Shipping Costs with Variable Weight and Dimensions

[davi7852@yahoo.com]

I am setting up an e-commerce site and need help in figuring out how to set up the shipping methods with varying weights and dimensions.  We have the weight for all the individual parts, but the dimensions are my concern.  My questions is, if a customer buys one product, that is easy to figure out, but if they buy multiple parts, we put them all into a different size box. 

So for example, if they buy a hose, we ship out the hose in our standard box.  But if they were to buy 2 hoses, we would change the standard hose box and put them into the same box, but bigger than an individual hose box.  Does anyone know of the best way to try and figure this out so that we can sell online with accurate shipping costs?

Thanks in advance.

RD

[GJC Web Design]

I see you've discovered the horror of multi product dimensions calc. for shipping..

As you suggest -- so much depends on how you pack them and what sort of sized box they end up in..

You could start with maybe http://extensions.virtuemart.net/checkout/shipments/advanced-shipping-by-rules-detail where you can set all sorts of factors concerning ship price

e.g. max length, height, weight etc

I assume your setting your rates locally.. not using a shipping api to obtain prices?