Aviators, Post Your Mods! - Page 4

cjearle2 · 02-24-2016, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackhat6mike

Actually I live in a gated golf course community with rules up the wazoo. A lot of retired CEOs and corp. execs that have nothing to do but complain about everyone else. Not my idea of an ideal place to live but the investment potential is great. I would love to have 10 acres somewhere near here, but DW says she would not feel secure when I wasn't around. Granted there is little to no crime here on the island but I don't worry about that. Our last home didn't even have locks on the doors. Times have changed.
Being a firearms instructor, nobody causes me any trouble. I've trained 6 residence in the use of home defence firearms and tactics and the word just seemed to get around. Works for me.

That is the reason we are moving back to AL. The communities in Nevada are mostly HOA! The Crime there is horrible and we were already broke into. The Hoa's you can't breath with out someone reporting you. You don't dare leave your door unlocked, house or car for one second. So moving back to our property where I can leave the door unlocked and not worry. So glad we did not sell it. Going to build a barn so we can park our camper in it.

KenHwy61 · 03-09-2016, 01:49 PM

I wanted to share the two Forest River PDF sales brochures for the Aviator line-up I have on my computer. They nicely display the features that made them so unique. One even shows the Spirit of St. Louis trailer although it was never actually built. Probably hard to find now so I want to archive these on the forum before I lose them.

cjearle2 · 03-09-2016, 04:49 PM

We did get our Aviator back but not with out some problems. Hopefully we can fix it so we can enjoy it and have them fixed again at Goshen. Can not camp in it the way it is. UGH!
__________________

KenHwy61 · 03-09-2016, 05:16 PM

What is wrong?

cjearle2 · 03-09-2016, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenHwy61

What is wrong?

After leaving Goshen we stopped at a rest area. We did a walk around to make sure the camper is ok before getting back on the road. I noticed the front was open. SO I shut it and pulled on it so it appeared to locked.
As we approached a toll plaza a truck was honking it horn at us the door was open again.
SO we drove till it was safe to pull over. I went thru the back door to see if I could dead bolt the door front the inside because it would not turn from the outside. The door will not dead bolt because, it will not go in the striker plate. The dead bolt is now about a !/8 " below the hole. SO we got a small rope and tied the door to the sink faucet. We were to far from Goshen and my husband had to get back to work. We stopped at cracker barrel and got a better look at it and noticed the top hinge is bent and the door is out of alignment.

KenHwy61 · 03-09-2016, 05:51 PM

The striker plate is somewhat adjustable so you may want to try that. I also had some problems with the latch and the door popping open. I replaced the factory latch with a RV lock brand latch. Works very good with no more issues. The factory door hinges are riveted are on and look a little hard to replace but I think they are aluminum and might be fairly easy to bend back into shape. Too bad you don't live closer as I would be happy to help fix those little things that are causing you such big headaches!

cjearle2 · 03-09-2016, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenHwy61

The striker plate is somewhat adjustable so you may want to try that. I also had some problems with the latch and the door popping open. I replaced the factory latch with a RV lock brand latch. Works very good with no more issues. The factory door hinges are riveted are on and look a little hard to replace but I think they are aluminum and might be fairly easy to bend back into shape. Too bad you don't live closer as I would be happy to help fix those little things that are causing you such big headaches!

Awe! Thank you. Yes we noticed the hinges are riveted. When my husband gets back from over seas. He is going to take a block and try to straightened the hinge. You can tell the door is out of alignment really bad.
Just frustrating. Want to so bad use it one time with out issues. It is a beautiful TT.

KenHwy61 · 03-09-2016, 07:38 PM

Well how did the rest of it turn out? Was the paint good and the other repairs ok? I do believe once you get the bugs worked out it will be awesome. It took some work to get there, but to give you hope I had no problems at all last year.

cjearle2 · 03-09-2016, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenHwy61

Well how did the rest of it turn out? Was the paint good and the other repairs ok? I do believe once you get the bugs worked out it will be awesome. It took some work to get there, but to give you hope I had no problems at all last year.

We guess everything is good. Will not know until we can take it out and use it. When we pick it up some one back into the power jack and broke it all to pieces. They had to take it back in the factory and replace the power Jack.
Paint looks real good. With all the salt on the roads up there, we had it detailed when it was put into the storage facility. We sure hope so. Would really like to be able to use it with out problems. You ought to try and go to Goshen this year. Registration opens end of March.

KenHwy61 · 03-09-2016, 08:30 PM

I'm glad the rest seems good. If you have any other issues let me know. I have taken most of my Aviator apart so I know pretty well where everything is and how it was put together on the Wright-Flyers. One thing to look for is it has been common for water to leak from behind the dump valve/flush compartment and appear on the bathroom floor. Not too hard to fix though. I would love to make it to Goshen but not being retired it is hard to get enough time off to get there. Someday I hope meet up with you and other owners maybe somewhere in the Florida panhandle area. Spending most of our summer days off on our site on lake Superior. Beat the heat this summer and come on up!

Grand Marais Camping Marina RV on Lake Superior

cjearle2 · 03-09-2016, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenHwy61

I'm glad the rest seems good. If you have any other issues let me know. I have taken most of my Aviator apart so I know pretty well where everything is and how it was put together on the Wright-Flyers. One thing to look for is it has been common for water to leak from behind the dump valve/flush compartment and appear on the bathroom floor. Not too hard to fix though. I would love to make it to Goshen but not being retired it is hard to get enough time off to get there. Someday I hope meet up with you and other owners maybe somewhere in the Florida panhandle area. Spending most of our summer days off on our site on lake Superior. Beat the heat this summer and come on up!

Grand Marais Camping Marina RV on Lake Superior

We will have to try and plan to come up there. Never ever been that way.

KenHwy61 · 03-09-2016, 09:19 PM

Lots to see along the north shore of lake Superior. Lighthouses and scenic state parks. Best weather is July-August with highs in the 70s but also the most crowded time as well.

Tall Ships® Duluth 2016

cjearle2 · 03-09-2016, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenHwy61

Lots to see along the north shore of lake Superior. Lighthouses and scenic state parks. Best weather is July-August with highs in the 70s but also the most crowded time as well.

Tall Ships® Duluth 2016

I will do some research on it and talk with Jim. See if we can plan a trip up there this summer.

KenHwy61 · 03-09-2016, 09:45 PM

That sounds good. Someday we will get an Aviator group rally figured out. Got so many places I want to visit but work keeps getting in the way!

KenHwy61 · 03-13-2016, 09:36 PM

I have a hard time hearing the bedroom tv especially if the Maxx fan or a/c is running. So while I have the bottom underbelly cover off I ran RCA cables down from the tv, under the camper and up between the back wall and the fiberglass rear cap. I hooked that to a small amp and a pair of 3 1/2 inch speakers that I mounted in the bedside cubbies. I also added a 12V USB charging outlet to make phone charging easier when boondocking. Just a FYI for Aviator owners: the rear wall is made of approx. 2 1/2" thick slab Styrofoam sandwiched between two layers of Azdel and then covered by the fiberglass rear cap.

cjearle2 · 03-13-2016, 10:02 PM

You are tricking your Aviator out. Nice work!

cjearle2 · 04-02-2016, 08:49 AM

Ken,
We tried to straighten out the hinge on the Aviator front door. Using a block of wood and hammer. It would not budge . The top hinge is bent inward, and the door is out of alignment
Believe that is why our door kept flying open going down the road. Until we get it Back to Goshen guess we will have to grind out the door latch so we can dead bolt the door.

KenHwy61 · 04-02-2016, 10:43 AM

Sorry to hear the hinge wouldn't budge. You might have to heat it up to bend it or drill out the rivets out and just replace it. The downside is both require tools you may not have so grinding out the latch area maybe your easier solution. Hopefully everything else is looking good.

KenHwy61 · 04-16-2016, 02:30 PM

At the beginning of this winter I decided to add a second fresh water tank giving me a total capacity of 100 gallons. While I had the bottom off I improved on the factory wiring, ductwork and plumbing. I also insulated the parimeter and large voids in the front and rear with R26 insulation. To keep it from freezing, I added a heating system that blows warm air from the cabin to the basement as needed. While it was cold outside I verified all four tank heaters were operational. To finish it all up I installed new insulated Coroplast panels in easy to remove four foot sections. We are now enjoy our Aviator for a 3-day weekend on beautiful lake Superior. I posted a picture of our view out the front windows.

cjearle2 · 04-17-2016, 02:25 PM

That is beautiful!
As far as adding the second water tank, will that make it extra heavy? These Aviators are tongue heavy as it is.

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