Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Avion truck campers

Print | Close

Topic: Avion truck campers - Hundreds of photos

Posted By: Avion C-11 on 06/25/12 06:40pm

Great looking floor! What is it?

Happy Camping!

Avioncamper.wordpress.com

Posted By: 69 Avion on 06/25/12 09:51pm

Avion C-11 wrote:

Great looking floor! What is it?

It is Armstrong sheet vinyl. It is called Armstrong Best in Distressed Hickory, Natural.

It is guaranteed for 25 years. Even though my old floor was the worlds ugliest, it protected my floor from water damage when the rear vent was destroyed by sunlight. I didn't discover it for years.

The best price that I could find was at:
American Carpet Wholesalers in Georgia. You have to buy it in a 12' wide roll (you can get a 6' wide role if you buy the entire roll). I used some of the extra to cover the left wing. The right wing, under the oven, sink and water heater was covered in the same formica material that the countertop was made out of.

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

Posted By: 67avion on 06/26/12 10:52am

Well, this is a welcome turn of events. Several new Avion TC owners busy reclaiming their classic campers. We'll have to have a pow-wow someday....after I finally get mine finished [emoticon]

Posted By: 69 Avion on 06/26/12 07:59pm

I spent all day working on some plumbing and getting the closet back in. I got it in and the steel reinforcing piece fit like a glove. Unfortunately, I can't get the top of the cabinet back in. The steel piece just sets between the closet cabinet and the wing, so it isn't creating a problem. The cabinet was real tight when we took it out and the new flooring is thicker, but I also sanded some off of the bottom of the cabinet. We may have to take it all the way out again to sand more off of the bottom.
By the way, I welded a 2" x 1/8" vertical strap 8" long to my angle iron. This strap will screw to the back of the left wing and it should make my reinforcing piece very strong. I didn't put the vertical piece on originally because I couldn't figure out how to attach it with the cabinet in place. All I had to do was fit my steel piece into the cabinet after it was vertical and ready to push in and then back drill with an angle drill and a 1/8" bit so I can find the screw location later. I will post a picture when I get the whole thing together. When my reinforcing steel is attached through the floor to my stainless steel gray water tank, I should have a real stong floor. The stainless steel tank acts like a reinforcing piece across the bottom of the cantilevered floor.
We really made the refrigerator vent nice. We lined it with Dynamat. The coils can touch it and it makes for a heat resisitant, heat sink, type of liner. It is great stuff.

Posted By: garryk6 on 06/26/12 11:34pm

The one thing about working on these old Avions, is that as we fix, repair and "reinforce", we tend to add a little more weight than we would really like to... I was trying to keep my over-all weight between 2000 and 2200lbs... I didn't weigh it before I started. Apparently I started a lot heavier than I thought, because I have only added maybe 400lbs on the total build. And a factory one weighs total 1800 to 1850... I am at 2500 lbs and I am not where I really want the camper to be, though that is with food, and half the water, and most of the bedding and clothes. so dry weight is probably closer to my target of 2200 lbs...

You are fortunate to be doing this on a trailer, but you may still need heavier tires before you are all said and done. And hopefully you have a good swaybar under the trailer!

Good luck!
Garry in Kodiak

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: 69 Avion on 06/27/12 08:45am

I haven't added a tremendous amount of weight. The reinforcing steel that I put on it is only 1/8" thick so it doesn't weigh much. The stainless steel gray water tank weight is 36#. The total weight, full, is 193#. The new refrigerator weighs an extra 15#, over the original refrigerator. The new toilet is lighter. I replaced all the galvanized LP pipe with lighter copper. In total, I've only added about 230#, and that includes the gray water tank, full. Most of what I have done is replace the original equipment, with new, better equipment. The weight differential isn't as much as you would think.

Posted By: BlackFlagForge on 06/27/12 01:26pm

Woohoo, so removing the carpet/linoleum I bumped the tub wall out about 3 inches so I figured its time to remove the staples and add some real fasteners, getting up close and personal with my floor and tub area I found that it only has water damage in the front corners where it was sprayed down by the PO's rear end while he had it on a trailer >_> I used some Rot Fix on the small areas of damage and reconnected wall and floor with some liquid nails and 3.5" exterior screws and boy that pulled things together! I'll still need to replace some of the tail end Im sure as the stairs have pulled through the floor and I have yet to remove the bathroom floor to see what all has gone wrong but so far at least 80% of the floor is still in great shape!

Posted By: 69 Avion on 06/27/12 06:31pm

BlackFlagForge wrote:

That is good news. It looks like you got a good camper to work on.

Posted By: 69 Avion on 06/27/12 06:39pm

We had a good day today. I had to put the closet in and take it out and use the belt sander on it three times. That got old real quick. We are very good at taking it in and out in one piece. We lined the refrigerator duct area with Dynamat. It is expensive, but it absorbs heat and insulates.
Here is a picture. The rear of the closet area is also lined with Dynamat. It cost me $60, but it is well worth the money.
[image]

A picture looking up in the refrigerator duct area with the Dynamat on it.
[image]

Here is a picture of the closet going back in. Notice the Dynamat on the back of the closet, where the refrigerator duct is.
[image]

Here is a picture of me sliding my reinforcing steel under the cabinet before it is pushed against the left wing. I highly recommend this piece.
[image]

Picture of the new 5 cu' refrigerator. It was a close fit through the door.
[image]

Back of installed refrigerator. Notice the formica covered pad.
[image]

A picture of my right wing steel reinforcement for the stainless steel gray water tank.
[image]

Picture of new counter top.
[image]

width=640

* This post was last edited 06/28/12 08:48pm by an administrator/moderator *

Posted By: ticki2 on 06/28/12 01:11pm

69 avion ,
I notice in the third picture the plywood under the lower cabinets doesn't show any signs of blocking . Mine had 1" blocking that the 1/4" finish panel attached to . I insulated that area with blue styrofoam board . Have you done something different or are just not finished with that yet ? Same thing along the base of the dinette and under the frig .

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

Print | Close