Avion truck campers - Hundreds of photos

[67avion]

Without going into too much painful detail, we had a mishap several week-ends ago. While working with sand bag crews on the Mississippi River, the truck and camper fell into the flood waters as a road collapsed. Because of a number of issues dealing with the wrecker truck, we had to release the camper as the truck was reeled up over the bank. The good news is that the truck is as good as new after a thorough rinsing, inspection of brakes, etc. The bad news is that the camper was thoroughly drowned. A lot of people had far worse trouble than we did, so we consider ourselves lucky. The floods are ongoing as I write.

Our planned trip to Montana in June is called off. heh.

However, I have now convinced my dear Jane that its time to really update the TC. After drying for several days we pulled out the interior. Amazingly the Zolatone paint that I had applied last year is good as new after a cleaning.



Without burdening the TC family overmuch, I'd like to ask some advice other than don't park too near a flood :-).

My DW was overjoyed that I had a plan for the bathroom: a composting toilet developed by Nature's Head http://www.natureshead.net/. Our holding tank was practically unusable and there was no real grey water tank on the 67 Avion. Our plan is to rip out the bathroom and install one of these and converting the blackwater to a greywater tank. Any experience with this?

Finally, the roof. I admit that I have not really done the work I should have. Now, I need to remove the various sealants on the roof and repair it. We are also setting up for a solar installation. Any advice as to this?



Here's hoping I have posted the pictures correctly. And many thanks in advance for your advice.

[cajunavion]

[69_Avion]

cajunavion wrote:
Howdy!
I never realized that the shower insulation
was just bulking. Thanks, that helps.
How bout thoughts on water systems?
What pumps do yall like? 12v or 110?
accumulators?
How about filters pre and post?
How did those cute little sink jobs
work that many Avions have above
the sink?

I replaced the original heavy duty Marine 12v water pump with a ShurFlo Revolution 12v pump. It seems to work well.

I use a Watts regulator on the outside with a quality filter after it. I don't have an interior filter or accumulator tank. I haven't needed one.

I'm not sure what you mean by a little sink above the sink. I did have to replace the medicine cabinet that was entirely deteriorated old plastic. I ended up having one made out of stainless steel that was deeper.

[cajunavion]

Howdy!
I never realized that the shower insulation
was just bulking. Thanks, that helps.
How bout thoughts on water systems?
What pumps do yall like? 12v or 110?
accumulators?
How about filters pre and post?
How did those cute little sink jobs
work that many Avions have above
the sink?

[67avion]

Thanx guys for your inquiries and suggestions. Last night we boon docked on Muley Point overlooking John's Canyon and Mexican Hat. At least I think that's what we overlooked. Actually I felt like I was overlooking Creation as the mesas and rocks and mountains and wind and.....

You understand the feeling.

We shared this breezy outcropping with a dozen well behaved bikers from Denver. Ironically their concern was that I would spin up a generator and disturb the peace. Heh. The world of bikers has surely changed since my youth.

We broke one of the rear tie downs and dislodged the right forward Fastgun. We were rolling over the back roads like a cat boat in Nantucket. At the end my belly bar scraped rocks and dislodged the tie down.

Then it rained.

We felt so cozy inside the Avion - warm and full of the Indian curries and Chana dal that we keep on board.

This morning we descended the Mokie Dugway, a switchback gravel road built by uranium miners in the 50s. Sweet Jane awakened at 1am dreading the descent of almost 2000 feet on a road that often does not allow vehicles to pass. Again in a sign of the times, she consulted Tripadvisor and was reassured by their 5 rating for the road. She slept soundly after that.

There is some sort of weird lesson in all that, but it's best not to explore that when you're on the road with your wife.

So we went down this morning. We passed 4 vehicles and backed only once. And yes the views were a bit disturbing at times....close to the edge or with the Avion skirting rock. It is by no means a White Rim Trail, but I think it's an Avion challenge.

We didn't see any Class A's or C's or fivers on the way down. I honestly don't think those guys can go where we do.

Sorry no photos. I can't post from here. Maybe I'll write it up when we get back.

Further Avionistas!

[D1trout]

67, Annie and I were in Fruita last Thursday, the 15th, enroute to California. I looked with great interest on the Capitol Reef/Burr Trail dirt road that goes south along the Waterpocket Fold to Bullfrog Bay on Lake Powell and resolved that that it would be our first back road trip when our Avion is completed! It is the quintessential canyon country landscape and if you can fit it into your route, I urge you to consider the detour...

Happy trails!
Dick

[Desertboy]

Wrung out by the Landscape 67Avion? Where's our pictures? lol, joking man. Is it some wild country?

[67avion]

I'm not sure I can add a great deal to this particular discussion. We're boondocking on a massive canyon in southern Utah. On our way to Monument Valley - went through Fruita and Capitol Reefs National Monument last night and this morning. Downright emotionally wrung out by the landscape.

But to one of the tasks at hand: if you paint the interior please take a look at Zolatone. It was the OEM paint. It is used mainly for car trunks and truck beds. It is extremely hard as a surface. But it may be difficult for painters. My painter had to do it three times because of blockage in the spray unit.

I used a white surface that I believe was used for Airstream and Avion.

[69_Avion]

cajunavion wrote:
Howdy!
Thanks for the bath help. I threw in the towel
and ordered new Dometic 311 toilet. I am
still concerned if it will fit the original shroud.
It requires 10.5 in and from center of flange to
back of shroud is 10 in. We will see.
New question, what is the insulation beneath
the shower pan for? The reason I ask is that
in order to run my plumbing under it I replaced
the wood with quarter inch aluminum plate and
then only have room for one and a quarter pipe.
Do I need anything under there?

My shower pan has a wood frame underneath it which was filled with insulation. It was to add rigidity to the shower pan. I had that part reinforced with fiberglass so that mine doesn't flex anymore. It didn't add much weight to the pan. The only issue with my new toilet is that the lowest modern toilet was significantly higher than my original toilet. I pulled a few blocks of wood out of the area under the toilet and above the black water tank which allowed the new toilet to fit at the same finished height.

[Dodgeavion]

The only time I have seen a panel replaced is one of the end Fan panels. Anytime one of the other panels has been damaged thatI have seen, they put the new one over the top of the old one.

On mine for the tub I plan to use styrofoam sheets slightly undersized for the opening then use closed cell spray foam around the edges to seal them in place. For the shell closed cell spray foam.

[cajunavion]

Howdy!
Thanks for the bath help. I threw in the towel
and ordered new Dometic 311 toilet. I am
still concerned if it will fit the original shroud.
It requires 10.5 in and from center of flange to
back of shroud is 10 in. We will see.
New question, what is the insulation beneath
the shower pan for? The reason I ask is that
in order to run my plumbing under it I replaced
the wood with quarter inch aluminum plate and
then only have room for one and a quarter pipe.
Do I need anything under there?

[69cayo]

Please keep in mind when considering sealants and coatings to the interior shell,
how hard it will be to replace a panel if you have "glued" the shell together.
Just sayin......

Dennis

[Michael_111]

D1trout wrote:
Michael, I have considered painting the entire inside of the shell with one of the heavy duty elastomeric roof coatings on the market. I don't have a brand name yet - still a ways to go before I'm at that point. Or perhaps a mobile home roof sealer. Chuck Cayo suggested using that for resealing the outside on top of the camper where the paint-on section is.

How are you planning to deal with the refoaming/reinsulating of the inside of the shell?My intention at the moment is to use one of the bulk foam closed cell spray foam kits available online. Your thoughts?

Dick

That's what i am thinking as well....for the insulation but with reservations. I am working professionally with urethane foams for quite a while and know that they can outgas for a long time.
if you are in a ventilated area such as a house it probably causes no problems but in a small confined space that is well sealed??? .......there is my dilemma looking for the best R Value but not poisoning myself and others.
And not forgetting the tight budget.. HA

There is a foam that i would consider.
Tap Plastics X30 once mixed it expands 30 times the liquid volume.
But you would have to build a containment to get it to conform to the shape and foam every segment separately since it comes as a 2 part kit.



I like the idea of painting the entire inside ......

Another thought or plus for a " Loose " insulation is that you can take it out more easily and see what is happening behind ..

Just thoughts at this point

BTW. I took the back end caps out and they are definitely not going in as a decorative finish but i like your idea of having them as a a support for the aluminum fan shape. I probably will give them a fiberglass treatment and use them that way.

Michael

[Dodgeavion]

Seams and rivets seems reasonable. Entire inside shell would be very heavy.

[D1trout]

Michael, I have considered painting the entire inside of the shell with one of the heavy duty elastomeric roof coatings on the market. I don't have a brand name yet - still a ways to go before I'm at that point. Or perhaps a mobile home roof sealer. Chuck Cayo suggested using that for resealing the outside on top of the camper where the paint-on section is.

How are you planning to deal with the refoaming/reinsulating of the inside of the shell?My intention at the moment is to use one of the bulk foam closed cell spray foam kits available online. Your thoughts?

Dick

[Michael_111]

To all of you who did a full take down of the Avion TC

Did anyone, once the insulation was out,put a bead of Vulkem on the seams from the inside?

Is there anything that would speak against it ?