2012 Tacoma Build...ish
- Thread starter sdfreediver
- Start date
HorseshoeExpedition
New member
How do you dry your flippac out after the rain? I live in a wet climate (Vancouver BC) and my biggest fear would be to have to put it away wet after a camping trip. Awesome build btw!
sdfreediver
Observer
sdfreediver
Observer
Well, its still a tent, so I take the fly off and bag it wet. Then I fold the camper up like I would regularly. When I reach my next destination, I pop up the camper to dry and hang the rain fly over a tree limb. If its still raining, then I just put the wet fly back on and repeat till I get home or it stops raining.
The fabric is not your standard tent fabric. It is a much thinker (i hate to use the term canvas, but...) Canvas-y material.
sdfreediver
Observer
Thanks for the compliments, but I did very little of the building myself. I'm just the idea man. My brother is the fabricator. Lucky for me, he has a full shop and tons of experience running a fabrication business.
I live in the Monterey area; he lives in san Diego. Anyone need any custom work done, he's your man. Plug. ;-)
RangeBrover
Explorer
It's the same with my brother except I do the work and he brings the beer :sombrero:
sdfreediver
Observer
Beer, that's genius! I should bring beer to encourage him. Then maybe I wouldn't hear," kinda busy with a ton of jobs right now. "
:-D
RangeBrover
Explorer
Did you just mount shelving along the inside of the flippac against the windows?
sdfreediver
Observer
I did.
That right there is closet maid all the way.
I wanted something that would act as a deterrent; however, stainless steel mesh is ridiculously expensive.
I did stainless steel eye bolts into the steel frame at the top. On the bottom, I did the same, but I connect the wire to the eye bolts via stainless add a link (the chain pieces with a threaded coupler). That way I can remove the links quick, up/close/ clean the windows. The screen swings on the top eye bolts when detached from the bottom.
There is noway to remove the links from theoutside. Also, if I end up keeping the screens, which I love now btw, I can easily replace them with good quality SS later. Although, I don't think the closet maid shelfslook all that bad.
RangeBrover
Explorer
I really like the idea, from my experience the visual deterrent is usually enough but I'm sure it would hold up well against any would be thief.
sdfreediver, you answered my questions about the barn doors in post #5, thanks.
Not many FlipPacs are removed from the truck on a regular basis. I assume you have some type of hoist system in your garage? Are you able the remove it by yourself? Can you tell us how it works, any pictures?
Cliff
Not many FlipPacs are removed from the truck on a regular basis. I assume you have some type of hoist system in your garage? Are you able the remove it by yourself? Can you tell us how it works, any pictures?
Cliff
sdfreediver
Observer
I would love to tell/show everyone how I do this.
Right now Im on a week break traveling from from Norcal to Socal and back, so I cant post pics of my garage setup. I will once I return home.
I can tell you how I do it....
I have a two story home and the garage is located under the master bedroom. The garage has 18 x 2 joists that run the width of the garage. I took strongties and 4x4s' and attached them between the joists. Each strongtie is rated for 2000 lbs. Given that I have two strongties per each point and there are a total of 4 points, I have a tremendous working load potential. Further, I use cable and eye bolts, each rated for a 2000 lb working load, running down to two 4x4's.
I also picked up a 2000 lb HF wench (the one on the shelf, not in the isle. heheheh) and ran that with the same setup described above.
Even though I have the wench, I dont use it anymore, or rarely. Typically I backup into the garage (again the backup camera is indispensable here), inflate my airbags to 85 lbs ( to lift the rear end up to within 1" of the hanging 4x4's, slide the camper off the back of the truck about 6", swing the board under and slide two blots through the rail holes to keep the board from swinging out, then lift the front of the camper up and let the second board swing under. I also have a 5/8" piece of pine on each of the four contact points to insure that the camper lip is supported on the wood frame. not the FG.
Now I must state, Im not a big dude. Im 5'8" and 165 lbs. These things are not heavy. eaasy breezy to take on and off.
Right now Im on a week break traveling from from Norcal to Socal and back, so I cant post pics of my garage setup. I will once I return home.
I can tell you how I do it....
I have a two story home and the garage is located under the master bedroom. The garage has 18 x 2 joists that run the width of the garage. I took strongties and 4x4s' and attached them between the joists. Each strongtie is rated for 2000 lbs. Given that I have two strongties per each point and there are a total of 4 points, I have a tremendous working load potential. Further, I use cable and eye bolts, each rated for a 2000 lb working load, running down to two 4x4's.
I also picked up a 2000 lb HF wench (the one on the shelf, not in the isle. heheheh) and ran that with the same setup described above.
Even though I have the wench, I dont use it anymore, or rarely. Typically I backup into the garage (again the backup camera is indispensable here), inflate my airbags to 85 lbs ( to lift the rear end up to within 1" of the hanging 4x4's, slide the camper off the back of the truck about 6", swing the board under and slide two blots through the rail holes to keep the board from swinging out, then lift the front of the camper up and let the second board swing under. I also have a 5/8" piece of pine on each of the four contact points to insure that the camper lip is supported on the wood frame. not the FG.
Now I must state, Im not a big dude. Im 5'8" and 165 lbs. These things are not heavy. eaasy breezy to take on and off.
Tbird
Observer
Sweet
I'm gonna have to follow your thread...and I hope you keep posting pics. I got a Flippac last year and have done nothing with it but sleep in it. I hope to build it up this year. I am curious to a few things. Why the custom rails?...and more info on them. More garage-lift info and pics would be helpful too. I don't want mine on all the time...I took mine off once with a come-along and a tree, it wasn't easy. I wonder how you keep a good seal between the Flippac and the bed rails? Thanks for posting...there will be a lot of interest here.
Tom
I'm gonna have to follow your thread...and I hope you keep posting pics. I got a Flippac last year and have done nothing with it but sleep in it. I hope to build it up this year. I am curious to a few things. Why the custom rails?...and more info on them. More garage-lift info and pics would be helpful too. I don't want mine on all the time...I took mine off once with a come-along and a tree, it wasn't easy. I wonder how you keep a good seal between the Flippac and the bed rails? Thanks for posting...there will be a lot of interest here.
Tom