FlipPac manufacturer/sources

[homemade]

I’m tentatively interested in buying a flippac for my ‘04 F350 short bed and an internet search pulls up 3 apparent manufacturers in S. Calif. within a few miles of each other - including one in Riverside (Fiberglass Reinforced Products), one in Hesperia (Unlimited Products) and AT in Montclair. Does anyone know if there are actually 3 manufacturer’s of the same product or does one facility make all of them and supply to the three different companies with or without differences in specs? Any personal experience, good or bad with the three companies (I am aware of the posts regarding AT)? Is there any difference in the products including the tent portion? AT lists the side glass windows as optional, the other two don’t mention additional cost, Unlimited states installation is included but other two sites don’t mention. All three list about the same weights. Prices are not listed on the FRP site, $3800 on Unlimited and $3995 on AT. For short bed they list 6’6” on AT, the F350 has a 6’8” bed but the Unlimited site shows a short bed superduty with a flippack that looks like it fits perfectly.

I assume that the Flip Pac name license is being sold to different manufacturers.

Any insight is appreciated before I try contacting the companies.

 

[Martyn]

In answer to some of your questions, the AT FlipPac has been specifically designed for off-road use. We offer the windows, small and large, as an option due to the security offered by a solid side and strength and rigidity vs. the window.

There is flexibility in the length of shell that can be made using the molds and fitting one to your vehicle shouldn't be a problem.

FRP manufactures the AT FlipPac to our specifications, we then do the after manufacture QC and we can outfit the AT FlipPac with LED lighting, storage, power packs, heat, water, showers, etc.

We offer fitment to the vehicle at our Montclair site. It is typically a 1.5 hour job to do it correctly and to get a good water tight seal between the truck rail and the top.

You can call or e mail me for further information.

 

[Dave Bennett]

At

Bump for AT!

 

[VikingVince]

Unless things have changed in the last year or so, FRP is the only manufacturer of Flippacs. Everyone else is a dealer. Over the years, FRP has developed a lousy reputation as far as responding to customer calls/inquiries/requests, etc.
I know b/c being the first person with a Flippac on this forum, I have directed numerous people to FRP over the years...the feedback is almost always the same. To be fair, however, the Flippac is not their main business so I guess we should be "glad" they still manufacture them.
You can't go wrong buying from AT...they'll give you great customer service and let them hassle with FRP!

 

[Dave Bennett]

Unless things have changed in the last year or so, FRP is the only manufacturer of Flippacs. Everyone else is a dealer. Over the years, FRP has developed a lousy reputation as far as responding to customer calls/inquiries/requests, etc.
I know b/c being the first person with a Flippac on this forum, I have directed numerous people to FRP over the years...the feedback is almost always the same. To be fair, however, the Flippac is not their main business so I guess we should be "glad" they still manufacture them.
You can't go wrong buying from AT...they'll give you great customer service and let them hassle with FRP!

Absolutely.

I think that FRP has a GREAT product, however, customer service and timeliness are not their forte. I'm thankful that I purchased mine through AT.

 

[homemade]

FRP/FlipPak

Thanks for the information. I had assumed the flippac name had been licensed to other manufacturers because AT posts regarding the Jeep Unlimited flippac development sounded like they were designing and making molds, ordering a new fabric and redesigning the tent portion. Also the Unlimited Products web site implies a fiberglass products manufacturer rather than distributor, maybe they do both.

Can you tell me how water drains off of the opened flippac? There doesn’t appear to be a lower skirt portion of the tent to overlap either the edge of the fold open cab over portion or the main shell when opened. Where does the water coming off of the tent drain? If it just collects in the open lid and cap then it would leak in thru the tent fabric. If FRP is trying new tent material tent design (trial on the Jeep Unlimited project) it would probably be best to wait until that has been worked out before buying. It would be a shame to purchase one and be stuck with something that couldn’t be upgraded without much $$.

I live a thousand miles north of FRP so it isn’t as simple as just stopping by to check the product out. I understand that this is a low demand product which probably explains lack of widespread distribution network and the FRP lack of support and outdated web site.

I had built my own FWC type truck camper going on 6 yrs ago, it has worked great and spoiled me with off the ground camping but I would like something that stays on all of the time and is more functional in a day to day situation like I assume a flippac would be. I have missed several opportunities for short weekend camping trips because it is such a hassle to get the camper out of the backyard and on the truck - I just want to throw stuff in the back and go. I definitely want a large back window and at least a passenger side window because piloting a F350CC is enough of an adventure even with good rear visibility.

Thanks again

 

[Martyn]

Thanks for the information. I had assumed the flippac name had been licensed to other manufacturers because AT posts regarding the Jeep Unlimited flippac development sounded like they were designing and making molds, ordering a new fabric and redesigning the tent portion. Also the Unlimited Products web site implies a fiberglass products manufacturer rather than distributor, maybe they do both.

Can you tell me how water drains off of the opened flippac? There doesn't appear to be a lower skirt portion of the tent to overlap either the edge of the fold open cab over portion or the main shell when opened. Where does the water coming off of the tent drain? If it just collects in the open lid and cap then it would leak in thru the tent fabric. If FRP is trying new tent material tent design (trial on the Jeep Unlimited project) it would probably be best to wait until that has been worked out before buying. It would be a shame to purchase one and be stuck with something that couldn't be upgraded without much $$.

I live a thousand miles north of FRP so it isn't as simple as just stopping by to check the product out. I understand that this is a low demand product which probably explains lack of widespread distribution network and the FRP lack of support and outdated web site.

I had built my own FWC type truck camper going on 6 yrs ago, it has worked great and spoiled me with off the ground camping but I would like something that stays on all of the time and is more functional in a day to day situation like I assume a flippac would be. I have missed several opportunities for short weekend camping trips because it is such a hassle to get the camper out of the backyard and on the truck - I just want to throw stuff in the back and go. I definitely want a large back window and at least a passenger side window because piloting a F350CC is enough of an adventure even with good rear visibility.

Thanks again

Please note that "FlipPac" has not been mentioned in any of our releases on the JK Project. You may have read something into it or others may have made assumptions.

 

[homemade]

Please note that "FlipPac" has not been mentioned in any of our releases on the JK Project. You may have read something into it or others may have made assumptions.

The title of the thread states "flippac" and the product pictures look like a different application of the same thing, so I don't think that I "read something into it" other than what would be reasonably implied.

 

[elcoyote]

The title of the thread states "flippac" and the product pictures look like a different application of the same thing, so I don't think that I "read something into it" other than what would be reasonably implied.

Point taken and possible confusion is understood. I think what Martyn meant was that the JK project we are working on is not a FRP product. Sorry for any offense or confusion.

 

[homemade]

Absolutely no offense taken, I appreciate the information and clarification.

 

[homemade]

shipping a flippac

Has anyone had FRP ship them a flippac directly? If so, did FRP put it on a pallet like HARP’s and how much was shipping and over what distance. I read HARP’s thread, he indicated that AT shipped it to him apparently by FedEx because he picked it up a FedEx hub (if I read it correctly). FedEx would be good for me because there is a hub fairly close by.

I did send a E-mail to FRP asking how much for shipping, I got a reply back but it was a generic reply indicating they are paying Calif. sales tax on purchases for a limited time. Unless they discount for out of state deliveries that wouldn’t help me because shipped up here I wouldn’t have to pay the Calif. Sales tax anyway. They didn’t answer my Q about shipping. Unlimited Products hasn’t answered my E-mail yet. I’m sure AT is great to work with but it sounds like the AT flippack would be hundreds more with a higher base price and windows as options so I have not contacted them. That also brings up one more question, the AT flippac has thicker walls and no windows for better off road durability - has anyone had a problem with the standard flippac shell with windows holding up with off road use?

Thanks again for any information that anyone might have. I don’t want to be calling FRP if shipping would be out of my budget anyway (driving down to Riverside is definitely out of the question) and it is important to have as much information as possible when dealing with a seller.

 

[haven]

If you say when and where, I bet you could arrange for ExPo
members to help get the FlipPac to you. I can imagine the
FlipPac folks loading the unit onto a Uhaul trailer, and
members volunteering to drive segments of the distance
to your location. Paying for gas would be reasonable.

 

[homemade]

flippac idea fading some

Haven, thanks for the idea, I was thinking more of seeing if FRP will apply their offer to pay Calif. sales tax to the shipping costs since there would be no Calif. sales tax if delivered out of Calif. rather than picked up there. The $3800 “out the door” price is at the very upper end of what I would consider to pay for one of these so shipping must be close to the ~$250 that Calif. sales tax would be (if the sales tax is ~6%).

Unlimited is off my list, I did a search on the BBB and internet and the results were not pretty.

A used flippac seems unlikely because of the larger build required by a superduty, I don’t want to go the way of BellaPSD trying to adapt a smaller camper. If this all doesn’t work out I will just use what I have and save the cash. No worries in any case.

 

[Bella PSD]

I had mine shipped from uship.com

Found someone coming back to the east coast empty. $225 I think is what it came to. They just loaded it onto there F 350 and c clamped it down.

Louie

 

[NXN]

I spoke to someone there at FRP around late October and she gave me this big story about having to get it on a transport with their other product line coming my way. She told me that if there was not a dealer of their other product line close that it still might require me to travel some. She was going to call me back with my options. I still have not heard from her.

Based on the above conversation, lack of follow-up, the complaints concerning FRP customer service on this website and the fabulous reputation and upgrades put in to the AT-Flip pac, when I finish scraping up the cash I am purchasing mine in Arizona. Besides, its closer to Texas that Cali.