Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-05-2018, 01:15 PM   #141
Senior Member
 
KenHwy61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 762
I agree with Naviator. They do up very well with a bit of upkeep. Mine still shines like new after a wash and wax and has taken a pounding over several cross country trips on some really rough roads with no serious issues. As far as the cabinets go I did have some sagging on the large curved door over the sink but I corrected it by reinforcing the hinges and added a support underneath. There has been several reports of water leaking from behind the winterizing/dump valves flush access panel from incorrectly installed fittings. Make sure the awning works, there was some defective motors. My keyless entry never functioned properly so I replaced it with a RV Lock brand keyless entry. The cheap Lippert power tongue jack failed after a few years. I have had other minor issues as well but fixed them all myself. In spite being built with a large amount of composites they are a fairly heavy trailer weighing in at about 10K loaded with a 1500lb tongue weight. They have a substantial frame, Dexter torsion axles and a large 3000 lb cargo capacity. They are well insulated and make a good cold weather camper. The front windows let in a lot of heat if facing the sun. The shower is full fiberglass and it comes with a 10 gal. water heater. They are solidly built and the thick walls are good at keeping unwanted noises out. We really enjoy our Wright Flyer and have no regrets at all.
__________________

Aviator Wright-Flyer#1908
1996 Holiday Rambler
2012 Ram 2500HD CTD
KenHwy61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-05-2018, 11:39 PM   #142
Senior Member
 
KenHwy61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 762
A few more mods!

I am running out of mod ideas for my Wright-Flyer, but I did manage to come up with a few more. One of the front Aviator "landing lights" had gone out so I replaced them with led lights with blue halos. I also did the door and step lights in blue. Above the refrigerator there is a lot of empty space. Not convinced I could make a functional door out of the cabinet front that would also look good, I decided to cut out an access inside the adjacent closet to utilize the storage area. Also in the closet I removed the clothes rod and added a shelf that a nice bit of extra space while still hanging coats just fine.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Aviator blue lights.jpg
Views:	117
Size:	145.2 KB
ID:	190785   Click image for larger version

Name:	Av  ref storage.jpg
Views:	112
Size:	250.3 KB
ID:	190786   Click image for larger version

Name:	av closet.jpg
Views:	150
Size:	280.8 KB
ID:	190787  
__________________

Aviator Wright-Flyer#1908
1996 Holiday Rambler
2012 Ram 2500HD CTD
KenHwy61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2018, 12:13 AM   #143
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Abilene, TX
Posts: 44
Mods to post

I've done a number of mods to our Wright Flyer that I've been to lazy to post about. Time to get these posted!

In short:
  • Added additional LED lighting under the cabinets and above the sink. MUCH better.
  • Moved the older LED from under the cabinet to the main closet.
  • Added LED lighting in the pantry.
  • Added LED lighting in the cubby holes by the bed.
  • Added LED color configurable lighting on the awning.
  • Added a small Ikea mattress under the Bamboo mattress to provide additional support and also to make the bed the right height for the cubby holes. Note: the picture below is before adding the Ikea mattress so the Bamboo mattress was still low
  • Removed the hanging rod in one of the bedroom closets and added shelving for flat-fold clothes such as t-shirts, jeans and sweaters.
  • Replaced the foam in the couch and dining cushions with higher resillancy and denser foam. MUCH more comfy.
  • Rewired the main entertainment center and added an Apple TV.
  • Added an automatic, forced air electric heater in the underbelly to keep things from freezing when camping near or below freezing when shore power is available.
  • Added 1.5 rolls of fiberglas insulation in the most offering locations such as inside the entertainment center cabinet, under the fridge, and in the nose area in front of the dinette. The trailer is MUCH left drafty now in the colder months now.
  • Added mass loaded vinyl with acoustical foam to the windows in the bedroom for sound proofing. Didn't help much.
  • Created custom insulation inserts with Reflectix for all windows to help reduce the heat load in the summer. It does help keep the AC from cycling on as much.







saltsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-06-2018, 08:15 AM   #144
Senior Member
 
KenHwy61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 762
Saltsman, nice work on all that. I really like the led lighting over the kitchen. Is that what you have wired in to the second dimmer switch on the control panel? I would like to upgrade the dinette foam like you did. My wife bought some new fabric to recover the cushions and maybe that would be a good time to do that. Did you do it yourself or have an upholstery shop handle that? I also was wondering if you replaced the original flooring. In the picture yours seem to have more of a wood look than the original tile look linoleum that is in my trailer.
__________________

Aviator Wright-Flyer#1908
1996 Holiday Rambler
2012 Ram 2500HD CTD
KenHwy61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2018, 12:41 AM   #145
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Abilene, TX
Posts: 44
Quote:
Originally Posted by KenHwy61 View Post
Saltsman, nice work on all that. I really like the led lighting over the kitchen. Is that what you have wired in to the second dimmer switch on the control panel? I would like to upgrade the dinette foam like you did. My wife bought some new fabric to recover the cushions and maybe that would be a good time to do that. Did you do it yourself or have an upholstery shop handle that? I also was wondering if you replaced the original flooring. In the picture yours seem to have more of a wood look than the original tile look linoleum that is in my trailer.
Yes, the second dimmer controls the under cabinet lights. It's the most useful mod of them all. Under cabinets lights are on when cooking and cleaning... off when watching TV, reading, etc. Adding the switch wasn't easy. I debated back and forth which way to align them. Going horizontal covered the existing hole best, but not perfectly. I still needed to glue a tiny bit of plastic in to fill the gap between the rounded edges. I'm 75% happy with my craftsmanship on that. Would like to do it over if I could.

We did the foam ourselves. The couch and dinette got high density foam with a dacron wrap. I think the dinette cost about $75 for the foam and dacron. Get a 4" queen sized foam mattress. A few minutes with a sharpie to trace the old foam and a few more with electric knife and you've got yourself four new cushions ready to install.

Wrap the foam in a thin plastic sheathing-like material to make it slicker, stuff it, then remove the plastic. Installs much easier that way. You may find the factory left the original plastic on the foam already inside the cushions (we did). The couch required removing staples and restapling the fabric to the wooden frame. Not a quick replacement, but a big upgrade.

The floors are a mystery. The previous owners added the laminate wood floors before we got it. Not sure why, but we just left it there. I kind of like it. Perhaps there is a big rip under there somewhere? Who knows?
saltsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2018, 08:36 PM   #146
Senior Member
 
KenHwy61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 762
Saltsman, thanks for the tip about using a foam mattress for the cushions. It is truly a great idea. I think your switch panel looks very good. There really aren't any visible flaws in at all. Between the lights and the cushions it looks like I have a few more ideas to get to!
__________________

Aviator Wright-Flyer#1908
1996 Holiday Rambler
2012 Ram 2500HD CTD
KenHwy61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-09-2018, 08:13 PM   #147
Senior Member
 
KenHwy61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 762
Not sure why you would mod

On RV trader, I saw this Electra for sale at a price much lower than usual. Curious as to why, I looked at the interior pictures and was a bit surprised to see the cabinets painted grey while the cabinets doors were left in the original finish. It is unique to say the least.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	av painted cabinets 1.jpg
Views:	106
Size:	256.3 KB
ID:	191092   Click image for larger version

Name:	av painted cabinets.jpg
Views:	105
Size:	312.6 KB
ID:	191093  
__________________

Aviator Wright-Flyer#1908
1996 Holiday Rambler
2012 Ram 2500HD CTD
KenHwy61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-11-2018, 04:12 PM   #148
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 14
Well, I'm not posting about a mod but we are in the market for a Wright Flyer that located on the West Coast. New to the forums so go easy. Any leads please forward on. Thanks
Magnus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-11-2018, 05:24 PM   #149
Senior Member
 
KenHwy61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 762
Welcome Magnus to the forum! It does seem the few Wright-Flyers for sale are all located in the Southeast which is where most were originally sold. A new forum member just bought a WF in western Canada but it doesn't look like there are any more currently for sale anywhere west. Good luck on your search and let us know if you have questions.
__________________

Aviator Wright-Flyer#1908
1996 Holiday Rambler
2012 Ram 2500HD CTD
KenHwy61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2018, 01:47 PM   #150
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Colorado
Posts: 20
Aviator WF outside storage cover

Got a new Aviator WF and looking for recommendations for a good fitting outside storage cover that is good for Rain/snow etc. anybody got any suggestions/recommendations

Thx
Rsracing1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2018, 09:53 PM   #151
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Colorado
Posts: 20
Aviator outside cover

This is not necessary a Mod for an aviator trailer but thought I would post as to how well it will do this winter

Purchased installed this generic ADCO outside cover for my Aviator WF this weekend. Read a few mixed opinions on covering or not. This one was $375 shipped on amazon

ADCO 34845 Designer Series Gray/White 28' 7" - 31' 6" DuPont Tyvek Travel Trailer Cover

Added some bungees and carefully placed them I. Areas to make the cover more fitted but not tight enough to put to much strain on cover

I’m just south our Denver , CO so will follow up with few posts to let you know how this cover survive this years winter.

Excuse my cracked iPhone camera lense
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	93EA090F-6B09-47CA-B938-47672C6EA43C.jpg
Views:	140
Size:	287.6 KB
ID:	192626  
Rsracing1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2018, 01:13 PM   #152
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 3
Hi guys. I’m new to this forum. Just found the Aviator and I am very interested in it. Could one of you guys please post the interior height of both models? I am almost 6’6” tall so interior height is very important to me before I make a road trip to look at one. Thank you very much in advance!
CJ7 Joe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2018, 05:41 PM   #153
Senior Member
 
KenHwy61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 762
Welcome to the forum. The Aviator has 6'10" ceilings according to the sales brochure.Both models would be the same. Pay attention to how you would feel working at the kitchen counters or washing dishes if you are the one who would be doing so. Some tall people over 6' may feel the counters are too low. Of course, those not quite as tall feel they are just right.
__________________

Aviator Wright-Flyer#1908
1996 Holiday Rambler
2012 Ram 2500HD CTD
KenHwy61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2018, 06:23 PM   #154
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 3
Thank you so much Ken! I sincerely appreciate the info. I won’t clutter this thread up because I know it’s about mods, but I’m learning as much as I can about the Aviator. I’m a huge quality nut when it comes to rv so I know that’s hard to find.

First had a Casita but sold due to head room. Now have an EggCamper with 6’7” head room and we love it!

But I’ve always wanted a bigger fiberglass moulded camper and they just don’t make them with the height I need. I think this Aviator may be the ticket. Would love a camper that could hold up around for 25 years! Maybe this is as close as I’ll get!! Thanks so much for the info!
CJ7 Joe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2018, 08:05 PM   #155
Senior Member
 
KenHwy61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 762
Your welcome and don't worry about cluttering up the thread. Its really all things Aviator anyway. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
__________________

Aviator Wright-Flyer#1908
1996 Holiday Rambler
2012 Ram 2500HD CTD
KenHwy61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-10-2018, 12:28 AM   #156
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Abilene, TX
Posts: 44
I'm 6'4" and the Aviator has plenty of headroom to spare. A lot more to spare.

The shower base is elevated about 4 inches, but I still have plenty of space with the skylight above giving extra space. The shower head is low but can be moved around manually. Not a big deal.

The full queen bed is just a tad short but all queens are. No big deal.

The only real issue I've have is the upper cabinets are lower than eye-level when at the counter top. Doing the dishes requires that I hunch over and with the countertops lower than normal, it's not the most comfortable position for any period of time. All the more reason to let the wife do the dishes

I can't say enough about the Aviator and strongly encourage you to check it out. It's a rig that will last almost forever.
saltsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-05-2019, 08:49 AM   #157
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Colorado
Posts: 20
Does anyone know if there is a battery cut of switch built into the aviator WF trailer. Noticed my AGM battery’s had drained when checking on trailer last week so not sure if forgot to power something down or something slow drains battery. Charged them back up at home so hopefully did not damage cells Too much as there stamped 2017 so relatively new.

Anybody tried the marine/RV Lithium ion battery’s ? Expensive but more efficient due being able to use approx 80% capacity vs 50% with AGMs before needing charged.

Thx
Rsracing1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-05-2019, 06:05 PM   #158
Senior Member
 
KenHwy61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 762
There is no factory battery cut-out. I added my own under the hood. It is probably the propane detector in the hallway that is draining your batteries. If you use the site search bar there is a lot of discussion on the forum about RVs and lithium batteries. There is a lot of benefits. I planned to use them when I retire and travel and boondock more extensively.
__________________

Aviator Wright-Flyer#1908
1996 Holiday Rambler
2012 Ram 2500HD CTD
KenHwy61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2019, 07:37 PM   #159
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Colorado
Posts: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by KenHwy61 View Post
There is no factory battery cut-out. I added my own under the hood. It is probably the propane detector in the hallway that is draining your batteries. If you use the site search bar there is a lot of discussion on the forum about RVs and lithium batteries. There is a lot of benefits. I planned to use them when I retire and travel and boondock more extensively.

Thx Ken. That would make sense. As long as snow stays away I think I’ll be Installing a cut off switch next week.
I’ll do a search for discussions on the lithium ion batteries
Rsracing1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-09-2019, 04:01 PM   #160
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by KenHwy61 View Post
On RV trader, I saw this Electra for sale at a price much lower than usual. Curious as to why, I looked at the interior pictures and was a bit surprised to see the cabinets painted grey while the cabinets doors were left in the original finish. It is unique to say the least.
So i have your answer on that gray paint.
The unit sat for over two years and the wood paper laminate surface pealed loose. The dealer fixed it by placing gray plastic sheeting over those problem areas
I was the buyer and the plan is to go back to the original wood tone. But first we want to use it a few times for fun. We also plan to replace the dining area with a love seat recliner and eating bar.
It was a great buy and i am happy with its quality so far.
Chris hill is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
modifications

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:11 AM.