A lot of our route is flexible, given the winter weather. But the Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum has been on our list of stops ever since we discovered that they also have an 1970 Avion truck camper on display—the same year as ours! Unlike ours, it has been maintained in its original condition. This includes the original and rather strange three jack point formation and period interior.
With the C11 Avion Ultra truck camper shell reassembled, we return to our road trip. This time, we head west. First stop: Oklahoma! Almost...
Most of the Avion's exterior is aluminum. But, the very base of the camper, hanging off the truck bed, is made of fiberglass. It wedges in between the interior flooring and the exterior aluminum pan and holds the back water tank. In replacing the floor, we also had to remove this pan to remount it to the new floor.
Towing a trailer or large load requires special safety concerns when on the road. While specific requirements may vary by state, the requirements for lighting is pretty consistent: brake, clearance, and license plate lights. These are all connected to the…
Ladies and gentlemen, the floor of the truck camper is not pretty. After years of patches and general neglect, it is literally falling apart. Try jumping on it. The experience is not unlike that of a trampoline. The concern is for the day that it does not bounce.
No, when I say "wings" there aren't any feathers involved. The wings of a truck camper form the portion of the camper that fits around the walls of the truck bed. These are the points by which the truck is lifted and lowered and the anchor points for tying down the camper. They are incredibly important for the day-to-day use of a truck camper and ours were terribly rotted out. Before we can confidently raise, lower, and move the camper again, it is time to replace the wings.
Do you have a vintage Airstream, Avion, Spartan, or another aluminum-bodied camper? Ever noticed screw heads covered in rust or pitting in aluminum around a steel screw? You, my friend, are the victim of galvanic corrosion. And if you don't want to make it worse, you'll want to know a thing or two about how this happens and how to avoid it.
There are so many ways to cook a gumbo. Some are regional. Some are familial. Mine is practical. After traveling through Louisiana and our Great Gumbo Excursion last year in New Orleans, it is time to make some gumbo ourselves.
When renovating a truck camper (or any camper) weight is key. Sure, wood and other classic materials are aesthetically pleasing, reassuring, and seem environmentally friendly. Yet, every extra pound means more gas consumed per mile. We would rather use that gas to travel long distances than to move heavy weights. That (and a lot of rot) is why we decided to replace all the wood in our camper with a fiberglas composite material. Not only is it lighter than plywood, it is also resistant to damp, mold, and fire. All good things! That means that we learned a lot about fiberglas, resins, and other lightweight materials.
We have looked at a lot of truck campers. Like any home search, there are things we love and things we dislike. One of the many appealing aspects of the Avion is its layout. There is a large table, wide…