Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Avion truck campers

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Topic: Avion truck campers - Hundreds of photos

Posted By: Avion C-11 on 10/13/13 01:53pm

I don't have a pic of the old water heater handy but in this pic you can see the door is very different than most do the ones I have seen on these.

[image]

Happy Camping!

Avioncamper.wordpress.com

Posted By: rfuerst911sc on 10/13/13 06:30pm

Avion C-11 wrote:

I don't have a pic of the old water heater handy but in this pic you can see the door is very different than most do the ones I have seen on these.

[image]

Is it just me or is your roof AC installed backwards ? Shouldn't the pointy end be facing forward into the wind ?

Posted By: 69 Avion on 10/13/13 06:44pm

What brand of water heater is that? It must be similar to the one that C-11 had in his. Mine had an old Bowen which is almost identical to a modern Atwood.

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

Posted By: Avion C-11 on 10/13/13 06:55pm

rfuerst911sc wrote:

Avion C-11 wrote:

I don't have a pic of the old water heater handy but in this pic you can see the door is very different than most do the ones I have seen on these.

[image]

Is it just me or is your roof AC installed backwards ? Shouldn't the pointy end be facing forward into the wind ?

Yep, the AC was on backwards when I got it.

Posted By: rfuerst911sc on 10/14/13 07:48am

If anyone needs a set of lift jacks I have the three that I removed from the C11. They are pretty standard looking with the tri-pod feet. They are rusty in spots but all three work and two of them have extensions on the mounting plate to allow clearance for dually. Will not ship too heavy would have to be picked up in Marietta Georgia. I'm going to post them on CL. PM me for price if interested.

Posted By: 67avion on 10/14/13 12:42pm

We didn't have many issues with the Atwood water heater when we swapped the units. I don't recall the model number, but its on this string somewhere. I didn't know that Airstream had a SS door. But it won't fit the smaller hole right?

I'm wondering, C11, about that AC unit. Who in the world could have done that?

On edit. I just took a look at your mod for the heater. I sure wish you'd post most of that here. I think its real interesting and others could learn from it.

Posted By: Avion C-11 on 10/14/13 01:48pm

The funnier part was that without really thinking about it I put in the new one backwards too. The problem is that the AC unit cannot go to the rear because of the furnace chimney. I'll fix that before I'm done.

I will also post the other pics from my heater install. Wasn't sure if you all wanted the gritty details.

Posted By: Desertboy on 10/14/13 04:36pm

I guess its time I joined this thread, I just found this on Craigslist and hauled it home Night before last. Its been getting pounded by rain for 2 days and no leaks yet that I can find in my sock feet anyway. I moved the cushion's and felt all around the windows all in and around the bed area, under the mattress under cabinets, so far so good. [image]

It even came with a CD player and a old Lennon CD in it lol, I ordered some Tie Dye shirts (Joke) LOL, I love this Camper.

1969 AVION
3/4 12 VALVE

Freightliner/24' Flatbed 50,000 miles/ Titan 4000 receiver Hitch, no Mods needed.

Posted By: Avion C-11 on 10/14/13 04:46pm

Ok y'all, here are the pics from the water heater project:

The original hole:
[image]

The original hole with the new Atwood 6 gal behind it:
[image]

With the door in its appx position you can see there is a 2" height difference and also a 3" width difference:
[image]

Cutting the skin back to widen the hole. The vertical channel here is not structural ribbing but a separate piece put in just for the water heater hole. I just widened the hole and rerivited the channel back in. The lower channel had to be cut and ground flat so I could make a lower piece to the wall:
[image]

To build the new piece to the wall I used some aluminum channel to build a two inch frame to be skinned on both sides. It took some work to get the outer skin to match up with the existing panel lines and rivet lines. The inner one will never be seen again but I felt it was structural to put on a skin there.

[image]

Test fit

Deanodizing outer skin
[image]

Filling the gaps with new closed cell foam
[image]

Inner skin
[image]

2" platform for new heater
[image]

Finished hole
[image]

New city water installed too
[image]

Posted By: Avion C-11 on 10/14/13 04:51pm

Desertboy wrote:

It even came with a CD player and a old Lennon CD in it lol, I ordered some Tie Dye shirts (Joke) LOL, I love this Camper.

Woohooo! Another polished one! That makes two that I know of now.

What's the story with this one? Was it deanodized somehow or is it some sort of ultra rare factory model? Looks like a C-11, my bet is someone took the insane amount of time and effort to deanodize it.

Pretty rare bird and it looks great. Show us some more pics! Great find!

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