Does anyone have pictures of the “barn door” option that flippac used to sell? My wife doesn’t like stepping over the tailgate to get in or out. I would like to fabricate some but I don’t want to mess up the shell or my truck experimenting on how to attach them to the shell or the truck so any info and pictures would be great!
Request for barn door info for flippack
- Thread starter homemade
- Start date
brian90744
American Trekker
barn door flip-pac for sale=Phone: 907-694-4136
Last edited:
thebrassnuckles
Explorer
Thanks.
It looks like the back of your flippack is flat with the back of your truck, mine slopes forward some. They probably had some subtle but important differences in the shell for the ones made with the barn doors. I think my wife is stuck climbing over the tailgate.
Roaming Robertsons
Adventurer
I added a tailgate lift assist to mine and now we can easily lift it from inside the bed. Depending on your model of truck you may have some of the parts already installed.
The torsion bar type? I had thought about it but she really just wants a door. Maybe I can figure out a way to make the doors but the geometry looks too difficult.
Thanks
thebrassnuckles
Explorer
Get one of those one piece camper shells door things. It's a tailgate hatch combo with a door in the middle. I think there is a picture of one in the 4runner/wilderness build thread.
Roaming Robertsons
Adventurer
I started with a torsion bar but it didn't do all that much so I went with the internal gas assist model. My truck, but not my model, came with it as an option so all I needed to to was buy a few parts.later model years actually have everything installed except the gas strut. It makes it a true one finger lift. YMMV.
I looked into having barn doors made but couldn't find anyone to do it. I suspect it'd take a fair amount of engineering. The I looked at full doors like on some ARE shells but I doubt those would fit and seal. I'm not skilled enough to fab something so I finally gave up. I think to do it right you'd have to build a rear wall with a door in it. That wasn't something I was willing to tackle.
JasonRedwood
Explorer
This looks like it could be the easiest option. Found this on an add on CL so I dont know much about it but it looks like a simple wall was attached to the inside of the FP.
Here is the add if you want to contact the seller.
http://anchorage.craigslist.org/rvs/3265483215.html
Here is the add if you want to contact the seller.
http://anchorage.craigslist.org/rvs/3265483215.html
njtacoma
Explorer
Maybe you could get just the door from one of these: http://www.4are.com/product/walkin/ It can swing open like a giant hatch, or use the door.
JasonRedwood
Explorer
Can you post pictures of your camper? Interested in how it looks.
austintaco
Explorer
I think that adding the lift assist would be the best solution. If you plan to use your flippac as a camping rig only, then go for it. However, I like the fact that i can still put the tailgate down for longer objects and make runs to Home Depot. The barn doors will make that a bit more difficult with rigging up tie up points for the doors, but you still lose the tailgate section for length.
The other thing to consider is that if you plan to do a rear swing out for carrying gear, you will have to design it so that the swing arm can lock out further in the open position than the barn door needs to swing. Not a big deal, but it can be if you are adding the swing arm to an existing bumper or buying a bumper that doesn't allow for that.
The other thing to consider is that if you plan to do a rear swing out for carrying gear, you will have to design it so that the swing arm can lock out further in the open position than the barn door needs to swing. Not a big deal, but it can be if you are adding the swing arm to an existing bumper or buying a bumper that doesn't allow for that.
That would be nice but it is specific for their brand of caps, I'm sure it wouldn't fit on a flippac.
Thanks for the input everyone. The rainy season is here today so I doubt that I will have much opportunity for driveway welding for a while. I don't think a tailgait lift will help much with what my wife wants. I might try fabricating lower "dutch" doors to replace the tailgate, like an old '95 Astro van that I used to have. That might be the simplest and may be something I could make.
I don't think I would miss the tailgate much but I do take the flippac off when I want to use the truck for hauling stuff. I used to take it off just because I like my truck with an empty bed than with a cap but more and more I like a cap on as I get more used to it.
One last Q, does anyone know where to get sheet metal nuts/bolts, the kind where the nut attaches to the inside of the sheet metal, close to flush with the sheet metal but installed without access from behind the panel? If I make a door frame I want to be able to bolt it in and be able to take it out so I don't just want to use self tapping screws or bolts because they seem to sooner or later strip out if taken in and out.
Have a good weekend.