Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Avion truck campers

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Topic: Avion truck campers - Hundreds of photos

Posted By: D1trout on 01/22/14 07:58am

Gents, I haven't removed any of the wiring embedded in the foam. In fact, I'm hoping very much to avoid taking ALL the interior panels off, fighting my impulse to strip down to bare metal... On your advise, I'll reconnect the 110v system and just upgrade the outlets. I am planning to use 110 in the rig to power the onboard battery charger/inverter.

Gary the welder has gotten the corner sections bent in the 1.5x1.5 tubing and was beginning the assembly of the floor frame yesterday. I should have pics shortly. It's very exciting to feel that the tide is beginning to turn. I'm patching a few holes and degraded sections of skin.

Thinking about tail lights and back up lights. And marker lights too, I suppose. What brands and styles have you used? I like the look of LEDs and wish to keep the round style at the back.

Onward!
Dick

The Fantastic vents call for a 14" square hole but I believe they will fit into the existing factory holes fore and aft, which I measure at 13" square with radiused corners. Do you have Fantastic fans installed? Without modification of the hole?

Posted By: Mello Mike on 01/22/14 08:20am

D1trout wrote:

The Fantastic vents call for a 14" square hole but I believe they will fit into the existing factory holes fore and aft, which I measure at 13" square with radiused corners. Do you have Fantastic fans installed? Without modification of the hole?

As one who has restored a few Airstreams (a "58 and a '72), I had to do a little trimming of the old 13" radiused vent openings to accommodate the new 14" Fantastic Vents. A pair of tin snips did the trick and was pretty easy to do.

Good luck. Watching this thread brings back good memories. It might be time for another Airstream. [emoticon]

2016 Northstar Laredo SC/240w Solar/2-6v Lifeline AGMs/Dometic CR110 DC Compressor Fridge
2013 Ram 3500 4x4/6.7L Cummins TD/3.42/Buckstop Bumper with Warn 16.5ti Winch/Big Wig Rear Sway Bar/Talons w/SS Fastguns
My Rig
1998 Jeep Wrangler
US Navy Ret.

Posted By: 67avion on 01/22/14 11:23am

As I recall my experience we had very few issues in installing the Fantastic Fans in the OEM vents. Bear in mind, of course, that the rear vent is not wired....though the center vent is wired for 110V for the AC. We had to snake a line into the rear vent area and connect it to the existing 12v system which I located in the top of the closet. Taking apart the ceiling, tearing through the insulation, snaking a wire, is not for the faint hearted. But it can be done.

I have been unhappy with my exterior lights. My thought was to make them OEM, which now days means straight from some factory in Quongong or something...not really OEM. They are simply not bright enough for safety.

I have been in touch with Steve Hingtgen at Vintage Trailer Supply. He is the CEO there, and started his business as a restorer. He is very interested in the Avions we are working on since they remind him of the Airstreams he was restoring back in the day (I think that Mello Mike has the same instincts). At any rate, Steve said to work directly with him on the LED lights and he will get you exactly what you want. Or so he says. Steve Hingtgen

steve at vintagerv dot com

Let me know if you contact him and if he does a good job.

Posted By: 69 Avion on 01/22/14 12:45pm

I didn't remove my interior aluminum panels either which means that I had to deal with the factory aluminum wire. There is nothing wrong with aluminum wire as long as you use proper connectors. I found some interesting connectors to convert from aluminum to copper, even on the 12 volt circuits.

They aren't cheap, but they seem to work well. So far so good.

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

Posted By: D1trout on 01/22/14 01:38pm

Great info, all, thanks. I hadn't realized that there's no power to the rear vent, but it doesn't seem like a big problem. I can take it thru the double wall on the fwd side of the bathroom and then slip it under the ceiling to the vent.
69, the aluminum wire isn't the 110v - that's regular Romex in mine. And I thought the 12v was copper. I'll ck it out when I go down today. Actually I'm looking forward to sorting out the electrics. I'm thinking to put a master panel, rather like a boat, that controls all the various circuits, has breakers, plus battery condition gauges, charging gauges for solar, inverter status, etc. I'm going to have to sort that out before I foam the new frame panels and seal them up with fiberglass.
Such an interesting project! And how dio you suppose the decorative liner inside the fan mount came to be called a "garnish"??

67, I will contact Steve at Vintage. You mentioned him about the time you set off on your Texas trip but it sounds as if you haven't gotten any lights from him. I'd be glad to use my existing back up and porch lights - they're the original Signal Stats - assuming I can polish up the chrome outer rings, which are pitted and look pretty unsightly. I'd like to put round stop/turn lights in of the same appearance. My current ones are rectangular surface mount plastic and decidedly pedestrian. Garry in AK has an impressive light show on his rig. I recall he mentioned eBay. Perhaps he'll give us some details.

Fabricating the patches for the abandoned holes in the skin, I began to wonder about the best way to polish up the anodizing on the entire shell to make it as sleek and uniform as possible. Brasso and bronze wool works on small parts but it's hardly a suitable approach to the big picture. What have you used that's worked?

Onward!
Dick

Posted By: garryk6 on 01/22/14 03:10pm

These are the clearance Lights that I went with, to keep them looking original, yet LED.
Red

Amber

And the Taillights I found on E-bay similar to these.

Red STT 7"

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another seller

Here they are in action during a blizzard in Alaska...

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trial at home

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Shortly after install, before camper was finished inside.

[image]

Highly recommended Charger/Maintainer 110V-12V

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My Very Basic and simple distribution center. Also, very inexpensive!

[image]

Thats all for now!

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: 67avion on 01/22/14 04:29pm

D1trout wrote:

I hadn't realized that there's no power to the rear vent, but it doesn't seem like a big problem. I can take it thru the double wall on the fwd side of the bathroom and then slip it under the ceiling to the vent.

I think you will find there are ribs in the ceiling and that it is actually a bit tricky to get wire inside. We went straight west (port side) with the fished wire and connected to the lines from the kitchen vent and light.

Posted By: 69 Avion on 01/22/14 08:21pm

My 1969 C-11 has power to both vents. I have noticed that it is built different than other C-11 Avion campers. I think that mine may have been built at the California plant.

Posted By: D1trout on 01/23/14 11:12am

Gents, thanks for all the good comments. Garry, thanks for posting your light show! Very visible! I spoke with VTS this morning and they have a round chromed fixture for STT lights that is the same style and size as the back up and porch light on my rig. Plus they sell an LED for it. So that's my current solution for replacing the original surface mounted STTs, which are bright but lacking in style:

Notice that this light was riveted to the shell with buck rivets so clearly an original equipment item. Perhaps it's a CA factory item, as it turns out the rear vent in the shell has power to it as well as to the front vent, similar to what 69Avion has. Perhaps in later years the factory added power to the rear. Certainly makes sense to have it there

Here is the back-up light. I like the recessed look. I suppose the only question is visibility from the side. Maybe adding a marker light down and around the corner where the reflectors only are now would be prudent. 67, what do you think?

Today I'm patching a variety of small holes in the skin with little plates and Olympic rivets. The rivet shaver is a cool tool. I've practiced on a dozen rivets on a scrap of plate and I'm not entirely clear on how far to shave without compromising the integrity of the rivet. I guess the goal is to make it look like a buck rivet. I reckon I will have over 300 rivets replaced by the time I'm finished so I have an expectation of acquiring competence!

Onward
Dick

Posted By: 69 Avion on 01/23/14 03:55pm

D1, my rear tail, and stop lights looked just like yours. I couldn't find any replacement lenses so I changed the entire fixture to LEDs.

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