Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Avion truck campers

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Topic: Avion truck campers - Hundreds of photos

Posted By: garryk6 on 08/23/13 01:11pm

Well I tried to upload pics from my IPAD last night, and as I put them from Photobucket to RV.Net, something kept refreshing, and after two 15 minute tries, and it refreshed again I quit for the night. So here are the latest pics of our "home-built" Avion C-10. Please remember that this camper has been put together with two premises. First is functionality and second is feasibility(or cost). It had to work on our existing F-350 CCSB. It needed to handle our family of 6. It needed to function in Alaska well. And it needed to be done on a somewhat limited budget, so read as "lots of recycling".

So here is the current view as you walk into the old girl.

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Here is the dinette with the re-worked step/storage at the base. Newer upholstery, recycled maple dining table from the 1950's and behind the forward seat is the battery and electrical works, with the Powermax Boondocker under the seat.
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Here is the galley. There was no fridge when we started, so we used an Ice Chest for the first several years while we researched options. We ended up saving our pennies and dollars, and bought this Engel MT45 compressor fridge-freezer. The counter used to be just bare 1/4" plywood, but I ended up with a ugly piece of stainless steel sheeting that was just big enough to get this counter top, a piece for behind the cook top, and a back-splash for behind the counter top. After cutting and bending I used 80 grit sand paper and my DA sander, and it cleaned it up nicely, but still leaves some "character marks" like a few dents and scratches.

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These are the cupboard doors that I re-glued and sanded and oiled. They came out pretty nice, and based on other Avion owners info that the shell is just pine, I left the old finish on them, and just oiled them to to restore some luster.

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This is the drivers side doors re-done, and this cabinet frame is what made me tear a bunch apart since the glue holding the mortise-tennon joints together gave way, and pulled a few cabinet doors off...
These pics were taken last night about 10:30. I had several of the 12V lights on in the camper. The one above the Engel is a 12V incandescent.

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Here is the re-located sink. Because we carry the C-10 on a short-bed Ford, we had to shift as much weight forward as possible. So placing the fridge in place of the sink moved a considerable amount of weigh when full, forward. This also allowed the outside vented Fridge door to become the new location for the propane bottle/box. To mount the Sink above the propane box required some creative plumbing and a raised counter, but functions really well. I didn't have enough stainless for this counter, so I found some Aluminum plate that was big enough. Was able to bend it at work, cut out for the sing, and then used the same 80 grit on the DA sander to give a uniform finish. The back-splash between the sink and the stove I made two years ago, and I hope to weld an extension on it eventually to fill in the gap in the cabinetry, but for now it is functional.

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The area between the aft seat and the bathroom is my largest storage area other than the closet, and is where the kids put their back-packs and clothes on our trips. We travel fairly minimilistic, and stop every 2nd or 3rd day to do laundry and get showers. The rest of the time is boon-docking or BLM campgrounds with pit toilets only.

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For this trip, I remade the closet door to sit inside the hole vice over the hole. There is also an LED light inside the closet for ease of finding things. The Wave 3 is right below the closet and off set enough from the sink so that you can stand by the sink and not burn your legs.

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The bathroom is still not finished, but is functional. The Electric recirculating toilet is perfect for this camper, and even with it's smallish capacity, we can use it for up to a week without filling it up. It is amazing how much of the blackwater tank in a traditional RV is flushing water!
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I went to the local Marine store yesterday (since we don't have any RV stores in this fishing town) and found some new styles of LED lights. So I bought one to lighten up the sink area, and a larger one for over the dinette.
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They are rotatable about 150 degrees, so you can somewhat aim the light.
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The upper bunk is relatively unchanged. But our trip last summer had water leak past the front window and get the mattress wet. So I pulled the foil-bubble-wrap insulation off the front window, and pulled the screen to inspect. Added 1/4" foam weather stripping, but was not able to completely get a seal, so for this trip, and since we do not open the front windows, I sealed the edge of the windows to the frame will Aluminum duct tape. I still need to put back up the insulation... Then will load the bedding etc this evening as we are catching the ferry tomorrow afternoon to take our 9 to 12 hour ferry trip to Homer, AK.

I also need to get some LED bulbs to replace the incandescent bulbs in the round 12V fixtures. as that bunk light is bright and HOT!

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Well ask what you will, I'll try to answer. Building a one off is sometimes harder than restoring an original, and I have done many things several times over when we find something just isn't working for us, but that is what makes this fun! It's never really done...

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: 69cayo on 08/23/13 05:23pm

Wow Gary, it looks great, you've really come a long way.
Enjoy your trip.

Dennis

Posted By: garryk6 on 08/23/13 05:54pm

Yeah Dennis, I just pulled up a pic of when I brought it home....

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as Compared to first rendition....

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And second Rendition.....

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And Latest!!! [emoticon]

I like it much better now, but still need to finish some more bits and pieces later...

Posted By: 67avion on 08/23/13 07:52pm

What to say? Stunning? Great work? There is something more than that going on with these restorations. I think it is a labor of love, of course. But most importantly the Avion camper itself makes it possible.

If the Avion camper had broken down beyond repair as have so many TCs, then it would be impossible to restore it. Instead you have the confidence to pack it full of life again.

What a great story we're telling.

Posted By: 69 Avion on 08/23/13 11:26pm

Garry, fantastic job. Your camper gets some of the toughest use I have seen and it seems to still be going strong.

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

Posted By: garryk6 on 08/24/13 12:12am

Thanks guys! I agree, If Avion was built like most other 1966 campers I wouldn't have anything to start with... We catch the ferry tomorrow. Tonight it was a beautiful evening, and had a small campfire in our front yard fire pit with friends to start the vacation off right! Tomorrow am, we will finish the packing, and be on our way with a trip report to follow! I did catch some caulking in the front corner where the cabover meets the back of the cab. The caulking had pulled away from that awkward seam. Ended up scraping most of the caulking off with an oak piece of moulding cut into a chisel. Then used a rag soaked in lacquer thinner to clean some old silicone residue away then re-caulked with parabond aluminum caulking. It did not flow so well, and think that this tube may have frozen over the last year... Hopefully it stays in place.

Well, hope to see some more trip reports of the Avion clan soon!

Garry in AK

Posted By: Photog101 on 08/24/13 12:13am

Garry, that is really a great looking rig. Have fun and enjoy it.

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: garryk6 on 08/24/13 01:41am

Photog101 wrote:

Garry, that is really a great looking rig. Have fun and enjoy it.

Thanks! We are planning on having a great vacation! Hopefully the fall weather in Alaska cooperates!
Garry

Posted By: rfuerst911sc on 08/24/13 07:15am

Just saw this on Atlanta Craigslist, no affiliation just passing it along she looks clean.

http://athensga.craigslist.org/rvs/4015214211.html

Posted By: 67avion on 08/24/13 10:05am

What is it about Avion TCs and Alaska? The one on Atlanta Craiglist was bought specifically for an Alaska trip. Mine went to Alaska. Garry is IN Alaska. Is it just me or is Alaska calling all the Avion TCs? Heh. By the way the price on that Avion is $3750. I have noticed a distinct bump in the prices over the past several years. Taking into consideration the sluggish economy and high gas prices which affect the resale value of campers, that is a very encouraging sign. It means that we are not just throwing money away on the restorations, but that there is solid value in the Avion. Its just a part of the reason why we like these campers, but it is an important one.

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