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Hoppershot75 · 05-22-2013, 07:50 AM

Yesterday I came home to a few boxes on my door step and got to work filling holes in my roof. I installed new tank vent covers. They are vintage metal ones I ordered from vintage trailer supply. There is a good write up on installing them on the Avion yahoo page. I used riv-nuts and sealed them up with butyl tape. I was worried at first about how they would seal because the 2 in the rear are on the curved section of roof and there is a seam that the base covered. I'm glad to report that the butyl tape squeezed out from the entire diameter.

My A/C was smashed up from the PO hitting something with it so I removed it and put a vent in its place. I had to cheap out on the vents because of my budget and bought some 14" Heng's vents from camping world because they were on sale. They are inferior to the original vents so I salvaged the good parts from both of my origional 18" vents and was able to keep the front vent all original. The rear 18" vent opening still has to be capped and re-cut to 14" before I can install the new vent.

I picked up 3- 4'X8' sheets of 5052 .040 aluminum to cap my vent opening and repair the rear section of belly pan yesterday further cutting into my budget. I'm going to work on getting the last gaping hole filled in tonight.

Oh I also got a replacement leg for my dinette table from VTS. It is a little long so I have to cut it down but that will be much easier than fabricating a new one from wood like I initially planned. I probably would have got it done last night but I spent 30 mins searching for my crutch head screw bit. I found it stuck to the magnetic base on my work light. That little bugger had me to the brink of a breakdown because I had to order the specialty bit online and thought it would be a week before I could get a replacement. After i found it I called it a night.

slowmover · 05-23-2013, 09:24 AM

Well told!

Hoppershot75 · 06-10-2013, 07:04 AM

This weekend I got the roof sealed up and the exterior cleaned. I also repaired my brittle and cracked rock guard. To fix my rock guard I filled the cracks with epoxy then added a layer of fiberglass cloth and resin to the underside. On the outside I used body filler to cover up the cracks and holes. I sprayed it with a metallic gray to match the bumper and tongue. I think it turned out pretty good. It is strong and cost less than $50. I need to make a few minor repairs to the water system and hang the new curtains them I'm ready to go camping. Interior pics coming later this week.

Hoppershot75 · 06-12-2013, 08:51 AM

Last night I started putting the interior furnishings into my camper. Below is a choppy picture of what it is shaping up to. My wife modified curtains from Ollies for the windows and room divider. We found that fitted sheets for a crib mattress slip over the dinette cushions pretty well. We have less than $100 into the fabric. Not bad if you have priced a yard of fabric elsewhere. We reused the original mounting strips from the old curtains but one was missing so I need to buy a few more feet to complete the curtains in the front.

So far we are on track to make our maiden voyage this weekend sans water. We will be able to stay warm and cook though. And most importantly we should stay dry inside the camper in the event of rain. The fridge works too! I may take a cooler and some ice just in case. I still have a lot of little things that need addressed but what I have sure beats a tent.

slowmover · 06-13-2013, 08:19 AM

It is great to see this progress!

And it is distressing to see how often the front window cover is missing on this era trailer when, as you have demonstrated, some time and mental elbow grease to learn (if necessary) how to repair/restore that item means its long-term survival.

Have a great time, and thanks for the continued update. Few trailers are as cool as a '72 Avion!!

.

Hoppershot75 · 06-13-2013, 09:48 AM

Thanks for the kind words Slowmover. My rock guard was in pretty bad condition. The top rail must have broken off at some point and the PO had it held on with self tapping screws and reinforced it with fiberglass angle stock. All of the mounting holes were cracked and the rivets had pulled through. It did not lock into place either and was held in place with string. I had to fill all the cracks with marine resin then the fiberglass cloth and resin. I wasn't sure how well it would work but it turned out pretty sturdy. I had to relocate the brackets that lock the guard to the trailer but since I filled the old holes with body putty it wasn't a big deal. Replacement rock guards may still be available through Cayo but they are at least $300. You can see where the body putty is through the paint but I can deal with it. The back side is a bit lumpy because the resin started to get hard before I had it laid down but in the future I can sand it down and level it out. I would say this is very much a DIY project. The only thing I would have done differently is use a respirator when pouring the resin. I floated out of the barn the night I did it.

Hoppershot75 · 06-17-2013, 09:56 AM

Everything went pretty well on our first camping trip. It was just a one night stay but I'm glad we tested everything before we got too far from home. The campground we stayed in was less than an hour from home. It was a small campground with only about 30 sites mostly permanent. There was surprisingly a 70's era Airstream International and an Argosy there. My wife had prepared very well and except for a few kitchen items and a flashlight we were good. Here are a few pics of our site.

M2HB · 06-18-2013, 08:48 PM

Nice Avion. The 25' model is a real nice size.

Mulligan · 06-19-2013, 06:01 AM

Well done on your Avion, i've recently joined the vintage kin club also,
i've just bought a 1960 H24 Avion,
I'm in UK so i'm still waiting to get my hands on it, it was at Galveston TX yesterday, at the port waiting to be loaded for its little voyage over the pond.

Good luck with yours and happy safe travels
Tim

Hoppershot75 · 06-19-2013, 11:52 AM

That sounds like an interesting journey. I hope all goes well for you and your new H24.

Hoppershot75 · 06-27-2013, 09:30 AM

On our first camping trip with the Avion we had our 15 mo. old sleeping on the floor between the beds on a dinette cushion. This ended up not being ideal since she moves around alot. She got turned around at some point and was kicking the doors under the beds and banging her head off the ones on the other side. So last night I set out to make better sleeping arrangements for all of us. What I came up with was a bed rail for the front dinette essentially making a crib (pic below). It is pretty basic. I used 1 X 2 furring strips for the rails and cut slots for the legs to slip into the center board. It locks in place using some toggle latched I bought for my entrance door. It removes easily and can be stored under one of the beds in the back. I stained and polyurethaned it to match the trim around the floor (pic of raw wood).

xrvr · 06-27-2013, 11:51 AM

Did I miss it or do you not have a water tank and pump? On my 1964 Avion a PO installed a water pump replacing the hand pump pressurizing system. Great info on your posts, they have given me lots of ideas, thanks, jim

Hoppershot75 · 06-27-2013, 12:40 PM

Mine has a water tank 50 gal I believe and pump. It is located under the floor around the axles. You can see it under the street side bed. When I tested the water system I found the pump to be about shot. It pumps but it is loud and got real hot so I shut it down. The PO removed the city water connection for some reason and I still need to reconnect it.

Is the water tank on a 64 in the front or is it in the middle like mine?