Ram 2500: FlipPac or A.R.E. DCU 36" for Alaska?

[alaska]

I finally just came across a Caravan Campers top with vertical sides (this is the first one I see built that way) and exactly the height I'm shooting for (it proves they are indeed being built that way, after all :wings. It is made just the way I would want it:
http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/2641412083.html
It sits on a '96 Dodge Ram 3500 and both the truck and the CC top are on sale...likely, the seller could be persuaded to sell the camper separately. If anyone in the Reno area is interested, go for it!
I'll take my chances and wait a little longer for a Callen... :coffeedrink:

 

[Colby Jack]

ARE DCU damage

Those are some pretty convincing pics and comments regarding the ARE commercial units. There are a ton of them running up here, and a buddy of mine is the local dealer in Anchortown. I'll sure keep my eyes open around town to inspect.
I would second the comment regarding the BFG Commercial Terrain tire. This is a classic tire that carries an E-rating and an aggressive all terrain tread pattern.
Those Cullens look really nice.

Colby Jack

 

[White Rhino]

Wait for a Callen. Stout and proven.... period.

 

[PW_SD]

Alternative to Caravan

I was going thru a similar decision process last year. An alternative to Caravan is the Tradesman caps - customized to your liking. They are made by Access Mfg outside of Sacramento. I believe they price out a little less if I remember correctly.

http://accessmfg.com/

Work thru their website. There are a lot of photos to get ideas

 

[alaska]

I was going thru a similar decision process last year. An alternative to Caravan is the Tradesman caps - customized to your liking. They are made by Access Mfg outside of Sacramento. I believe they price out a little less if I remember correctly.

http://accessmfg.com/

Work thru their website. There are a lot of photos to get ideas

Thanks! They look great... Here's a couple of examples:
http//accessmfg.com/gallerylarge/hbvc/Cabover_Shell_60.jpg
http://accessmfg.com/gallerylarge/hbv9/68_high_w_Single_Cargo_Door.jpg

My only question would be whether they are as durable and impervious to punishment as the Caravan Campers or on the lighter side, like the A.R.E. DCU's, for instance.

 

[alaska]

@PW_SD

Yes, you were right that I would get ideas from those pictures at their website...

There is something I saw that seems very appealing, though it can be expensive and add considerable weight to the truck: the option of using a utility body...the extra storage space you get with those cabinets is enormous! But then again it would be very difficult to use a camper shell such as the Callen or Caravan with that setup, as it would call for a slide-in camper and that's a totally different ball game than what we are discussing here. The possibilities seem endless... :bike_rider:

By the way, I've researched it and Access Mfg seems to be making fine products, indeed.

Thanks again for suggesting it! :luxhello:

Here's what a truck looks like with a utility body and a slide-in, pop-up camper:

 

[Darwin]

Excited to see what you end up with and how your trip goes.:elkgrin:

 

[locrwln]

Caravan will build for a utility body. Just food for thought.

I haven't looked on their website in a long time, but at their shop they have pictures of trucks that have been in rollovers and the caravans hold up very, very well and have kept the cabs from caving in.

Jack

 

[alaska]

It seems that Callen will also build for a utility body...
A new aluminum utility body is pretty expensive (around $6K from what I have seen), but I was playing with ideas and started considering the possibility of getting a light, basic aluminum flatbed such as the Ute or Scott-Lite and then adding aluminum boxes to it, both topside and underneath, to basically build my own utility body in a much more cost effective fashion.
A new such flatbed without the whistles and bells from either company will probably be a little over $2K, if found used then much cheaper. And apparently the whole thing so constructed wouldn't be any heavier than the original truck's bed which would be taken off the truck and replaced by it.
It does raise the bed floor of a few inches and therefore the COG, but then again the heavy stuff can be placed in the boxes under the flatbed. Plenty of space to carry stuff and the Caravan or Callen camper that goes on top of it would be in a weight range of 400-650 lbs., so overall not too bad after all.
I have googled around a bit to see if there were similar builds (using a utility bed as the base for a camper top, mind you, not a slide in) but found none.
I'd like to get a bit of feedback on this. Does it seem feasible, desirable? Advice/suggestions on this will be much appreciated. Also if you know of similar builds, please let me know.