Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Avion truck campers

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Topic: Avion truck campers - Hundreds of photos

Posted By: rastaman33609 on 09/28/15 02:07pm

69cayo......nice work, I am taking a long hard look at that to make sure I understand. Humm very interesting, that is close to the original design just better.

Dennis check your PM..

Posted By: D1trout on 09/28/15 03:06pm

69cayo, as usual, you nailed it! Just the thing to get rastaman going down the road. Your pictures have been a great help to me in my rebuild. Rastaman, if you can duplicate this set-up, you'll be doing well.
As far as water intrusion in my rig, revealed when I stripped out the insulation, I can't comment with any great accuracy. The fellow I bought Argo from had him washed at a truck wash a couple of times in preparation for my coming to inspect it so there was a lot of dampness throughout. When I began disassembling Argo, the whole cabover floor was very wet. There was rotten wood at the front end of each of the wings above the wheel wells. The corners of the floor above the bustle were rotted. The forward bulkhead had a rotten corner. You get the idea.
I would say that the panel seams looked pretty tight. I have now replaced all the window caulking and rivets. I have also caulked the inside of every seam in the camper, with Trempro. In retrospect, Gluvit would have been a good choice as well. I'd use that if I were to do it again because it's painted on and thus might provide a better, more thorough seal.
This very issue - the leak factor - is why I have gone all aluminum. And why I'm considering putting little drains in the bottom of the cabover and the floor. Whatever gets in can get out. I'm not convinced that with yards of seams and a thousand holes, water intrusion can ever be completely prevented. Perhaps when they were brand new and unstretched and untorqued, but after many miles and many lifetimes of use...?
We just do the best we can with caulking and sealants and chase leaks and enjoy them for their unique appearance and aerodynamic qualities. Garry posted a pic a couple of years ago of his rig parked next to a Lance in a parking lot in AK. It said it all for me. Avions and Cayos are so sleek and well-proportioned. They just look like they want to go down the road. Nothing boxy or top-heavy.

Rastaman, if any of us had known what to look for and look out for before we bought our rig...well, it might have been a very different bargaining experience.

Onward!
Dick

Posted By: rastaman33609 on 10/04/15 05:33am

Its been quiet here, am I the only one working on one of these things?

Yesterday I started my repairs. I got all the old over head bunk flooring out, and the passenger side sofa frame. I was also able to remove the front dinette area over the water tank, Then I removed the water tank.

I have decide that I will repair the bunk and passenger side wing first before attacking the drivers side wing,,Is there any wisdom in this plan?

From the pictures I have seen I am assuming it will be possible to remove the entire lower cabinet as one piece once the stove, sink,and refridge are removed, is this correct. as that will be my intention.

there is some damage in the closet floor,so I am thinking now would be a good a time as ever to to address that area.

Thanks to all of those who have gone down this road before and kind enough to shear their experience. Now that I am knee deep into it, I feel like I am in familiar territory, and have a certain level of confidence that I know what I am doing [emoticon]

Posted By: ticki2 on 10/04/15 07:15am

67 Avion removed all his cabinets on his C-10 to refinish and will have a good idea of the best sequence . Take lots of pictures before and during disassembly so you remember how it goes back together .I would tend to remove and replace one section at a time so the overall structure keeps its shape .

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

Posted By: cajunavion on 10/05/15 07:57am

Howdy!
Rastaman are you going to patch her up or do a what-the-hell-since-im-already-here redo.
I would suggest the latter. If so, floor, bulkhead, bunk, and then wings.
Screw braces inside to hold the shape and supports on outside.
2x4 and standard plywood are perfect. Take it one small step at a time.
If you pursue the former, youll always be going back to fix
endless problems an tearing into your previous work. JMTC

Posted By: rastaman33609 on 10/05/15 08:41am

cajunavion wrote:

Howdy back to you Cajunavion, I don't know about the 'what-the -hell since- I -am-already-here" approach. Firstly that's kind of scary to me,and as far as I can tell. other than the bunk, and wing area. the rest seems pretty good. I will look even more closely as I proceed.
I am not going for the total rebuild, but would like to make it structurally safe and functional....and then USE it

So have you removed the lower cabinets? will they come out as one unit?
I am by no means a cabinet maker and new cabinets would be a budget buster.

Has anyone found a good 'cheap' source for a water tank that will fit in the original location. I have the Gaucho layout with the extendable dinette running N/S with the bench sofa/bed?

Tiki2...I kind of like your idea...I don't want to run the risk of getting overwhelmed and throwing in the towel. Rather try and 'eat the elephant one bite at a time'

Posted By: rastaman33609 on 10/11/15 04:22pm

cajunavion wrote:

Howdy!
Garry what about an MT60? Its a combo
freezer/fridge at the same time. I personally
like the expedition style: its engineeringwise
more efficient to keep cold in with a top opening.
I am thinking of some kind of top counter surface
with the Engel underneath. Double duty the space.
Oh yes! D1 your the man of the hour! That Al
framework is drop dead gorgeous!

Howdy CajunAvion.... after reading this post again, from sometime back I am wondering what solution you came up with for your Engel in the counter.

Garry56...I was curious as to the reason why in your set up the sink is elevated? and do you think the removal of the wall where the refrigerator was had any negative effects on integrity of structure .

69cayo... check your PM

anyone working on their Avion or enjoying using it?
so quiet here lately.....

Posted By: garryk6 on 10/12/15 09:00am

Good morning all,
I have been working on my dads cabin lately, and my alternative daily driver has been in the shop since June, so I have not put the TC on my pickup so I can still launch the boat to get to the cabin and I can haul in the back of the truck. Winter is quickly approaching here in Alaska, so trying to wrap up outdoor projects.....
I placed the engle cooler where the sink was to shift weight forward.. You may recall I carry a 10 ft camper on a 6 3/4 ft truck bed. I then placed a new propane box using the refrigerator door to move that weight forward. To better utilize space, I chose not to put a sink in the bathroom, and I only raised the sink enough to clear the propane box but allow allow the sink to drain. We went with the smaller Engle due to a) Price and b) size. We take a minimal approach to camping since moving to Alaska. By squeezing a family of 6 in a 10 ft 1966 Avion is considered nuts by most people, but we have chosen to make it work, to keep less money in the RV and provide a little more to allow us to take the RV off the island when possible. This year has been a bust for the feet trips due to taking the entire family to SanDiego in the spring for our oldests Marine Corps boot Camp graduation. And now we have a Christmas trip to spend one last Christmas at grandma and grandpas farm in WA before they move into a new place. So that has been my year and some of the back ground for choosing to relocate items the way we have done. Hope this helps!!!
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 10/12/15 10:43am

Gary and all. I'll be back in the US in the next few weeks. Right now we are in Istanbul overlooking the Bosporos. We spent several weeks truck camping in Northern Europe in a Tonke camper mounted onto a Mercedes truck. We stayed outside of the cities with the exception of Copenhagen where we camped in an old fort on the seaside.

There is no comparison in terms of costs or comfort between a TC and the hotel/restaurant/tour bus world. The TC wins hands down. We were camped on the shores of the Baltic Sea the night of last month's "Blood Moon" which we viewed with our own spread of foods and drink.

The Europeans are in awe of the Airsteam and vaguely aware of the Avion. But they have little to no experience with truck campers. We had dozens of inquiries about the Truck Camper with one German commenting it was "not normal".

The "normal" camper is a TT "caravan" or a class C. We were much larger which led to some tight corners in the towns and villages we visited.

But, we loved it.

Avionistas onward!

* This post was edited 10/12/15 11:26am by 67avion *

Posted By: rastaman33609 on 10/12/15 04:32pm

Garryk6...thanks for clarifying the reason for the elevated sink. I will have to make a new counter top so I am considering your approach.
I already have a Whynter 85 Qrt top load refrigerator/freezer that I will have to find room for. I hate to have to have to give up all that counter top space, so it will take some hard thinking to resolve this issue.

cheers

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