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Wings kit--Crating Date Late Aug/Early Sept

MajorSTI

Member
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.
 
You're doing pretty good. I ordered mine last April and I still have a crating date estimate of August this year. :(

My original estimate when I placed the order was November last year. It was supposed to be delivered about when my daughter was born. Guess it will make it for her first birthday.
 
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.

I'm right there with you, ordered just after Thanksgiving last fall. Curious to see if these crating dates hold or they get pushed back again.
 
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!
 
Well, I have no good news to share. My crating date has come and gone and no update from Vans. No changes on the kit status page and I checked in again via e-mail to see what happened, and no reply. They've gone dark. I ordered my wings in April '21 before my wife was pregnant. They were originally scheduled for crating November '21 when my daughter was born. At this rate, I'm starting to wonder if they'll make it for her first birthday.

Sorry, had to vent.
 
Not for the -8 wings, but I've got the same thing happening with my -9 fuselage. It's in the crating window, but I haven't heard anything from them regarding final payment. I've emailed, but no response so far. Will be calling tomorrow to try to get a real person on the line.
 
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!

Vans provides a crating window, not a specific date. It's on the status webpage. Are you now past the window entirely?
 
Vans provides a crating window, not a specific date. It's on the status webpage. Are you now past the window entirely?
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.
 
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! :eek:

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.
 
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.

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.
 
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! :eek:

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.
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.

So to summarize, I'm frustrated with the delay; I'm PO'd about the communication. Say what you're going to do and do what you say and I'm a fairly happy camper even if it's not necessarily what I want to hear.
 
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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.

I talked to the Lycoming folks up at Oshkosh and they indicated 12-14 months for an experimental IO-360 from them. FWIW. Not a Rotax obviously.
 
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Well, I wish I had some better news. But I don't. It just keeps getting worse. I tried calling to get someone on the phone on Wednesday, but unfortunately they had a meeting for an hour and turned off their phone system. I tried several more times and they never turned it back on. Seeing as I couldn't get anyone on the phone I tried emailing again. Still no answer there so I tried calling again on Thursday. Finally got someone on the phone, but they couldn't figure out why I wasn't in crating either. Said he would find out and e-mail me back before the end of the day. That didn't happen either. Today, I got the first notice from Vans in 3 weeks, one week after my crating window and it was an automated message. The main point from the message:

"
Parts Being Produced

The status of your kit has been set to "Parts Being Produced." This indicates that our factory is in the process of creating the many parts that make up your kit. Some of our kits contain parts made by third parties, as well. This status indicates that the manufacturing process is taking place. Depending on the kit and volume in the factory, the timelines for this step can vary.

What to Expect

Once your kit changes status and/or we add or modify estimated completion dates for your kit, you'll receive another email from us.
"

So now Vans has missed three crating windows and hasn't communicated what is going on. I hope someone at Vans reads this thread. This level of customer service and lack of communication is massively disappointing. Sure is nice to know that a week after they were supposed to get crated, they finally started producing the parts that were ordered 16 months ago. I really don't mind the delay, but I just want to know when my parts will ship. I'm tired of getting excited for delivery only to be disappointed when it doesn't happen and no one tells me.
 
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Since I've been keeping this thread up to date with my current saga, I figure I might as well add the most current actions. I've tried to call Vans on several occasions since I wrote last and not able to get anyone to answer. The other thing I tried was e-mail the following message to the general Info mailbox hoping a different channel might get me somewhere. As of yet, I have not managed to speak to anyone and I have not received a response to any e-mail since before the start of my crating window. Today I decided out of desperation to message Greg Hughes directly here on the forum. At the very least I feel like he should hear about the lack of communication at least one customer is getting.

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.
 
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.
 
Quick update for everyone. I did hear back from Greg with a message:

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.

He did check into it and I got a call earlier with an update. I was told the spar delivery was late and was the contributor to the delays. They are expected the end of next week. The rest of my kit was already in crating, so as long as there are no further delays on the spar, my kit should ship early September. It's so nice to have an update. I'm still disappointed I had to get the COO of the company involved, but glad it has a resolution. Hopefully this will shine a light on this so they can work on improving their communication for the future.

Aside from all that, YAY! My wings are coming soon!
 
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.

Same window here. Let’s stay in touch.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
Today, I saw the update via the Van's Website that my crating window for my wings kit has slipped to Dec 24, 2022 to Jan 14, 2023. I check everyday because I was in my original window for crating. Disappointing, but I understand and respect the challenges that Van's Aircraft is facing in the current environment. Besides, it gives me more time to complete the empennage and save my pennies for the fuselage kit.
 
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.


Thanks for the update Greg, much appreciated.
 
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.

Ditto. I was hoping things had recovered a bit in the supply chain. Apparently not. It is what it is. Not like you can run out and just buy a wing spar at Harbor Freight.
 
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.

Hey Greg. Any new news?
 
... 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.

Greg, is that 80 complete aircraft kits, or 80 partial kits (one kit being, say, a fuselage kit or a wing kit ...?)

Either way, I'm blown away by this stat!
 
There is hope! I just got the BOL from the freight company on my wings! They are real and headed my way. The only missing parts listed on my invoice are the wing tips.
 
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
 
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

You are cranking, Patrick! I take it that you're done with Vertical, Horizontal AND Tailcone?

You received yours about a week before me and I'm still on the Horizontal. I'm skipping the Rudder and Elevator as well -- no T.E. wedge -- and I'll do the Tailcone next.

Unfortunately my QB stuff is a long ways out.
 
My wing kit made it. In the process of inventorying the parts now.
 

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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.
 
Kit Progress

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.
 
Seems there are quite a few of us in that window. If they are indeed doing orders in batches, maybe there will be a Christmas miracle after all.
 
Just received an email asking for payment. I may get to see a fuselage kit in the new year!
 
Well I got the shipping notice today for the wing kit. So they did indeed make this window thankfully.

So it will have been just shy of 14 months wait time to get a standard RV-8 wing kit.
 
Mike G

Do you mind sharing what the shipping cost for the wing kit was? I figure shipping to Ohio ought to be close to what it is to Oklahoma for me

Thanks
 
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