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.

[sabconsulting]

A smaller version:



Steve.

[69_Avion]

cajunavion wrote:
Howdy!
Eztankless makes a water heater precisely
like the above. The problem is it is 24in tall
and the water/gas connections attach on the
bottom(increasing the height more). Thats
a reeeal tight fit. Wish there was a smaller
option.
May I ask a personal question
to yall? How do you set up an outdoor
shower? ( I am kind of bashful )

I set up a shower tent like the one in this link.

http://www.amazon.com/DOUBLE-SHOWER-TENT-OUTDOOR-COLORS/dp/B005D79A3I/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1392690787&sr=8-6&keywords=shower+tent

[cajunavion]

Howdy!
Eztankless makes a water heater precisely
like the above. The problem is it is 24in tall
and the water/gas connections attach on the
bottom(increasing the height more). Thats
a reeeal tight fit. Wish there was a smaller
option.
May I ask a personal question
to yall? How do you set up an outdoor
shower? ( I am kind of bashful )

[D1trout]

That looks like the perfect C10 heater arrangement!

[cajunavion]

[cajunavion]

tankless diagram

[D1trout]

Some of the demand heaters are top vent and some are back vent.
I think the issue with using them indoors is getting the carbon monoxide out.
We can always crack the bathroom window to get air in.
It also seems to me that those great quick connect fittings 69 has on his propane
system would work well if you wanted to hang your heater out by the propane
locker door for an outside shower. I'm going to plumb my inside heater for an
outside shower option - at least that's my plan without having spent a great
deal of time studying the whole project(read "disclaimer...")

Dick

[garryk6]

I have been looking how I can have some disconnects on he back of the camper for one of the portable on demand hot water heaters, so that when we need it, we bring it along, and plug it in when desired for hot water and showers, but could be used for an out door shower too. And they are pretty inexpensive.... Any other thoughts?
Garry in cold Kodiak, AK

[cajunavion]

Howdy!
Thanks for that D1. I think there is a way too.
Direct vented ones do not use interior air, so they
can be installed safely in a closet. Concentric
direct vented ones use only a single duct. Actually
a duct within a duct. Wait, I remember something
like that! Yes, that crazy furnace vent in the
rear that we all creatively try to cover up.
The problem I am finding is that small tankless
propane water heaters are not designed like
this. I am still looking; is anyone aware of
such a beast?

[D1trout]

Cajunavion, it's my intention to use a small, wall-mounted demand heater in the bath in my C11. There are a couple of models that operate with very low water pressure and I think I can figure out a way to vent thru one of the existing holes in the roof. I haven't worked all the particulars out yet but am confident it can be accomplished. I'll be at that point in a month or two and will be pleased to share my experiences. I like 69's idea of rigging it for an outside shower. I am thinking to have an outside shower fixture plumbed to the inside water system.
Dick

[69_Avion]

cajunavion wrote:
Howdy!
69 can you run a tankless water propane
heater inside with ducting?

I wouldn't try it since it is using a form of combustion to make the heat. I don't know how you would safely duct it. The heater works great and we like setting up a shower tent more than using the wet bath of the camper. If it is too cold outside, then the wet bath is fine, I have water storage under the trailer with it's own water pump so I hook the external heater to the trailer hose bid and have an instant outside shower. It saves on the use of the gray water tank capacity.

[cajunavion]

Howdy!
69 can you run a tankless water propane
heater inside with ducting?

[Desertboy]

cool

[69_Avion]

Desertboy wrote:
Cool, I needed to see that too. Mine were bungeed in there, and I didn't like it. I can make one of these. Im looking at the picture, what are those other 2 valves for? I see where they connect to the tanks, but how about those other shutoff valves that are on that T?

My camper is on a trailer and the extra valves with quick disconnects are for me to run LP off the trailer tanks when the rig is stationary. I also run a large Camp Chef stove off of the LP and an external water heater for an outside shower. You can see the modern Rego Regulator that replaced the original Rego Regulator. They aren't cheap, but they have high capacity and they are very well built.

Sorry I couldn't help with the C-10. I was thinking it was a C-11.

[cajunavion]

Howdy!
Thanks 69. Unfortunately mine are vertically mounted in the
rear corner; C10. The old regulator thats there looks serviceable
enough. Do yall know if it can be used and is it low pressure
or high?