Welcome! This is an ongoing blog about our journey as owners of a vintage coach camping trailer.
Visit our YouTube Channel. Subscribe to keep up to date on our projects and travels!
Our journey first started back in 2016 with a 1973 Avion, 28 foot LaGrande model (see bottom of page).
However, in April 2020 we purchased a 1987 Avion 32S model which features a front kitchen, mid coach salon, side bath and rear bedroom with two twin beds. This is THE ultimate floor plan and size of Avion in our opinion- since we plan to live full time on our 32S beginning no later than 2023. We will be traveling the USA and become “snowbirds” and “chase 70 degrees “since we have children and grandchildren in AZ and VT.
SO OUR SECOND AVION CHAPTER BEGINS….
Below is a photo slideshow of our 1987 32S. We are the fourth owners (again!). This coach has been very well taken care of and the previous owner to us did a lot of the upgrades we would have planned to do! The coach was originally sold and used in Florida until 8 years ago. These are quite rare because this floor plan strangely enough was only manufactured for a limited number of years (3 we believe) by the Avion Corporation.
Some key features in the ’87 32S models are the large “picture window” in the salon, the panoramic window wall in the rear bedroom and the front U-shaped kitchen in the nose of the trailer. This floorplan allows for a real feel of a separation of meal prep, relaxing and sleeping space all in 217 square feet of rolling bliss!
OUR FIRST CHAPTER-Archive about our previous 1973…..(below)
We purchased a 1973 Avion LaGrande model “luxury travel coach ” in September 2016 and sold it Summer of 2020. We were the fourth owners of this vintage trailer. The rig was 28′ total feet long including the awesome vintage bumper, tongue and hitch. Our actual living space was 7’6″‘ wide by approx. 24 feet long!
This blog will continue to chronicle our story, our personal touches, trailer upgrades and required maintenance to ensure another four decades of camping heritage…as well as of course, our travel journeys with The Pewter Palace herself. We have included separate categories of pages for various projects to be easier to find topics and for us to keep things somewhat organized by chronological date. Hope you enjoy our blog. Please let us know! You can also show your support on our Grateful Growler page
We hope you enjoy our blog! Please follow us and our journeys here and on our YouTube Channel by subscribing!
Kevin & Luisa Sherman
ThePewterPalace-Our Love Affair with Avions 
Love reading your blog about your Avion. We just purchased a 1970 T-28 and I was wondering about the Simple Green HD cleaner you used on yours. Di that just clean it or did it give it that satin shine “wet look”
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Kipp, be sure to only use the purple colored Pro HD Simple Green. It is avail at Lowes or HD. You don’t need a lot. Follow directions for mixing with water. Do not wash your rig in sunlight and be sure to only do one section at a time and rinse, rinse, rinse quickly!!! It cleans well without removing the protectant finish that was originally applied at factory. Washing does not produce the shine unfortunately. But as you wash, when the rig is wet you will see how awesome it does look and that will inspire you to get it done.
For the shine you will need to do another step which is to use a product called Ever bright after threee rig is very clean and very dry. There are other products too but Ever right seems to be the preferred. For a quick fix, you can wipe on WD40. Yup that’s right. Same stuff that loosens up stuck stuff. Wiping it on sparingly but evenly will give your rig a nice but temporary sheen. It will wash off with first rain storm or trailer bath whichever comes first. Problem with towing it with a WD40 wipe down is that every bug will stick to it and that is a pain to pluck them all off. I think if you are at a seasonal site and not really on the road then WD could be a solution. Good luck and thanks for liking our blog. It is a labor of love for all things Avion! – – Luisa Sherman
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Thanks for your video on installing your front window weather strip! We have to do the same thing to our 74 Avion 25’ Travelcader! Hopefully we won’t have to wait for warmer weather too much longer! We live in Fulton
NY
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William,
So glad it was helpful! Fulton NY!! So great to know there us another Avioner in the state. Do you belong to the several online Avuon Facebook groups? Are you a member of TCT?
Luisa
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Great William! Welcome to Avion ownership. Glad our videos helped. Hope to meet you at a rally. Are you a member of TCT?
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Hopefully we’ll be at Sampson in sept, not with tct! We love the older campers! We’ll stop by and say hi!
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It will be great to meet you at Sampson rally. That actually also is a TCT rally (Northeastern chapter) and I guess from reports they have sold it out and the will be 100 vintage campers. Wow! Kevin and I will also be headed to the TCT Centennial rally in MI next month. Safe travels to you!! Be sure to find us at Sampson state park in NY!! Cant miss us now with our new spare tire cover which says the Pewter Palace.com in big letters.
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Hello! I just bought an Avion LeGrande, 21″ camper. I love it and will be living in it, semi-permanently, as soon as I get it set up. I do have a problem, hoping you can assist. It is parked on uneven ground and I have no way of moving it again. How high can I chock the wheels up on one side before it becomes to unstable in high winds? It is at 7″ of wood under the wheels now, but needs another 2″. Also, what stabilizing system can be used and where would I place them? The entire underside is aluminum? Thanks for any help. Linda
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Hi Linda,
what year is your Avion? Where are you located, in what state? perhaps we can locate a fellow Avioner to help you with their tow vehicle to get it to a more level spot. Having it up 9″ on wood, etc. on one side is really pushing it and a strain on the frame and on the tires on the other side. We swear by our Anderson levelers (see our blog post on them) but other companies make similar now. However even they are only good up about 4 inch of raise height. Let me know! best to email me directly at pewterpalace87@gmail.com. Best to you and thank you for viewing our blog. it is a labor of love!= Luisa
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Hello, I am currently remodeling a 1974, 28’ travelcader, and I would love to ask you guys a few questions as well as show you what we have done so far.
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By all means Terry! Ask us anything and we will try to help or connect you with someone who can. We would love to see your pictures!– luisa
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Not sure 8f my post went thru. …
By alleans ask us anything and please do share photos!
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Great having dinner with you on the Coast Starlight! You two are wonderful and we wish you happy now and once you begin your post-retirement phase. Matt & Tim
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Thanks so much! We thoroughly enjoyed meeting you both and spending dinner together. Have fun at the party and we will let you know when we are RVing in CA! Would love to have you come for Happy Hour at the Pewter Palace!
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