Arbor. Then I moved them to Chicago where they stayed in storage for 4 years. Finally moved them to Flagstaff, where I framed the fuselage in an apartment garage and finished it in the garage of my new house before finally moving the whole mess out to the airport to get it flying. I know that moving can be done. I also know that it's better not to move stuff if you can avoid it. My RV-10 is being built (mostly) at the hangar; some components are getting done in my garage.

Rupester · #7 10-01-2012, 09:10 PM

...is worth every penny you pay for it.

Build in your garage or basement or whatever ... in your home is much preferable to just "close to home". That way you can do small tasks here and there anytime you wish ... before going to work, while dinner is cooking, etc. If you're in a northern clime, make sure the space is heated; if southern clime, probably vice versa. I built in my garage for 5 1/2 yrs before moving to a hangar ... and always made sure mama's car had the garage for the winter. Mine suffered midwest winters outside in the elements for 4+ yrs ...an easy sacrifice now that I'm flying.

Captain Avgas · #8 10-02-2012, 08:28 AM

Wes, working at home is a huge advantage for many reasons. I would hazard a guess that the completion rate of projects built at home would be far greater than those built elsewhere.

This type of thread comes up repeatedly and you will get advice from those who say it is possible to build an RV in a single car garage, in the loungeroom, or even in a small one door basement where you knock out the wall later. And that may all be true. But it is a long way from being ideal. My opinion is that a double garage is the minimum space required for "organised" fabrication of an RV, certainly for a slowbuild project.

I basically find I need four separate logical areas for construction. The first is my workbench that incorporates my fixed tools and machinery (drill press, band saw, grinder etc). I fabricate small parts on this bench. The second area is for my assembly bench which is a large flat unencumbered area which is for dimpling and the assembly of larger components at a convenient and reasonable working height (ie. not working on the floor).

The third area is for the actual aircraft as it develops. The fourth area is for shelving and other general storage (eg. completed wings, etc).

Having the logical space for all of these functions will make your work environment more pleasant (ie not constantly climbing over things, not constantly losing things in the clutter) and will be conducive to building a better quality aircraft in a shorter time frame.

And if you can get a double garage or large workshop with plenty of good natural light, that would be a huge advantage as well. Lighting is like work space (and money)....you just can't have enough of it if you're building an aircraft.

rleffler · #9 10-02-2012, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rupester

...is worth every penny you pay for it.

Build in your garage or basement or whatever ... in your home is much preferable to just "close to home". That way you can do small tasks here and there anytime you wish ... before going to work, while dinner is cooking, etc. If you're in a northern clime, make sure the space is heated; if southern clime, probably vice versa. I built in my garage for 5 1/2 yrs before moving to a hangar ... and always made sure mama's car had the garage for the winter. Mine suffered midwest winters outside in the elements for 4+ yrs ...an easy sacrifice now that I'm flying.

Terry hit the nail on the head.

I was able to stay on one side of the garage for my RV-10 until I started the fuselage. When my wife's car was in the driveway for two years, guess who was out scraping the ice and snow every morning.

I also ran multiple electrical circuits to the garage to power the compressor, tools, and plenty of additional lighting.

I can totally relate to Wes. My son is at ENJPPT right now and won't know his next assignment until next July. He wants to start building, but logistics don't support starting the build at this point in his career. He's try to talk me into starting the build for him, although I'm not sure I'm willing to start another one for awhile.

Wes Morgan · #10 10-02-2012, 09:44 AM

Everyone,

Wow, thanks for the quick and informative replies! Thats about as good of a welcome into the community as I could hope for. It seems like climate controled, well lit, and attached to the house are the big points.

Patrick, I should be at my next base 3-4 years. I am planning on ordering a quick build in the hopes that I will be finished before I have to move again. The thought about completing the empanage at my current location is mostly just to save time at my next base. I'd rather move the tail and have a jump start than risk only being 100 hours shy and having to move the entire project.

Bob B., as a follow-up to the two work bench suggestion, what are the deminsions of yours?

Bob L., best of luck to your son! I went through pilot training at Laughlin and remember quite well what its like waiting to find out which aircraft you'll be assigned to.

Terry, Congrats on the first flight only two weeks ago!

-Wes