The folks that sell the Flip Pac
- Thread starter newmexflippacker
- Start date
Dave Bennett
Adventurist
Love the satoshi grill, where did you get that?
cc tacoma
Observer
Satoshi
Hey Thanks Doc!
Me and my brother made it in my garage. The black mesh is a grill craft but the emblem is from an 86' land cruiser (i'm pretty sure). I got most of the write ups off of Tacoma World. Let me know if you want to get some info on it as far as lessons learned when I made it. And where to get certain materials. It's the least I could do because I've taken tons of useful information off of your threads. So thanks again.
Hey Thanks Doc!
Me and my brother made it in my garage. The black mesh is a grill craft but the emblem is from an 86' land cruiser (i'm pretty sure). I got most of the write ups off of Tacoma World. Let me know if you want to get some info on it as far as lessons learned when I made it. And where to get certain materials. It's the least I could do because I've taken tons of useful information off of your threads. So thanks again.
trailsurfer
Explorer
Wilbur
Adventurer
After reading the stories of long lead times, etc (not knowing anything but what's posted here). I'm curious why someone like AT hasn't maybe tried to buy that line off of them to find a better mfg to produce them (since I know you guys are working with NEMO, and already know alot about Flippacks), or possibly come up with your own line of "flippacs" (maybe even more custom based to fit different needs).
Even with that being said, I still think overall FRP makes one of the most practical design, I'm still in amazement at just how verstile they are.
Even with that being said, I still think overall FRP makes one of the most practical design, I'm still in amazement at just how verstile they are.
clcoyle
Explorer
Great Looking Tacoma
How to order a flippac from FRP
It sounds like people are FRP are decent and honest but that the flippac isn’t a priority for their business and communication with customers is lacking along with service to some degree.
To optimize any contact I have with them I wondered if those who have bought from them can help clarify some questions I have.
Do they take phone orders, or how else do they handle orders?
Do they require full payment in advance or a deposit, and how much and what payment method do they require (credit card, cashier’s check or whatever)?
Do they provide an anticipated delivery date?
How much advance notice do they provide for when unit will be available, days, weeks, months?
Will they crate and ship, if so how much $?
Are there order variables like window size or location or is it a take-as-is proposition?
Anything else a new customer should know?
Thanks for any input from those that have dealt directly with FRP. Thanks also for those who have posted in the past regarding flippac and FRP. Information from those who know is what makes web sites like this worthwhile.
It sounds like people are FRP are decent and honest but that the flippac isn’t a priority for their business and communication with customers is lacking along with service to some degree.
To optimize any contact I have with them I wondered if those who have bought from them can help clarify some questions I have.
Do they take phone orders, or how else do they handle orders?
Do they require full payment in advance or a deposit, and how much and what payment method do they require (credit card, cashier’s check or whatever)?
Do they provide an anticipated delivery date?
How much advance notice do they provide for when unit will be available, days, weeks, months?
Will they crate and ship, if so how much $?
Are there order variables like window size or location or is it a take-as-is proposition?
Anything else a new customer should know?
Thanks for any input from those that have dealt directly with FRP. Thanks also for those who have posted in the past regarding flippac and FRP. Information from those who know is what makes web sites like this worthwhile.
ETAV8R
Founder of D.E.R.P.
Questions answered in bold above.
Thanks ETAV8R and Harp
Thanks ETAV8R and Harp
Thanks for the info. I wasn’t sure what to expect from FRP but Diane was very helpful and talking to her on the phone I got the impression that she is a very nice person. Order went smoothly. Hopefully the rest of my experience with FRP will be as good. Current wait time is 13 weeks and she seemed confident of that time frame. FRP will put flippacs on pallet and wrap in plastic for delivery but I would have to find a shipper. If everything goes well I will probably make a trip of it to have it installed at FRP.
Thanks again
Thanks ETAV8R and Harp
Thanks for the info. I wasn’t sure what to expect from FRP but Diane was very helpful and talking to her on the phone I got the impression that she is a very nice person. Order went smoothly. Hopefully the rest of my experience with FRP will be as good. Current wait time is 13 weeks and she seemed confident of that time frame. FRP will put flippacs on pallet and wrap in plastic for delivery but I would have to find a shipper. If everything goes well I will probably make a trip of it to have it installed at FRP.
Thanks again
bought mine at flip pac
I know it was a frustrating experience and I made many calls to Diane, who apparently controls everything there! They seem to fear computers and take all conversations, orders on note paper. I left for Riverside last March feeling about 75% sure it would be ready. They told me it was being painted the day I left from MN! I had been building out my 02 Tacoma for the past year, for a trip to Alaska in June.
This is what I came away with. The best product for light offroad camping.It's like a shell on my truck, I love this rig with Icons, and modifided Deaver leafs, CBI rear bumper and sliders, Schrockworks front with Warn, big brake upgrade, dual battery with Hellroaring control, TRD supercharger. A great riding road vehicle cabable of steam crossing, mining roads, and 9500 miles with only a broker windshield. No other camper weighs less than 500lbs.
So tough it out and don't get mad. They will get it done.
I know it was a frustrating experience and I made many calls to Diane, who apparently controls everything there! They seem to fear computers and take all conversations, orders on note paper. I left for Riverside last March feeling about 75% sure it would be ready. They told me it was being painted the day I left from MN! I had been building out my 02 Tacoma for the past year, for a trip to Alaska in June.
This is what I came away with. The best product for light offroad camping.It's like a shell on my truck, I love this rig with Icons, and modifided Deaver leafs, CBI rear bumper and sliders, Schrockworks front with Warn, big brake upgrade, dual battery with Hellroaring control, TRD supercharger. A great riding road vehicle cabable of steam crossing, mining roads, and 9500 miles with only a broker windshield. No other camper weighs less than 500lbs.
So tough it out and don't get mad. They will get it done.
lighter is better no matter what truck you use
I’m hoping for the best as far as on time completion but we will see. I definitely agree about keeping the weight low. I have a ’04 F350 CC short bed and my current camper is well under 1000# but I still want lighter. I like how the truck rides, handles, performs unloaded or with light loads and would like to keep it that way as much as possible for recreational use. With my current camper and gear loaded up, not so much. I think it is interesting that the camper certification that came with the truck listed something like 1500# as the camper weight limit for this truck. I installed air bags because of some rear suspension weakening over the years and that helped with my current camper but it is a lot more fun driving with less weight. I wanted a truck cap anyway so the flippac seemed like the best compromise. I had started building my own flip top cap but somehow got the top of the cap out of square and I don’t have the DIY mojo anymore to grind the welds off and true it up. I am very happy to give up on that project and just buy one. Still plan to make my own rain fly with the urethane coated cordura I have, hope that works out.
I’m hoping for the best as far as on time completion but we will see. I definitely agree about keeping the weight low. I have a ’04 F350 CC short bed and my current camper is well under 1000# but I still want lighter. I like how the truck rides, handles, performs unloaded or with light loads and would like to keep it that way as much as possible for recreational use. With my current camper and gear loaded up, not so much. I think it is interesting that the camper certification that came with the truck listed something like 1500# as the camper weight limit for this truck. I installed air bags because of some rear suspension weakening over the years and that helped with my current camper but it is a lot more fun driving with less weight. I wanted a truck cap anyway so the flippac seemed like the best compromise. I had started building my own flip top cap but somehow got the top of the cap out of square and I don’t have the DIY mojo anymore to grind the welds off and true it up. I am very happy to give up on that project and just buy one. Still plan to make my own rain fly with the urethane coated cordura I have, hope that works out.
Update
I wanted to update this for those who might be interested in buying a flippac from FRP.
I had the pleasure of meeting Diana, Homer and some FRP employees on Saturday when they installed my flippac. They were all genuinely nice people and the product is exactly what I wanted. To my eye it looks all high quality, the fit and finish is nice, it works great. I only wish I had known about the flippac when I first bought my truck and I wouldn‘t have bothered with even looking at, let alone building, my own slide in pop up camper.
FRP bent over backwards for me. They were a couple weeks behind schedule but made a real effort to have mine done when I was able to come pick it up. They install on Saturdays for people from far out of town and although technically closed on Saturday it seems like there was a lot of activity the day I was there. It took about 4 hours to have the flippac installed and they work in the back of their building so you can't see what they are doing. It doesn't seem that the basic installation would take that long so maybe they do some of the final assembly at the installation. Communication with them prior to installation sometimes seemed uncertain and sometimes frustrating but in the end their often maligned customer service proved excellent.
A few observations:
The order form lists a “date promised” which for mine was 13-14 weeks, I was able to pick it up a couple days short of 16weeks from the order time. Not bad at all, my problem was that I needed a definite date for installation of at least 8 weeks prior to the install so I could take time off work to have it done. I allowed a couple extra weeks, the delay caused some difficulty but FRP came through with flying colors in the end.
Diana and/or Homer mentioned that they are manufacturers and not primarily retailers and the flippac isn‘t their only or even their main product, although they seem happy to be making and selling it. At the time of order Diana even mentioned buying from a dealer but there aren't any in the Washington, Oregon area. They certainly don't appear to be trying to siphon away sales from their dealers, if anything they seemed to me to prefer dealer sales. The inference was that it may not be a typical retail service experience.
There is no additional charge for installation at the factory, they used typical foam sealant tape but did a nice job of installation and in very heavy rain and winds and travel at highway speeds there were no leaks in the flippac or the attachment on the truck rails.
I didn't ask questions about things not related to my order but I was around the office most of the time and in casual conversation the following came up or was implied:
It seemed to me that FRP charges retail customers the same amount as they charge their dealers, the dealers mark up the price and provide more of a retail experience/customer service and warranty.
If I understood what I was told correctly, FRP doesn't make any modifications of their basic product for dealers. If you order a flippac without windows from FRP they charge the same as for a flippac with windows but apply a thicker “spray” (their term not mine, maybe it is sprayed fiberglass rather than fabric). Dealers that order the product without windows therefore get the thicker walls so if they add windows then you get a product with thicker walls than if you ordered a flippac from FRP with the windows. I didn't know this when I ordered but I doubt if I would have ordered one without windows or even have asked to have the thicker walls and pay extra for the windows. But that might be a consideration for others.
I wanted to update this for those who might be interested in buying a flippac from FRP.
I had the pleasure of meeting Diana, Homer and some FRP employees on Saturday when they installed my flippac. They were all genuinely nice people and the product is exactly what I wanted. To my eye it looks all high quality, the fit and finish is nice, it works great. I only wish I had known about the flippac when I first bought my truck and I wouldn‘t have bothered with even looking at, let alone building, my own slide in pop up camper.
FRP bent over backwards for me. They were a couple weeks behind schedule but made a real effort to have mine done when I was able to come pick it up. They install on Saturdays for people from far out of town and although technically closed on Saturday it seems like there was a lot of activity the day I was there. It took about 4 hours to have the flippac installed and they work in the back of their building so you can't see what they are doing. It doesn't seem that the basic installation would take that long so maybe they do some of the final assembly at the installation. Communication with them prior to installation sometimes seemed uncertain and sometimes frustrating but in the end their often maligned customer service proved excellent.
A few observations:
The order form lists a “date promised” which for mine was 13-14 weeks, I was able to pick it up a couple days short of 16weeks from the order time. Not bad at all, my problem was that I needed a definite date for installation of at least 8 weeks prior to the install so I could take time off work to have it done. I allowed a couple extra weeks, the delay caused some difficulty but FRP came through with flying colors in the end.
Diana and/or Homer mentioned that they are manufacturers and not primarily retailers and the flippac isn‘t their only or even their main product, although they seem happy to be making and selling it. At the time of order Diana even mentioned buying from a dealer but there aren't any in the Washington, Oregon area. They certainly don't appear to be trying to siphon away sales from their dealers, if anything they seemed to me to prefer dealer sales. The inference was that it may not be a typical retail service experience.
There is no additional charge for installation at the factory, they used typical foam sealant tape but did a nice job of installation and in very heavy rain and winds and travel at highway speeds there were no leaks in the flippac or the attachment on the truck rails.
I didn't ask questions about things not related to my order but I was around the office most of the time and in casual conversation the following came up or was implied:
It seemed to me that FRP charges retail customers the same amount as they charge their dealers, the dealers mark up the price and provide more of a retail experience/customer service and warranty.
If I understood what I was told correctly, FRP doesn't make any modifications of their basic product for dealers. If you order a flippac without windows from FRP they charge the same as for a flippac with windows but apply a thicker “spray” (their term not mine, maybe it is sprayed fiberglass rather than fabric). Dealers that order the product without windows therefore get the thicker walls so if they add windows then you get a product with thicker walls than if you ordered a flippac from FRP with the windows. I didn't know this when I ordered but I doubt if I would have ordered one without windows or even have asked to have the thicker walls and pay extra for the windows. But that might be a consideration for others.
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