Kit Ordering and Shipping Details and Policies
Last updated: April 15, 2025
The following terms and policies apply to all orders for Van’s Aircraft RV kits.
NEW KIT ORDERS – REQUIREMENTS
All kit orders must be received on the current version of the applicable kit order form. These order forms are located at www.vansaircraft.com/order-a-kit.
Each new RV kit is assigned a Serial Number after the order is received. The serial number is assigned with the first kit ordered and is used for that airplane. If you’ve purchased a used kit, you must complete the transfer of ownership process to purchase additional kits to complete the airplane.
Important: Van’s requires a signed Waiver and Release of Liability Agreement before we will complete the order for your kit(s). Any customer, regardless of whether they are the original owner or a subsequent owner, who does not sign the agreement will not be sold a Van’s Aircraft kit product or aircraft parts and will not be able to receive the documentation necessary to satisfy the FAA’s requirements at the time of registration.
NO COMBINING OF KIT ORDERS/SHIPMENTS
Due to high volume and limited warehouse storage space, we cannot and will not hold crated/ready-to-ship kits in our warehouse while waiting for another kit order to combine it with. We will ship each kit to you as soon as it is ready to ship. In the event two kits happen to align timewise, we may end up shipping them together, but we will not be able to intentionally plan combined shipments. Please plan accordingly. For overseas customers, we will do what we can to try to combine shipments, within reason, and minimize high shipping costs. However, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so, and you must be prepared to accept individual shipments. Failure to accept individual shipments will result in price increases and/or cancellation of the kit order, at the sole discretion of Van’s Aircraft.
MAKING DEPOSITS AND FINAL PAYMENTS
Unless we have otherwise agreed in writing, each kit order must be confirmed by making a deposit of 35% of the total kit order amount calculated on the form. Your order is pending until the deposit is received and will only be finalized upon receipt of the deposit.
Approximately 60 days before your kit is ready to be crated, you will receive a “crating notice” notifying you and requesting final payment for the remaining balance on your kit. The remaining balance is due 14 business days after we request payment. The balance on your kit order must be received before we can schedule the crating of your kit. If timely payment of the balance due is not received, you will forfeit your deposit.
Besides those kits listed below, kit deposits can be made quickly and securely via Visa, MasterCard, or Discover at www.vansaircraft.com/makeapayment. You may also pay your deposit or balance due via check or bank wire transfer. Our Kits Order Team can provide you with the bank information needed for electronic transfers.
For the below kits, the 35% deposit and final balance payment must be paid via check or bank transfer:
- RV-12/12iS avionics kits
- RV-12/12iS powerplant kits
- Lycoming engines
CANCELLATIONS
Kit deposits are fully refundable for up to three (3) business days after the order is signed, and are refundable less $1000 per canceled kit until the customer is sent the Crating Notice. Once the Crating Notice has been sent to the customer, the original deposit is no longer refundable. Deposits will become the property of Van’s Aircraft and be forfeited by the customer. Deposits on or full payment for Lycoming engines and Hartzell propellers purchased through Van’s are non-refundable.
If you choose to cancel your kit order, you may not transfer (sell or give) your order to another person. When orders are canceled, Van’s moves each customer remaining in the order queue up accordingly. New customer orders require the completion and submission of a new order form and are placed in the queue using the new order date. If you decide to sell your kit to another person after you take delivery of the kit(s) from us, you may of course do so. Van’s will not transfer your order or “place in line” to another person.
All cancellations must be made in writing (either via email or on paper). Verbal cancellations cannot be accepted.
ORDER CHANGES
Due to production and crating constraints, components cannot be added to or deleted from empennage, wing, and fuselage kits. This policy applies to both standard and quick-build kits. Firewall forward and finish kits may be customized for different aircraft configurations (slider/tip-up canopy, engine model, taildragger/conventional). However, no further additions or deletions can be accommodated. Any additional components must be ordered separately by calling Van’s Aircraft Sales Department or through the webstore at store.vansaircraft.com. Additional parts and components cannot be added to kit crates and will ship separately.
Important: Any deviation from the established RV-12/12iS plans will force us to treat the kit as EAB rather than E-LSA, and we will issue all relevant paperwork accordingly. To register your RV-12 as an ELSA, you must buy all of your kits/components from Van’s due to the way the ELSA registration and certification process works.
RETURNS
Kits and kit contents may not be returned or refunded. Individual parts or products purchased outside of a kit order may be returned within 30 days of receipt for a customer credit of 75%. You must secure an RMA number from the Van’s Aircraft shipping department prior to returning any items. PLease refer to the Merchandise Return Policy and Form document for details and instructions. All returned parts must be unused and in new, sellable condition. Van’s Aircraft is not liable for returned parts that are damaged due to shipping and will not offer credit or refund for damage or loss outside of Van’s Aircraft’s control. You should obtain insurance for items of significant value.
CONFIRMATION
You must review and confirm your order is correct at the time you send Van’s Aircraft your final kit payment.
KIT PRODUCTION LEAD TIMES
Estimated kit lead times change regularly based on supply chain delays, the current volume of orders, and a variety of other factors that fluctuate over time. For the latest estimated kit lead times, please visit our website.
CRATING DATE ESTIMATES
The crating date range that we communicate to you represents the estimated timeframe when we believe your kit will be added to our crating team’s work queue. It is not the same as the shipping date. It can sometimes take several weeks for a kit to ship after the crating date depending on volume, shipping company schedules and availability, etc.
Table: Weight and Dimensions of Crated Items (PDF)
USE OF CUSTOMER-PROVIDED INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT FORWARDER
Should international customers choose to use their own freight forwarder instead of a Van’s standard/approved freight forwarding company, Van’s will add a $500 administrative fee to your kit order for each shipment we arrange through your freight forwarder.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPPING TO CANADA
Canadian customers must provide their broker information to Van’s Aircraft prior to the crating date.
KIT SHIPPING
We endeavor to find the most cost-effective and reliable freight shipping arrangements for each kit within the USA and the rest of the world. Some of our smaller, boxed kits may ship by FedEx or UPS while the larger kits ship by truck, air, or sea freight. Our Kit Department determines and selects the best option for each shipment, considering the type of kit being shipped, cost, and the freight company’s customer service history. All crates will be shipped via freight-collect (you pay the shipping charges when the kit(s) arrive at your delivery destination).
You will receive a Bill of Lading or other appropriate shipping documents when we ship your kit, which is typically sent via email from the shipping company. The freight carrier will contact you to make delivery and payment arrangements as needed when the freight items arrive at the closest terminal or depot, and before they deliver to your address. Be sure to watch your email and answer your phone to avoid delays.
CUSTOMER-INITIATED REQUESTS TO DELAY KIT DELIVERY
When you order a kit, you agree and understand that you will have to take delivery of the kit(s) as soon as they become available. Van’s will not store your kits for you, and they must ship when ready. You may not order kits or products today for delivery later than when they are ready to ship, and we will not accept orders at today’s prices for delivery in a timeframe that is later than our reasonably estimated timeframe – You must take delivery as soon as it is ready to ship. Should you delay the delivery of your kit from the originally scheduled timeframe and priority on our customer order list, we reserve the right to cancel your kit order at our sole discretion, or to modify your kit price to the price effective on the date the kit ships, and we may reallocate your kit for the next customer in our queue. If we choose not to cancel your order, we will change your kit delivery to a future kit manufacturing batch/slot and communicate the new price and approximate estimated crating timeframe to you.
NO THIRD-PARTY SHIPMENTS
Note that due to stringent shipping regulations and logistical considerations, we can only ship packages and parts that are purchased from Van’s Aircraft. We cannot combine shipments from other vendors or sources. Packages delivered to our facility that are not purchased through Van’s Aircraft will be returned to the sender.
DELIVERY
It is the responsibility of the person receiving the freight to arrange a way to offload crates from the truck when they arrive. The freight company might be able to help, but you should not assume that will be the case, as they typically don’t carry forklifts or dollies. You can also optionally request “lift-gate” service for an additional cost through most freight companies but note that even if you request it not all freight terminals can deliver using a lift-gate truck and some lift gates may not be sufficient to offload large crates. Be aware that crated quick-build kits are large, heavy, and require a forklift or a significant number of strong people to help offload. Sometimes a flatbed tow truck pickup from the shipping depot or similar hired service may be worth considering for the final leg to your home or hangar. Refer to our crate dimensions and weight chart and plan accordingly.
DAMAGE
If you see ANY signs of shipping damage to your crates you MUST note it on the delivery receipt BEFORE the driver leaves. If the delivery receipt is a hand-held computer, write/enter the word DAMAGE as well as your name. Take photos immediately and report the damage to kits@vansaircraft.com right away. Check the contents as soon as possible and contact Van’s with the part numbers and digital photos of any damaged parts that will need to be replaced. We can assist you in communicating with the freight company if a damage claim is necessary. Your contract and any damage claim are with the freight company, so Van’s Aircraft is not responsible for damaged freight, but we will do our best to assist you through your claim process.
You need to open your crates and perform a complete inventory. Any damaged or missing parts must be reported to Van’s within 30 days. After 30 days, we cannot offer replacements and you must order and purchase new parts by calling Van’s Aircraft Sales Department or through the webstore at store.vansaircraft.com.
For damaged shipments received via United Parcel Service, and/or Federal Express, please contact the shipping department at Van’s Aircraft immediately via email at shipping@vansaircraft.com.
WILL CALLS
Will-call may be available for customers who wish to pick their kits up at the factory in Oregon. Arrangements must be made with our kits and shipping departments prior to your kit being crated. An appointment is required for all will-call customers. We cannot offer unplanned will-call pickups and we cannot store your crated kit in our facility, so you must agree to a will-call appointment date that is acceptable to Van’s Aircraft. To ensure your will-call appointment goes smoothly, is important that you review our Will-Call policy, which you can view at this link. You must schedule the will-call date and time with our team in advance and establish a planned date for your visit to the factory to pick up your kit.
