AVION Travel Trailers

Started full timing 4 days ago. Rode out hurricane sally last night unscathed. It got kinda hairy right before daylight, and I was cussing myself for not hauling ass. Fourth hurricane I’ve been through...first one in a house on wheels. I won’t be doing that again, if I can help it. Working on a contingency plan if the need arises.

Oh, boy!!! That is too much excitement for me! I am glad you are safe! Keep us posted on your full-timing adventure. I could easily full-time in our Avion...... as long as it was sitting in/beside a 5000 sq. ft. shop building!

My wife and I were in Baton Rouge when that recent hurricane flattened Lake Charles. I had my eyes on the forecast and was ready to head northeast a ways if needed. As it turned out, we were on the far-eastern side of that one. Only saw 25-30 mph winds and some rain.

I was looking at your post on sealing the roof, and wondered the best way to move around on the roof?

I use an extension ladder to get on the roof, then step along the rivet lines/ribs. The Avion is much stronger than a hack-cough-gag-stream , so you don’t have to worry So much about walking on the roof. If you really want to protect the roof, you could use pieces of plywood or Masonite (do they still make that stuff!!????) to distribute the weight.

Thanks for the info. It hasn’t stopped raining here yet and looks like it’s here for the week. I’ve found a persistent leak that leak that shows itself curbside at the junction of the side to side ceiling seam at the aft end of the a/c unit, down to the end to end seam that runs the length of the trailer. The water is running forward to the next side to side seam that is located right before the front cabinet. Not a drip drip, but you can see it. I said all of that to say all of this: I’m going to get a roll of eternal bond tape, but correct me if I’m wrong, rerubber is sealer/primer that I’m thinking will seal the seams, etc. if I have a clean dry surface. So no need for tape, except for emergency patches...or do I need parabond and tape before rerubber. Just trying to come up with the best solution since I’m living in the Avion and there ain’t a roof in sight.

I covered the roof seams and each rivet on our Avion first with Eternabond Alumibond 4" tape. Years later is when I came across the reRubber products, so I applied that over the tape.

Thinking of your situation, I would still recommend covering the seams with both..... might be overkill, but you'll never have to worry about those seams leaking again. My main thought there is that over time, will the coating ever develop cracks along the seams from the constant heat/cold/heat/cold? Who knows..... I doubt it, really.... but I'm 100% sure it will never leak with the tape/reRubber.

Order 2 50' rolls of the Eternabond. You'll have about 1/2 a roll left over.... if you're like me, you'll find uses for it over the years. It doesn't "go bad" sitting on the shelf.

Get a new seal for the roof-to-AC opening to use when you do the roof work. The AC comes apart rather easily.

Sounds like a plan. Like you I’d rather lean towards overkill than have to redo down the road. Thanks. I’ll try to post before and after pics. I just need a dry spell.

Finally a rainless day so up on the roof I went. I’ve got the Eternabond AlumiBond ordered. Pulled the a/c covers off pretty clean. Got a new roof gasket, but will probably wait until next week when the tape gets here. Here’s a few pics.

I must be losing my mind. While looking at the roof I noticed an aluminum patch/cover on the front roadside roof. Has anyone ever found this or is it “aftermarket”?No signs of having cool seal around it. Any idea what would be accessed from there?

Doesn’t look factory and I can’t imagine what would be there except for a misplace vent stack judging by its size.

One sure way to tell if it was a booboo from the factory is if the rivets are bucked or not. Look carefully as Olympic rivets are designed to looked like bucked rivets but they’ll have a telltale circle on the head.

Either way, that looks like a good candidate for a leak.
Others are:
Rock guard rail
Awning rails
Marker lights
Vent stacks (you may consider replacing the little shrouds on these if they are the plastic ones like on airstreams)
And of course any other penetration...

Ian