flippac dilemma....

[thebrassnuckles]

So... I got this great big fancy new truck.....

and this old little flippac..

I am torn between 2 different routes..

cheap, fast, and possibly ugly

and slow, possibly expensive, and less ugly....


If I got the cheap fast way, I'll just enclose the import sized flippac into a slide in camper, and slide it in the back of m truck and go.... probably a bit ugly seeing as how it'd just be a 5'x7' box in the back of my truck (which has a 5'-7" bed)


the other way.. woul be much more time consuming, and would require alot more work, and research on materials, and purchasing of materials.. but it would look pretty good... well... comparatively..

that would be to builda slide in cabover camper box that has a 5'x7' opening in the top, where the flippac would connect to. basically a pop up camper homebuilt, but utilize my flippac tent and bed.. i have drawn it up in sketchup...


What do you guys think?

 

[Overland Hadley]

Number 2 sounds like the ExPo way, but there is nothing wrong with number 1.

Do you want to get out camping asap? Or do you want to have a cool project?

 

[thebrassnuckles]

Number 2 sounds like the ExPo way, but there is nothing wrong with number 1.

Do you want to get out camping asap? Or do you want to have a cool project?

Both....

but I wont be able to really go camping for a few months anyways, Our second baby is on the way (late september) and our fist is only 16 months old.

Not too much free time anymore..

I would love to do the second more awesome way, but I am unsure of the proper construction techniques to support all the forces involved in a flippac.

the camper portion of the FP doesnt look like there really is that much strength in it. I have all the nasty carpet peeled off mine right now. it appears as though there is some square tubing in it, but it really only looks like the top of the 2 long sides have it. I'll have to take a closer look.

If I could build the main structure out of 2x2 lumber it would be fantastic, as I dont have too much experience welding (read none)

I do have a friend that used to be a welder for 6 years.. maybe i cold persuade him to assist in the skeleton.

Im thinking, if I do a steel skeleton, that it would be a very simple box, and the rest of the structure would be wood.

I havent ever fiberglassed before, but I think it would look best with a layer of glass over the plywood skin.

I would like to insulate the camper, but wih a gigantic tent up top is here really any point?

If I built the camper, I would have one side of it open up and have a small kitchen area, with all my cooking supplies stored on the side, less clutter inside and one less pelican to haul around. I would also get an awning on that side of the camper, and in the future upgrade with the walls so it could double as additional sleeping or shelter. on the same side as the kitchen will be a box at the rear that is sealed off from the inside of the camper to hold a propane tank. The water output will be next to the kitchen cabinet.

inside the camper I want to have a bed that folds down so I can bring along the kids when they are old enough.

A battery bank, and water tank would form the stairs leading up to the upper bed.

all in all.... its a grip of work.

I want to make it a cab over so
i dont have to have my tailgate down and lose the functionality of my back up camera in my tailgate:ylsmoke: