Avion

A gem from the 70s restored for modern road trip adventures

Classic Camper & Home

As of 2017, we travel in a 1970 Avion Ultra Truck Camper. While many people assume we took an Airstream and turned it into a truck camper, these classic rigs came from the manufacturer in this shape. Granted, we certainly have added our own flourishes. Yet, almost all of the exterior aluminum is original to the Avion.

Read More

A Brief History of Avion

Some might confuse an Avion for an Airstream, but back in the day, RV enthusiasts were upgrading to the savvy design and sleek details of the Avion fleet. Avion was the brain child of brothers Loren and Robert Cayo, both experienced in manufacturing. Originally named “Romany,” it was changed to “Avion” when Airstream challenged the name.1

Avion’s success brought the brand to the attention of Fleetwood. In 1970, the Cayo Brothers sold the still young company to Fleetwood. While they continued to build several of their classic models under their new brand, Cayo, Fleetwood marched on with the Avion brand.

As times and trends changed, so did the Avion. The Avion truck campers were soon discontinued but the trailers continued to be manufactures into the early 90s. By that point, Fleetwood had begun wrapping the aluminum bodies similar to the Airstream Argosy. Yet, the market wained and, which Avion, went one of the last aluminum bodied competitors to Airstream.

Wide view inside an Avion travel trailer from the twin bed bedroom down to the living room.
Luxury interior
Friends sitting outside their Avion travel trailer parked on the edge of a harbor.
Friends gathered outside of their Avion camper by the harbor.
Woman outside her Avion trailer displaying bolts of upholstery, carpeting, cabinetry, mirrors, light fixtures, and more.
Upholstery, cabinetry, carpets, and more on display.

How We Settled on a 1970 Avion Ultra Truck Camper

After years traveling in a van and then a truck camper with a covered bed, we finally were ready to dive into our next home on wheels. Early on, we agreed that we wanted a truck camper. After all, that was why we bought the truck. We considered new and vintage models, popups and hard sided, flat beds and slide-ins. Heck, we even looked into building our own camper from scratch.

At the core of all this, was that we wanted a project. We wanted to make something awesome. And we wanted to make it our own. So, we settled on a vintage truck that we would gut and fully customize the interior. There were several models in the running: a vintage Alaskan, Amerigo, or Avion truck camper. We monitored Craigslist for any of these campers being listed. We visited sellers with other vintage truck campers. But nothing quite stuck with us until Spring of 2017 when a listing went up for a 1970 Avion Ultra in North-East Florida. It was a long, harrowing drive to pick up the aged classic. In the end, however, we had the project that we were looking for!

Avion Ultra Truck Camper: Wiring Research
A every step is a matter of debate.
Interior view facing the bed of a 1970 Avion C11 truck camper.
Interior view facing the bed.
1970 Avion C11 truck camper overlanding in the Alabama Hills of California's Eastern Sierras.
1970 Avion C11 truck camper overlanding in the Alabama Hills of California’s Eastern Sierras.

DIY Renovation

Of course, the story isn’t over. At nearly 50 years old, our Avion C11 truck camper needs a lot of work. It’s a long road to truly make this our home on wheels.

Follow along as we extend the cabover, build our own LiPO4 batteries, install solar panels, and so much more!

Learn More
Wings distinguish a camper from most any other kind and when the time comes to replace them, it is a BIG DEAL.
Exterior
Interior
Electrical
Truck Mod

Recent Posts

The latest posts about our Avion…

Avion Ultra: The Return Trip (Day 1)

Avion Ultra: The Return Trip (Day 1)

June 25, 2017
There is something so relieving in closing a question. Whatever the solution may be, to just take any options off the table and proceed down that single, prescripted path is liberating. We spent years considering camper options. A cheap new camper? A custom pop up? A rugged specialty off-road rig? There were so many options that we wasted hours upon hours discussing and stepping through what it would take for each to serve our needs. In the end, we wanted an adventure and, when the opportunity arose, we took it—partially out of a love for the design, and partially in a desperate need to stop looking and start doing.
READ MORE: Avion Ultra: The Return Trip (Day 1)
Avion Ultra: Arrival

Avion Ultra: Arrival

June 24, 2017
We walk around the outside of the camper. We prod about on the inside. We look at each other and nod. It needs work, but we expect that. It smells like what it is: a 47-year-old camper. But the aluminum exterior looks solid and the interior will do…for now.
READ MORE: Avion Ultra: Arrival
Avion Ultra: An Opportunity

Avion Ultra: An Opportunity

June 22, 2017
Early on in our travels, we agree that we want a truck camper. We are not set on any one particular type. There are so many to choose from and each camper is a matter of compromise. We like the idea of renovating a classic—something with a style unique to its time. There are several models we are eying on Craigslist when a 1970 Avion Ultra pops up in Florida.
READ MORE: Avion Ultra: An Opportunity
  1. Airstream already had released a Romany trailer and retained rights to the name. Granted, in a more sensitive era, it’s also nice to travel in a rig that isn’t perpetuating the subjugation of a minority group of people. But I’ll leave that rant to better qualified individuals. ↩︎