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Description :
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The Avion and Cayo campers were an outgrowth of the trailers manufactured by the Avion Coach Corporation of Benton Harbor, Michigan. Avion, which was founded in 1955 by Allen Grams, Loren Cayo, and Larry Zuhl, was originally named Romany Coach, Inc., but the name was changed to Avion when Romany Gypsies objected to their name being used on a decidedly un-Romany-like trailer. The most distinctive feature of the Avion trailer is the all-aluminum exterior, which to the casual eye makes it look very much like an Airstream trailer. The trailer company prospered in the 1950s, and in the early ’60s the owners looked to the rapidly expanding slide-in camper market as a way to increase their product offerings.
The Avion and Cayo campers were essentially the same camper. The Cayo name replaced the Avion name in July 1970 when Robert Cayo acquired the pickup-camper division of Avion. Avions and Cayos were sheathed in the same anodized aluminum as the Avion trailers, which eliminated the need for polishing, and utilized riveted construction, which was touted as being rattle proof. The first campers rolled off the production line in 1965, and production continued until the early 1970s. The campers originally came in 8-1/2- and 10-foot lengths, with two interior configurations called Deluxe Gaucho Model and Custom Side Dinette. The 10-foot model, the C-10, was the most popular of the two. The now rare 8-1/2- foot model was discontinued after a few years. An 11-foot model, the C-11, was added to the line and continued to be produced along with the C-10. The Avion legacy lives on thanks to the Silver Avion Fellowship, which organizes Gatherings (rallies) and caravans for members who own aircraft-constructed, riveted Avions and Cayos that were manufactured between 1955 and 1990. The club also facilitates communication between members. They can be reached at silveravion@frontier.net.
The six Avion and Cayo campers pictured are (left to right) a 1966 Avion owned by Terry Prentkowski and Bernie Stuckey, 1969 Avion C-11 owned by Brian and Joyce Smithson, 1967 Avion C-11 owned by Dick and Peg Hale, 1965 Avion C-10 owned by Art Dietrich and Heidi Hough, 1966 Avion C-10 owned by Bill and Denise Fletcher, and 1971 Cayo owned by Ralph Burcar. Photographed in Camp Dearborn, Michigan.
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