[bertschb]

Last week I ordered a replacement inboard wing top skin for my RV-14. It arrived yesterday. I was a little worried about possible shipping damage because it's a fairly large flat part. I opened it up today and holy cow! Vans shipping staff did an INCREDIBLE job packing it. I've ordered things that cost thousands of dollars that weren't packed as well as this $100 part.

First, they built a custom wood frame that was about 1" larger than the top skin around the perimeter. Next, they double sided Gorilla taped the skin to one side of the cardboard side of the box. They then used Gorilla tape around the perimeter of the other side of the skin. No way on earth that skin was moving inside the box. Finally, they added a bunch of packing material to pad the skin inside the box. That skin was so well packaged you could throw it off a moving truck on the freeway and it would have been fine.

I honestly think Vans does a better job shipping than any other company I've ever worked with. Well done Vans!!!!

@greghughespdx - Please thank your shipping department for me!

 

[stigaro]

They do a great job, for sure. But all the labor and handling to pack a $100 part definitely isn't free. I hope Van's has a solid understanding of their actual shipping costs and is charging accordingly.

 

[bertschb]

They do a great job, for sure. But all the labor and handling to pack a $100 part definitely isn't free.

I'm thinking it's baked into their pricing now. This part was a flat sheet of aluminum around 30x36 with holes punched in it. Maybe twenty bucks for the material and ten bucks to punch the part??? Pretty sure they are doing OK covering their packaging cost with a $100 price on it (plus 50 bucks for shipping).