Avion truck campers - Hundreds of photos
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...
Forum Discussion
Alright , here it goes
i am posting a link to my google album dedicated to the build of this Tin Can :B
i could not bring it over me to sell it despite a lot of interest
https://goo.gl/photos/J4uQovTuHP9QMLBR7
since my last post i believe i finished the LED light set up which had quite some hick ups , like the LEDs overheating until i figured out that the LEDs that i had chosen were car LEDs and used the car body as a heat sink , so i went and connected them directly to the ribs by using a metal electrical housing
it will look good once the skin is in
i found the insulation that i like for cheap
closed cell foam mats 2 stacked on top are exactly the thickness of the ribs
no glue needed
i build a light bar that is mounted under the overhang that will Illuminate the movable kitchen if the camper is set up at a camp site
so far with all the lights 2 cell phones and a wireless speaker system charging i use 2.8 Ah
115 volt wiring is in place and checked by a qualified electrician and i plugged it in without zapping myself
4 -15 amp circuits all GFCI protected
Where the old LP gas door/ hatch was is now a sliding window that one can open from the outside to access 115v , 12v outlets and a switch for the light bar. If i ever go with electric jacks or a tilt system for solar the switches will be there.
The kitchen plan is coming along, basically what is going to happen is that the back skirt that was housing all of the plumbing and tank will be to 80 % removable, think fold down wheel set and house the outdoor kitchen with sink , cutting board stove top etc. The plan is to be able to attach a custom screen house to the overhang and create a outdoor living space
the other 20 % will stay stationary and house the shore power cord etc.
The biggest problem i had was to get it water tight
I tried just about everything from Vulkem to Acryl R no satisfying results
I guess since this unit was re-skinned at least 3 times the rivets are the culprits
although i could not find any " loose" ones
SO- last resort was to use Gluevit on the exterior which worked like a charm i feel like i could turn it upside down and go rafting :E
Turtle went through some big and long storms here in NC and it is dry on the inside
But i have to paint it now from the outside for the UV protection , which i have to figure out now what color , this could go from aluminum to white ( for less heat absorption) with red accents ( color of the Avion Logo ) to completely crazy. Hey i am an artist by trade.
Oh- and i had to replace one of the vent covers , the cheapest that i had found was about $ 100.00 and since i am on a tight budget i made one myself by creating a silicone mold and a nice fiberglass layup from materials that i had laying around. Cost about $25 fits great and looks like the one that was on it
I created some fake FAAANTASIC Fans by using 12 volt camping fans that fit almost directly into the hatches 2 speeds and reversible directions cost about $ 30 each. Still got to double screen them build a insulation to fill the gaps and clean them up a bit
Anyway this build is nothing close to what D1 it accomplishing , i really admire his approach to this challenge but it will be a fun and very functional unit that will go wherever the truck that it is on will go...... even considering getting a scrap pontoon slide Turtle on and go lake hopping, not sure yet if this stands a chance but a crazy idea
Next thing is Solar ......Stationary on the roof or a system that could be detached and be portable ??????? Got to get the wires into the wall before insulating etc.
Stay tuned and enjoy the pics
Michael
glad to be back
i am posting a link to my google album dedicated to the build of this Tin Can :B
i could not bring it over me to sell it despite a lot of interest
https://goo.gl/photos/J4uQovTuHP9QMLBR7
since my last post i believe i finished the LED light set up which had quite some hick ups , like the LEDs overheating until i figured out that the LEDs that i had chosen were car LEDs and used the car body as a heat sink , so i went and connected them directly to the ribs by using a metal electrical housing
it will look good once the skin is in
i found the insulation that i like for cheap
closed cell foam mats 2 stacked on top are exactly the thickness of the ribs
no glue needed
i build a light bar that is mounted under the overhang that will Illuminate the movable kitchen if the camper is set up at a camp site
so far with all the lights 2 cell phones and a wireless speaker system charging i use 2.8 Ah
115 volt wiring is in place and checked by a qualified electrician and i plugged it in without zapping myself
4 -15 amp circuits all GFCI protected
Where the old LP gas door/ hatch was is now a sliding window that one can open from the outside to access 115v , 12v outlets and a switch for the light bar. If i ever go with electric jacks or a tilt system for solar the switches will be there.
The kitchen plan is coming along, basically what is going to happen is that the back skirt that was housing all of the plumbing and tank will be to 80 % removable, think fold down wheel set and house the outdoor kitchen with sink , cutting board stove top etc. The plan is to be able to attach a custom screen house to the overhang and create a outdoor living space
the other 20 % will stay stationary and house the shore power cord etc.
The biggest problem i had was to get it water tight
I tried just about everything from Vulkem to Acryl R no satisfying results
I guess since this unit was re-skinned at least 3 times the rivets are the culprits
although i could not find any " loose" ones
SO- last resort was to use Gluevit on the exterior which worked like a charm i feel like i could turn it upside down and go rafting :E
Turtle went through some big and long storms here in NC and it is dry on the inside
But i have to paint it now from the outside for the UV protection , which i have to figure out now what color , this could go from aluminum to white ( for less heat absorption) with red accents ( color of the Avion Logo ) to completely crazy. Hey i am an artist by trade.
Oh- and i had to replace one of the vent covers , the cheapest that i had found was about $ 100.00 and since i am on a tight budget i made one myself by creating a silicone mold and a nice fiberglass layup from materials that i had laying around. Cost about $25 fits great and looks like the one that was on it
I created some fake FAAANTASIC Fans by using 12 volt camping fans that fit almost directly into the hatches 2 speeds and reversible directions cost about $ 30 each. Still got to double screen them build a insulation to fill the gaps and clean them up a bit
Anyway this build is nothing close to what D1 it accomplishing , i really admire his approach to this challenge but it will be a fun and very functional unit that will go wherever the truck that it is on will go...... even considering getting a scrap pontoon slide Turtle on and go lake hopping, not sure yet if this stands a chance but a crazy idea
Next thing is Solar ......Stationary on the roof or a system that could be detached and be portable ??????? Got to get the wires into the wall before insulating etc.
Stay tuned and enjoy the pics
Michael
glad to be back
