[FOUND] Help with or shop recommendations for installing camper shell seal

Short version: I need to install seals to the new shell but don't have a way to safely lift it up to do that.

Long version:
I have EPDM rubber bulb seals to install along the top of the bed (front and sides), but I haven't figure out how to safely hold up the Flippac to clean off the old seals from the gelcoat and install the new seals.

The FlipPac weighs 300+ pounds, so having a friend on each corner holding it up will be too much to ask.

My best idea, and safest is a to use a vehicle lift to grab the overhang on both sides and lift it up. The downside with this is that there isn't much overhang on the bed (two fingers wide) and the bed angles out as you go down, so the height of the vehicle lift pieces can't be too tall.

The only way a forklift could work is to build an internal structure of some cross beams that pushed up on a lip inside the shell that *should* be able to hold the weight.

Any ideas or shops that have a vehicle lift that I could use for a few hours? I'm located in San Francisco but wouldn't mind driving about an hour radius.

I also wouldn't be opposed to just paying a shop to install the seals I have if they have a proven track record of not sucking and doing the install correctly. Also, they aren't allowed to drop or break the Flippac because they are irreplaceable.

 

Campway has done that for me. But they have a fork truck for camper shells. Might not work with yours. Worth a call.

 

In the photo below, the light grey "ceiling" is a thin material holding up the tent and mattress. This can not be used to lift, otherwise it will tear and break the tent frame as well as rip off the lid as it's only a thin piece of un-reinforced fiberglass...

 

Taking a photo from a customer at Campway in San Jose, I'm not sure their forklift will work without adding the beams I drew above in the photo:

 

Ask them if they can. How did you lift it to install it?

 

I removed and replaced my FlipPac several times by myself and I'm not particularly strong. I did build a wooden rack that I could back into, then pry up one corner at a time to support the camper, then drive out; then back in for re-installation. Unfortunately it never occurred to me to take pictures, and I disassembled it after I sold the truck and 'Pac. If you just want to raise it to attach a new gasket, it's not hard to lift one corner at a time and prop it up above the bed sides. Leverage is your friend. Then, either use short lengths of 4x4 or two 2x4's screwed together as spacers. As you lift each corner, slide the spacers under the lip of the FlipPac and resting on the bedrail. That should give you enough room to apply the gasket. But, probably safer to do all this with a friend or at least someone within earshot if there's a problem.

 

Build your own gantry crane for cheap using Harbor Freight come along, 2x4’s, lag bolts and some static line. I think mine took me about 15 minutes to build and it came apart in about the same amount of time.

 

Mobile Living in Concord removed my Flippac, stored it for a week, then installed it when the new owner's truck came out of the shop. She had a 1st gen, so they're not strangers to the operation. I think they charged $100. That included wiring it to the truck.

 

Thanks, I'll check with them tomorrow since they were closed today. I wonder how much they would charge to clean off the old and install the EPDM seals I have...

 

I used those on my trailer lid and honestly, I think I'm going to lift the shell and use them on the shell too.

 

Just an idea for DYI... can you get some help from friends to pick it up and place it on stands? Then they can watch with a cold one as you remove and replace the seal. Then help you place it back when your done.

 

When my roommate bought his Flippac for his Tundra, I was the small guy (5'9" 150lbs), while the other three corners had >6' tall, >210lb guys... I was struggling holding up my corner so I don't want to put anyone in the position where my Flippac will get dropped. I've waited over 3 years to find AND acquire one, so I'm not taking chances.

 

I spoke to someone there and they don't remember @Overlanerd so I explained what the FlipPac was and how the tent is the ceiling. I said they could have some beams go across like in my annotated photo above and they said that was a can of worms they didn't want to open. Oh well. Maybe I'll just prop it up on the truck with some scrap 4x8" blocks from my friends deck project and be annoyed at trying to clean the seals off while laying inside the truck bed.

 

Weird, but not really. It was 2 years ago and they didn't want to do it after seeing it in person. I may have left out some details over the phone... possibly on purpose. I called 2 or 3 other camper shell places before that with no luck.

I told them that I had to pickup the 4wc the next morning and had to get this off the truck. I also assumed liability for the tent. Then they agreed to do it. Sorry that I didn't explain this earlier- your post today just jogged my memory.

They have fork extensions with a wood structure covered with carpet and padding. IIRC, we put about 3 or 4 broken-down cardboard boxes (so 6 - 8 layers of cardboard) over the fork extension to protect the tent. Then the girl who bought it didn't get her truck back in time and they stored the Flippac for over 2 weeks, instead of the 3 days that we originally agreed to.

If they're busy, they probably didn't want to deal with it. Too much liability.

The buyer did drop by after to pickup some cabinets that were included in the deal. I inspected the tent and poles. No damage at all.

 

I still vote for a simple gantry crane constructed out of 2x4’s, lag bolts, static line, cheap come along and a little ingenuity...

 

I like your idea, but how do I attach to the shell without drilling or mounting anything to it? I may have access to a real, 4-TON gantry crane, but how would I attach to the Flippac when there is nothing but slick fiberglass to hold onto? Eventually, I'll install some L-track after I build out the interior and realize that I want my MaxTrax and such (ski-rack) outside, but until then, I don't really want to drill into the shell to attach fixing points.

 

My method has been to run 2x4’s under the rails by getting inside, lifting with my back and sliding them under the rails. Then, lift the runners with the gantry. But, thinking about it, why not just build a platform in the bed and use bottle jacks to elevate it. That way, you can easily control the the height by the construction of the pedestal you build in the bed that will hold the bottle jacks. I wish I could draw all this out for you. I have lots of bottle jacks. I could lend them to you if need be. You would just have to come to the peninsula to pick them up.

 

I'm a pretty mentally visual person and I know exactly what you are talking about with bottle jacks and internal frame. I was thinking about that and borrowing some house jacks from the local tool lending library, but I don't have an excess of lumber to build this frame... I'll think about it for a few days and if I end up going this route, I will gladly borrow your excess bottle jacks.

When I bought my flippac, the homebrew gantry with runners is how the previous owner had it rigged up. They also had a frame to store the Flippac when it wasn't on a truck that they slid in after the truck moved so that it wouldn't rip the hooks out of the ceiling joists.

Currently, I am "homeless" (aka couchsurfing) so I don't have a workspace or place I could set this up, but a friend may have access to a commercial space with a real crane that I may end up doing and after cleaning off the old seal, I can just shimmy the runners back and forth to get the new seal in before installing onto the truck.

Keep brainstorming though, as I want to get this installed ASAP and get to the eastern sierras to enjoy my "homelessness"!

 

Collect junk pallets. I’ll help by supplying the bottle jacks...

 

Shells Plus in Santa Clara was a great place for me. I bought my shell from some guy on Craigslist and mounted it to my bed to get it home. I took it there the next day and they took it off with a forklift, got the seals fixed up and wired it up for me with a quick release and everything.