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.

[67avion]

Hi Garry,

My Avion came like that. It appears that the original split window was removed and another installed. In the photos it may be that the aluminum blinds may reflect the sun in odd ways.

By the way, Garry. After we start the Avionista Caravan at Muley Point in Utah the next stop will be Kodiak Alaska. That's right...

[garryk6]

67avion wrote:

67,

What did you change about your front window? Is that a one piece glass? Aluminum? Did you have it custom fabricated? It looks like it is solid one piece now? Is it dual or single pane? I never noticed it before, that your C-10 did not have the split front window. I looks more akin to the C-11 tinted window...

Thanks again!
Garry

[tonyj54]

67avion wrote:

D1trout wrote:
Muley Point in May of 2015! I should be ready for the road by then. Sign me up!

The Avionista Caravan is forming.........

A year out. I may be able to convince Shirley to head up to the mountains (I guess. Is that right?) with me by then. My dear wife is a confirmed flat-lander.

[Jamm3r]

cajunavion wrote:
Howdy!
I am knee deep in $hit and frankly a little tired
thinking about it. What do yall think about
macerator pumps. The plan I am contemplating
would put a macerator right below the toilet.
and then with interesting valving dump either
into a transfer tank, as yet to be determined, or
out through a simple 3/4 inch water hose. The
gray and transfer tank(black) could also be
plumb and valved to the macerator intake allowing
a discharge of a varity of things as needs change and
clean the system.

Macerator pumps are more widely used on boats than RVs. There are some things to bear in mind:

1) They will clog and jam on tampons and on any rags or scraps of cloth that are inadvertently flushed.

2) They are heavy and produce vibration. Be sure that they're properly supported by something other than the piping, and use flexible connections to avoid damaging the piping from vibration.

3) They fail fairly often with the marine crowd reporting that replacement every 1-2 years is not uncommon. Plan your piping so that there is good access for replacement.

4) They draw a good deal of power, around 20a, so size your wiring and switch accordingly.

I considered going this route and ultimately decided against. I do have a "sewer solution" -- the water-jet powered macerator type pump -- which I use when dumping at home where I have city water available and a slight uphill run to the drain.

Another possibility to consider is a "shower pump" -- for greywater only. There are some clog-resistant diaphragm pumps that look promising for this.

[67avion]

D1trout wrote:
Muley Point in May of 2015! I should be ready for the road by then. Sign me up!

The Avionista Caravan is forming.........

[Michael_111]

D1trout wrote:

Michael111 wrote:
I have no idea if all of my plans will work out , but at a cost of $150 for the entire inner skin i have no problem ripping it out next summer and try something new.

Well, you're a braver or more determined fellow than I, Michael. I'm definitely in the "do it once, do it as well as I can" program in my rebuild. I hate having to do things over again...my short attention span makes me too impatient. I admire your flexibility. You're on track to answer some worthwhile questions for me about replacing the inner skin with a new skin, insulating the ribs from the inner skin, and how about the slide out kitchen...? Let's hear that idea.

Onward
Dick

yes,i have to be flexible and be able to change directions at a moments notice otherwise i would not make it a week.... , my second job ( or the first) is teaching the art of Special Effects Make-up on a University level for the Film and Theater Industry. In this i never do the same thing over and i am constantly bombarded with new challenges.
Anyway.....slide out kitchen idea....
since i don't have a black water tank on he passenger side anymore
i thought by modifying the belly pan, basically cutting out all of the
indentations and re-fiberglasing it to be straight i would create a great rectangular space to hide a slide out kitchen.
Cutting in a door, not unlike on the driver side, but the full side.
I am thinking of suspending the glide system from the reinforced floor. Total size maybe 4 to 5 feet keeping some room for a possible gray water tank on the driver side for the future.
i will try to come up with a sketch/ drawing in the next few days

got the inspiration from here
http://www.kimberleygroup.com.au/off-road-camper-trailers
those guys are tricked out and if finances would not be an issue i definitely would incorporate most of their technology

I will definitely look into the insulating tape/weatherstripping to give additional insulation
the wood currently at 1/8 thickness gives about a 20 degree difference
which is not bad.

Starting to re-build the wing today

[cajunavion]

Howdy!
Michael dont you know better than to use Luan for that! Just kidding, use what ever
you want. We all love being experts around here and
even occassionally giving good advice. I do want to see
a less than 5k complete Avion TC rebuild, though.
I am still deep in the perverbial substance and
just when I think I have a handle on the plumbing
I come across something like this and it all starts
to make sense!

Thanks 69 I like your dinette, but just like
D1s 28x32, I need some place to stow
Sweet Jane and the kids. D1 you may just have
something with the composite panals, I just
dont have your welding abilities. I have the Lagun
arm but I still need to make the table top
a more reasonable size. Two leaves could
be slid over the bench seats gaucho style leaving the
center for the lowered table top.
That drawing is starting to make sense again, so I
best end it here for now!

[D1trout]

67avion wrote:
I return home energized by our trips. It's great to share our experiences as well in trip reports. I'm sure you've heard me banging the table for an Avion caravan. If you like we can all meet on the outcrop of Muley Point, Utah, and travel from there. Fair warning: the views may cause fainting spells.

Muley Point in May of 2015! I should be ready for the road by then. Sign me up!

Dick

[D1trout]

Michael111 wrote:
I have no idea if all of my plans will work out , but at a cost of $150 for the entire inner skin i have no problem ripping it out next summer and try something new.

Well, you're a braver or more determined fellow than I, Michael. I'm definitely in the "do it once, do it as well as I can" program in my rebuild. I hate having to do things over again...my short attention span makes me too impatient. I admire your flexibility. You're on track to answer some worthwhile questions for me about replacing the inner skin with a new skin, insulating the ribs from the inner skin, and how about the slide out kitchen...? Let's hear that idea.

Onward
Dick

[67avion]

D1trout wrote:
Man, you have set a high bar for trip reports! Those southwest pics of Capitol Reef and Monument Valley - well, really all your pics - are superb. And to get poked like that on the way home...

Many thanks for your kind words. I enjoy our trips in the Avion. It's a real pleasure. It's amazing how many people just smile as we pass by, holding up a thumbs up or a wave.

I return home energized by our trips. It's great to share our experiences as well in trip reports. I'm sure you've heard me banging the table for an Avion caravan. If you like we can all meet on the outcrop of Muley Point, Utah, and travel from there. Fair warning: the views may cause fainting spells.

[Michael_111]

D1trout wrote:

Cajunavion wrote:
My other problem is I can not seem to visualize how to get a 41 inch wide dinette
bed, across the full 8ft width of the camper. 3/4 plywood is HEAVY and any thing less
is bowable. So I need a 41x41 piece of something
to serve as kitchen table and lower bed that
one person can easily move into position. Maybe
making removable leaves. I dont know. Most layouts
I have seen either have a small side table or
the benches come in to the center isle a bit.
I really want to seat on the wings as is and have

Cajun, as you may recall, I'm doing an east-west dinette that converts to a single bed so the dogs can lie at window height and commune with us thru the rear truck sliding window as we drive along...
I am thinking to use the Lagun table system - I think you pointed it out to us - and a composite table top, the same material I'm using for cabs and counters and bulkheads.
Here's the website for that composite: www.productsignsupplies.com. Look for "aluminum composite boards". This material is likely available from a wholesaler near you. It's sign stock: thin aluminum sheets laminated over a polyethylene core and it comes in various thicknesses.
I'd suggest you consider having a 1" square aluminum tubing frame welded and then fasten whatever surfaces you wish onto it. It sounds as if my table will considerably smaller than your's: something like 28" wide by 32" deep.

Dick and everyone else ....
I totally agree with you and everyone that Luan is second choice at best....
But let me clarify a few things about this build
this camper had a rough life with probably many owners before me and everyone has done some repairs to it, lots and lots of pop rivets all over the place , you get the idea
so for me this is a fun project that will provide me with a stable platform to build a off road capable camper that keeps 4 adults comfortable and has some personality to it without killing the lines of the C11.

I am totally aware of the quality work that everyone has put into their rigs to make them as close to original or as fitting to their situations as needed. This is a wealth of knowledge here. and i am glad of tapping into this
Dick, you probably take the cake on this with your aluminum frame.
If finances would allow it,yes there would be only the best marine grade wood and even a diesel cooktop/ heater in it.
I probably have the skills to totally automate the unit, sun tracking solar, etc.. gadgets galore and control it from your a phone or any web based application.

I build artificial humans (and parts)for medical training purposes as one of my jobs
Check it out at www.haatrainers.com WARNING SOME GRAPHIC IMAGES
Will i ever deploy this technology in this build - probably not.

This build will be a self contained C-11 for under 5K and under 2300 lb fully loaded and maiden voyage anticipated by the end of July, granted probably no solar or engel fridge by then.

I have no idea if all of my plans will work out , but at a cost of $150 for the entire inner skin i have no problem ripping it out next summer and try something new.

Latest crazy idea is to add a slide out kitchen.....in be belly pan
Onward to build something
Dick

[D1trout]

67Avion wrote:
At first I was devastated. But, as I gradually realized it was not a death in the family, just a dent in the Avion. I felt better. In fact the motel owner, Sonny, lent me a ladder and shouted encouragement as I patched the holes.

I am going to put the Avion away for a while. We'll repair it later this summer. In the meantime I savor the trip that Jane and I just experienced.

Man, you have set a high bar for trip reports! Those southwest pics of Capitol Reef and Monument Valley - well, really all your pics - are superb. And to get poked like that on the way home...

You've given a lot of us a mighty itch to get on the road with our Avions. Thanks for that!

Chuck Cayo seems to have a pretty good supply of the specialized extrusions and curved panels on hand.

Dick

[D1trout]

Tonyj54 wrote:
Which brings up a question. A possible opportunity has arisen, and I need advice/opinions. What would you guys think of putting a C-10 on the back of a diesel dually set up as a service truck, complete with side-boxes? I'm thinking I could move my gunsmithing gear out of the small trailer, and into the boxes. I'd have to figure out how/where to mount a gun vice, and a couple of other things, obviously, but I think it might work, IF the rig can be pulled together at all. Would it be too top-heavy or tippy? Would the height of the rig make it too susceptible to acting as a sail? Would the height make it too much of a low-bridge risk. I know I'll have to do a lot of measuring, just wanted to get some background expertise to get the idea moving.

Tony, I too have thought about a utility truck bed as a base for my C11. Our campers are woefully deficient in storage! In doing the homework on that notion, I found that utility beds come in a great many sizes and shapes. There are models that are no higher that the bottom of the rear window of the truck and that, it seems to me, is the model to use. It would keep the camper load in the same relative position as if it were in a conventional pick up bed. They are even available in aluminum, to keep weight down. This approach would make it impossible to carry the camper jacks mounted under the wings. In fact, the jack mount system would have to be reengineered, but the increase in storage seems to make the whole prospect well worth considering. And the fiberglass bustle would have to be carefully considered.

I further discovered that Ford and Chevy (perhaps others as well) trucks can have a conventional-looking bed with storage doors and compartments built in to the side panels. Check out the Royal truck body "Sport" model. It's the one that I've seen. I'm not sure they make them anymore but with patient searching... The fellow in the Ford truck liked the body but had trouble with the latches and couldn't get replacements from Royal, for whatever that's worth. I've some pics somewhere. I'll endeavor to post them soon.

Dick

[D1trout]

Cajunavion wrote:
My other problem is I can not seem to visualize how to get a 41 inch wide dinette
bed, across the full 8ft width of the camper. 3/4 plywood is HEAVY and any thing less
is bowable. So I need a 41x41 piece of something
to serve as kitchen table and lower bed that
one person can easily move into position. Maybe
making removable leaves. I dont know. Most layouts
I have seen either have a small side table or
the benches come in to the center isle a bit.
I really want to seat on the wings as is and have

Cajun, as you may recall, I'm doing an east-west dinette that converts to a single bed so the dogs can lie at window height and commune with us thru the rear truck sliding window as we drive along...
I am thinking to use the Lagun table system - I think you pointed it out to us - and a composite table top, the same material I'm using for cabs and counters and bulkheads.
Here's the website for that composite: www.productsignsupplies.com. Look for "aluminum composite boards". This material is likely available from a wholesaler near you. It's sign stock: thin aluminum sheets laminated over a polyethylene core and it comes in various thicknesses.
I'd suggest you consider having a 1" square aluminum tubing frame welded and then fasten whatever surfaces you wish onto it. It sounds as if my table will considerably smaller than your's: something like 28" wide by 32" deep.

Dick

[D1trout]

For no more good than it will do to keep a camper cooler, I personally wouldn't want to drill that many holes in my frame if I could avoid it. Is there a paint or coating that you could use to coat the ribs to stop heat transfer if that's what he is trying to accomplish. I know they make a flat wide foam weather stripping with adhesive on one side that you could use. Once you attach the inner skin how can it move anywhere? That's what I would do if I were worried about it.



The "Swiss Cheese" issue is a concern to me , that's why i am toying with the luan strip,i will probably seal the luan with CPES from the rotdoctor.com, this would give me the option to attach the inner skin to the overhang and not to the ribs themselves. so just a few rivets in the ribs.This should also allow for the flexing of the inner skin.

Planed test drive end of July
Just thoughts at this point....the nice thing is I can always change my mind.

here is a thought that might work as well .....i know..... don't use Silicone

But you i could use Platinum Cured Silicone - that has nothing to do with the caulking you get at the hardware store.
I could poor a strip, 1-1/2 inch wide by 8 feel, long out of a variety that has the consistency of think the bottom of your tennis shoes
This type of silicone has great heat insulation, you can buy oven mitts made out of this.
but then i am facing still the many new holes in the ribs

more to ponder

Michael, I'd seriously reconsider Luan. I share 67's view that it's a pretty cheesy product and poorly suited to this use. It will not hold up to moisture. If wood is your interior finish of choice, consider a thin marine grade teak ply - it's expensive(compared to Luan), but well-suited to the environment and available in a variety of thicknesses.

I admire and applaud your desire to insulate the ribs. Let me again suggest you consider the sealing tape that is commonly used to bed hatches, doors and other joints in RVs. It can be stuck to any surface, requires no extra holes to be drilled, must have a higher R value than Luan strips, and as a bonus, will seal fasteners driven thru it...

Dick