How to ship a bimini ??

So I am selling my OEM bimini from my Outback to a fellow Moomba owner. I have broke the bimini down as far as it will go - but unfortunately the main beams that go across the cabin of the boat are one piece so they are quite big.

Does anyone have any experiences shipping one of these? How did you do it? I am thinking I have two options. The first is trying to source a box that is roughly this size. The only thing I can think of that is even close is maybe a really wide door for a home. THe other option is to wrap it with packaging foam and then packaging tape and send it with no box.

The item will be shipped USPS from Minnesota to Manitoba so it is International.

Does anyone have any experiences or ideas? If I go without a box - do you think I should add a piece of metal to the cross bar for added reinforcement to the structure? Or should I be Ok as long as everything is padded and securely fastened?

Thoughts? Advice? Thanks!

I think if you go w/o a box that it will get broken or bent at least.

Ask the buyer what he prefers, if you ship it in a door box or whatever I would think shipping costs are going to kill you.

You could cut the bimini in the middle, then it could be rewelded or a pipe connector used to reconnect it ? like I said, that would require talking to the buyer to see if he likes that idea.

How far is the distance to be shipped? could you meet half way?

TowerBiminis ships theirs with no box. they wrap the heck out of it in bubble wrap and tape and just ship it as is. I've shipped one myself like this with no issues as well.

As Ian said. We have received and shipped large ones in shrinkwrap and wrap the metal arms with bubble wrap and shrink tape.

Bubble wrap and shrink wrap it is!

I was the buyer of the the bimini that Ian shipped in bubble wrap and it arrived in great shape.