ThePewterPalace Our Love Affair with Avions

Especially new, first-time owners of Avions often ask this question.

Depending on where your Avion was stored, inside? In a field? In Florida or the Pacific NW? There are many, many factors that will contribute to the current status of your Avion’s aluminum exterior.

Perhaps the most frequent question is how to remove the “white streaks”? More times than not, these streaks are a byproduct of water draining from rooftop AC units, the causes of air pollution particles in rain and other naturally forming elements reacting with the aluminum over time. Clearly if an Avion has been kept in closed storage it’s whole life, washed and cared for by a loving owner it will most likely have way less streaking than a field find left to the elements over decades of neglect.

Remembering that Avions were made between the 50s and 90s- age matters!

Originally, Avion did have the mirror like shiny aluminum finish like Airstreams.

However the Avion Corp wisely moved to using ANODIZED ALUMINUM  for their exteriors. Why?? Anodized has better protection value, less apt to be marred by rock chips, etc, and does not require the constant at least annual maintenance that the shiney finish does.

For the purpose of this short article, we are focusing on the Anodized aluminum Avions since there were thousands more of them made.

There may be some owners who have found the “secret sauce” to remove 40 yr old streaks and blemishes completely. For that, we refer you to do your own searches within the several Avion Facebook group pages to see what others may have tried.

***before you try ANY products on your Avion exterior see our VERY important note at the bottom of this article!

We are here to share with our readers what we personally have tried and use to add some brightness back to the anodizing and to remove ‘some’ of the white streaks.

PRODUCTS WE USE ON THE AVION’S ANODIZED ALUMINUM SKIN:

Owatrol Fluid: this was recommended to us by a two generation Avion Dealership owner from Ohio, Dean Bailey (age in his late 90s). It is what he and his dad before him used on their personal Avions, too. We purchased our cans on Amazon. We apply it a couple of times a year using lint free microfiber cloths and apply horizontal/sideways, please, to go with the grain, per say of the aluminum. We like this product because it does dry in about a day (unlike WD40) and has for us held up through some light rain storms for at least our April to Oct camping seasons on the east coast before we went full time in Spring 2023.

LINK TO BUY:   OWATROL Oil, Colorless, Penetrating Rust Inhibitor, Oil-based Paint Additive, Stop Rust, 1.06 US Quart (1 Liter) https://a.co/d/2wgb2Zq

WD40: we have used this for a quick ‘pick me up’ type of short term application. Specifically, if we are at an Avion or other vintage trailer rally like Tin Can Tourists hold around the USA.  Again, apply with a microfiber cloth, sideways (NOT Karate Kid style wax on wax off circular!!) WD40 leaves a somewhat sticky surface after applying. This will be a bug and gnat magnet, so for this reason, we never apply this if we are going to be towing the trailer. It also washes off pretty entirely with any rain storm. So check the weather forcast- again good for a quick fix to let your Avion get a little aluminum glow! (Think putting a nice lotion on your very dry skin!) A plus with WD40 is obviously you can buy it anywhere!

**We have seen with both the above products that the intensity of the white streaks was dinished to a decent degree, albeit not for the long term.

Alumiguard: this comes in a spray bottle. It’s expensive. It does do some good, again not for a long time, and is ok for spot touch ups here and there. Basically we think the Owatrol is cheaper per application and does a better job. Alumiguard can be found on Amazon and most RV supply stores.

Lastly, to reiterate, we are only speaking on products and techniques we have personally used. We do not endorse the idea of removing the anodized aluminum finish-those some rehabbing an Avion have. We have not used sanders or any other paste or liquid products, etc. to remove the streaking. You would have to do your own research for that.

IMPORTANT NOTE!! only use products on a perfectly clean, not dusty and thoroughly dry aluminum surface. Apply in the shade and when aluminum skin is cool, not warm and definitely not hot or standing in the sun. Apply section by section much like when waxing an automobile.

In conclusion,

We love the look of the anodized aluminum and the inherent strength it provides. It sets Avions apart! Our Avion was built in 1987, and with that, we embrace the little “beauty marks” she wears in her full maturity and timlessness.

The occasional “spa treatment” (as we call it) that we give her is just a reward when we are at a rally and want her to shine in her very special way!

If you have found this article helpful, please give it a ‘like’ and we always welcome your comments!

Have YOU found something else that works great? Leave a comment!!

Safe travels till we meet on the road or at a rally!

Kevin, Nutmeg and Luise