Rear Bath remods.

[quartzsitebruce]

I, too, and discovering the way things have been put together in my Avion. This is what has caused me to rethink some of the things that I originally wanted to do. Just like remodeling a house, you always run into the unexpected! Fortunately my floor looks to be in excellent condition except where you can see there has been water leaking around the window areas. But sealing around the windows should take care of that problem and the damage to the floor is not really that bad. My best friend has experience in remodeling automobiles, so I have his expertise at hand. Having decided not to use the trailer this summer has relieved a lot of stress. I am no longer Under Pressure to get things done. Right now I am completely stripping the floor down to the plywood. The previous owner had used cheap plank flooring that stuck to the original vinyl and when I pulled the planks up the vinyl sheeting came up with it leaving the paper backing behind. I am using a Wagner Power Steamer used to remove wallpaper to take up the paper backing. It is working really well.
I am looking forward to eventually getting on the road and meeting some of the people from this forum. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

[osullivan]

just a quick question to clarify... And please be kind as I am new to the Avion World.... Are we talking about the interior walls being aluminum panels with a vinyl coating that could be removed? I've seen videos of the other A.... trailers that had such by my wife has me convinced our 83 34 is not that was.... Please advise. thanks.

[silverloaf]

I can’t quite ourselves camping inside an aluminum “can. But I have seen pics of trailers with the vinyl wallpaper removed.

I surmise they used a heat source to soften up the glue. Attempting to score the wallpaper would leave deep scratches in the bare aluminum. Whatever the case, the labor time must have been staggering.

The vinyl material is very tough. During our restoration process, I don’t recall any wall where the wall paper had delaiminated from themetal.

However, We were forced to paint ours courtesy of previous owners who were heavy smokers. The finished walls retained the linen texture from before.

By the way, the interior partition walls have a plywood core rather than aluminum.

[osullivan]

Has anyone done a custom shower build in the rear? Our shower/tub base was shot and thus we have a blank slate work off of. The big question I'm facing is how to deal with the corner curve and weight. I'm not looking to do tile like some Airstream jobs have done, but what are some other flexible options out there? Any thoughts?

You can see in the photo where we currently are.

[silverloaf]

Has anyone done a custom shower build in the rear? and thus we have a blank slate work off of. The big question I'm facing is how to deal with the corner curve and weight. I'm not looking to do tile like some Airstream jobs have done, but what are some other flexible options out there? Any thoughts?

You can see in the photo where we currently are.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "Our shower/tub base was shot". Have you considered restoring what you have or finding a better one from a scrap trailer?

[osullivan]

The floor was cracked in multiple places and then cigarette stained also. So it now no longer exists.

[silverloaf]

You might want to give Chuck Cayo of Cayo Trailer Repair a call. 269-463-5068. Chuck’s relatives founded Avion. He might have a lead on a good used tub/shower.

Should you choose to create something, bear in mind it is near impossible to re-locate the tub drain. The drain and trap nest in a pocket between the main frame and black tank. The pipe then parallels the frame to the gray tank which is roughly located under the beds.

You also realize the bath sink drain parallels the wall of the tub and then tees into the tub drain. Avion used every inch of space get the drains to work.

Had I more time, I would have considered a narrow partition wall between the vanity and the tub. The wall would run from front to back and terminate where one steps into the tub. It would mean reworking the vanity for partition clearance. But encapsulating the tub/shower would keep the water in the tub, not in places where rot could occur.

Removing the belly pan under the tub will give you a clearer understanding of the challenges.

[quartzsitebruce]

Greetings!
Sorry that I haven't posted in quite awhile, but other priorities have come up to occupy my time. Besides, it is ALWAYS above 105F this time of year in the Arizona desert. Don't feel like being in an aluminum sweat lodge.

Just an update on my bathroom remodel... I decided to completely remove the existing countertop, cabinet and sink. I have a cabinet maker that will be here when it is cooler and we will design and construct a more "contemporary" cabinet, etc. As for the tub/shower, I found a refinisher that will repair a small crack in the outer tub wall and apply a 7-layer epoxy coating to most of the tub/shower. It has a 10 year warranty and comes in 40 different colors/finishes. Will probably use the same finish for the bathroom countertop and probably the kitchen countertop. Where the vinyl "wallpaper" is will be covered with 1" glass squares attached to a 12"x12" plastic webbing (found at Home Depot and reasonably priced and light-weight), using a vinyl adhesive and grout designed for bathrooms and backsplashes. Mold resistant and flexible for road-worthiness. Again, will probably use the same tiles as the backsplash for the bathroom and kitchen.
I will post photos of the new vinyl plank floor I had installed after completely removing the old vinyl flooring.
Happy Trails to all. Keep up the good work and postings to help us make our Avions the "A" Team!

[Razorback]

Sounds like a great plan, Bruce. Can’t wait to see it!

[Razorback]

Sounds like a great plan, Bruce. Can’t wait to see it!