Anyone Chop a flippac? Fiberglassers welcome

[lx450landcruiser]

Well I picked up a flippac at a good price. It needs some TLC here and there but over all its a good foundation. My problem is I have a 06 Toyota Tacoma double cab short bed. Width wise it seems to fit decent but obviously length wise its too long. I want to eventually weld up a flatbed for the rig but even then i don't want to add to much more length. Has anyone sectioned a flip pac? any idea whats involved? heres a few pics to illustrate what I'm thinking. I don't have much fiberglass experience but it's perfectly within my capabilities.

[Mc Taco]

This looks like it should turn out pretty cool. I know some members here have done some cutting and splicing of fiberglass tops, Wildernest IIRC, to mount to 4Runners.

Good luck. I will be watching this.

[herm]

you could do a reverse angle on it, and keep the top length, but shorten the bottom to meet up with you pickup bed. your bed up top will be pretty short if you go with that plan.

[lx450landcruiser]

you could do a reverse angle on it, and keep the top length, but shorten the bottom to meet up with you pickup bed. your bed up top will be pretty short if you go with that plan.

The shopped version above would keep the original bed length. it would be basically chopping the front bottom and moving it inward. The angled rear was another thought but a bit ugly. I love the flippac idea but damn they are ugly on some trucks

[TACODOC]

It would be less work and time (time=$) to just convert the bed to a tray or whatever and slap the FP on that. Cutting into that may prove to be a can o'worms...

YMMV

[RHINO]

LX i was going to do just that with mine, but a trade arrangement was made so i didnt have to in the end. structurally there is nothing going on there that a cut and rebuild like you want is totally do-able. lots of glass work and you need to do your homework.

[Mc Taco]

Wow! Both photoshopped shots look cool. Im guessing that the angled cut would be less work, but is the funkier of the two. Building the tray might just be the most prudent way to go.

BTW, where are you located? Any chance of seeing this in the SoCal area?

[k9lestat]

i like the angled rear because it allows over hang as you step up and well as a covered area in the rain. just my thoughts.

[JasonRedwood]

It would be less work and time (time=$) to just convert the bed to a tray or whatever and slap the FP on that. Cutting into that may prove to be a can o'worms...

YMMV

Can of worms is right. Has been for me. I would build the flat bed. Just my opinion though.

Out of the 2 photoshop versions I vote for the second with the rear of the camper modded.
The front of the camper will have a lot of stress on it with the torsion bar and sleeping platform.
Can't wait to see more about this project.

Heres a bad photoshop of another option I was playing with a while ago.
flippacandsofttop.jpg

[jtolittle]

Hi
I haven't "chopped" my flippac but had to do pretty extensive repairs after losing it on the freeway at 75MPH. Shortening the fiberglass walls and roof shouldn't be too hard. I would be concerned about the tent and the windows. At that point you can always find different windows with bigger cutout dimensions or you could rebuild the walls to fit smaller windows, but it would involve a LOT more work...
The reverse angle would be a real time saver, as you could keep the roof and tent intact. It does look funny though...
The walls of the flippac are just regular monolithic fiberglass and the roof is a sandwich of 5/8" foam with a strong fiberglass skin on each side.
I have some pictures of the roof cut if you need to see how it looks. Let me know.
JT