Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Avion truck campers

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Topic: Avion truck campers - Hundreds of photos

Posted By: 67avion on 01/18/13 03:44pm

Mike you've been with us for a long time. No hijack. Its always interesting to learn about these campers.

Posted By: 69 Avion on 01/18/13 05:04pm

That is a nice camper, but I would be afraid it would hang up on a curb when exiting a parking lot.

Ford F-350 4x4 Diesel
1988 Avion Triple Axle Trailer
1969 Avion C-11 Camper

Posted By: Photog101 on 01/18/13 07:04pm

69 Avion wrote:

That is a nice camper, but I would be afraid it would hang up on a curb when exiting a parking lot.

Actually, no it doesn't. I have a friend in TN that has a driveway up to his property on a paved driveway, or when leaving. I do have to put it in 4Lo to make the climb comfortably, but even the transition from the street onto his 35* up his driveway where it comes off the street, I still have quite a bit of room. (Can you say scary, on the first time up?) Plus it has two switch backs, on his one lane drive and the only thing that I had to watch out for was the rear end swinging near a tree. (He has since removed it ... just for me. I'm so lucky to have a paratrooper brother that would do that for me).

My only downfall is that I can not hook up a trailer, even my 2000# GVW with 150# tongue weight with a motorcycle on the trailer, ,with a home made 72" tongue, I was well over gross and did not take the trailer behind me. Luckily I had a friend that was going my way and he drug the trailer and we camped out in the T/C.

One other time, that caused me to suck up the driver's seat a little, was going across the Dragonstail at Deal's Gap ... at night. I sure am glad that I have over sized sway bars and 19.5" tires. WHEW!

Combat Vietnam Veteran Support our troops for serving our great country.
1997 Veri Lite RL1200 on a '02, K3500, CC, DRW, 8.1L, Allison, 4.1 gears, Bridgestone 225/70R19.5 tires.
'12 C2500, EC, 6.6L Duramax
A couple of older 5th wheels housing homeless vets.

Posted By: ticki2 on 01/18/13 08:03pm

Photog101 wrote:

Sorry about the hijack.

Not to worry , we're pretty open minded here . LOL

I was surprised , never saw one up close before . I might see if I can take a peek inside .

I remember you trying to figure out an extended hitch for yours .

'68 Avion C-11
'02 GMC DRW D/A flatbed

Posted By: 69 Avion on 01/18/13 08:07pm

What does it weight, wet? It looks like the CG would be well behind the rear axle, but that may be an illusion since I don't know what is inside and where it is.

Posted By: Photog101 on 01/19/13 12:45am

Ticki2: here are just a couple of shots inside the camper.

From the back to the front:

[image]

From the front to the back:

[image]

One of these days I'll get a little wider angle lense to get a good shot of the Dry Bath. Lots of room for someone to take a shower and someone to be sitting on the throne and not touching each other. One reason that I like this model is that when I sit on the throne, I don't have my knees in my chest.

69 Avion: I just ran out and rechecked my weights from my last weigh ticket that I had, but I had two keyboards and my amp with my road bag on that trip, at an all veteran's reunion where I played with a band that was there. The total weight was 12,020#. The truck GVW is 11,400#, so I was 620# over gross. (oh to the delight of the weight police). The dually empty with a full tank of gas is 7,360#. So that brings the last camper weight to 4,660#, but I have noted that I only had 1/2 tank of H2O (22 gal instead of 44 gal), and one tank of propane (20# instead of 40#).

When I first got this T/C, I removed the awning, to reduce the weight and the cranking assembly was broken. I also had to repair the Right Front Tie down that the P/O had pulled out. Two reasons that the P/O came down on his price.

You are accurate about the C/G being behind the axle. 5 1/2" to be exact. I have my Generator (2.5kw propane) and 2 6D batteries directly in the back. However with all the problems of overweight and C/G way behind the rear axle, the dually sits pretty level. The front is just 1/2" higher from the rear from when it is empty.

The 8.1L still gives me right at 9.5 MPG loaded, so momma and I are not to unhappy.

I'm starting to feel bad that this is not an Avion, but I guess since it is winter and not much work is going on with those beautiful Avions, I won't feel to bad about keeping this post alive.

Posted By: garryk6 on 01/19/13 12:46am

That real lite overhang makes my F350 and Avion look like I don't have any rear overhang [emoticon]

I have 38 inches past the bumper...

Garry

Garry K
Wife + 4 kids
Retired Military Family.... Alway's on the move....
2002 F350 CCSB 5.4 6spd 4x4 in AK
1966 Avion C-10 Truck Camper

Posted By: 69 Avion on 01/19/13 08:05am

The overhang isn't an issue unless it is also low to the ground. The combination of those two factors is what can make them scrape the road. I have done it several times with my Avion 34' triple axle trailer. I did it enough that I put wheels back there.

The Avion C-11 also has a CG slightly (1"-2"?)behind the rear axle, but only when it is empty. If you put even a few gallons in the water tank it balances fine. If the water tank is full it has a great balance.

Posted By: ticki2 on 01/19/13 09:02am

69 Avion wrote:

The Avion C-11 also has a CG slightly (1"-2"?)behind the rear axle, but only when it is empty. If you put even a few gallons in the water tank it balances fine. If the water tank is full it has a great balance.

Have you read or experimented to determine the COG ? I have been loking for that info . I actually called Cayo one time but they said they didn't know .

Posted By: Photog101 on 01/19/13 05:04pm

I played that COG game. I had a friend with a several of steel "A" frames (made of rail road rails) for working on trailers. We ran it up on the jacks and let it down on the "A" frames and kept moving the center one, with a piece of 1/2" place 4'X4' steel on it, back and forth until it literally balanced. It only took a couple of hours, but I did not have to tax my pee brain with calculations.

Last summer, I did take off the stickers on the side, so that people would not make comments. I transferred the C/G marks to the floor.

The reason that I did all of this was that the third owner put in the Generator and no one changed the C/G marker.

garryk6, that is a good lookin Avion.

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