A major highlight of the annual Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally is the top rig contest. In it, the best rig of the entire event is chosen. With an average attendance of 400 rigs, choosing the best truck camper rig is no small feat. Unlike previous years when a panel of judges chose the winner, this year we decided to change things up by having the attendees do the voting. In this article, we shine the spotlight on the third place winner: Wade Atteberry’s Ford F-350-Avion C11 Rig. Why his rig took third place was no surprise. Wade’s polished aluminum camper really stood out from the competition. To tell us more about his special rig, Wade was kind enough to answer a few questions.
Thanks, Wade, for talking with us and congratulations again for taking third place at the rally. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Wade: I am 61 years old and have been into RVs since my mid-20s living in a truck camper while doing large asbestos removal projects in the Idaho, Montana, Washington region. At an early age I became addicted to the RV lifestyle and what it afforded me to be able to do.
Can you tell us about your Avion C11 and why you chose that particular make and model?
Wade: Sure. The camper is a 1968 Avion C11. I purchased it with the truck for a great deal because I stopped and asked about it. The guy who owned it saw how much I appreciated it and gave me a great deal.
When it was built, it featured a three-way refrigerator, three lift jacks, two 14-pound propane tanks, crank-style Hehr awning windows, birch cabinets, a 20 gallon fresh water holding tank, and a 15-gallon black tank.
The options Avion offered at the time included a gas lamp, a sink-mounted water purifier, a 12 volt porch light, a cab to camper intercom system, and a roof-mounted 6,000 BTU air conditioner. For the time, it was state-of-art.
How did you find your Avion?
Wade: I found it down in Santa Barbara, California on a dirt road up in the avocado orchards at a shop. I saw a guy washing it. I asked if I could take a look at it. He told me it was for sale. It took a couple hours of negotiating, but we agreed on an incredibly low price and I immediately took it on a 2,000-mile drive up to Oregon and back. The gentleman who I got it from only had it a few months. He bought it from the original owner who I later met and talked with and learned a lot more history about it. The owner is 92 now and, unfortunately, has dementia. He doesn’t remember a lot about the camper, but his son, who is 71, told me that they only used it to tow their race car back-and-forth to the track and for fishing up near Big Bear.
That’s cool. What work have you done to the camper?
Wade: Several things. I built two racks to hold two 30-pound laydown propane tanks to the frame rails and added some permanently installed Torklift Tie-Downs as he only had the camper through-bolted into the bed. I purchased an in-demand water heater and bought a very nice small compact RV propane heater that I’m using right now. I will be installing those into the camper, removing the original propane tanks as doing that will open up a large amount of cabinet space under the counter. I am also pulling the upper cabinets and extending them inward and lengthening the passenger side to the nose of the camper, adding a ton more storage space.
What kind of condition was the camper in when you bought it?
Wade: The Avion C11 itself is in great condition as is all of the woodwork as the previous owner had completely redone everything in 1994. I just picked up a hand-hammered copper sink and a nice faucet. I will also be adding four solar panels and a charge controller to run the newer Dometic refrigerator.
Can you tell us about your truck and what mods you had to make to it?
Wade: The truck is a 1994 Ford F-350 crewcab. The truck only had 89,000 miles on the clock with a 60 gallon gas tank. The truck was in absolutely immaculate condition with a custom 31-year-old paint job.
The original owner of the 1994 F-350 permanently attached the camper to the bed of the truck, and built custom, stainless steel fuel tank tanks. He also installed a Onan 2500 generator where the spare tire went and custom-built a frame extension for towing. He also added airbags. I didn’t have to really do anything to the truck.
What advice would you offer those who are thinking about polishing their Avion or Airstream?
Wade: If you’re going to keep it covered or in a shop and are willing to polish it at least once a year to keep it up, you won’t regret polishing it. If you like that look and if your rig is going to be outside, you might want to reconsider polishing it as it will take some maintenance to keep it looking nice. Keep in mind that when you wash it you do have to dry it to prevent water spots.
What are your future plans for the camper?
Wade: I will be replacing the roof vent with a Fantastic Vent fan as the 1968 air conditioner still works. I will be leaving that in place for now. I do have to do some waterproofing around the camper. I took the camper down to Tijuana and had it polished, that’s a whole other story in itself. In the four months that I’ve owned it, I’ve put over 12,000 miles on it from Oregon to Tijuana and to Quartzsite for the recent Truck Camper Adventure Quartzsite Rally. I plan on putting many more miles on it as I absolutely love traveling in it. Unfortunately with the price of gas now, I’m approaching a dollar-a-mile for operating costs.
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