Revcon
Engineered Elegance
So you want to buy a Revcon do you?
So you came across a Revcon for sale and your wondering, what is a Revcon? Why would I want to buy one? Since the company is out of business, can I still get parts? How do I get technical support? Are there some models better than others? What’s the difference between a flat nose and a slant nose? Well friend, you’ve come to the right place.
A Revcon is a very unique, high end, lightweight, front wheel drive Motorhome. Originally designed in 1968, and built on a Toronado front end similar to a GMC, or is a GMC similar to a Revcon. Well, Gm required Revcon to do significant stress tests on the Tornado drivetrain, and then later introduced there own version of a motorhome, the GMC - so you decide.
Later years were built on a custom drivetrain as described below.
Ok, so How is it built and what makes it so special
The Revcon is built on a custom box channel frame. This makes it much more rigid than conventional C-channel designs used in most motorhomes. The coach is constructed using aircraft aluminum exterior skin, frame and interior skin. The front and rear end caps are fiberglass. It has 2-inch high-density fiberglass insulation in the walls. The interior skin is coated with a decorative layer of plastic. One great advantage to this besides the lightweight, is the fact that even though it maybe an older coach, the interior walls will never be rotted from moisture. The inside surface is very easy to clean, as it can be scrubbed with a stiff
brush without damage. This riveted stretchform construction is a very rigid design, and is noticeably more rigid than conventional laminated layers of fiberglass, wood, and foam. The interior cabinetry constructed by stretching Formica over a wood frame. The core is semi-hollow, with a honeycomb weave for support. This makes for a very lightweight, durable surface. Most cabinetry in a Revcon will look as good as it did the day it was new, even though it maybe 20 or 30 years old. The underbelly is totally enclosed and stuffed with 6 inches of fiberglass insulation. This reduces road noise as well as adding warmth.
Much has been said about a Revcon’s ride and handling. As noted above, Revcon spared no expense in making their chassis solid and lightweight.
The low profile design provided by the front wheel drive and lightweight chassis,
resulted in an unusually low center of gravity. In addition to this, the rear axle on the later models is a tandem configuration. Compared to a dually, where the effective average load bearing point is in the center
of the two dually tires, the Revcon’s effective load bearing point provided by the tandem axle
single wheel is in the center of the tire making the load support about 6 inches wider on each side. As anyone who has driven one will tell you, a Revcon will handle tight corners without substantial leaning, much faster than a conventional motorhome. Also, it is unusually stable in a crosswind. Because of the low profile and aerodynamics, Revcon advertised the slant nose w/454 to be the fastest class A built, with a top speed of 98mph (although rumors have it, that it will do triple digits). This handling and speed made it earn the reputation as the Ferrari of the class A’s (if Ferrari and class A belong in the same sentence). I personally love to drive it on winding roads. It handles so gracefully, it makes those Scenic Byways a truly enjoyable experience.
Significant chassis differences in model years
From inception to 1976 the basic chassis was the same other than length. In 1977, the tandem rear axle was introduced on some longer models. In 1978, the front
fiberglass cap was restyled to have a slanted nose and the engine size was downsized from the 455ci to the 403ci. In 1979, the drivetrain was totally redone. It was based on a 454ci engine, a 475 transmission, and a custom transfer case, similar to a 4-wheel drive transfer case with only a front output shaft. The transfercase is also unique in that it uses a 4-inch wide chain. It uses a Dana 70 differential, which is solid mounted. Axle half shafts are used with a u-joint on the inside and a very large C-V joint on the outside. The front still used torsion bar suspension similar to the former
Tornodo design, only much beefier. In 1985, the chassis was widened 5 inches and the under storage was redesigned to very significantly increase storage space. Also that year, there was a rear spoiler molded into the rear fiberglass end cap, often referred to as the "whale tail". There were no Revcons built during ‘86. Regular production continued through ’89. The nose of the Revcon was redesigned in ’91, but only a small handful were built before Revcon officially closed its doors that year.
Resources provided by the Revconeers:
The Revconeers maintains a database of about 90 technical discussions unique to the Revcon. Topics include everything from part numbers for shocks to performance mods. There are several listed resources for parts or services. There is also a discussion board to post your questions, comments, and recommendations.
Links:
Scans
Scans of floor plans and other technical specs
Comments? Questions? Please email me at Daveinet
skip_this_text @netzero.com (add to the name above.)
the "skip this text" is just junk added to the address to avoid automated harvesting.
