Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Avion truck campers

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Topic: Avion truck campers - Hundreds of photos

Posted By: krustydog on 09/28/16 03:06pm

Gang,

Just wondering what the correct way to remove the fiberglass pan is? I will get some time tomorrow to post some pics. The rot is worse than I thought but such is life. I know there was some comments on nails being used as well but any tidbits appreciated.

K,

Posted By: cajunavion on 09/28/16 06:20pm

krustydog wrote:

Howdy!
Just be prepared to sharpen your language skills as well as thinking well of others who might have, well, been a tad overindulgent with the use of a nail gun. (It will eventually come off once you decide another nail or two won't really matter much.)
Have fun and send pictures!

Posted By: c11motorhome on 09/29/16 11:11am

I have been working away on the truck cleaning silcone, ripping out the cabinets, stove water heater and sealing windows before the weather turns. I sourced a bunch of aluminum from a guy to make patches with. Next will be patching the various holes from antennas etc.

What kind of rivets have you all used on the exterior skin? I understand that closed pop rivets are the right kind, but the only place I can find them are at fastenal at 54cents each....seems an awful lot for 3/16" Al rivets?

I will try and post pics tonight, but with hubbie off at work I don't spend much time on the computer.
thanks.

Posted By: 69cayo on 09/29/16 04:30pm

These are the correct rivets to use........

http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Olympic-Rivets-p/vts-179.htm

Get them without the rubber washers and use caulk to seal as your installing them.

Posted By: krustydog on 09/29/16 07:13pm

Here is a pic under the WC. May be hard to see but there is minimal plywood left from the ply-foam-ply flooring. Plan to do with 3/4" x 2 doug fir to replace it

[image]

Will make sure this posts before I add more clutter.

* This post was edited 09/29/16 07:41pm by krustydog *

Posted By: krustydog on 09/29/16 07:53pm

Here is a view of the exterior. Like I said I am sure I paid too much but live an learn. I have changed my view, the PO was not honest with my. Upon modest inspection the rot was clear to anyone who looked.

Fortunately the exterior is as perfect as I could imagine. A bit of work needed at the 'underarms' and where the jacks mounted. Aside from that I cant seem to find a single dent!

[image]

By the time I am done I am confident my grandchildren will be using this and hearing stories.

BTW I have read that the floor was 3/8 - 1 - 3/8 so for the sake of it I may do a 3/4 - 1 plywood floor if I can source 1" fir locally. Specs on the plywood would put the total weight for the wood at approx 400 pounds.

I really wanted to take this to a scale today now that it is empty and get an idea on shell weight with wood but the jack mounts are too weak for me to want to bother.

Posted By: 67avion on 09/29/16 07:58pm

We attached "cleats" around the base of the wall where it attaches to the bustle. It allowed us to fasten from the side as well as above depending on clearances.

Posted By: krustydog on 09/29/16 08:10pm

One more of the front left.

Tomorrow plan to drill a few more pop rivets out of the interior skin and then await for my clutch screw bits which are to arrive on the weekend. Oh and someone asked why they used clutch head back in the day and it was because the US was unwilling to adopt the Robertson screw head from Canada!

OK that was my attempt at light humor for woodworkers. I used to mule down Robertson screws to my woodworking buddies in the US when on business trips before they became more widely available.

[image]

Posted By: krustydog on 10/01/16 04:41pm

Today's progress was removal of the bottom half of the interior skin. Cleaned out the insulation at the bottom of the horizontal channels as well. Under window openings along the bottom of the channel the foam was saturated. When I would pry a chunk out, water would spray in my face. Am sure that water has sat in there for years.

Also removed the AC from the roof. It was surprisingly heavy and took much of my strength to be able to heave it over the side to the ground far enough away that if it bounced it would not come back into the camper side itself.

I still have not got that fiberglass pan off yet. There is the purple band around the outside, does that need to come off? It seems that there are many many pop rivets holding that on and the heads are not visible.

Posted By: rastaman33609 on 10/01/16 06:04pm

Krustydog...I have been following your progress and it reminds me of my experience. When I purchased mine,I was under the impression that all it needed was a good cleaning and vacuuming. Was I in for a surprise. The more I removed the more I found that was rotted. ended up gutting it replacing all the wood in the wings and bed area.
So....I am here to encourage you that even though it may seem to be a daunting task and you may start feeling over whelmed at times, just remember....the way you eat an elephant is ." one bite at a time'

With the help of all the guys here,(and we have probably been 'there)' you will get it done....and the reward at the end will make it all worth it.....
Pace yourself...

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