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.
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.
Tikki2, all very good info. I recall now that this issue came up perhaps last winter and sent me searching for alternatives to an aluminum interior skin. Seems like a couple of solutions are possible: gluing an insulating strip of foam to the ribs before riveting the aluminum skin to the interior. Or using a product like the Durabull veneer from SR Wood. Presumably the condensation would be less. Or I could use the 3M double sided construction tape I used with very good results on the skin of the outside storage. Makes a nice clean look without rivets and the associated dimples and the foam layer between the two adhesive faces would give some insulation. Only problem here is that the tape is tenacious and if one had to get into the space behind the skin in the future, it would likely result in the destruction of their skin in that area...
I will have to make the decision very soon as I've pretty much finished the outside. imended up painting the outside with polyurethane auto paint, using a high solids metallic silver Porsche color called polarsilber. It came out very nicely - brought the whole camper together, resolving its many different skin tones and conditions. 67, I investigated the vinyl wrap but rejected it because of the very many rivets and all the sharp corners around windows and doors. So here's how Argo looks:
So now it's on to the inside, which I am hoping will go more quickly. Here's the current state inside:
The wiring is in. I need to test the circuits, complete the insulation, and then the inner skin and construct the interior. I'm thinking a trial run without cabinetry in a month or so, just to see how it all feels before the final push.
It been a long time since October 2013 when Argo came into my life. As the wise man said, be careful you wish for...
Onward!
Dick
I will have to make the decision very soon as I've pretty much finished the outside. imended up painting the outside with polyurethane auto paint, using a high solids metallic silver Porsche color called polarsilber. It came out very nicely - brought the whole camper together, resolving its many different skin tones and conditions. 67, I investigated the vinyl wrap but rejected it because of the very many rivets and all the sharp corners around windows and doors. So here's how Argo looks:
So now it's on to the inside, which I am hoping will go more quickly. Here's the current state inside:
The wiring is in. I need to test the circuits, complete the insulation, and then the inner skin and construct the interior. I'm thinking a trial run without cabinetry in a month or so, just to see how it all feels before the final push.
It been a long time since October 2013 when Argo came into my life. As the wise man said, be careful you wish for...
Onward!
Dick
condensation
This is what I have come to thus far . First a few pics so I can refer to them .
The first pic is what put around the bottom of the wall at the dinette . It is sill seal used between wood sill and foundation on a house . It is 8" x 1/4" and does not absorb water . This is the area I found the most condensation . Another critical area was around the mattress . In both cases I believe it is the combination of little air circulation and being the lowest portion of the interior aluminum panels . Outside temps were from 22F to 37F . Moving the mattress away from the wall 2" and removing the back cushion from the dinette reduced condensation considerable . Gluing the sill seal around the dinette almost eliminated it . also installed a CPU fan in the rear roof vent to blow down instead of up ( it had no fan at all) . This helped to equalize the temperature top to bottom . but needs a bit stronger fan , still experimenting . I have the original wall furnace which has a small cross flow fan at the bottom sucking air in at the bottom and blowing air up along the heat chamber . I got the brilliant idea of reversing the fan to blow warm air out the bottom along the floor . Took the fan out , tore it apart and reverse it , put it back in and it was a no go . For what ever reason it would not pull the warm air down and out . There is probably some kind of baffling in back of the exchanger that won't allow it , needs more investigation .
One of the problems I believe is the inherent design of the Avion . One , there is no thermal break between the ribs and either the interior or exterior aluminum panels , and aluminum is a great conductor of heat and cold . Second , the interior panel act the same as glass and when the moist air hits the cold surface it is beyond the dew point and condenses . My Avion is in relatively good condition and I have no plans to completely rebuild it , so I am dealing with work-arounds . If it was stripped I would consider another material besides aluminum for the interior panels , also some kind of thermal break . Here is one that might be suitable .
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/wp/plywood.html
This is as far as I've gotten , looking forward to what others have come up with .
This is what I have come to thus far . First a few pics so I can refer to them .
The first pic is what put around the bottom of the wall at the dinette . It is sill seal used between wood sill and foundation on a house . It is 8" x 1/4" and does not absorb water . This is the area I found the most condensation . Another critical area was around the mattress . In both cases I believe it is the combination of little air circulation and being the lowest portion of the interior aluminum panels . Outside temps were from 22F to 37F . Moving the mattress away from the wall 2" and removing the back cushion from the dinette reduced condensation considerable . Gluing the sill seal around the dinette almost eliminated it . also installed a CPU fan in the rear roof vent to blow down instead of up ( it had no fan at all) . This helped to equalize the temperature top to bottom . but needs a bit stronger fan , still experimenting . I have the original wall furnace which has a small cross flow fan at the bottom sucking air in at the bottom and blowing air up along the heat chamber . I got the brilliant idea of reversing the fan to blow warm air out the bottom along the floor . Took the fan out , tore it apart and reverse it , put it back in and it was a no go . For what ever reason it would not pull the warm air down and out . There is probably some kind of baffling in back of the exchanger that won't allow it , needs more investigation .
One of the problems I believe is the inherent design of the Avion . One , there is no thermal break between the ribs and either the interior or exterior aluminum panels , and aluminum is a great conductor of heat and cold . Second , the interior panel act the same as glass and when the moist air hits the cold surface it is beyond the dew point and condenses . My Avion is in relatively good condition and I have no plans to completely rebuild it , so I am dealing with work-arounds . If it was stripped I would consider another material besides aluminum for the interior panels , also some kind of thermal break . Here is one that might be suitable .
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/wp/plywood.html
This is as far as I've gotten , looking forward to what others have come up with .
