| In 1998 we purchased a 1964 Airstream Overlander. The following year, while travelling an Interstate through Ohio, I saw an Avion Truck Camper, and the search began. We purchased this 1965 Avion Truck Camper on Ebay in the fall of 2006. At the time we didn’t have a truck, so I picked up the camper and brought it home from Virginia on a flatbed car-hauler behind our Suburban.
A couple of years after we bought the camper a tree fell on it damaging the roof over the cabover, but fortunately leaving the front curved segments undamaged.
Now we are finally at a point where we can take on this project. The goal is to renovate the camper mostly with modern appliances and materials to make it comfortable and practical to use, not to restore it to original condition.
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Cabover bed
The cabover bed area is finally (mostly) finished! In an earlier post I mentioned extending the cabover so that the east-west bed, which was originally about 46″ by 88″ could become Continue reading “Cabover bed”
Steps and Storage
Our Avion came without steps. My goals were to make entry and exit easy, to increase storage, and to maintain the fibreglass ‘bustle’. As described in an earlier post, I had already raised the camper 4″ to create a basement for grey water tanks and to make it better fit the dimensions of the truck. That frame of 2″ x 4″ rectangular aluminum tube provided the perfect place to mount the new step. I’m hesitating to call it a step bumper because I hope that it never gets bumped! Continue reading “Steps and Storage”
Aluminum wings
If you’ve been reading all along you’ll know that I replaced the wings and cabover with wood, then went back and redid the cabover with aluminum after finding a leak. After finding more leaks over the wings I tore out the new wood and replaced it with aluminum in a similar method as with the cabover. I think it’s best just to assume that old campers will leak!
Continue reading “Aluminum wings”Shower Pan
With the plan to switch from a toilet and black tank to a Thetford cassette toilet, I knew that I would need a different shower pan. And having sold the original shower to an Avion trailer owner, I was committed! It would be impossible to find something pre-made, so I decided to try my hand at fibreglass.
Continue reading “Shower Pan”Cabover setback
I was disappointed last spring to find that the cabover was leaking and the new plywood was delaminating. I went over all the suspected leak points and I think I got them all, but decided to tear it out and replace with aluminum so I wouldn’t have to worry about future leaks. Continue reading “Cabover setback”
If you have to add a patch…
it might as well make a statement! This one covers the old stove vent. The ‘white’ part of the flag is original anodized aluminum.
Plumbing Vent
Every tank needs to be vented to allow air to exit and enter when the fluid level changes. Our Avion will has two grey tanks connected end to end placed under the floor, but no black tank. The black tank is replaced by the cassette toilet. The fresh-water tank also needs to be vented, but that is a separate system.
Continue reading “Plumbing Vent”
Jalousie Windows
I’ve always liked the look of jalousie windows on a vintage camper, but the ones on either side of the ’65 Avion truck camper have a flaw that can cause them to leak. They are high enough on the wall that they slant inwards at the top, and since the sill is designed to be horizontal when the window is installed, it actually slants inward Continue reading “Jalousie Windows”
Running Lights
I’m still in the middle of many jobs, but the running lights are now installed. I put in the three across the front and decided I didn’t care for the look of the white plastic bases. The lights are Continue reading “Running Lights”
1965 Avion C-10 Truck Camper 