Posts

Sealing the 1966 Avion

-
Image
Background When looking over the Avion I found that in many places there was remnants of old brittle sealant. I am not quite sure if the long seems at the endcaps and panels were sealed from the outside at the factory but since there were some small leaks I decided to do them all. The caulking around the windows for sure needed an update. I also found that the roof was covered with something that looked liked a mix of tar and horse hair and the material had several small cracks.   Materials:  Sealant : There is 2 recommended,  Vulkem 116 (Amazon) or TremPro 635 (Vintage Trailer Supplies) both in grey. Regular silicone or bathroom sealants are not for RVs. TremPro feels much like a regular sealant while Vulkem has a more grainy texture and dries a bit harder. Vulkem can be removed with isopropanol or ethanol while soft, it is moisture curing and has a long list of hazard warnings. I like Vulkem a bit better, although TremPro claims it's the modern replacement for Vulkem....
Post a Comment
Read more

Making our 1966 Avion shine (but not shiny)

-
Image
Background   When we got our 1966 H-24 it had lots of "character". A previous owner tried to polish it and it seems he tried several things. There were polish marks on the top, some of the front and back corner panels had damaged anodizing and he even tried sandpaper on one panel. Further it had an attack of artillery fungus and brown freckles all over and the typical uneven anodizing with runs under the window. I like this patina and the original look and would never paint it but wanted to make it look more even and brighter. Before starting I removed the artillery fungus dimples with plastic razor blades and sealed all the seams with Vulkem 116 and TremPro 635. The corner panel anodizing is very damaged Brightening it up  The 1963 and later Avion models are anodized and can not be polished to a shiny finish like an Airstream (at least not without a huge effort -see link below). Nevertheless the anodized aluminum gets oxidized and dirty over the years and becomes gray and da...
Post a Comment
Read more