![\"20130504-105023.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/stjohn.openbar.com\/airplane\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/20130504-105023.jpg\")
<\/a>This RV7 stands 7’2″ wide from axle nut to axle nut. \u00a0The garage doors are nearly 8 feet wide, but the issue is the hot water heater stand. \u00a0 It pokes out into the space about a foot. \u00a0What it does is reduce the available pathway from around 8 feet to 7’1″ and that’s a showstopper. \u00a0 So being clever (never confuse clever with smart.), I jacked up the heater stand, took off the inside legs, and supported it with jack stands. \u00a0This allowed the right wheel enough room to get the camel through the eye of the needle.<\/p>\nDavid arrived at 11am, and when I finished getting crap out of the way and zipping up the interior, we headed over to Marina Boat and RV storage to pick up the cube truck. \u00a0 I had originally booked a 22′ truck with a lift gate. \u00a0This one is a 24 footer; \u00a0and we definitely needed the extra two feet.<\/p>\n Paulus and Ellen arrived around 1:30 and with both Paulus and Dave helping, we got the tool chest, the workbench and the plane onto the truck in less than an hour, mostly thanks to that lift gate. \u00a0The lift gate is both brilliant and dangerous: It has the potential to mangle appendages, crush bones, pinch skin, and ruin your stuff. \u00a0 David said that on a film set, something like 30% of all injuries are caused by folding lift gates like the one on this truck. \u00a0Whatever, it’s totally worth the risk. \u00a0 That thing is genius. \u00a0 \u00a0 The tool chest and workbench were just a warmup for the main event: the fuselage. \u00a0 That was interesting. \u00a0 We had to make lots of weird little turns to get the thing out of the shop and into position where it could roll toward the little garage. \u00a0 At least I didn’t have to knock the wall down to get the thing out. \u00a0Some builders have.<\/p>\n<\/a>This might look unsafe, but it’s not; there are huge metal straps holding the tank against the wall.<\/p>\n<\/a>Removing the washer, dryer, and guest house range revealed the mess the guys left when they demoed the bedroom walls. \u00a0 Nasty.<\/p>\n<\/a>This is without a doubt the largest vehicle I have ever driven. \u00a0 I need to look up the stats, I don’t know if they were supposed to rent me this without a CDL. \u00a0 But oh yes, it has a lift gate.<\/p>\n<\/a>Once the ship was under open sky, \u00a0I fired up the avionics. \u00a0 \u00a0This has plagued me for months: \u00a0 Did I wire the ARINC429 communication between the EFIS and the GNS430 correctly? \u00a0 Did I install the GPS antenna properly? \u00a0 For the first time since I’ve owned it, the GNS430 locked on to a satellite constellation and began speaking to the EFIS, so yeah, I’m awesome.<\/p>\n<\/a>With tests complete, we started rolling the plane toward the lift gate. \u00a0 Shelley took some shots, which is nice, because I wasn’t about to stop and do it. \u00a0 At this point, we’ve just made it past the hot water heater.<\/p>\n<\/a>Lining up on the exit…<\/p>\n