Group Flip Pac Camper Rain Fly Buy

[dcabcody]

I never thought I'd be so excited about a tent fly. :sombrero: Looking forward to some pics....

 

[homemade]

I've seen it posted here and elsewhere that "all flippacs have the same size bed, are all the same size"....

Not true, and this may affect rain fly's. I was at FRP and asked if all beds were the same, Suntinez pointed out how large her FP was compared to mine (8ft bed Tundra) and that the lengths of all FP beds are the same, but there are two widths made. Seems that would mean two sizes of covers, not sure.

Just FYI

The internet is great media to get information that you just can’t find easily anywhere else. Everyone here knows that including those that view sites but don’t contribute (make an effort to contribute where you can). If flippac owners wouldn’t mind, it would be probably informative to a lot of people if they could take some measurements like length and width of the flip bed portion, height of the tent portion above the bed or side rails or anything else of interest that isn’t on the flippac.com site (or anything that is inaccurate or poorly described by them), photos of any particular feature of interest would also be helpful. Anything you find interesting likely other people would also.

I still plan to build my own but my wife is trying to convince me to just buy one, I think she is concerned about what a homemade version might look like.

Maybe there would be enough info for another thread.

 

[homemade]

Here are the fabric samples I grabbed. The material for the prototype will be in a burgundy color, but we need to settle on one color to make this affordable. If we can all agree on one color, we can buy a roll and save on fabric costs. Here is the swatch sheet and some data on the fabric.

My vote would be for Forest Green.

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For what its worth, that is pretty thin fabric.

maybe a slightly heavier ripstop nylon would be more durable?

The seattlefabrics.com web site has good info about fabrics and applications.

they list heavier ripstop coated nylon for tent fly use, I think Super-K or something like that, check it under their nylon fabrics products page. It doesn't look much more expensive than the taffeta which isn't ripstop.

 

[billy bee]

For what its worth, that is pretty thin fabric.

maybe a slightly heavier ripstop nylon would be more durable?

The seattlefabrics.com web site has good info about fabrics and applications.

they list heavier ripstop coated nylon for tent fly use, I think Super-K or something like that, check it under their nylon fabrics products page. It doesn't look much more expensive than the taffeta which isn't ripstop.

I am learning as I go here and relying on the expertise of my sailmaker friends. But I do know that the "thin-ness" is influenced as much by the coating as it is by the fabric. I would prefer a lighter fabric with a heavier coating for pack-ability and water resistance. We are still looking at fabric choices but trying to split the difference between weight and compactness.

Also, the fabric you are mentioning is very expensive. There are other, more affordable fabric options that do the job as well or better. If somebody wants one made of Super K, I bet Karl would make one. But be prepared to pay. Also, I have worked extensively with rip-stop nylon having cut, stuck, and stitched countless spinnakers together. I find it very difficult to work with. Karl is good at it, but my experience is that it is harder to cut and sew than other fabrics...meaning, the price may go up.

One clear theme in the first several posts is cost. We want to keep the price down, deliver a better fly, and get them into the hands of FP owners quickly (something that FRP cannot seem to do).

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[Rovertrader]

just found this thread, and I'm in as well, prefer gray as a neutral colour.

As a side note, I am going to remove my FP from the PW, and mount it on an M101. Then make permanent hook ups, etc like the other exp trailers. The advantage will be flexibilty to use behind multiple vehicles and allow a base camp if needed. Build thread to follow...

 

[billy bee]

The FRP-Free Rain Fly #1 is done...

Picking it up taking it camping with me this weekend. Does not look like rain, but I will use it and get some pictures. It may be cold; so, I will get an idea of how it helps with keeping the FP warm...

Stay tuned. Pictures will be up this weekend...

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[ETAV8R]

:lurk::tent:

 

[billy bee]

I have the new fly in my grubby little paws. It looks great, fits well, and answers all the questions posed here. And it is just a first effort.

Some highlights:

• We have four vents on the fly with removable stays, meaning the fly can be rolled up quickly and easily without worrying about breaking the battens. The vents are on either end and one on each side.
• It is symmetrical, meaning it can be installed either way.
• It can be ordered with any combination of windows and vents (and then installed with the vents/windows on either end of the FP).
• It has a a series of loops around the base. They can be used to strap the fly under the lid, to the vehicle, or to the ground or surrounding trees, tables, rocks.
• It has a bungee cord around the base to fit snuggly against the shell.
• Corners are reinforced.
• Weighs <10 lbs in its stuff bag...about the same weight as the FRP fly.
• Packs down tight into a small duffel.
• This one was made with two different color fabrics (b/c we ran out of the primary color). I like it; it is helpful in finding the ends for installation and folding/packing.

I took a bunch of pics with a friends camera. Waiting for him to send them.

 

[Dave Bennett]

eepwall:

 

[SafariPacific]

eepwall:

Ditto

 

[dcabcody]

:lurk:

 

[Dave Bennett]

This thread is worthless without pics

 

[billy bee]

This thread is worthless without pics

Ask and you shall receive...

Looks pretty good, I think...especially considering it was made from fabric that was on hand... Look like nice two-tone Cadillac colors from the 1970s.

Goes on pretty easily.

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[billy bee]

Loops along the side for lashing under the lid or down to the truck or ground.

Vent detail...

I want to add ladder buckles to these loops to throw a strap under the lid and cinch down to loops on the other side.

All fits into a small duffel

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[billy bee]

I slept in the FP last night without the fly. It was 48 degrees outside when I got up and 54 inside. I am curious how much more heat it retains with the fly on. Film at 11...

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