I have only ever seen one other Avion TC in the flesh but it also had that purple/reddish trim. Is(Was) your TC an 'Ultra' by chance? Might have 'ULTRA' stamped in next to the serial number.
I was going to use a portable grey tank but had nowhere to store while driving. I ended up modifying the bustle to accommodate a permanent tank from ebay.
1968 Avion C-11
1993 Dodge D250 LE Cummins
krustydog wrote:
Next 2 days will be trimming the main section aluminum by 21" and prepping the rear end to be added back on. I spent a lot of time just staring at the structure until I understood how it was going to come apart, get cut, and put back together again with the least amount of work.
BTW Xylene works great for removing the roof coating. Messy job but has to be done where I detached and will reattach.
![[image]](http://blackdogbrewing.org/images/rearend.jpg)
Next 2 days will be trimming the main section aluminum by 21" and prepping the rear end to be added back on. I spent a lot of time just staring at the structure until I understood how it was going to come apart, get cut, and put back together again with the least amount of work.
BTW Xylene works great for removing the roof coating. Messy job but has to be done where I detached and will reattach.
If you end up with an extra piece of skin to allow me to permanently delete the Fridge chimney stack, I will take care of you. Let me know! Thanks!
Garry in Alaska
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
SilverPompadour: you know it could get rainy any week now so I want to get my wood replaced by the end of next week and just putter on the remaining exterior skin issues as the weather holds out. Once the skin is done, I will get it reinsulated and leave the interior till spring. And it is an Ultra with purple!
Garry: PM me the size you want and your address. Santa may come early.
I have been working my way through this long and wonderfully informative thread. I was wondering if anyone would like to weigh in with opinions on floor, cabover, wing construction. Is it better to go with the original construction of 3/8"ply-1"foam-3/8"ply or a ply-ply composite? I would think that the foam composite would be lighter, but perhaps with today's inferior plywood (in comparison with 1960's plywood) the original construction isn't sufficient?
Thank you for any advice, my budget is small so I need lots of time to source surplus/2nd hand goods.
My faith in our ability to complete this restoration is definitely bolstered by the advice and assistance offered here. thanks.
D1Trout, my camper was (is sort of ) attached to the van floor/frame with tiedowns and the lumber frame under the camper is bolted to the van floor. As all the tiedowns are compromised, I can change the mounting arrangement now if I choose. I looked at your most recent pics and see that you have constructed aluminum side frames, my sides are 1x2 wood pieces with aluminum skin with 2x6 wood 'floor'. I assume your aluminum framing hard mounts your camper wings to the truck frame? how have you found the stresses from driving? I am worried that as the camper was designed to be held down in the 4 wing corners, that by applying upwards forces it would stress the aluminum structure...I also have the opportunity to hard attach the rear overhang to the van frame but was worried about the same upwards stresses in areas that were not originally designed for them, especially as the design has the floor 'hanging' from the aluminum superstructure.
Any comments/opinions would be most welcome. thanks again!
![[image]](http://blackdogbrewing.org/images/almostready.jpg)
c11motorhome: today's plywood I have to believe is superior given the science we have moved forward with. I plan to use 2 x 3/4" fir plywood glued and screwed.
I was planning to epoxy coat my plywood before installation but I struggled with sealing it in a coating. If/when moisture gets under the coating, it would rot real fast with no way to breathe. This is the current view on boat building forums. So I will end up using exterior poly on the areas that come close to the exterior leaving plenty of exposed wood on the interior allowing any moisture to slowly evap as capable.
Plan to go with 4 corner jacks as well incase anyone has a single they want to get rid of in the NE as mine came with 3.
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/MmcOaROl.jpg)
Water tank inside passenger side looking forward ( under wing)
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/6QCbkVUl.jpg)
Passenger side looking aft showing tiedown assembly.
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/XR49Rd7l.jpg)
Drivers side under wing looking forward (ducting is van cab heat piped into camper under dinette bench)
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/mAOPrCtl.jpg)
View from rear of camper showing crossbar mounted on van "floor"
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/ZkeKAyDl.jpg)
From rear, frame under bustle
You may recall that I eliminated all wood and made a frame of aluminum tube 1 1/2" square. Then I made a mounting frame for the camper that is bolted to the truck frame, the bed having been removed. This fore and aft frame, which is 3"x2" aluminum channel incorporates polyurethane body bushings. The camper will be bolted to the the fore and aft channel along the edges of the floor frame. It will also be bolted to the back of the cab as well as through the roof of the cab. The theory is that this will make the camper and cab one single unit that will flex on the truck frame as a unit.
My side storage units are bolted to the camper frame but not to the truck frame. They are attached under the wings and to the sides of the camper. Since your side storage is so light, I would think you'd only need to have a secure attachment through the floor of the camper into the van floor to keep everything together.
As for how my attachment has held up, I have had the camper on the truck and held in place with C clamps only and driven around the very bumpy, steep and winding roads here in the Santa Cruz mountains with complete security. It will only improve when everything gets bolted together.
I hope this helps. I'll have some pics up soon. Argo and the BB Truck are about to be permanently joined!
Onward!
Dick
Dick
As for protecting your plywood, let me recommend a product called Smith's Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealant. It doesn't coat the wood; rather, it soaks in and saturates, making the wood virtually impervious to rot. I've used it on boat projects - both restorations and new construction - and it's a really outstanding solution where you have water and wood and penetrations from fasteners. It's also a great base if you chose to paint afterwards. Not cheap but well worth the cost, in my view.
As for the actual plywood, get the best quality you can afford. I'd use marine ply rather than a lumberyard exterior sheet. Marine is made for the conditions we're dealing with. I'm convinced there is no way to keep water out of an aluminum structure with a thousand rivets...
Onward!
Dick
I think that some sort of attachment from outer wings to floor or frame would still be necessary to counteract sway stresses travelling to the floor mounting points. Since the tiedowns only went to the van floor, perhaps simply framing in the lower storage a little from the wings to van floor would accomplish what the tiedown's did.
At a future date I will be remodelling the interior and putting the heavier appliances etc at the lower level provided by the underwing areas. But time and monies dictate that for now I will make it sound and replace everything in original location. All my appliances are working and in fair condition. The only removal I intend to do is get rid of the toilet and BW tank for a potty, to allow use in the winter. I should be able to mount a GW tank then.
The only part of this that is giving me real pause is how much of a pain it is going to be to repair/replace the cabover wood without access to the underside. But necessity is the mother of invention and as I'm not deep at sea with a non working main engine (an experience I would not like to repeat), I have the luxury of contemplation before I tackle it. And the much appreciated experience/opinions of those on this forum.
thanks, and if anyone wants to weigh in as to why 3/4"-3/4" plywood seems to be favoured over the original 3/8"-foam-3/8" original composite I would be most appreciative.
happy canadian thanksgiving!