Tag Archives: avion

Avion Windows, Awnings, Zipdee Awnings

Zip Dee Window Awning Lock Latches-Why Do I Need Awnings??

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Awnings on your RV are a big investment, but in our opinion they are worth every penny you spend, and the time spent to maintain and secure them properly for years and decades of use.

BENEFITS OF WINDOW AND PATIO AWNINGS:

Besides the obvious that a patio awning provides some great additional covered outdoor space… here are some other benefits of having both the large patio awning and window awnings all the way around your RV!

  1. Patio awnings provide shade for outdoor living space even in light rain
  2. Window awnings provide shade coverage of your RV refrigerator thereby allowing the refrigerator to run more efficiently and help to avoid overheating/ or freeze up.
  3. Awnings allow you to keep windows open for great cross ventilation– even in light to moderate rain. (we recommend only window awnings be left out during light/moderate rain, roll up your patio awning or at minimum slant it down at least 1-2 notches on one side arm to allow sufficient run off for draining-otherwise you can bend the main roller bar or rip the awning material from weight of water pooling)
  4. Awnings will help prevent unnecessary fading of interior cabinetry, upholstery and other interior decorative items
  5. In some cases, awnings will provide some additional privacy for you when inside your RV
  6. Awnings, when deployed, will lower the inside temperature of your RV thereby allowing your AC to run more efficiently and effectively or at minimum keep the inside of your RV cooler by avoiding direct sunlight and heat on your windows (we can typically see an 8-10 degree cooler difference within 20 minutes!)
  7. Selecting your awning material adds to the overall “personal touch” that makes your RV special to you.  You can decide solid colors or stripes in a myriad of color choices to suit your overall color theme and RV’s personality.  We highly suggest avoiding all vinyl awnings and instead opt for breathable Sunbrella fabric-which is what was traditionally used on Avions anyway!  We had a vinyl awning on our first Avion (1973) put on by a prior owner, it was hot, dark, heavy, and often smelled musty.

and lastly, awnings are quintessential especially for vintage RVs and just look awesome while also adding real investment $$ value to your RV!

MAINTAINING AWNINGS AND KEEPING THEM SAFE FROM DAMAGE IS VERY IMPORTANT!

Here is our first in a series of blog posts and videos about window and patio awnings. 

This article focuses on the use of Window Awning Travel Locks/Latches.

We purchased our awning travel locks from Zip Dee.  They sell one type of travel lock for window awnings and another style just for the large patio awnings. 

*NOTE-Zip Dee does not sell anything via their website.  You  must call their company and speak to a sales rep to place and pay for an order.  I will put their contact information at the bottom of this blog post.

The awning travel latches/locks are NOT listed under their “accessories” webpage.  They can be found instead on the PDF “AWNING PARTS” list.  But honestly, just tell the sale rep when you call -what you are looking for and they will have it for you.   The awning latch kits come with everything you will need including very good instructions— you will need to supply your own power drill, #8 drill bit, pen for marking location to drill and rivet gun.

Zip Dee is an old fashioned-run business, but that’s a good thing for those of us with vintage RVs since this means they also have not changed out their parts or styles for over 50 or so years–so you can still get even the smallest part from them to repair your 35 year old Zip Dee awnings!! Yeah–who still has a Blackberry that works???!!  

Below is a photo of one of our Window Awning Travel Locks/Latches after it was installed.  It basically functions like a “hook & eye”. 

Here is a video that we did to show how this lock works and how effective it is in preventing an accidental “unrolling” if you happen to be in high winds, especially while tooling down the highway! (yes, unfortunately it HAS happened to others, especially patio awnings!)

We have 3 window awnings on both sides of our 1987 , 32 foot Avion. We did have one on the rear wrap around window but since have removed it when we opted to install a traditional Avion rock guard also on the rear window. So now we have window awning on our curbside rear bed side window and two larger awnings on our streetside. One covers the streetside rear side bedroom window and bathroom and the forward one covers the living room area and kitchen (including going over the refrigerator area in between the LR and Kitchen).

We have put 2 awning locks on the two long streetside awnings and one on the curbside bedroom single awning. It probably is not necessary to use two on the longer window awnings but we tend to always over engineer things anyway for our peace of mind.

Streetside showing two long window awnings. Note the refrigerator vent to see location of our refrigerator. In this photo you will also see we have tire shades in matching Sunbrella fabric (Motive Denim is the pattern). We had Zip Dee make these up for us and we installed the track to slide them in.

Before beginning the travel lock/latch install be sure you have a #8 drill bit. We purchased ours at our local ACE hardware store. Kevin applied a bit of green painters tape to the same length as the rivet that came with the latch packet. This ensures you are not going to drill too deep into the exterior of your RV!

First step was to mark where we wanted to install the latch. Zip Dee recommends installing at the REAR end of each awning. Their instructions that come in the packet are very good and clear on where to place and how to install.

This photo shows the “receiver” end has been riveted in place. Looking closely you can see that we now have also placed the “hook” into the receiver to mark where the hook hardware needs to be installed. Be sure it is a snug fit with some tension but still able to easily rotate the hook out of the receiver when desired. The hook is mounted onto the aluminum roll up cover of the awning. Again, they give very good instructions on how and where to place. The hook will be screwed in place using the provided screw and washer(s).

Here is the finished product. To open the latch you use the long awning rod tool’s short, stubby hook end (not the rounded hook) placed into the hole in the hook hardware and with your wrist twist, rotating the hook out of the receiver. It takes a little getting used to but you will get the hang of it.

Be sure to watch this quick video to see how the lock/latch opens using your awning rod tool.  We also include some other tips in the video!

Awnings By Zip Dee
96 Crossen Ave
Elk Grove Village IL 60007

Telephone: (847) 437-0980
Toll-Free: (800) 338-2378
FAX: 847-437-7064
E-mail: info@zipdeeinc.com

Be sure to subscribe to our blog AND our YouTube Channel so you get first notification of future posts about patio awning and awning hardware maintenance, and keeping your big patio awning safe during travels, etc.

If you have found this short article helpful please let us know by leaving a comment and/or giving it a “thumbs up“!

Safe travels! 

First Time Avion Owners-ALERT!, Refurbishment Projects, Rub Rails, Uncategorized

Replacing the “Rub Rail” Exterior Vinyl Strips-Sources, Options, & Tips

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This is our 1987 32S Avion, existing black rub rail

Perhaps one of the first projects often taken on (or at least put on the “to do” list) when purchasing an Avion is replacing the vinyl rub rail around the midline of the outside of the trailer.  We have written the following article mostly specific to 70-80s years of Avion’s.  Some models and earlier versions of Avion’s have different rub rail needs or no rub rails at all.  We encourage you, if you have this scenario to reach out to similar model year owners on one of the several Avion Facebook groups or forums for answers/information/resources.  Our experience has only been with our ’73 and now our ’87 Avion’s.

Often the original (many were black, some years were an orangy/red) has shrunk, become faded or in some cases- especially near both sides of the door, it is missing.  This is very common.  That can be due to mere shrinkage of the vinyl over time due to sun and weather conditions as well as not being maintained.  (Yes, it does need to be maintained for optimal life expectancy!)

Below is a slide show of typical 70’s-80’s Avion’s.   These are samples from existing or replaced rub rails from other Avion’s to give you an idea of various states of condition.  (In full disclosure…we have had to priority projects and while we have our vinyl replacement strapping simply have not had the time to do the project yet! Ours is missing about 14 inches from each side of the doorway due to shrinkage over its 34+ yrs)

NOTE: the closeup photos of the black rub rail is of our Pewter Palace 1987.  The ones that show a few small strips with green, blue and navy is ours too where we are missing vinyl due to age shrinkage.  What you are seeing is actual sample strips we ordered from the two resources we list below.  We drove around with them in place in 2022 to decide what color we liked the best- we have decided to go with the navy to match a stripe in our awnings.

  • A heavy duty commercial grade Yale lock bought at Grainger Supply, posted by Jeff Carroll, June 2018

WHERE TO PURCHASE REPLACEMENT STRAPPING FOR RUB RAILS?

https://www.sunnilandpatio.com/collections/replacement-vinyl-strapping-by-the-roll

Sunniland sells 16” lengths so it is advised if you are not sure which color you want order the colors in 16inch to see before ordering a whole roll.

https://www.patiofurnituresupplies.com/vinyl-strap-rivets.html

PatioFurniture sells sample pieces of color choices. The samples are only about 2 inches long.  if you want a better idea how it will look then you would need to actually order a specified length you wanted, we did 12″.

****Both companies sell the identical product. Even the color swatch numbers are the same as of this blog posting. It boils down to pricing at the time and shipping costs to your destination.

WHAT COLOR SHOULD I CHOOSE?

Both companies offer a literal rainbow of colors to choose from since this product is actually manufactured for vinyl strapped pool and patio furniture.  Color choice is really entirely up to you.  If you want to go traditional to what was originally used then the choice is really a black or an orangy/red, or red.  Just remember that any color you get will fade from sun exposure over time, so factor that in.  We went with a navy color to match one of the stripes in our awnings.  The original on our ’87 was black since we believe the rig was sold with the traditional black and white stripped awnings. Earlier 60s and 70s models may have had the red or orange/red inserts.

Towards the end of this post we have a slide show of a unique project undertaken by Christie Ann and her husband on their 70s era Avion.  She decided to SPRAY PAINT her existing rub rail because it was all in great condition.  This certainly is an option as well!  Check it out!

TIPS ON INSTALLING THE REPLACEMENT RUB RAIL VINYL

  • Install in warm weather so that material is flexible but do not stretch the material at all when installing! Over time the vinyl material will shrink due to sun and weather, so you want to actually push back on the ends a bit to leave it as tight butted up to your beginning and ending points as possible. Two people is best, one to feed into the track and the other to pull it through.  OR even better some have found they can insert it by pinching the warmed strap edges together and using a tool, perhaps a small hard plastic putty knife to help push it into the track as you move along- thereby omitting the need to “pull it thru”.  The latter may be the optimal way to insert.
  • Using dawn or similar dish soap in the track or rubbed against edges of strapping may help it to slide into the tracks easier
  • Start at one side of the door and work your way around in one continuous strap. Avoid seaming the product if at all possible (no seams in the original installs).  Some have used a set screw to anchor the ends of each strap if your original triangular metal tabs have been removed or broken off.
  • To maintain the suppleness of the vinyl it is suggested you go over it with a protectant like Armorall or T-9 Boeshield (which is also a great at least annual lubricant for your Awning hardware). Avail on Amazon.
  • We have had to use a heat gun to warm our vinyl strapping and used a pair of pliers on one end that is used to help pull it thru the track. It should be a tight fit so that the vinyl stays in place though.  See diagram of the correct profile below which is achieved with the 1.5” width of strapping.  This matches the original install best.

WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE WHEN INSTALLED?

Rub Rail profile illustration

Here is an illustration we have made to show a side profile of what the rub rail insert should look like when installed properly.  Notice it does have a “bulge” to it.  This is correct—it is truly supposed to act as a “rub rail” and prevent things from bumping up and scratching the side of your Avion.  Sadly, it does not really work that well- so be careful when driving near tree limbs/branches, or when carrying your ladder or equipment near the outside! Thankfully those of us with anodized exteriors have the benefit of a much harder surface so we don’t scratch from tree  or bushes quite as easily as Airstreams do!

OPTION!! SPRAY PAINT YOUR RUB RAIL INSTEAD OF REPLACING!

Our friend, fellow Avioner Christie Ann and her husband own this 70s era Avion and chose to do just that since the vinyl rub rail was in good shape. We met them and saw the finished project in person at the Silver Avion Fellowship Rally in Elkhart, IN in 2020 and it looked great! They did a great job! Christie Ann can be found on the Avion Facebook groups if you want to reach out to her directly.

MAINTAINING YOUR RUB RAIL

Just like all other parts of your Avion (inside and out) there is maintenance that should be done.  The rub rail is no exception.  It is plastic, vinyl and therefore subject to climates, sun, temperature variations, wind and weather.  To keep it in top shape, obviously if you can keep your Avion under cover or in a garage that will no doubt prolong its life.  But many of us don’t have that option.

Regardless of how pampered your Avion may be, putting a protective coating on your rub rail is something that should be done at least 1 time per year, perhaps in the spring as part of your annual spring prep.

There are a number of products that can be carefully applied to the vinyl rub rail by hand and a soft cloth.  Here are some suggestions

303 Aerospace Protectant https://www.303products.com.au/product-range/universal/303-outdoor-protectant  (this is what we use!)

Armorall original protectant https://www.armorall.com/ca/product/original-protectant/

Armorall Plastic Restorer https://www.armorall.com/ca/product/outlast-trim-plastic-restorer/

Boeshield T-9 https://boeshield.com/rv-trailer/

IN CONCLUSION

We sincerely hope this blog post has been helpful to you.  Please let us know with a thumbs up or a comment!  Please subscribe to our blog so you do not miss future articles and travel updates.  2023 is going to be a very busy year for the Pewter Palace and us!

If  you would like – EMAIL US for a PDF that you can print with a summary of items discussed in this blog post.  pewterpalace87@gmail.com

Thanks for your support, and as always, travel safe, travel often and travel healthy!

sign off image with PP and bitmo

 

 

buying an avion, First Time Avion Owners-ALERT!, Interior refurbs-flooring and more, Uncategorized

Looking to Buy an Avion? Tips for your walk thru inspections!

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Avion’s are HOT! The prices of them continue to go up, especially since the RV industry boom during COVID where new RVs simply could not be produced fast enough to meet demand. This blog post gives you information to help you in your search for your Avion.

Pricing (2023) can range from $FREE for a total wreck in a field to $40K for a pristine rig with upgraded systems like new plumbing, roof fans, new appliances, subfloor, furnace, on demand hot water heater and solar and more. Given their excellent construction over other all aluminum trailers they are normally worth the investment IF you are wiling to do some or most of the work yourself to maintain and do any further improvements needed. If you cannot do the work yourself- be prepared to have deep pockets and patience as there are very, very few professionals who can work on Avion’s correctly and they are in high demand-making a long wait for appointments. Please do not take your Avion to modern shops whose mechanics are not used to or trained to deal with vintage trailers. Oh sure, the simple refrigerator or toilet repair or replacement is fine, but not internal systems, frame, body or flooring please! Check out our “Resources & Links” page for list of where to get materials and tips/resources on where to get repairs done.

What does that mean for vintage trailers – and specifically Avion’s?

  • More and more people are scoping out abandoned woodlands, prairies and meadows and finding “hidden gems”- Avion’s long abandoned by once well meaning owners.
  • Many have found them in so-so shape and brought them back to life (sometimes to the good, sometimes to the not so good- but as they say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”)
  • Some have been purchased by “flippers” and a word of caution here, that new interior paint job, new vinyl or wood flooring and a new staged look may be hiding shortcuts or missed necessary repairs just to make a buck on unsuspecting buyers. Do your homework! Use our list below to help!
  • Other’s have purchased a well cared for near original rig but perhaps continued to personalize it, or making some more modern upgrades but maintaining the classic Avion look.

ARE YOU MAKING APPOINTMENTS TO SEE AVION’S FOR SALE? Take along our handy reference sheet complete with helpful tools to bring, a check list of exterior and interior places to check, questions to ask.  Click this link below!

avion-rv-inspection-checklist-suggestions-thepewterpalace

It does not matter what, year, length or model.  Many of the components and things to inspect and look for are all the same.  The items on this list are purely suggestions and should not be construed as advice or a complete  list.  They are merely suggestions compiled from us and fellow Avion owners on various online forums and groups who have “been there, done that” and have responded many times over to this question. No one has all the answers but hopefully our check list will help you to find YOUR perfect Avion!

**Hiring a professional certified RV inspector is always a good investment and can save you huge $$ in the long run.  You may wish to give them our check list sheet since many inspectors may only be used to newer, more modern RVs and may not be familiar with the Avion construction or the known “weak points” they develop over the decades. Then, let them do their job!

You can find Certified RV Inspectors here-https://nrvia.org/locate/

We wish you every success in finding your Avion.  The hardest part is being objective when looking at trailers for sale.  The right one, at the right time, is out there for you.  Just be patient.

All the best,

sign off image with PP and bitmo

Campground Reviews, Military FAM Travel Camps, Uncategorized

OHIO-Youngtown Air Reserve Base FAM Camp- Campground Review

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View as you approach the base from RT 11

Campground Review:  We traveled to this FAM camp enroute to the annual Silver Avion Fellowship Rally in Elkhart, Indiana from our home state of NY in July 2022.  We had never been to the site before, reviews were full of pro’s and con’s but we had decided we wanted to experience as many FAM camps as possible on our travels.

Why FAM CAMPS? FAM camps provide added security (you must go through gate checks and have specific military clearances to get onto the bases), and they often have gas stations, commissaries and exchanges where groceries and other goods can be purchased easily and sometimes less expensively too. Cost wise, they are typically on par or a little less than area private campgrounds- but sadly they often offer far less amenities along with that lower price.

Access and the Area: We did have to venture slightly out of our normal interstate highway route to reach this campground. RT 11 was a beautifully maintained and constructed highway and a true pleasure to drive compared to I-90! As far as what is in the area…not much. We did do a day trip ride to the nearest Amish community of Mesopotamia which boasts a cute historic general store, vintage gas station still in operation, town green and huge handmade horse and buggy sculpture- but nothing else. That was about a 50 minute ride through farm country. We also went south through Youngstown to visit the Magic Tree Pub which was a great restaurant featuring an amazing on site baked huge pretzel and a variety of hearty dips. It was worth the trip!

The Base Itself:  The base itself is an Air Reserve Base, quite small and by far the smallest one we have seen.  There are NO services to speak of on base as one would expect.  No Commissary, No Exchange, NO onsite gas stations.  Just a very small quick mart of sorts that was even very limited compared to off base ones.  They did not even sell bagged ice.  There were no barber shops on base, we had to go to a local mall about 20 minutes away. 

Reservation Staff:  The gentleman running the FAM camp was certainly personable enough and did well with pre arrival communications, etc..  He was friendly and efficient. 

Base Gate:  Using main gate, there is a visitor check in building to the direct right.  Our recommendation is to pull forward into the right hand lane of the gate as if you were going through.  But stop! The visitor check in building has a very small parking lot and not good for RVs to turn around in to get back out to the gate entrance.   Our guard allowed us to park our rig there so we were not blocking the other entrance lane.  We walked through the fence gate to the right to the check in building to get our ID check and credentials printed.  Kevin’s is easy as he has his military credentials, I have to get special paper pass which must be on my person at all times and shown each time with his military pass if you come and go off the base.    All good and off we went to the campground itself AFTER checking in with the FAM Camp staff office. They will give you the base pass to be kept in your vehicle windshield as well.  Parking to get into the FAM camp office is BAD!  Thankfully we arrived when the parking lot opposite his office building was pretty empty and we were able to navigate around in it and park and get back out.  There is no shoulder to park on the road and no where by the FAM camp office building near the main gate to park either.  Read the instructions sent to you in an email about checking into the FAMcamp office.

The CAMPGROUND PRO’s: 

Rate: Our Stay was at a rate of $15 per night for FHU asphalt paved site, pull through. Super cheap for FHU.  All services worked fine, decent water pressure, no issues with power or sewer.

KIMG0158

Onsite Bath House:  at the end of the FAM camp as you approach the sites so not super close but easy quick walk.  Super clean, air conditioned, newer building for sure.  Showers were clean, private and well maintained. There is a small library shelf as you enter the building- what is there is what folks have left and it was very minimal.  There is a dumpster at the rear end of the campground near the metal storage building.

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Quiet & Friendly:  with the exception of one plane leaving at about 8:30 AM our last morning we heard nothing from the base airplanes, etc.  As soon as we arrived we did have two different folks come up who where walking their dogs.  They were chatty and friendly and welcomed us.  Others waved from their rigs over the course of our stay.  This camp is used by DOD civilian contractors as well as military.  Some clearly are there for long stays, one camper had a cover on it.  

The CON’s:

The campsite area itself: 

No Useable Patio: The site itself where the RV is was paved but the “patio” is nothing more than chunked up road debris rubble full of asphalt chunks (sharp), gravel and sand.  It was horrible and even with our small patio rug down I could feel the chunks of asphalt through my sandals-even after I had (by hand) thrown a lot of the larger chunks to the side.  There were some areas of grass along the site but that was not the designated patio areas.

No picnic tables, no grills or fire pits (do not think the latter are allowed anyway)

Camp host??  It appeared the first pull through site MAY have been a camp host as evidenced by permanent looking structures, on ground large heavy blow up pool, a 28+ foot boat (covered up) on their pull through drive and lots of stuff all over the grassy area and asphalt pull through.  We did not see or was greeted by a host.  We did see one fellow on a golf cart drive around 1 time during our stay but he did not stop, wave or anything.  Interestingly the rules of the campground specifically call out NOTHING is to be placed on the grass at the campsites.  Ha ha.

Lack of Privacy:  The pull through sites are close together.  The back in sites have a little more room and grass around them.  There are no trees, no bushes, no landscaping.  You are essentially camping in an open parking lot.

KIMG0160

No base services/amenities:  As previously mentioned above, there are no other services on the base, no commissary, no exchange, no barber, no gas, not even bagged ice. No pool, movie theater, etc. like larger bases may have.

Would we stay again?  Quite frankly, no we would not unless there was some very compelling reason we had to be directly in this area.  There are way more FAM camps that offer more-even if you pay a higher premium to camp.

Happy travels!

Kevin and Luise & The Pewter Palace

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Campground Reviews, Travels with the Pewter Palace, Uncategorized

Our 4 Week June 2022 NY to TN Trip

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We are members of the national RV club called “Escapee’s”. This year, their national rally was held at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, TN. We have been members of the club for 4 years and had yet to get to attend one of these rallies since they have been out west and with Luise working up until Jan 2020 we could not get the needed time off to attend.

This time, on the east coast albeit 994 miles away we made the decision to go despite crazy gas prices ranging from $4.40 to 5.00 per gallon! Were we nuts? Probably, but now that we have the time to travel for 4 weeks at a clip—the event would be fun and we built in a return to our beloved Smoky Mountain National Park and a swing through PA, Amish Country OH, Mammoth Cave, KY and WV which we had stops we wanted to see. * We will be publishing specific reviews on each of the campgrounds we stayed at in the future so be on the look out for these and subscribe to our blog so you get notifications of all new articles and reviews! Thanks!

Here is a breakdown of our total trip costs, miles driven, gas consumption and all those other costs of the trip if you wish to see it. TRIP COST SUMMARY

OUR TRIP ITINERARY:

JUNE 1, 2022– leave mid afternoon, pit stop at the Seneca-Iroquois Museum in Salamanca, NY for a visit then late evening Boondock Kanona Rest Area on RT 86 Westbound in Bath, NY. Wilkins RV center is just across the highway. Good overnight stop. Link to info on rest area.

JUNE 2-4: 2 nights @ Shenago Recreation Area-Army COE Campground, Transfer, PA. Perfect spot on beautiful waterfront site. Dry camping. Campground link.

JUNE 5-6: 3 nights @ Timbercrest Campground, Walnut Creek, OH (OH Amish Country) Fun Shopping, Ft. Laurens Historic Site, zoar historic village. Not much to campground for price. We loved the Amish food grocery shop at Walnut Creek and the Sugar Valley Meat Market was awesome! Location of campground was good, but would stay elsewhere in future as there are more options in the area with better facilities/shade/walkable to shops, etc. More to see on a future trip for sure! Campground Link.

JUNE 7-8: 2 nights@ Wright-Patterson Air Force Base FAM Camp, OH *Visited the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, OH (free…and amazing!) Site #14 was great FHU pull thru. Campground link

JUNE 9-11: 3 nights@ Wilmington Thousand Trails (TT) Campground, Wilmington, OH. We are TT members so stay for FHU was free. Great pool and hot tub! Visited the Airstream Museum and Factory TOUR and Store, nice! Originally planned to visit Cincinnati but concerns over parking our large truck and over 1 hr drive changed our minds. Huge flea market down the road on Sat/Sun. was great with indoor and outdoor stalls, 100’s of them! Great campground, site # 24 was perfection! (PS- if you can stay at Wright-Patterson FAM camp, the Airstream museum is also easy day trip from there too-we just ran out of time!) Campground Link and the Airstream Museum Link. The Factory tour is worth the time, about 2 hours and well done. Research the schedules though as some days its only one time per day so you want to time your visit appropriately.

JUNE 12-18: 6 nights@ Mammoth Cave NPS Campground, Mammoth Cave, KY. Amazing and perfect site #93 with FHU (91 & 93 are only FHUs) , concrete pad and patio, convenient to all. Day tripped to Nolin State Park Reservoir for swimming. Did Extended Historic Cave Tour which is a must do! Love the little town of Horse Cave. Visited National Cave Museum and the Hidden River Cave in Horse Cave, both worth the visit. Beautiful area!! Campground link

JUNE 19-24: 5 nights@ ESCAPADE RALLY hosted by national Escapee’s RV club, Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, TN. Very close to Nashville but not our gig, so we kept primarily busy with attending seminars, meeting fellow members, social activities, live music and many sponsored happy hours by RV manufacturers, trade show and more. Never heard of the Escapee’s RV club? Check out these benefits and join our new specialty “Birds of a Feather” group (BoF) of Escapee members just for Vintage & Classic RVs (RVs 25 yrs or older). Kevin and I just started it after the rally and it has been sanctioned by the national board of directors of the club! You must be an Escapee member to join the VC-BoF.

JUNE 24-25: 2 nights @ Ripplin’ Waters RV Campground, Sevierville, TN Right on the main access road to all that is Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville. We really enjoyed our ride through the famous Cade’s cove, had a Black Bear Encounter in the Cove and did a mountaintop drive for about 11 miles on a one way mountain ridge route-never saw another vehicle. Near the campground is a Flea market just down the road on weekends, the Veteran’s Store in Pigeon Forge on the strip is a must do for any Vets, dined out at Tony Gore’s BBQ (probably walkable from campground) and rested from rally. Enjoyed their pool. Probably would not stay there again though since there are many other options in the area. We were at site 43. Campground Link

JUNE 26-29: 3 nights@ Campfire Lodgings, Ashville, NC. Beautiful mountain top edge site #2. Site #4 or 5 are best for sunset views but they also have a wonderful social gathering area with benches and chairs so all can get best view of sunsets each night. We enjoyed ooohing and ahhhing with fellow campers! FHU with concrete pad and patio. Pricey but worth it. Convenient to Biltmore and downtown Ashville is about 15 minutes away-which is very artsy, great restaurants, shops, galleries. No other campground amenities but nice very private bath facilities with showers, and nice laundry. Will stay again for sure! Steep one way access road to get to mountain top location- no early entry! Campground link.

JUNE 30: Boondock, Walmart along RT 81 in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Yeah we could finally put WV on our state travel map as having overnighted in the state. PS the 1 state rest area in WV on RT 81 is very small, busy and noisy. Go another few more miles and find this Walmart right off the highway and park broadside near the tree buffer at far end of the parking lot. Tons of walkable restaurants in adjacent parking lots. We have bookmarked this Walmart for future stays if passing through.

JULY 1: Long day, 9 hours of driving home (see our note about being flexible with travel plans below) with a pit stop at Cabela’s in Hamburg, PA our usual stop (and sometimes boondock stop). Not nearly as good as it used to be, since they were bought out by Bass Pro Shop they have reduced their footprint with no in house restaurant, the discount “cave” is gone that had great finds sometimes and their inventory is reduced, no more little cabins outside, kayaks galore, etc. its too bad really. But we still like the stop AND they still do have a dump station and rinse out if you need it. There is also a Camping World just across the street a bit for any needed supplies in their store. We chugged it home and were pulling in by the evening hours.

Total miles driven (by Kevin- bless him! I do drive on interstates when the traffic is lighter- this trip the traffic was horrible!) 3287 Miles

Total Gallons of Gas: 368 Fuel Cost: $1636.38 Average of $4.44 per gallon (southern states definitely cheaper- KY being the cheapest)

Reminder…..For more details on our overall cost categories including food, activities, dine out, camping fees, see the link to document summary above.

Map of our Trip: (we use RV Trip Wizard for our planning and love it.)

NOTE: We ended up cancelling our reservations for US Space & Rocket Museum Campground in Huntsville AL due to gas costs. So essentially we went from the RED “E” to the Red “B” directly instead.

What did we learn along the way?

  1. The highways are super busy despite super high gas prices!  We cannot wait till full retirement and hitting the roads west of the Mississippi River!
  2. We definitely like to stay 3 nights at any one campground if there is any thing remotely interesting to do in the area.  It gives you the chance to unwind from driving, at least one solid day of exploring and then a day to putter, clean and prep for new adventure.
  3. If a campground has a pool AND hot tub it is definitely worth the extra miles or cost to enjoy especially if you have been doing a lot of long driving days. Serves as a great sub for a shower too!
  4. The use of a rear view camera to see what is going on behind you is really important, especially on the east coast where traffic is so nuts.
  5. Truckers in the south head into rest areas early in the day and do not leave till late morning.  Get to a rest area early if you want a spot but try to find something other than truck stops- there are a lot of trucks these days that need those spots more than you do!
  6. We will be purchasing a plug in cooler before too long.  What we had to spend on bagged ice was ridiculous, about $150 for the month…..melted into water!
  7. When camping in 98 degree heat and 90% humidity, in an open field (our rally) be sure you have put Reflectics on the windows, run a dehumidifier and keep your AC running on low all the time and kick it up to high when you are in the rig.
  8. Be flexible with your travel plans.  Originally we planned to head to Huntsville, AL and the US Space & Rocket Museum/Campground but this would have been a one way down and back between our Rally and NC campgrounds and so due to gas expense we cancelled it and booked into Sevierville a day earlier instead.  Ditto, due to some maintenance issues on our RV that were needed before our trip in mid July to IN we cancelled stays over at Natural Bridge KOA in VA, Caledonia SP and Hershey TT in PA on the way home. Kevin drove a 9 hr day but with breaks to stretch was not that bad. Our original plans were not to be home until July 3.  You need to be flexible with travel!

If you haven’t already subscribed to this blog—please do! This way you will get an email notification when a new article, review or “how to/tips” are published by us.

We always appreciate your feedback too so please leave a comment, or perhaps you have other info for any of these stops or locations we visited that would help future travelers!

Be well, travel safe and spread happiness!

Kevin & Luise Sherman……The Pewter Palace!

Uncategorized

How We Survived High 90°s in an Open Field for 6 Days!

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This article will discuss techniques, equipment and how to’s for maximizing our roof top AC, cooling the inside of our 1987 32 foot Avion when we attended a rally at an open field fairground in TN in late June.

**we did have 30 amp shore power! We have installed a EasyStart system on our AC which does enable us to run our AC off of our 2200 Honda generator if no shore power is available. Kevin converted our generator to run on LP as we do not want to carry gerry jugs of gas and we have two 40lb LP tanks on front always anyway.

Temps ranged from 90 to 98° all week with 75 to 95% humidity! Using these techniques our AC functioned well WITHOUT AN AIR CONDITIONER FREEZE UP and we kept comfortable.

Note: Your situation is going to depend on the type and BTU of rooftop AC you have and length AND floorplan of your Avion. We have a front kitchen, mid bath and rear bedroom. We have all the original spray foam insulation and insulated layer of our original flooring too which we feel is outstanding and helps a lot!!

Our AC Unit is a 1500 Dometic brand. It is approximately 4.5 to 5 years old. We clean the fins and filters annually as part of our spring shake down. Wr clean the inside filter and cover routinely as needed which on our trip had been 3 weeks in it needed it. If you are in a high wind/sand/dirt location you will need to do the exterior and interior AC cleaning more frequently. We have the supplies we use on our Amazon list on our Resources page on this website.

Our Dometic 1500 AC and MaxAir roof fan cover(R)

We found to avoid a freeze up of your AC in extreme temps and/or prolonged use needs that you should keep all four directional vent slots inside on your ceiling open. This allows proper air circulation and helps air flow around the condenser to allow proper cycling on and off.

all 4 side of vent flaps open for better circulation inside AC

****IF you do get a freeze up and your AC stops working (but you have power and its just not blowing, the compressor is not coming in) .you peobably have a freeze up. Turn the swtich to FAN and temp dial to off or warm. So you are just using the fan mode, let it thaw. It could take an hour or more. You may want to put a bucket underneath to protect flooring or carpet should it drain inside. (It may drain inside if you are not completely level or if any of the weep holes on the AC roof cover are blocked)

AC SETTINGS: this will depend on temps outside. As an example the best you can hope for is to maintain the inside of your rig at 20° below the outside temp. Believe me it will feel great! So when the temp outside was 98° with 90% humidity we ran our AC on coolest setting but low fan during the day when we were out and about doing seminars, social events etc when at the rally.

*it is important to try to NOT let your rig heat up during the day and expect to cool it off starting the AC at 5 pm for a cool night sleep. Keep your rig cool all the time and the system will run more efficiently and work less hard.

TIP: We found by closing our bedroom privacy curtain we could keep the main part of the coach cooler with lower temp setting on the AC so it did not have to work so hard. We did this during the day and opened the curtain to get air back into our rear bedroom beginning around 5 pm.

When our day away from the rig was done and we were in for the night we could lower the temp dial a little as the sun went down and things cooled down a bit to the 80s to high 70s. While in the rig we kept the fan mode on high fan dial on high for all night.

Reflectix in Windows: On our way to TN we purchased 2 rolls of 45 ” reflectix. Hindsight, one 50 ft roll would have probably been enough. However, Later on as time permits and in cooler temps to work on projects I will be lining the interior outside walls of our cabinets with Reflectix sheet panels too. I noticed the interiors of our cabinets, especially the uppers were warm. We have seen Airstreamers mention this lining of cabinets works well. Again, if you are lucky to have shade on the rig this may not be totally necessary. We were in an open field and surrounded by huge 5th Wheels and Class A’s so we only got breeze when there was any from front to back.

TIP: measure your windows with a fabric tape measure so you get true interior dimensions of inside tracks of windows without screens. Cut your piece at least a 1/2″ to 1″ larger so you can crease and fold the edges for a super great fit on those stationary windows. Use velcro, painters temporary tape to secure panels that go over screened windows as you will not have those deep tracks like the fixed windows do and it’s basically a flush mount.

Auxiliary Fans: we always carry 2 small electric powdered fans with us. They are about 9″ low profile and very quiet. In hot temps we use them on the floor in hall to push cold air towards bedroom at night. In winter temps we may use one to even better circulate warm air from furnace if needed to one area.

Dehumidifier: after doing research we bought a dehumidifier to keep the humidity at between 30 and 40%. Again this helps the air conditioner by transferring the moisture out of the AC and thereby run more efficiently with less effort. A good video pu lished by the RV School staff in TX on the rationale for this is saved in our YouTube Library for you to view. Good info! We had little options on sizes buying on the road and needing quick. We bought a 25 pints at Lowes. Overkill on the size and we will get a smaller one to take up less space once we get home. If you camp in cooler temps and run your furnace you will need a dehumidifier anyway. So we always like things that have dual purpose when space is so tight! We will get an 8 or 10 pint table top version after doing more review research.

Blinds & Curtains: keep them both closed all the time when running your AC. Yes between the Reflectix and shades down you will feel like you live in a cave…but caves are 😎 right?!!

Vent Fan Covers: we have Fantastik Fans and roof top MaxAir Covers. Our roof covers are the grey smokey color which helps to reduce sunlight and heat into the rig. Putting either Reflectix or some sort of cover on your ceiling fan opening to cover the ambient heat that comes thru these is a very good idea.

Exterior Window Awnings: we highly recommend getting window awnings installed if you do not have them. We can lower the inside temp of our Avion by 10 degrees just by deploying our 2 streetside awnings (also really helps the streetside refrig stay cooler and work properly without excess strain when in the shade), the rear window awning and bedroom awning. We leave them deployed all day even if away from the rig unless a storm or high winds are expected. They can take a lot more wind, rain etc than the main patio awning due to their size.

Rear and curbside window awnings. We have 2 on streetside covering nearly the entire length of the trailer.

Speaking of the Patio Awning.…when you are physically at your Avion by all means deploy your patio awning to give shade to that side of your rig. We recommend rolling it up and storing when you are not within a “run to the rig!!!!!” quick proximity. Replacing a torn patio awning or worse, broken hardware arms etc can cost you $1000’s of $$$$!

Hughes Auto Transformer: this is a new piece of equipment for us. Kevin bought it just before our trip to the Escapee Rally because he knew we were going to be sharing power pedestals at a County Fairgrounds. The transformer basically takes your 30 amps and if you get a low voltage reading it boosts it up back to a safe zone to run your sensitive equipment like your AC. This will keep your voltage up even if there is a brown out or a neighbor is sucking more than their share of power. This is not a straight surge peotector but it does also work like that. A surge protector will simply shut down if there is a low or high spike from your shore power.

We hope these tips have given you some good tools to use to survive a heat wave.

Please subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel so you get first insider notification of new articles and videos! We appreciate your support.

TRAVEL SAFE…enjoy the open road!

Luise and Kevin

First Time Avion Owners-ALERT!, Uncategorized

You Just Bought an Avion….Now What?

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A useful quick guide to getting support from fellow Avion Owners !

In this article:

  • Tips for finding and using online Facebook and other Avion Owner Forums,
  • 6 Basic Tips for New-to-You Avion Owners,
  • Links to Avion Rally Event Sites,
  • Resource lists including a printable “check list” for setting up to camp and preparing to tow your Avion.

At the end of this article we have a great downloadable/PDF document we are happy to share with you- “Our Avion TAKE OFF & LANDING Camp list”. We have also includes links to Avion Facebook and Rally Event groups and also links to several of our other blog posts and videos to help you out on your new journey as an Avion owner!

The great news is, you have taken the first step to buy what we all concur is one of the most iconic designs and best made campers ever–AN AVION! 

Of course, owners of other vintage campers will tell you theirs is the best- we have to politely disagree!  LOL.

  • We know it can feel pretty overwhelming!
  • Where to start? 
  • What questions to ask and to who? 

It’s not like you can call up an Avion Dealership anymore right?  (click here to see what we feel is one of the best and most  up to date articles on the Avion History.  The article is published by the non profit national vintage trailer/RV club called The Tin Can Tourists (TCT)- which by the way you should join, its very cheap ($25 p/yr/2022) and the club hosts rallies around the USA and has great resource info, newsletters, etc.) There were 18 Avion’s at the TCT Michigan Rally in 2019!

MORE QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE…..

  • Where do you get parts? Who can fix these things if you cannot? Check out our RESOURCES & LINKS page!
  • What tools are “must have’s”? 
  • How to determine just what needs fixing and what does not?
  • Are there ways to connect to other Avion owners with experience?

What is super important is that you have purchased an Avion and there is a huge Avion Family out there rooting for you and there to help!  If you are also brand new to the world of RVing and camping- we definitely have your back!  There…do you feel better already?  Hope so!

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DID YOU KNOW? 

We AVION OWNERS rock!!

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SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE: oh yeah!!!!  We are SOCIAL!  🙂

There are no less than 5 online Facebook Pages solely dedicated to Avion travel tips, repairs, buy/sell forum and general owner share pages?  Hey there is even a FB Avion owners group to exchange Christmas & Holiday Cards with each other!  There are Avion Rally groups too!     

YES!  and each of them has some overlap but each has its own purpose too—so we suggest you ask to join ALL of them.   I have posted the links to each of them at the end of this article. (sneaky huh…I want you to read on first!)

AVION INSIDER TIP:  while each of the Facebook group pages do have their own generalized specific purpose- sometimes you may have a post that is worth sharing/posting on all the FB pages- that’s OK, but my personal recommendation is to use that “broadcasted ” share sparingly. WHY?  well most of us Avion owners do belong to all of the FB groups so if we start seeing every one of your posts like 4 times in our feed we may start to tune you out a bit.  So, in my opinion, be selective. 

  • If you have something to sell, put it on the sell page group first. 
  • If you have a repair question, post on the repair/restoration page first- wait for answers, if none after a week- then go ahead and post on the two Avion owners group pages to cast a bigger net. 
  • if you have some great travel tips, campgrounds or general info to share- post it on one of the “owners” themed pages 
  • An exception to all this is if a piece of info you have is “time sensitive” for example a new rally announcement,  or rally registration reminders or God forbid you are traveling and stuck with a breakdown–you should definitely should be broadcasted on all pages!

Here is a great example of the above: 

TRUE STORY! In 2018 Kevin and I were doing just a nice Sunday drive just over the border into western VT from where we live.  We decided to check out some campgrounds for future stays.  Lo and behold one had a wrecked Avion in its back storage yard.  It had an intact rock guard and we wanted a spare!!  I posted out on all four FB pages from the campground parking lot in VT asking fellow Avion owners if a rock guard from an 84 would fit our 73?  Within 3 minutes I had folks responding that it would! We borrowed tools from the campground owner and drove away with our spare rock guard treasure!

Again, just my opinion to be selective on what you post where.  I think it better supports each of the group pages in their own right to exist if you post questions etc. on the Facebook page that best suits your question or information-however, some Avion owners do choose to put 90% of their general posts on all the page groups-and that works for them so its ok by me too!  We’re all easy to get along with!

REMEMBER—WE ALL HAVE BEEN NEW, FIRST TIME AVION OWNERS AT SOME POINT! 

Based on a plethora of posts made by fellow Avion owners who have all been in your shoes (a brand new owner) at one time or another here is a short list of what we have seen as recurring tips, suggestions and worthwhile bits of info for brand new Avion owners!

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6 BASIC TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED:

(1) Take your time!!!!  Do not rush to completely gut the inside and start from scratch.  Live with the interior a little (unless totally ruined by mold or deconstructed already).  Mr. Clean Magic Sponges, Awesome Spray Cleaner (at dollar stores) are great for cleaning interior walls and ceilings.  Howard’s Restor-A-Finish is excellent for reviving cabinetry.

We have seen so many people go for the complete gut job only to run out of steam, money or time and have to forfeit their RV dreams and sell their now gutted rig (less of a resale market!)

(2) If you do decide to gut the inside of the trailer, put the cabinets, etc up for resale on one of the facebook sites and/or on Ebay!  There are 1000’s of fellow Avion owners always in the market for Avion parts, door handles, locks, windows, hinges, and hardware-no matter how small and insignificant it may seem all are in demand.  Cabinet trims, lights, cabinet pulls, louvered doors, sinks, tub bases, mirrors, etc. all have a chance at a new life in someone else’s Avion.  Please try to recycle rather than take it to the dump.  These items are NOT made today and many are irreplaceable!

(3) Give your baby a bath-But Do It Right!  You know how good you feel when stepping out of the shower or after a nice warm tub bath!  Your Avion will feel the same!  BUT—there are definite do’s and don’t to bathing an anodized all aluminum body camper! Once your Avion is clean you will have a better idea of condition. Please listen to our instructional podcast first before doing your first wash down!  

(4) Secure from the Top Down!  Just like a sticks ‘n bricks home, your roof condition and ongoing roof maintenance is vital to the longevity of your Avion.  First on your agenda of “to do list”, after a first bath,  should be repairing all the exterior (side and roof) seams, and ensuring that the roof seams, places where vents, A/C, etc are on the roof also have good seals to prevent water penetration in between your exterior and wood interior.

(5) Install a Deadbolt Lock NOW!   Time after time we see the tragedy of a door swinging open while and Avion is being towed or camped in a super windy location.  Reminder, these doors are not being made anymore!  The old, original Bargman locks are nice but they do NOT provide enough security to keep latched.  Avion’s have a certain amount of flexing of the aluminum body that happens when being towed.  We and many other strongly recommend installing a deadbolt lock in ADDITION to your door handle lock.  We also bungy cord ours It is safer for you when camping inside and certainly safer for your door when trailer is being towed. 

(6) Reseal and Secure Window Seals if Cracked, Missing or Falling Off! Just like the exterior seams, the windows in many Avion’s that have not been maintained properly have seals that have failed. Many times, the seals have pulled away from the corners and where spliced.  This is another major area where leaks happen.  On a priority list, windows rank right  up there with exterior side and roof seam repairs.  It can feel daunting to do, but with practice, it can be done in a couple weekends.  Good news is, once they are redone, you should not have to muss with them for at least 5-8 years or more! 

More

As promised, here are valuable links just for you!

Below is our “Take Off & Landing” Checklist.  You can download and print it out to carry with you too!   Bear in mind, depending on the specific equipment you may have – some of the steps we outline may be a bit different.  Use this checklist as a general guide to help you practice the art of setting up a camp and breaking down your camp and hitting to road accordingly.

travel-trailer-check-list-thepewterpalace-2022Download

ONLINE FORUM PAGES: There are a couple of active online FB forums that have great resources and people in them.  Just another platform to look for answers and post questions!  See we are all in it to win it and help!  these are by subscription, so you will need to ask to join!

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DEDICATED AVION FACEBOOK PAGES:

Use the simple search of “Avion trailers” on social media and you will be amazed! here are some that we belong to and comment in fairly regularly on Facebook: (note, most if not all of these are monitored very well and do require you request to join)

kimg3148LOOKING FOR AVION RALLIES TO ATTEND? 

These are facebook group sites so again, ask to join.  Many of us travel to these rallies from all over the USA.  You can be a member of for example the Texas group but live in NY (like us!)  Avioner’s  know how to have fun, learn together and break bread—so come to a rally!!  Check out our post on the Indiana Rally we have attended for years now! Read  more….

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KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MORE TIPS AND ARTICLES GEARED SPECIFICALLY FOR FIRST TIME AVION OWNERS!

A sample of our blog posts, podcasts and videos coming soon…

  • Punch list of what to inspect when looking to purchase your first Avion (will include what tools, etc. to bring with you!)
  • Basic repair and maintenance tool kit must have’s for Avion Owners
  • ABC’s of Using Stabilizers for your Avion trailer
  • Tips on how to repair and maintain exterior seams on aluminum trailers
  • I am just boondocking at Walmart for the night—what should (or shouldn’t) I do besides put my vehicle in park and go to sleep?

How do you find them once we post them AND how do you find all the other articles and videos we have published?

  Be sure to subscribe to this blog/website AND to our YouTube Channel! By subscribing you are the first to be alerted to new info!

We thank you for subscribing —- and really look forward to meet  you (and your Avion) on the road or at rally in the near future!

All the Very Best, from Kevin and Luise Sherman

Luise & Kevin Sherman, we own a 1987 Avion, 32S Model and currently are based in the Lake George Region of upstate eastern New York. We LOVE to hear from our subscribers!
Gadgets We Love!, RV Storage, Towing an Avion, Uncategorized

Making your RV Feel Like Home- Keeping Things STUCK in Place Even When on the Road!

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View of our 32 S model 1987 Avion. This “rare breed” floorplan was only produced for three years by the Avion Coach Corporation.

One of the first things anyone says when they visit us in our Avion is how “homey” it feels, comfortable, cozy and not sterile like many “off the lot” modern RV’s today.

Often, the next question we get is…

“it must take you a long time [when setting up camp] to put out all of these décor items (some would say clutter or chachkies! ) and knickknacks and then store them all away again”. 

Actually—no!  Everything you see in our coach stays in place where it is displayed.   I do not have to move anything except dish soap bottle on the kitchen counter, our authentic cuckoo clock, and the soap dispenser in the bathroom!

In the photo above you will see I have opted to keep the upper and lower curtain rails in place and just have narrower side curtains.  These curtains are wide enough to create privacy for the curved front windows when the center pull down shade does the rest at night.  Notice I use the bottom curtain rail to store some things during travel time too! ( I DO take down the white vintage ’70’s swag lamp and it sits in the left corner of the front counter when we roll down the road)

HERE IS A QUICK LIST OF TIPS & PRODUCTS I USE TO KEEP THINGS IN PLACE IN YOUR RV—EVEN WHEN TOWING DOWN THE ROAD!

A 6″ wide shelf behind the sofa creates a great storage space with metal framed fabric bins!

Metal Framed Fabric Bins Sit on Shelf behind our Jack knife Sofa.
See purchasing link below.

The photo above shows three of the five storage bins I purchased at Bed, Bath & Beyond in 2021.  They have a wire frame for durability and are perfect for storing those things that we use routinely when traveling including:  TV and other remotes, LED lanterns and flashlights, Binoculars, Travel Journal, Travel brochures, etc. and a vase of artificial flowers I often put outdoors on our dining table.  We are still able to pull out our jack knife sofa when we have guests staying over. * I left about 5″ in between two of the bins.  This is where I tend to put my beverage water bottle or travel mug of coffee when relaxing on the sofa when we are set up at camp. Source, 2021

Using forms of “anchor” putty’s to hold things in place are perfect for RVs.  Read on to read ‘my reviews’ on three products I have used.

  • Sofa is a jacknife to make a double bed for guests

The photo slideshow above shows various items in our RV we leave out and do not move during towing.  Things like a ceramic beer stein with flowers that sits on our front kitchen counter, our mid-century modern looking table organizer (link) with a vintage 70’s table lamp and other items set in place.  In our bathroom, my mother’s china cup and saucer- now a home for a gnome sits on our bathroom vanity and back in the living room/salon even our faux “stag head clock” in our living room–all stay out and stay put every day we travel. 

We have clocked multiple trips over 3000 miles each, up mountains of 17-24% grade roads to 5K elevations (and back down) as well as dirt roads, washboard roads and surviving way too many roads with pot holes and frost heaves!

Review of THREE putty brands I have used: and my recommendation!

Quake Hold (Museum Putty) 

 This is my “GO TO” product!  It is great and what I have used successfully on the ceramic beer stein, the gnome in the tea cup,  the dinette table shelf organizer and our faux (plastic but very real looking) stag head wall clock.  I also put this behind each corner of any framed pictures I put up on picture hooks.  It keeps the pictures level and keeps them from potentially swinging and marring stained walls or wallboard.

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Pro’s:  Terrific holding power, re-useable, no smell, no staining on walls. Holds up well under all interior temperature conditions we have been in so far (-10 to 95 degrees).  It allows you to remove items from their hold by twisting and pulling at the same time.  You will truly be impressed by how secure it makes things and how hard you have to twist/pull to release its hold.  I have not had any issues with its color staining any surfaces.

Con’s:  it is a light off-white in color )they call it “neutral”- so it is not completely invisible when used under items.  You can see this from my photos as little white stuff sticking out from underneath Honestly, it is really hardly noticeable.  Through trial and error I have found the best holding power is when you allow some of the putty to be on the outside of the edge of your item as well as underneath for those items that sit on flat surfaces.  For framed photos, etc. held vertically you do not need to do that.  I simply put pea sized blobs under each frame corner.

Rock N’ Roll Clear Gel Putty

As the packaging says, this GEL is really only for glass and china type stuff.  They do also now make a putty similar to Quake hold but I prefer the quality of Quake Hold better.  I have tried this Rock N Roll Gel and found it does not hold as well as the Quake Hold.  Also a real ‘con’ is that this stuff MELTS when your rig gets hot inside (aka if you are away for the day not using AC/or when stored at home when not camping and temps rise above 80 degrees. Source* (*note, this is not where I purchased from so I cannot validate reputation of online source)

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Pro’s:  it is clear, highly pliable.  Does work well on glass or mirror items (not sure how many of us have crystal figurines on display in our RV’s though)

Con’s:  It melts when temp inside RV gets hot.  It melted and puddled under some items on our dinette table. Does not do well on vertical applications in my experience. (yes, I tried to use it behind corners on picture frames, only to find it melting and running down my wall one summer day!- ugh)  Because of its propensity to melt, I no longer recommend this for RV use.

Museum Putty Wax

I have used this on a variety of surfaces from metal to wood to ceramic and it does work but I find it not as convenient as the white putty Quake Hold above- nor does it have the same holding power for heavier things, especially those made of wood and/or sticking to a wood surface.  

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Pro’s:  it is somewhat clearer and less conspicuous when used than Quake Hold putty.  It does a decent job of holding not too heavy items.  Somewhat easier to twist/pull items you need to reposition.  Does not stain finishes.

Con’s:  Due to its consistency, I find it harder to get out a blog from the container- I use a bottle cap with its serrated edges to dig into the container to get out sufficient for use.  It is simply too hard to dig any out with your fingers.  It is a wax base and therefore may also have a tendency to melt in hotter environments.  For this reason I would not recommend a vertical application either.  In my experience it does not work well on wood items  but works ok on plastic, ceramic and glass.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST….WHAT TO DO WITH “RUN-AWAY” PAPER TOWELS!

How many times have you opened the door of your RV after a day of travel to find your paper towels have unrolled and are strewn across your kitchen floor?

These ARE THE ANSWER!

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Viva Paper towels do cost a little more but they will not unroll after a day of road travel.  They are also darn good paper towels and very absorbent so in truth you will use less overall.  We currently have this vertical paper towel holder but in our old ’73, 28 foot LaGrande model we had a traditional horizontal holder above the counter and we never had unrolled paper towels with Viva brand– AND I did road test others like store brands and Scott’s brand and other name brands and none did the job of staying on the roll on the road!

PARTING TIPS….. FOR HANGING PHOTOS, FRAMED ART, ETC and other WALL DECOR ITEMS:

Most folks already know that 3M stick on hooks are a Godsend for RVers.  We use them all the time! 

BUT I have found that if you really want pictures or things of any weight like barometers, framed art, etc. I use these stick on Velcro strips.  Specifically, the type that have the lock-n-grip type, not the traditional type that has soft fuzzy on one side and teeth on the other.  I use the heavy duty type of Velcro that have teeth which interlock when put together.  I  always purchase the one that is rated for heavier than my item really is.  These work really well and so far (knock on wood) I have found that I can also peel off the Velcro strip I may have secured to our Avion wall board since it is a vinyl composite board, not paper applied to wood.   I have also used the Command Brand similar type too on less heavy hanging items, apply as directed.

DISCLAIMER: As with all the products we have discussed here, it is best you test out products first.  For wall applications, your interior walls may have had some sort of after market application that could make it different than ours.  Please don’t send me a bill for any broken item!  [smiling]

Well, that is my review of keeping things in place!  We all love to have a homey feel in our home on wheels!  Hope you have found this little article helpful! 

Let us know what types of tricks/products you have found help with this issue! To be sure, a simple search on Amazon nets many companies touting great sticking power of their putty’s and other products.  

Please visit our YOUTube Channel and please subscribe!    We have great videos on many topics from renovations, tips, other favorite gadgets, as well as travel videos and campground reviews.  We appreciate your support of our efforts to help others along the way!

-Luise

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Interior refurbs-flooring and more, Our 1987 32S Model Avion, Refurbishment Projects, RV Storage

How to Gain Storage Under Your Sofa in your RV!

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Our sofa, “pre-project” and Reddy approved!

If you are like us you are always looking to maximize storage spaces on your RV. 

In our 1987 32S Avion we have a gaucho style sofa.  This pulls forward and then down to create essentially a double sized bed for guests.  It is original to the trailer, but was fully reupholstered by the previous owner in about 2018.  As you can see from the photo above, we do keep a quilted sofa cover on it not only to protect from our dog (sadly Reddy died in Dec 2020) but also, grandkids and us spilling something since the fabric is a similar color to the grey throw and plain so it will show any and all stains, etc.  I don’t know if it was scotch guarded and do not want to take the chance it was not!  This was a cover we already had from our other 73 Avion.  Our 87 sofa is a bit longer.

In early Spring 2021 Kevin had the brainstorm that we could expand the under sofa storage by elevating the frame of the sofa.  We would also gain the benefit of the sofa being a little higher so as we age, it would be easier to get up from sitting on it.  Not that it was super low but any little bit helps once arthritis sets in!

Another reason for this project was that I found it very hard, and downright uncomfortable to try to have to kneel on or straddle that flip down solid upholstered sofa skirt panel when trying to get things out from under the sofa.   It was so in the way!  The skirt panel had the hinges and sat off the floor by at least nearly 2″ so that also reduced the height of what I could fit under there—and get out!  See next photo below if we have you totally confused on what we are talking about here!

EASY STEPS to our Project:

(1)  Unscrew the flip down front padded sofa skirt panel and remove floor mounted hinges, hardware.  We decided not reuse this after completing our project.  You could, I suppose opt to make either (a.) a new flip down panel out of wood then upholster with sofa material and reinstall the flip down hinges or (b.) add an extension board to the top of the existing flip down panel somehow and support it and then recover it all so it looks like one piece.  We opted to make a fabric pleated sofa skirt that simply velcro’s across the front of the sofa and hangs to the floor.  Since the fabric skirt weighs less than that original panel it’s another win!20210429_192140

(2)  Unbolt and get sofa out of the way.  TIP- we recommend NOT trying to get the sofa completely out of the rig due to narrowness of the entry door.  This thing is heavy and bulky AND honestly the project went so fast, it would have probably taken us longer to maneuver the sofa out of the door than the entire project took!  So leave it just tipped forward and out of the way.  NOTE- we left the panel nearest refrig in place on the side of the sofa end.  See more on this later.

You will need to unbolt from the floor and from the rear support as shown above which was screwed in. well, actually it wasn’t but we guess it was supposed to have been at some point!

NOTE we have carpet tile flooring done by previous owner. The brownish linoleum you see is original to the trailer when manufactured.

Before I knew it. our sofa was sitting in the middle of our living room!

(3)  Use this time to clean up, check water and waste connections and apply steel wool around pipe openings to ward of mice and other crawling critters from entering your living space!  Note– we still have the original grey water piping for our fresh water to kitchen sink. As of this post, we have purchased all materials to change everything out to PEX plastic piping and that is on the to do list for Spring 2022- ha ha so the sofa will have to come out again to the middle of the living room!

(4) Cut 6 blocks of 2×4 wood (2 for each mounting- laying on their side for a total elevated height of 3″) to a size sufficient to carry the floor mount sofa hardware to be rebolted back in.  Kevin fastened the 1st wood block layer in by itself using the old holes left in the floor as guides so they would be in the correct position.  He used 2 1/4″, #10 heavy duty wood screws.  He predrilled all holes in 2x4s to avoid any possible splitting.  He then mounted the second layer of the blocks directly on top of the first layer, and used 3 1/4″ #10 wood screws to mount it to the lower layer.  Be sure you know where those first screws are so you don’t try to screw down on top of them!

NOTE- we had LEFT the panel (bottom right corner of photo below it can be seen) at the tongue side of the original sofa in place since we hoped it would still work to hide that open end of the sofa. And it did!

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***This is also a good time to put some small, low wood “stops” mounted into the floor just in front of your water pipes to prevent anything stored under the sofa to get hooked on or that could push back the water tubing.  We held off doing this until we install our PEX system and will know exactly where the tubes will lie.

(5) Put the sofa back in place and re-screw it down in all locations.  NOTE- since now the crossmember support arm no longer hit the wood box along back, we put a 4×4 in underneath it, clamped it to the 4×4 with a “U” and secured the 4×4 to the wood box by toenailing (screwing) it in with more wood screws.  We did not want to put holes into the sidewall of the trailer.  It is very secure.  Considering when we unbolted the sofa to begin with, this cross member had never been secured- we figure its more secure now!

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(6) Load in the totes!  I tried various combinations of totes to find just the right mix for what we store under here.  Your needs may be different but I store the following under our sofa:  our Dyson Vacuum, totes with table cloths, Set of Sheets for sofa bed, multiple exterior solar light strands, swim floaty rafts, our cuckoo clock for traveling time, citronella table candles, and our Avion spare parts tote.  It a lot of stuff but its all in various totes that fit like a puzzle.  With the extension height of an additional 3″ I was able to now lay two totes on top of each other.  I prefer totes because it is far easier to pull out a tote than to have to reach under to pull out each separate item.  Also being in totes there is less concern over something hooking onto and tugging at or pushing against the water piping that lays along the bottom of the sidewall.  

In the photo below where you can see I now have a blue lidded and white lidded tote—I could only fit ONE of them before this project.  Essentially we have doubled our storage space under our sofa!

Additional Comments & Notes:

  1. As much as we would have preferred that the previous owner had carpeted completely under the sofa, actually we have found that even that little 1/4″ lip transition from the linoleum to the carpet aids in keeping the tote bottoms very well in place even during travel.  If you do not have that carpet lip, you may want to install a 1/8″ or 1/4″ strip of molding flush to the floor in between the sofa support blocks.  This will help keep totes in place during travel.
  2. I did find after a few trips that attaching an elastic bungy cord from one leg support (behind the sofa skirt) to the other was necessary to keep the higher tier of my totes from sliding out during travel.  This has solved that issue completely.
  3. We found that the sticky back velcro we tried first to hold the new fabric skirt on did not hold up well enough during travel or “leg traffic” from us using the couch.  I will have to secure the velcro either by sewing it on or by using a glue to adhere, letting it dry with clamps to ensure a good seal.  In the meantime, what I did was extended the length of the quilted sofa cover we use making it longer in the front and that covers 90% of the opening and really is working fine for now.  
  4. Kevin and I are not tall, we have pant inseams of 30″ (a.k.a short legs) and we have found that the raised height of our sofa is extremely comfortable for us.  Our feet just touch the floor now and it feels more relaxing on our legs.  If you are a taller person you may find raising your sofa could make your muscles relax even more!  We also find that as we age getting up and down from the sofa will be even easier as arthritis no doubt will kick in. 
  5. BEST TIP OF THE DAY! I should mention that at some point one of the owners of our trailer put a full shelf behind our sofa.  It is simply attached with 4 angle braces screwed into the sidewall and it about 4″ wide.  We would be lost without this shelf and store all sorts of things there.  I have found wire framed fabric bins at Bed, Bath and Beyond that fit there perfectly and keep things organized.  We also have one magazine storage holder (sits mostly behind our curtain) there for travel books, brochures and maps when currently on a trip, then the bins hold things like our battery lantern, binoculars, a plant, a container for our TV remote and other small misc items. One bin is open for me to set a mug or cup in while reclining on the sofa!  The change in height of our sofa had no impact on the usefulness of this shelf and we highly recommend you install one during this project while the sofa is out!  It runs the entire length of the sofa back.
  6. Sorry I do not have a photo of the sofa back in form with the pleated skirt attached.  I will try to get that done in spring when our RV is out of winter storage and update this post when available.

Hope you enjoyed this project article.  If you decide to undertake this project we would LOVE to hear from you and see  your photos!  Please feel free to leave us any comments on this project- we love to hear from our subscribers!

Until next time…safe travels and please visit our Avion merchandise store at www.MyAvionMarketplace.com and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and this blog to get notified of future posts and videos!

Sincerely- Kevin and Luise Sherman

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Braking Systems, MORryde Suspension System Upgrade, Our 1987 32S Model Avion, Refurbishment Projects, Tires, Rims and accessories, Towing an Avion, Uncategorized

MORryde Suspension System & Kodiak 7K Hydraulic Disc Brakes -Major UPgrades to our ’87 Avion

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Up on the lifts at MorRyde in Elkhart, Indiana. They do allow you to sleep on your rig and plug into shore power during the installation process….but up and out by 5:45 AM because they start working at 6 AM sharp!

Anyone who has an Avion (or Airstream for that matter) knows that the clearance underneath these silver babies is less than optimal and can really cause issues especially trying to do boondocking or dispersed camping-which is something we plan to do a lot of once we are full timing starting in 2023.  We found in our 28′ we had issues, but it was even more pronounced in our 32′  since our tail end extends that much further back from the tire axels. 

At times we were even limited as to what gas stations, parking lots or even campsites because of the “dip” from street to lot/site.  NO MORE!

 

HERE IS A GREAT VIDEO about the IS and disc brake systems in easy to understand language.  We are happy to share with you from vloggers Crazy Family Adventure.

After lengthy research, discussion with people who have installed it and with Technicians at MORryde and then more research we decided to take the big plunge and have the MORryde Independent Suspension System AND Kodiak (7K lb) hydraulic disc brakes installed on our 1987, 32S model Avion.  This decision is not for the faint hearted and a huge investment (just over $7K total for axels/suspension/Kodiak Disc brakes as of this post in Fall 2021) and this does not include the new 8 Lug tires and rims we needed to get for the hydraulic brake install we wanted.

Anyone who has the original MORryde suspensions on their Avion’s (late 60s into late 70s) knows that the center rubber sheer spring that hangs down (encased in steel) in between your tandem tires takes  a ton of the impact from road travel and it is certainly touted as one of the best suspension systems that Avion installed back in the day and any travel trailer can have.  We loved it on our ’73 and missed it once we started traveling with our ’87.  This new version from MORryde, called their “I.S.” (Independent Suspension) system basically replicates that type of system from the older Avion’s WITH ONE HUGE DIFFERENCE! 

We now have that 70’s type of MORryde Rubber Sheer Spring on EACH OF OUR TIRES!  The results is a super smooth ride, less wear and tear on the trailer frame–and with new axels and all these new components there is piece of mind that we will not likely have problems with axel failure/breakage and have a hard time trying to find the correct old “split axels- the Dexter Adjust-a-ride” we did have.

If you think about your suspension like we do, it is the foundation of your “house”.  It needs to be strong, in good working order and built to last.  Our Avion is our home (full time starting in 17 months, 3 days, 2 hours, 29 seconds but who is counting right??) and we want a strong foundation for the tens of thousands of miles we plan to do each year with her over some pretty challenging terrains.

For the sake of brevity, we will list PRO’s and CON’s of our experience, the system and the end results.  In the end, would we do it again?  yes, but read on!!

Inside our OLD external battery box is where the Kodiak hydraulic brake controller was being installed. We had to move our 2 AGM house batteries to under our streetside rear bunk temporarily as part of this project. Our next big project is installing our 6 Battleborn Lithium Ion batteries to underneath our curbsite bunk. The hydraulic brakes are awesome!!

PRO’s to our process-products-end result:

  1. Increased our ground clearance from 8.5″ (at low point of old axels) to over 15″.  No more worries about getting off road, into gas stations or parking lots. Our rear side frame and front tongue frame sit at right around 26″. NO more worrying about dips into parking lots from the street or uphill grades from street.
  2. The MORryde website has excellent information and videos.  And phone calls in advance to their tech folks were very helpful in our decision making to go with the IS versus the 3000 or 4000 systems. Your Avion may benefit from the other systems and worth inquiring about!
  3. The Kodiak Hydraulic Disc brakes are game changers!  Wow!  what stopping power and peace of mind.  So different than electric brakes!  Makes braking of the trailer feel totally “as one” with our tow vehicle. No more grabbing, no more concerns on long down or uphill travels.  These are beefy! Just the new brake system alone was worth the install!
  4. All new axels, rotors and all brake components so less chance of failure or need to hunt down vintage parts to fit/work. We like having a new, rocksteady foundation under our trailer.
  5. During install process we were able to examine the trailer frame since belly pan was removed (we had not done that prior) to see it was in excellent condition- even our Tech was super impressed with quality and condition of this 34 yr old frame!
  6. MORryde allows you to park the night before your appointment in their lot outside garage, then once install commences you are allowed back onto your “elevated rig” after the day shift is done.  This saves on hotel costs– our install took 2.5 days.
  7. The MORryde Service center staff are very good.  The Tech and Service Manager listened to our questions, were responsive to our concerns and talked us through the process as it was happening in real time. (BTW we were the first vintage trailer to get an IS install) They also gave us a tour of the entire facility so we could see these IS  systems being fabricated on site.
  8. We knew what our costs would be before they started and this was all reviewed with us in advance.  There was no type of upselling or gimmicks.  The products stand on their own and we really feel their shop labor rates were very fair.
  9. The Tech you get is assigned to your rig from start to finish and are highly skilled and trained.  They are very professional, the shop is clean, well managed and everyone is super friendly. (well you are spending a bundle too!)
  10. The waiting area during the day is stocked with goodies, drinks, etc. and very comfortable with overstuffed sofas and with WIFI and rest rooms.  You can also order and get a complimentary lunch from several area restaurants who delivers to the MORryde office.  No charge to you- we did Panera both days.
  11. To their credit, when an issue was relayed from us back to MORryde they made good on sending out new parts at their cost and covered the labor costs  in a refund to us to have this correction done locally at a shop we found near to us. Kudos out to Adirondack Truck of Queensbury!

CON’s to our process-product and end result

  1. We did not know that the rig was going to be lifted SO high. Originally we were told up by 4-6″ and we were fine with that. Then as install progressed we were told it changed to 7-8″. We now have a full 11.5″ from top of our tire to top inside of wheel well. Looks odd because all of us are used to seeing our low lying, stealth to the ground rigs.  To counter this somewhat we have purchased Fender Flares (aftermarket bought at Bontragers near Elkhart) to install by riveting on the exterior of the well lip to help mitigate the space visually.  We will temporarily remove the track you see below that we riveted on to slide our Zipdee Tire Shades into, then will rivet the fender flares on using the same rivet holes and refasten the tire shade track over top of this once again.  Due to the curvature of the wheel well opening (at approx. 1 pm and 11 pm locations) we are going to have to apply small sheets of anodized alluminum from behind to fill in those gaps.  Not an ideal fix, but its the best we have come up with.  If you have another idea please let us know! kimg3454
  2. Our frame, (measured at front and rear frame on tail before it rises upward) now sits at 26″ above the ground. Before this install it was approximately 18″. This height has resulted in perhaps a lessening of the aerodynamic nature of the Avion design. However on our trips since we have not encountered any issues with this even on highways with winds and Semi trucks zooming by- but we also use a Hensley hitch which certainly is a big help and have a high top cap on our pick up which deflects wind.
  3. No pre install weigh in like video’s said they would do.  When we watched the MORryde videos during our decision making process we really liked the fact that part of the process included weighing your rig so that the correct sheer springs weight range would be installed. We know our trailer is street side heavy due to Corian countertops and all appliance on that side. We had hoped this weighing step and install to account for this would solve any undo stress on one side of the axels/tires. Needless to say when we arrived we were told they no longer do that weighing part of the process. We were not happy with that explaining again we knew we were heavier on one side and in the end (keep reading full story) it would have saved a lot of angst as a result.
  4. We were not made aware that our specific I.S. axels were going to be wider than our original ones.  We were told this is due to the necessary deflection needed for the tires to toe out or in independently we now had our tires extending out about 2.5-3″ outside of the wheel well! We question the need for this still.  Was it really because this is the standard length for modern RV’s and what their shop is set up to make?  This was a total surprise to us and not a happy one .  We did not realize it until the entire install was complete. It really changed the look of the trailer profile. Hence another reason to purchase the aftermarket tandem aluminum fender flares at about $75 each. We have added another project to our list to rivet these in place after removing our tire shade track and replacing it over top the fender flares (a project just completed). ** The tires extending past our sidewall profile also can mean more damage should a tire fail, and certainly without the fender flare, way more road grime, water from wet roads, mud etc. spewing onto our vintage aluminum skin trailer body.  
  5. “Houston we have a problem!”  On our trip back to upstate NY (Lake George area) from Elkhart, IN- this is a 780 mile trip of all highways we found at our pit stops that some of our interior decor, drawers,  gear, and equipment that NEVER had bounced around or shifted before was now doing just that!  Wait a minute!!!!!!
  6. We were supposed to have a smoother ride, not a bumpier one!  We also noticed porpoising  (rocking nose down to nose up) of our trailer when hitting even slight road seam bumps that we had not seen before.  Houston!!???? another issue!
  7. Not all communications via email were responded to in what we feel was a timely manner by MORryde staff, especially with our issue after install was brought to their attention.  We do recognize that Covid-19 certainly had a part in this as did some staffing changes at MORryde.  We know everyone is busy but waiting weeks for a reply is not appropriate in this tech age.  Once a reply was gotten, we were instructed what measurements we needed to do and send to them.  With this information, MorRyde determined that indeed the WRONG SHEER SPRINGS had been installed *Yup, that weight thing again”- Avion’s are heavy!!-they are not the cardboard box trailers produced today.  Even though we had given them our weight parameters…someone obviously did not compute this correctly from the get go.  So what was happening was that the #2 Sheer springs originally put on at the shop were insufficient to carry our weight and were causing the axels to bottom out when hitting even mild to medium bumps in the roadways-trashing our trailer inside and pounding on our frame unnecessarily on that first trip.
  8. Sheer Spring REDO!  With new #3 sheer springs in hand, you can see the big difference in size! See photo below.  We had to take another day off from work and had a local shop (Adirondack Truck on Big Boom Rd, Queensbury- who were great!) take out the springs from our install and replace with these beefier ones.  We are very happy to report a 2.5 hr trip two days later on our next camping adventure proved we had no more jostling, drawers were shut, gear not strewn about–so issue appears to be solved and the ride is smooth as we had hoped for and been promised.  Needless to say, the issue we had caused us undo stress wondering what on earth we spent all this money for?  Did we ruin the quintessential look of our Avion only to have a bumpier ride?  In the end…the ride is better, the clearance is better and we have the peace of mind of a very strong foundation (suspension) and a new braking system second to none! 

Final thoughts read below…..

For those who wish to see some of the quick video footage we took during the install process here you go!

Welding of new brackets to support axels. Video link

New axels with highlight on the Kodiak Disc Brake system. Video Link

First axel being lined up for install. Video link

Our Tech, Matt doing the welding of first axel onto frame. Video link

Closer look at streetside axels after being welded to frame. Video link

Balancing and aligning our new tires on axels-Hunter System. Video link

In summary...it was a stressful project from start to finish.  We were under the gun to have our house batteries relocated before we left for Elkhart, then a 780 mile trip out there.  We did not get our Avion into the shop until 2pm on first day of appointment, ended up being there 2.5 days and missed two days with fellow Avioners at our SAF rally.  We were shocked by the resulting height of the trailer and over extended tires past our sidewalls. AND, the saga did not stop and we had to have our sheer springs replaced within a month due to a size miscalculation on their part of which they did send us the correct replacements and covered labor.   But all is well now and we are happy!

In the end…we have a super rugged, solid foundation to our home and now we have an AVION OVERLANDER® rig now….and that is the beginning of a new story!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG SO …You can stay tuned so you can see the debut of a new separate off grid adventure blog from us with a separate, additional URL at AvionOverlander.com that will only focus on off-grid, off road- boondock and dispersed camping adventures, tips and more—coming in 2023 when we hit the road full time and do a lot of boondocking and off road/off grid adventures! (not to worry thePewterPalace.com will not be going away and will continue to be the repository for our campground reviews, regular trips, projects, tips and more!)

As always, if you have any questions, want more measurements, etc. please do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time via direct email to PewterPalace87@gmail.com!

Till we meet on the road or around the campfire!