Lexi Goforth

Lexi Goforth

Lexi lives in a truck camper down by the river.

Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum

Visiting the Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum in Amarillo, Texas

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.

Replacing Rotten Truck Camper Wings

Wings distinguish a camper from most any other kind and when the time comes to replace them, it is a BIG DEAL.

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.

Fiberglass, Resins, and Other Material Lessons Learned

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.