AT Flip Pac Coming Along....
- Thread starter bijanjames
- Start date
mtnbike28
Expedition Leader
Nicaragüense
Observer
I had been thinking about rtt and flippacs alot recently since my lance is soo darn huge and I thought it would be pretty nice if someone made the top half of the flippac type setup, so that it can be installed like a rtt. This might even work for people trying to make something like the habitat but for other platforms. It would be a similar idea as sticking a westy top on a pickup topper or random suv.
bijanjames
Adventurer
I hope not! I'm on the list with a 5ft bed.
DVexile
Adventurer
Around January 2015 they were saying the *first* version would likely be for a 6' bed and at that time they hadn't worked out exactly how their opening mechanism would work on a 5' bed. However, since then I think I've heard their top will flip backwards compared to the Flip Pac so to me that means it probably solves their opening problem regardless of bed size. That's total speculation on my part. I haven't kept up with them as far as status goes. My build needed to start by this past summer and Mario was very straight up that there was no way they'd have something that quick - especially for a 5 foot bed! So I've got a Flip Pac now. Really anxious to see what AT comes up with, I expect it will be an excellent product.
yonah
Calling-in from west of the Rockies
Great news. Thanks for the insight.
fourstringfletch
Adventurer
I'm not on the list but itching to see what they come up with.
destructomatt
Adventurer
I spoke with Mario the night before last and he confirmed they have a prototype almost ready and those subscribed to the list would be getting notification shortly. Here's what I know from the call. Hopefully I'm not blowing the lid off some top secret project.
-Flippac like camper with lid that will open towards the back
-Made of Aluminum and aluminum composites - One of their main goals was to keep it light
-Tent will be based on the Habitat with similar construction and manufactured by the same company
-Options for Yakima rack rails
-Gas strut assisted opening
-First model will be for Gen2 Tacomas with 6' bed, then Gen2 5' bed, then Gen3
No details on price or availability yet.
-Flippac like camper with lid that will open towards the back
-Made of Aluminum and aluminum composites - One of their main goals was to keep it light
-Tent will be based on the Habitat with similar construction and manufactured by the same company
-Options for Yakima rack rails
-Gas strut assisted opening
-First model will be for Gen2 Tacomas with 6' bed, then Gen2 5' bed, then Gen3
No details on price or availability yet.
A back flipping camper has a lot of potential advantages like the use of inexpensive and reliable gas struts instead of a torsion bar to assist opening (or even linear actuators). It allows the use of the roof of the truck cab for racks or a basket which would be a great advantage. No more need for a rear awning. If they are able to offer a rear door(s) instead of only rear flip up glass for entry I could see myself being interested, maybe.
dman93
Adventurer
I used to like the "zero footprint" aspect of the FlipPac with forward flip, but it's not really an advantage in reality, since I usually have the tailgate open and stuff in that space ... cooking, seating etc. And most of the advantages listed here for a back-flip are useful. However I don't understand why that (by itself) would eliminate the need for the torsion bar and/or allow use of gas springs? Can you elaborate? Thanks.
wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
mine has no opening assistance...
Nicaragüense
Observer
If you look at standard RTT designs, they just have a basic hinge on one side, and to open you just flip the platform over with leverage using the attached ladder. A similar design could be used on a camper flipping back or sideways like a wildernest. A pole system could be used as well like the many flippac guys who have done the torsion bar delete. With a proper hinge design even a sprung or gas strut system could be designed. But i think for an off road application, simpler will be better. Flipping sideways or to the rear also has the advantage of letting you use a roof rack on your cab. I am very curious to see how they put theirs together. Too bad I have a 8ft bed on my old Dodge.
You could use gas spring on a flippac but when it is fully open (over the cab of the truck) the gas spring would block the doors from opening, rear door if crew cab so you could still get in the front door. Also there is a front overhang of the flippac roof on many trucks so there wouldn't be a good attachment point where it would need to be to assist opening as well as slow opening past 90 degrees to 180 degrees and then also assist closing (to 90 degrees straight up and slow the descent to closed.
Flip to the rear would allow for the gas spring attachment on the lower cap (not lid) to be almost directly below the hinge point where it needs to be to assist both opening and closing as well as slow the lid descent during the final 90 degrees of opening and closing (and when the lid is fully open the gas struts wouldn't obstruct anything).
A diagram would work better than words but I'm not sure how to put one in a post.
black = cap
blue = lid
red = compressed gas spring
red+green = extended gas spring
at least that is how it looks like it would work to me
no need for an expensive and hard to obtain torsion bar
the force would be distributed on both sides of the lid (unless only one gas spring was used and who would do that) so no more torqueing displacement of the lid side to side
springs would be inexpensive and easy to install if/when needed.
I was going to build one a few years back but the canvas part would have been too hard to do.
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