Camper Rehab: Modern Materials & Technology
Updated: Mar. 10, 2022Like classic cars, vintage campers have a unique, nostalgia-inducing design. We revamped a 1972 treasure with 21st century comforts.
Meet our camper: a 1972 Avion Voyageur. The Avion company began producing campers in 1955. Like many other businesses, it was a child of the World War II industrial boom.
It adapted materials and expertise from aircraft manufacturing to build campers. And not just any campers, but sleek, luxurious beauties. One vintage camper expert calls them “the best travel trailers ever made.” In 1972, our Voyageur sold for about $8,000. In today’s dollars, that’s almost $50,000.
Our first plan was pure restoration, making the camper look factory-new. But as we got deeper into the details, that plan seemed less and less realistic. That’s partly because finding exact replacement parts could have turned into a yearlong quest — a tiny camper sink in avocado green isn’t easy to find!
We also realized we could make our camper better than the original, with less expense and effort. With today’s superior building materials and technology, we could make our camper more comfortable, convenient and durable inside. This make-it-better approach turned out to be a smart choice.
Want to learn more about our camper rehab project? Check out these pieces:
