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!
Patio awnings provide shade for outdoor living space even in light rain
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.
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)
Awnings will help prevent unnecessary fading of interior cabinetry, upholstery and other interior decorative items
In some cases, awnings will provide some additional privacy for you when inside your RV
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!)
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
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“!
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?
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. OReven 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?
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
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!
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!
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!
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.
OLD on the left….NEW from Pelland Enterprises on the right
A little background to this story.…..In the summer of 2021 our original black tank had a major failure- sadly solely by human error. We had inadvertently threw “on” the tank warmer fuse during our MORryde install. The PO had not installed a heat override- so if you install tank warmers please also install that auto sensor override. The tank was empty and ended up frying itself and tearing substantial cracks in several areas of the bottom. Hard lesson learned. We thought we had solved the problem when we found a highly rated RV repair shop about an hour from us who specialized in plastic welding, repairing all sorts of “plastic issues” with RVs. He looked at the tank and felt sure he could repair it. We had been told by many that it was near impossible to find tank replacements, some had tried their own repairs to no avail and we even contemplated going with a composting toilet instead (in the end…nope not for us!) So…. 3-weeks and $600+ later, the multi-layer repair looked and worked awesomely. We were all set!! Needless to say removing a black tank and replacing a black tank is not for the fainthearted. We are eternally grateful we have a nice concrete floored garage to work in and higher ground clearance thanks to our MORryde Independent Suspension system install. We did successful camping trips in August and September- all systems were GO! The black tank was working just fine! For more about our original project click here.
FAST FORWARD TO JULY 2022
At the very last official stop on our 5-week RV trip through 7 states in June/July of 2022 we were at our last campground, Campfire Lodgings outside of Ashville, NC and atop a huge mountain! Lo and behold, we saw a slow leak coming out onto the beautiful concrete slab RV pad. We had a 3 day stay here so we quickly hooked up our sewer hose and kept the bayonet valve open (we normally never do this!) so that any liquids would go out to the sewer rather than drip. That did a pretty good job but we also used the campground bathrooms during the day and as much as possible (we were in bear country so I was not going to go out to walk to the bath house for my nature call at 2 AM!). We allowed the tank to dry out and the leaking stopped. TIP: In a pinch we turned off the water feed to our toilet and lined our toilet with boondocking camp toilet liner bags and improvised for the 2 day drive home when needed. These are easy enough to dispose of at rest area dumpsters.
The good, the bad…and the downright ugly!
Once back to our home RV storage barn garage we took to task removing the old (repaired) tank. These tanks come out a lot easier than they go in. We have found the toughest part is getting the discharge piping lined up and the bayonet valves in place. Those valves are actually the toughest to do- you need five pairs of hands and only have room for 1 pair in that outside compartment.
Steps to remove your black tank:
In our 1987, 32S we have a mid-bath. This means that our black tank is also under the area where our REAR Stabilizers are. These must be removed first.
PREP: Before beginning this project, if your tank has been used somewhat recently and may not be completely dried out we recommend using a Camco toilet and tank washing wand (we actually do this routinely at least 2-3 times per year when RVing part time. We will do it more frequently once we go full time). by hooking up a garden hose (not your fresh water hose) and using this pressure washing system through your toilet by holding the foot pedal down. They also make some that have a sink attachment end on a short hose. Extend the wand end down right into the tank and rotate it around all sides of the tank as much as possible. Hook up your sewer hose to drain out tank. We did this multiple times ensuring we had removed as much as we could.
Remove the belly pans underneath your black tank area. *TIP: be sure to label each of them on the underside first so you can easily see how they go back in. Sometimes you feel like you are working with a jigsaw puzzle.
Remove any insulation (ours has sheets of foam insulation bats all over the length of the trailer put in by a PO.)
Disconnect sewerage discharge pipe at the black tank opening. Keep rest of discharge piping from the elbow and as it goes through to the bayonet valve in the wet bay area.
Disconnect the vent stack connection (our 32S it is in the corner of the cabinet near the furnace)
Disconnect toilet and remove bolts and flange (should screw off with some force used)
once all pipes have been disconnected….
Unbolt the steel “L” channel that runs along the rear side of the black tank and holds it snugly to the front brace.
Remove tank slowly maneuvering it out of its location pulling down.
SOURCE FOR NEW BLACK TANKS: We were very fortunate that we were given a great tip from Chuck Cayo (recognized as a national guru on all things Avion. His family started the Avion Corp back in the day). Chuck suggested we call Pelland Enterprises. Their website is quite extensive and we were able to find the perfect replacement for our needs. The new tank is slightly smaller (shorter in length) than our original so holds perhaps a couple gallons less but the other dimensions were perfect including the location of the main discharge hole and width and height that would fit into our original location. If you have a 32S feel free to contact us for our exact model we ordered. Different trailer models and lengths will have different size needs.
Here is a diagram we made to show Pelland Enterprises exactly where we needed them to spin weld in (best way to do) the opening for our vent stack and for our toilet opening. They will do this step but be sure your measurements are clear and exact because all tanks are not returnable! We uploaded tons of photos and these drawings to them via email. Also note, it takes approximately a minimum of 6-8 weeks for delivery.
These are the waste level sensors on our old tank. If you want, Pelland will also spin weld in new connections on a new tank too. Again, make sure your diagrams are precise with measurements. BTW…we never trust the sensors! In the black tank, since it can be seen when opening/flushing the toilet we monitor the black tank levels by eye.
Once we received our new black tank, it was time for installation. Basically we reinstalled going in the reverse of our above steps. Thankfully we were able to do the pipe hook ups relatively easy this time. Once the pipes were reinstalled, we tested the tank and the connections by filling the tank with water thru the toilet pipe opening in the bathroom floor. Kevin opened the bayonet valve to discharge the black tank and we watched for any signs of leaks. All went super well. Ditto for the grey tank with similar testing to ensure no leaks in the reconnected pipes and the bayonet valves.
At the instruction from Chuck Cayo we went ahead and once again installed a marine plywood board (coated several times with a marine epoxy resin “West System*” on all sides and edges) and positioned it in place covering the entire tank bottom, and extending about a 1 inch on the rear edge. This board we strapped in with metal L brackets held in place to the frame pieces with self riveting screws. We have the some of these products we used listed on our Amazon Favorites list on our Resources & Links page on our website. TIP: Per Mr. Cayo and our own experience, it is VERY IMPORTANT to put a large board under all of your tanks to support them. Only metal strapping is not enough-even if you never travel with stuff in your tanks.
Once the pipes were all reinstalled we purchased 2″ R-10 Styrofoam insulation boards (pink) at Home Depot and cut them precisely to fit around the tank and rest of underbelly area. See photos below.
BUTTONING UP THE BELLY PAN: Once all of the layers of insulation were put in place, Kevin re-screwed in (stainless self taping screws and in some places, rivets) the belly pan sections. We have actually created a drawing showing how ours goes together including which panel goes under a neighboring one when installing. The copper gas line was installed back in place outside the belly pan area with some rubber lined clamps screwed into the aluminum pan sheets. Reminder, the gas line, by law must always be on the outside!
WET BAY FINISHING UP TIPS: Then we applied a spray in sealant foam (pest retardant type) around the openings where the grey and discharge black tank pipes come through the wet bay wall aluminum. This helps to keep rodents from accessing into the belly pan area. TIP: Be sure NOT to get this anywhere near the bayonet valve areas themselves. Also, while in this area, Kevin applied lubricant to the steal rods in the bayonet valves themselves. The best lubricant to use here is dry silicone spray and prime the rod pushing the handle in and out several times.
TOILET REINSTALL: once all the underbelly work was done we reinstalled the toilet. This was also a great time to do a deep clean of the toilet’s main discharge shoot from the bottom up to the under side of the ball valve (the thing that opens and shuts during flushing). Not a fun job but good to do when the toilet is uninstalled and then applying dry silicone gel around the toilet ball valve and replace all gaskets and seals. We also took many photos of the manufacturers labels and ordered back up parts while they are still available and we will have them on the road should a failure of some part happen. All were found on Amazon. Our toilet is Thetford Aqua Magic Plus II, porcelain bowl. The “plastic skirt” that wraps around the base is not shown in this photo
WHILE WE WERE AT IT WE ADDED A NEW FEATURE!: Since the toilet was off we also took advantage and ordered the spray hose with handle accessory and installed that before reinstalling the toilet itself. TIP– on our previous post and videos about our replumbing with PE piping we showed how we installed a shut off valve on the toilet water intake hose just to the left of the toilet base. This made removal of the toilet or any work needing to be done to it far easier than having to turn off all your water in the rig.
We hope this article may help you with some tips, or if you ever need to replace YOUR black tank. We sincerely hope that day will never come though!
If you found this article helpful please drop us a comment!
Whether you are living full time in your RV or doing just vacation travels at this point, one thing remains a constant. How to keep organized, how to fit “what you need” into a small space, how to maintain the organization you do set up.
Notice I said “what you need” NOT what you “want”. It is a hard pill to swallow- especially for those of us who have surrounded ourselves with tons of mementoes, family heirlooms, and “things” that seem to make us feel whole, cozy and satisfied in our sticks n’ bricks abodes.
My mind has been slowly but surely turning itself into preparing for that “full time mode” earnestly for at least the last 2 years. I think my grown children are still in shock that I could go from a 3000 sq ft home ( + huge storage barn) chocked with antiques, clutter and an overabundance of stuff collected for over 40 yrs of my adult life- to having all our stuff currently in a 1 bedroom 725 sq. ft. apartment!
I can credit the Marie Kondo and her KonMari method of dealing with tidying for increasing my mindfulness of living simply and with what you need rather than what you think you need/want. It becomes easier and easier to get rid of our “stuff” so it can bring pleasure, usefulness and joy to a new owner and move us ever closer to our ultimate goal of only owning what we can carry on our 8 wheels (trailer + truck) .
Am I there yet? Oh no, to be sure–when I just look around our tiny downsized apartment. We still have too much but at least right now, most of it is organized and up for sale online, or in totes marked “donate”. I try to donate a bag of clothes and/or a carton of items each week.
SO LET’S GET INTO SOME BASICS!
Some key basics of downsizing and living small that I have gathered over the past few years from fellow RVers, research and just plain living are these:
(1) Everything has a place to be stored and MUST be returned to that place immediately after use. Translation-—No more piles to be put away later– and everyone in the household must buy into this behavior!
TIP! Below is what I have done to ensure that each of us put back items used back to where they “live” for future use. Labels have especially helped remind us both what goes where! I use easy to remove green painters tape on these fabric bins (with metal frames to with hold their shape well-from Bed Bath & Beyond) this way if contents or uses change, I can easily replace with new tape labels and the painters tape does not leave any residual stickiness (at least not yet!).
(2) When at all possible items- especially in the kitchen and closet should have at LEAST 2 purposes/uses.Translation—- be creative, learn to do without to find ways to repurpose what you have rather than be lulled into marketing ploys to buy the next new gadget for your kitchen. You do not need half of the kitchen gadgets that Camping World tries to tell you that you do!
Some examples:
Rubbermaid waffle style shelf liner 6″ squares make great pads between dishes to prevent rattling BUT they also make great jar opening grips!
Our foldable, lidded storage ottoman’s are perfect shoes while the other holds my patio solar lights, picnic table cloth and string lights that we use each time we set camp. They are right by the door for easy access but also double as extra seating inside or outside (can hold up to 250# each) and pulled over to the sofa make great footrests or to hold a tray of snacks during happy hours indoors! Hey, great– that is at least 3 uses! Amazon link to see the ones we have. We have the charcoal grey.
A roll up dish draining rack makes a perfect extra countertop space during meal prep or plate set up. This is truly one of the best pieces of equipment we have bought in the past 8 years of RVing. I use it at least 2-3 times per DAY!
(3) Size Matters! Be aware of the sheer size of some items. Will they fit into your RV cabinets or drawers? Things might fit fine into a sticks n’ bricks kitchen cabinet or closets- but RV cabinets and closets are much smaller, often have curved back walls (like our Avions!) Translation—-Look for things that collapse, things that can nest into each other, smaller versions of household items, things are that a lower height on one end so they conform to the curve of your roof- magazine storage bins are a great example of these-just flip them around so the short side is towards your outside roof wall in those upper cabinets!
TIP: Here is a link to a great set of collapsible food storage containers that I use. I use them also as bowls per say to whip up things like tunafish, egg salad, etc. too! IMPORTANT NOTE: Square and rectangular storage containers fit far better ( than round bowls) and efficiently in refrigerator shelfs and storage cupboards!
(4) A Great Storage Idea for your Bathroom! Perhaps one of the hardest area of our Avion to store stuff in has been our bathroom. It is a side bath and therefore narrow and without the storage closet and cabinets we had in our rear-bath ’73 Avion. Our undersink cabinet has a lot of plumbing challenges, the shelve heights cannot handle normal sied bottles of shampoo, mouthwash, etc. and the vanity to the right where the hamper once had been also presents its challenges and certainly does not make items easy to get to (I store reserves of T-paper, paper towels and shopping bags when lifting up the hamper lid on the counter)
Recently, I happened upon a collapsible mesh toy storage hanging system at my local dollar store. It seemed the perfect thing to hang from our clothing rod in our shower to keep everyday toiletries, shampoos, etc. handy and in easy reach. After using it now on a 2 week trip–it has been great! Here is an amazon link to similar to what I purchased (for $3 at my dollar store!) Mine has all three openings on the same side so check out your own local dollar stores first!
Lastly…..
(5) Become more mindful of what you use every time you go camping….AND even more importantly what you don’t!Translation—-start a bag or box of items you find you are not using—and during each camping trip put at least a few things in there to put out at your site with a FREE marked on the carton, or donate them to a local charity. Obviously the same goes for clothing- layering is the name of the game!
Hope this little article has given you some helpful tips and inspiration! Below–I have put many of our regularly used items into a helpful shared list I created on Amazon several years ago. The link is below to find that list! (note, this is not a sponsored store, we do not get any residual from any purchases you make- its there to purely be helpful!)
CLICK THIS LINK TO OUR RESOURCES PAGE, THEN SCROLL DOWN JUST A LITTLE TO FIND OUR Amazon LIST LINK!
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 hereto 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!
DID YOU KNOW?
We AVION OWNERS rock!!
SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE: oh yeah!!!! We are SOCIAL! 🙂
There are no less than 5 online Facebook Pages solely dedicated toAvion 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!
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!
Read our blog post on how to do, tips, resources for where to get materials to replace the seals.
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.
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!
SilverAvion.com(I believe this is a static site now but has excellent resource material and links to manuals for various years, etc.)
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)
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….
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!
The Good, The Bad…the Ugly! It may not be the most glamorous topic for discussion, but keeping you and your family healthy has a direct correlation to continued enjoyment of the RV travel hobby.
The UGLY! Cross contamination of the fresh water spigot tap can cause serious illness—and contamination of your entire fresh water system! It can happen very easily, without your knowledge or even innocently on your part and it DOES happen!
Here are just a few possible CAUSES OF CONTAMINATION to your fresh water tank:
HOW DOES CONTAMINATION OF FRESH WATER HAPPEN?
Campground issues…..these are out of your control!
Campgrounds are not regularly testing their potable water supply (yes, it happens*)
Local municipal contamination, causing an emergency “boil water” advisory- especially prevalent after major storms.
Fresh water pipes could be broken underground before they get to spigot.
Improper placement of fresh water spigots by campground ownership
AND THE BIGGEST/MOST COMMON REASON?? Fresh water spigot tap contamination from a previous camper!
What YOU and OTHER CAMPERS do DOES makes a difference!
Lack of proper procedures during their black water tank flush process
Improper series/order of steps when hooking up or breaking down camp- we have seen people cleaning/rinsing their septic hose by turning on the fresh water spigot and rinsing under the water flow. Do you have any idea how much bacteria is splashing back up on to that faucet outlet??
Improper storage of your fresh water and sewer hoses
Broken, cracked, frayed hoses or couplers on hoses
There are countless conversations on facebook, YouTube and other blogs about first hand witnessing of unsanitary (for you and them) practices or lack thereof. This is serious business, ecoli infections can kill someone!
TIPS TO BE MORE SAFE WHEN USING CAMPGROUND DUMP STATIONS AND FULL HOOK UP SITES:
Always wear clean disposable gloves when doing your sewer dumping and DO NOT leave those gloves anywhere but in your own trash bag!
Put a small spray bottle of H2O with a mild bleach solution in your outside fresh water compartment. I bought a 4 inch travel size one with spritzer nozzle at Wally World for a couple of $.
Spray your bleach water solution EACH and every time you hook upand break down! Spray it on…both ends of your fresh water hose, the spigot at the campground pedestal/faucet before you hook up your hose. Spray the ends of your fresh water filter(s) too. When spraying spray around the outside and into the openings of hoses, filters, and spigot.
NEVER set the open ends of your fresh water hoses or filter ends on the ground!! NEVER NEVER! Have a helper hold them. If you must set stuff down because you are alone, then take a clean new plastic kitchen garbage bag and put that on the ground near the water spigot and lay your items on it like a carpet. Throw bag away after use.
DO NOT store your water filters in your basement storage areas. (may be ok for modern campers with large storage areas where you can have lidded plastic totes) Way too much dirt, germs and debris can find their way into them. We store ours in a clean dish pan in our shower floor or kitchen sink.
If the weather has been wet, use a paper towel or sponge to slide down the length of the fresh water hose before storing to take off mud, dirt, bugs, etc. Be sure you get all or 99% of the water out of your hoses before storing.
Always screw the two ends of your fresh water hose together so nothing can get in there while not in use. Would not hurt to again spray with the water/bleach solution before storing.
Using your water/bleach spritzer spray off your dump valves regularly. Keep them properly greased/lubed up as directed by manufacturers recommendations. Keep your storage bays as clean as possible.
Store your “stinky slinky”, septic hose in a separate area from your fresh water hose and equipment.
Have a box of gloves, a bucket of clorox wipes and paper towels always handy in that basement bay or next one over.
Consider always carrying a gerry jug (we have two 6 gals) with you filled with fresh water you know you can trust. Just in case the water from your campsite smells a little off, has high iron or sulfur content even though it may be potable. Your AM coffee will thank you!
Install an under counter fresh water filter below your faucet. There are many types from electronic to flow through traditional. We have one on our dedicated drinking water faucet. It is so good it even removed the pink dye color from the winter antifreeze!
Consider buying a Berkey Water Filtration system that sits on your counter. Found on Amazon or their dedicated Berkey site. Not cheap but great peace of mind.
and remember…..
Dump the black water tank first….then the grey water!
Put at least 4-6 or so gallons of water (depends on size of your tank or how long you will be not camping) back into your toilet and add your black tank digester. We prefer Happy Camper or Unique brands.
You do not need to use RV toilet paper….any Septic Safe labeled T-paper is fine as long as you use sufficient water each time you flush. What I tell my grandsons is if you do #2…then hold the pedal down for as long as it takes you to slowly count to at least 6.
*I recall reading numerous reviews about a campground in south western Arizona that had multiple complaints and even was shut down by their local health department due to fouled fresh water being run through pipes to their campsites. It pays to read campground reviews before you park! (NOTE: we always have at least 4-6 filled milk jugs of our own home water with us on any given trip. If anything, we use them to “flush” when boondocking or using our toilet at a rest area.
Are you bothered by the beam of light that comes through your roof vent in the morning—saying “wake up its 6 AM??”
Even though we have MaxAir Vent covers in the smoke plexiglass color we still find that the morning light coming in really robs us of some extra ZZZZ’s! So I looked for an inexpensive way to fix this issue. We do have modern Fan-tastic in our Avion, but this fix could be used with other types of roof fan vents too! A quick look on Amazon and even just Google shows there are all sorts of sizes available out there.
Then again, you could wear a sleep mask but we find them a little uncomfortable and can be hot.
Key to choosing a window shade is that it should have perforations so that you can still use the fan feature when your “shade is drawn closed”. Here is an image similar to what we purchased, on clearance at Camping World for $6.
First thing I did was cut off the actual retraction roller bar part. I did not want to have to screw that into our ceiling and felt that I would not be able to get a strong enough bond to take the pressure that was needed to “pull” the shade across our vent screen area. I left the other end intact which had a stiff rod through it and a small fastening area (on left end below). I felt this would add some stability as this would be the end that will be unrolled/rolled up to stow the mesh.
I used the Scotch brand traditional velcro squares below. I did NOT use the heavy duty click together type which the velcro adheres far more permanently to your surface and these are usually what I use for far heavier items.
Shade with retraction part cut off (right edge). Velcro squares is what I used to attach rear end of shade to vent trim in our bedroom ceiling.
I then applied 3 pairs of 1″ white velcro squares on the cut end of the mesh.
When I work with velcro I match up the two parts of the velcro first, then remove the clear plastic sheet to expose the sticky side on one side- afix into place where I want it. On this project that was all done on the kitchen counter. Then when I am ready to install I peel off the clear plastic protector on the other ends and push entire thing into place. This method takes the guess work out of trying to line each piece up properly.
This cut off end will be attached to the rear edge of the vent shroud trim piece. I did not use removable velcro squares but you can find them in 3M product lines, though they might be rectangular and thinner- they will work. The mesh piece is not heavy so HD velcro is not needed. In the photo below you can see the 3 sets of pairs of velcro.
NOTE: I chose to put the black side of the mesh towards the roof vent. I felt that having the white exposed to our bedroom would make the mesh far less noticeable on the ceiling –as I plan to just roll it up and stow it on the ceiling. If you prefer, with using the velcro squares it is just as easy to take down completely when not in use- but the velcro will wear out quicker. The instructions on the package if used in a car application said the white to the outside, black to the inside of the car.
When you go to install the velcro squares to the fan trim piece be sure that trim piece is really clean. Ideally clean with a little rubbing alcohol first, and dry to ensure a great seal of the sticky back velcro.
Three pairs of velcro squares spaced evenly at corners and center. This photo shows the mesh hanging down. Notice I opted to put the black side to face the vent screen. The width as bought was perfect, no cutting needed! Pardon the dusty screen on fan!
Next step for me was to hold those velcro tabs in place a bit just to ensure they are well bonded to the plastic wide fan flange. I let the mesh hang for about 15 minutes as part of this process.
Next step was to hold up and extend the shade, using the original tab on the end that has the bar reinforcement in the hem. I held it up as taught as possible but not so tight to put pressure on the 3 sets of velcro on other end nor to obstruct or push against the rotator motor that hangs down.
Once I found that right point, I installed one more sticky back velcro square to the ceiling and one to the top side of that tab so the mesh would stay in place covering the vent screen area. There is still plenty of “air space” gap on each side so that the vent works properly. Using velcro here makes it easy to open the mesh to take down or to make adjustments on the fan controls if necessary when mesh is deployed.
Pictures of the complete install are below– Since the white side faces down and it is so light weight, I rolled it up and secured it with two blue laundry clamps, like clothes pins that I had handy. I will buy some small white ones to use permanently. As it stands right now, we plan to keep the mesh rolled up and on the ceiling and unroll as needed. Not the prettiest of hacks, but we believe this will surely solve the problem of sun beams on our face!
Total project time, about 15 minutes.
Black out mesh screen fully deployed. The little fold in one edge was how it came from package.
Finished with use for the day, simply roll up and clip to itself inside ends. I will replace these make do blue clips with smaller white ones soon!
Materials needed:
Pull down style car window sun blocking mesh screen
Scissors (to cut off retractor bar end and trim mesh if needed)
White Velcro sticky back squares (3M makes removable ones too!)
If you do this project, please let us know and post pictures of your own to inspire others!!!!
As always, stay safe, have wonderful journeys and hug your Avion!
With the exception of TIRES….the project that seems to get the most play on any of the Avion Forums, Facebook pages and Instant messaging is “what and how do I fix my windows that look like this??
We have had countless requests to create this comprehensive project blog post so here it goes. Included is step by step “how-to’s”, where to buy materials, videos, tips and tricks!
By no means are we professionals at this-we just love our Avion and want to make her whole. We make mistakes, we try to help others to not make those same mistakes if we can avoid it…but there are some folks on the Avion facebook pages and forums that have done 2, 3, 4. 6 makeovers of Avion windows who should and could be tapped for their expertise too!
(BELOW IS WHAT OUR 1987 32S LOOKED LIKE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT IN MARCH 2020)
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
This is what our windows looked like AFTER we finished (or nearly finished) our project
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
First...assemble the tools we suggest you have handy:
Heat gun (a hand held hair blow drier will work in a pinch)
Power screwdriver
Heavy duty scissors, or kitchen shears
Needle nose pliers
Set of picks (blue handles) (can be found at big box hardware stores)
also, not pictured but needed…..
Tape measure (we have found best to have a cloth measuring tape AND a regular metal measuring tape
Phillips screwdriver (in case, like with ours, the screw cover had been screwed down to hold in place after shrinkage from age had started to pull away corners)
Can of Pam cooking spray, to help lubricate the tracks before inserting new trim
Rages, shop cloths or disposable wipes & cleaner (we use GoJo Brand Workshop/Garage Hand wipes. They have a ruff side but it does not hurt aluminum skin or window tracks, but really removes grease, grime and goo from window tracks.
NOTE: For the purpose of this blog post I am going to refer to the window glass bead as “trim” and the trim that goes around the outside of later model Avions like ours (87) as the “screw cover”. The Glass Bead is what term to look for on the sites linked below that sell the right stuff. The glass bead is the rubber trim that pushes into place that sits and hugs the glass of your window. Don’t ask me why they call is a bead…it is far from that in my book…it is trim. but using the right terms, Glass Bead and Screw Cover will keep you out of trouble, especially when trying to locate the stuff online or speaking with someone at these companies.
IMPORTANT TIPS- SOME OF THESE WE LEARNED THE HARD WAY!
(Don’t skip this part please!)
Do this project when weather is warm so old trim and new is as pliable as possible.
Take your cloth measuring tape, and measure each window around the metal trims- both the bead trim and the screw cover if applicable. Using a cloth measuring tape makes it easier to loosely measure window curved corners. Get that total for each project and ADD 10-15 feet for safe measure.
Pro Tip (ha ha) make a schematic of your trailer NOW and write down each glass bead trim track and if you have them, screw cover track length for each window. This will help in installation steps to follow. ADD 2-3 INCHES TO EACH OVERALL LENGTH!
Always order at least 10-15 extra feet over what you think you need. You are going to screw up your measurements or the 45 degree corner angles , etc. on occasion.
Do NOT take any old trim off until you are ready to tackle that particular window. This we found was especially critical with the curved front and back windows. We did not know this, removed all trim and over a few weeks of very hot 90 degree summer weather, the curved/bent glass pieces shifted down. We had to manual slide them back into place and shim them to be able to get new trim into the tracks again.
We do not recommend microwaving (some do!) or laying out your new trim in the sun unless the temps outside are cold and you need to warm up the rubber to get it pliable. The concern with heating new trim up too much is you do NOT want to stretch the trim as you are putting it in because once it cools it will shrink back to its normal length causing you problems in corners and seam areas.
We do recommend using the 3M trim adhesive we will show in our steps. We used this in all radius corners (rounded corners) as well as wherever seams butted up against each other (both under the trim as well as over top the seams). This product is linked in our Amazon product list on our Resource/Links page. We used just over (1) 5 oz tube for our ’32 foot trailer. We did end up buying that second tube for like the last window, but this stuff will come in handy down the road for sure!
This project requires strong finger strength. There is no way around it. Kevin was the only one with the finger strength to get especially the glass bead (the trim that sits against the windows) to seat in properly. I had no problem putting in the screw cover which is in the outside track. Be ready for finger cramping at night!
Use continuous lengths of trim for each window. Do not piece together unless you absolutely have to. The more seams you introduce the more likely you will have failures and leaks. Some of the curved windows will required a straight side piece and then one continuous piece for the rest-for example the curved front and, if you have them the rear side windows. On our 32S we also had the small little windows underneath our picture window in salon.
This is our 1973. Note the trim piece on right is a straight piece with 45 degree angle cut corners . The rest is one continuous piece around the two curved outside corners.
When you receive your ordered new trim, dry fit a small piece in each window track to be sure you have ordered the right stuff. We found out the hard way (too!) that our front and rear large windows with curved side glass pieces had a very slightly different trim profile than ALL of the other windows.
We highly recommend using the fill-able syringe we have on our Resource Page to put the 3M Black Adhesive into so you can create a small exact bead of goo to put into track corners and at butted seams. I snip off the first 1/8″ to use with Parbond and with this 3M material otherwise the tip as it is made is so tiny, its really tough to push this thick material through.
Here I am using the fill able syringe with Parbond to fill any open unused screw holes left when we removed the original screw cover rubber trim that lays outside the window. This screw cover is not on earlier models (e.g.our 73 did not have) but was on our 1987
STEP # 1: ORDERING THE RIGHT TRIM FOR YOUR TRAILER WINDOWS
Decide what trim, for your model year Avion (or other vintage trailer for that matter) you are going to need. Here is what we ordered and from whom for our 1987 Avion 32S window project. (Caution! this may or may not be what you need depending on year!) You can use the resources we have listed below to take a bit of your old trim you have cut off to measure and try to match up with the product #s online. For best search…you may want to actually SEND the company a sample and let their in house folks match you up with the right stuff you need.
Interstate and Pelland are the two we have dealt with the most. They have very good customer service, thank goodness because their websites are really pretty bad!
(at the very end of this post we will show you specific links to the product #s and sources that we used on our ’73 28 Foot LaGrande Model and our ’87 32S model)
Vintage Trailer Supply (great source, but for trim they are limited and often sadly out of stock of many items these days) https://vintagetrailersupply.com/
STEP 2: REMOVE OLD TRIM OFF A WINDOW AND PREP IT FOR NEW TRIM
Like with many or all projects, good surface preparation is key to a good finished product that will last.
We found removing the Rock Guard really makes working on the front window much easier, but the rock guard can be left on if needed. To remove your rock guard, check for any set screws in the upper track used to prevent guard from sliding out inadvertently. To remove guard really is best done with 2 people on step stools. Lift guard open up to an angle where the person (normally on the left) can begin to slide the guard out to the left along that upper track. Keep sliding, the person on the right may have to help it over the bend of the guard on the end a little by flexing it out if possible or giving it a nudge, its going to be tight getting it past that point. Continue to slide guard off which ever end of the track it feels most wanting to slide to. We have found the person who helped on the right, needs to run around with their step stool to join the person on the left to guide it off due to overall length. You do NOT want to bend this guard out of shape nor have it snap or crack. They are nearly impossible to find original replacements for !
(1) Remove old trim from the window you plan to work on today. You may need a screw driver or needle nose pliers to pry it out and away from window track. Do not bend metal track! We highly suggest KEEP all the old Trim…at least for now! See photo capture to learn why!
Keep your old trim for now! bundle it in froggy tape, mark which window it came from! Case in point, we could not find the front/rear trim in time for our rally so we “Frankenstein-ed” back the old trim putting it back in and used 3M to hold it in again. AND the black top trim piece we needed is back ordered…so we had to reuse that for now too! Lessons learned!
(2) Use cloths, scrubbies and a cleaner to get out all gunk, goo, bugs, etc from metal track. Again, we use GoJo Brand Shop Wipes which are pre-moistened with a cleaner designed to remove grease, grime but are made for hands-so no harsh chemicals.
(3) Remove any unnecessary screws (in the case of the screw cover, remove any exterior screws that were put in to hold old trim stuff on. You will NOT be putting screws into the new trim.
(4) Fill any unneeded “screw holes” made from old screws with Parbond or similar. If there is obvious gaps in where the metal tracking butts up against each end, you can fill that slightly too. The premise is we want to close up any unnecessary holes that can allow water into the trailer walls.
(5) CHECK YOUR WEEP HOLES! This is a great time to check your weeping holes on most windows. They will typically appear as 2 small holes or square slots at bottom of the window on the tracks. These allow any water that does get in to “weep” out of the holes rather than “seep” into your Avion wall! I take a small pick or a screwdriver or large pipe cleaner and stick it in each weep hole to clean out grime, bugs and debris. This cleaning of weep holes can become part of annual (spring and fall) or monthly maintenance routine depending on where you are camping!
(6) Now is the time to do any black paint touch ups on the metal track that may have been chipped off or clean up any rust and repaint. We used basic Semi-gloss Black Rustoleum brush on paint and a small brush.
STEP 3: READY TO APPLY THE WINDOW GLASS BEAD (Sore Finger alert!)
(1) Take your cloth measuring tape again if you had not written down how many inches the tracks are for each window. Get your complete measurement of the bead track. Add at least 2-3 inches to that measurement. Yes, there may be some waste but if you cut to short trust me you will have FAR more waste in the end.
(2) Start at either one of the bottom corners OR the center, depending on how the original one was done. For all corners you will be doing a 45 degree “picture frame” fit. I cut it by eye but if you are a stickler for precision, I guess you can find some angle tool to help you measure it. (I do the angle cutting, Kevin would need the angle tool!) You can try to push the rubber glass bead in without using Pam spray first. If it goes in, it will require a bit of pushing with strong fingers and putting it in on a slight angle into the track first then laying it flat to the window. You may need to use the Bone Tool or a pick to get it in to some places. Here is a video we shot doing our 1973 Avion which really shows the technique that works best to get the trim in and snug to the window glass itself.
(3) The whole KEY to doing this right is to push back on the material as you push it in. This is to ensure the material will sustain its integrity and length for as long as possible once exposed to heat, sun, wind and weather changes. You do NOT want to stretch it, you want it to be in there really tight and seated into the corners, bends and butted seams. At the seams, we apply a little 3M underneath the two ends and really back off that finishing end so that the butting is very very tight. In the corners, the same thing. Cutting each end on that 45, cut it a little long and use the pick tool to force those pointed ends down inside the metal track corners too.
(4) Use the 3M Adhesive (or we used clear Parbond on the ’73) to seal those seamed joints well.
(5) Step back and take a look. If you see some areas bulging a little, go back over them with your fingers, or the Bone Tool to get them to lay flat. The bead should lay very tightly on the window glass if installed properly. (Annually check those butted seams and corners and fill with e.g. that black 3M as needed.
STEP # 4: INSTALLING THE SCREW COVER TRIM- EASY PEASY!!
Now for the far easier part! The screw cover really goes in quite easily. This is where we did use Pam spray to lube the track on some windows, while others seemed not to need it at all.
Again, the use of the screw covers on the Hehr windows was not in play until we believe the 1980’s. We also cannot vouge for fact that all screw cover product #’s are the same, so again, look at a piece of your original, measure the profile end and look at the vendors to get the right stuff. Be sure it is rubber…NOT vinyl! Although our Ebay Source (below) advertises the product we ordered as “vinyl” it is clearly a rubber product. Both are sold as screw cover, but vinyl is really sold more for boating and will not be able to bend around your radius curves. Screw cover trim is far easier to find as it is in regular use today on boats, cargo trailers, etc.
(1) Using your window measurement of that outside track with that added “fudge length” adding 2-3 inches. Cut your rubber screw cover.
(2) if you have not already prepped, cleaned, touch up painted your screw cover metal track do that now. Fill in any holes from removed exterior screws with Parbond or similar. Sand off rust, carefully repaint with black Rustoleum paint
(3) We found all screw covers on our 87 started at center bottom with a straight butted two ends together seam.
(4) To start, we put a small bit of 3M adhesive on the side we started with, then “clicked/pushed” the screw cover into place going around radius corners. We put a bead (using the syringe) around EACH CORNER RADIUS bend too! These corners are where you will see pop out first from age/sun shrinkage. Having an adhesive in there should help prolong life.
Above photo closeup of the OLD Screw cover. A previous owner-we suspect the one in FL had put screws in through the rubber in an attempt to hold the rubber in place on each seamed corner and radius curve. By doing this you are essentially creating holes for water to get in and to penetrate behind the screw cover “seal” and leak into your window track and ultimately possibly into your walls. When you feel the need to put screws in like this….DON’T— just simply buy new screw cover and install!
(5) Kevin found the Bone Tool very helpful by flattening out the screw cover rubber and really forcing those little hooked ends into the metal track to grip well. (see video below)
ANOTHER TIP TO SHARE: When applying the glass bead AND the screw cover it really helps to have a second person who can keep the remaining trim above or at least level with the shoulder of the person applying the trim into the windows. This prevents the drag of gravity trying to pull down on the excess material and helps the install. If you don’t have a second person, then at least lay the excess over your shoulders to lessen the gravity drag downward and fighting against you trying to install “upwards” which you have to do to do this project right!
(5) Again, just like with the glass bead, you want to NOT stretch this screw cover. During the install keep pushing it back slightly upon itself, especially around the radius corners so you are getting as much trim in as the track can hold.
(6) Butting the ends together, cut long and trim slightly as needed but to ensure a really tightly butted seam. We lay some 3M adhesive on the final few inches of the trim before we do the final cut and butting of the raw edges. Make sure those edges are straight for the neatest look.
(7) Apply a thin bead of 3M black adhesive over top of this seam as well.
This new glass bead if installed correctly should last in normal conditions at least 8-15 years or more. Of course, if you are in hot weather states in the summer and your trailer is outdoors, the longevity may be less. We know that the glass bead on ours was at least 20 years or more old and may have even been original. Our trailer was bought new in FL, lived in FL till 2012 then sold and moved to PA. Was stored outdoors.
WHAT SPECIFIC PRODUCTS WE ORDERED FOR OUR 1973 AND OUR 1987 AVIONS AND WHO WE ORDERED FROM! This may or may not be what you need! Do your research, purchase sample kits or ask them to send you a sample or buy a foot of what you think you need FIRST!
Special note-JULY 2020: We have yet to find the correct new replacement glass bead for our curved front and rear windows. We are sending a sample to a Pelland and Interstate to get them to ID and select correct one. When we get it, we will update this post with that info! All other materials that have worked for us are listed below with links to products and their distributors.
1987- Used for all curb and streetside windows AND for the straight inner trim on front and rear curved windows on each side of our jalousie center windows.
SOURCE DETAILS: EBAY SELLER – She is excellent to deal with. Responds directly to questions, ships super fast. Very good transactions. Her “store” is full of various trims, etc. for RVs and Boats.
Search for: BLACK RV Trailer Thick Vinyl 3/4″ Insert Trim Mold Flexible Screw Cover 100 Ft.
July 2020 Selling for 100 feet @ $72.95 with FREE shipping!
She does sell it in various precut length hanks. Buy what you need, and then some!
NOTE: Be sure to order the correct ” Thick Vinyl 3/4 inch”. She has a lot of various similar trims in her Ebay Store. We did not order the thick stuff the first time and it was way to thin and would not have held up in the track for long and would have fallen out on the road.
So that’s it. This is hopefully a very helpful post to all who need repairs or total replacements of their window trims. The project is worth taking on. Window and seams areas are the leading source of water damage to vintage trailers.
We hope we have helped you on your journey! We love feedback so please leave a comment!
Safe travels! Hope to meet you on the road or at a rally someday!
What are you doing at 7 PM (EST) on Tuesday nights?
Join us for a live, virtual chat ZOOM meeting with fellow Avioner’s from all over the USA (and the world)!
If it is one thing that this Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic has taught me, it is how to connect virtually with people in meaningful ways despite not being with them in person.
For my work, I have become very proficient at hosting live ZOOM meetings (you can start a basic Zoom account for free!) and have found that these LIVE virtual in-person meetings have enabled my colleagues, friends and family members to share stories, tips, timely topics and even share documents, photos, etc. in a meaningful easy way. SO WHY NOT DO IT WITH AVION OWNERS? LET’S GET TOGETHER TO “TALK AVION!”
SO…..Kevin and I are launching “Avion Tuesday Talks” –weekly topic — live chats via ZOOM at 7 PM (EST). Each week, we will have one manageable topic and hope to attract long time Avion owners to brand new owners….and everyone in between. Even members of any of the Avion Facebook groups who are still “in the market to buy their first Avion” are welcomed.
Suggestions for future topic talks are always welcomed by shooting us an email, posting a suggestion on our facebook page or posting a comment on this blog anytime!
NOTE: These meetings are best joined by you using a laptop with built in camera and speakers. PC’s with audio and video are fine too. Cell phones are ok but a little clunky to get the best experience.
My Pewter Palace Zoom account can handle up to 95 attendees. Right now, I am also doing just the free subscription so our chat can only be 35 minutes (yup, i know i will have to put the timer on!). If this catches on, we will explore upgrading to the paid service where longer 1 hr chats can be done. But lets crawl….before we walk and see if the interest among Avioners is there first!
HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD! You can find the events listed by date on ourPewter Palace facebook page under the “events” tab. This is where the topic of the week will be listed as well as the direct link info to log in and then join us at 7 PM.
Not familiar with Zoom?? It is super easy to learn and use! Here is a terrific tutorial to view before your first live Zoom meeting! Watch now!
Adventures with a Vintage Avion Luxury Travel Trailer
LOOKING FOR AVION RALLIES TO ATTEND? 
ThePewterPalace-Our Love Affair with Avions 