Revcon: A Totally New Concept

After driving many of the typical motor homes built on truck chassis, John Hall knew that this was not the best way to build a motor home. In fact, it was a terrible way to build motor homes. The truck chassis rode too harshly over bumps and the center of gravity was too high to handle corners well. The harsh ride often jarred cabinets, light fixtures and even the walls loose. The high center of gravity turned twisting roads and passing trucks into white-knuckled events. The wooden roof and walls often leaked, creating a world of rot and mildew that no coach owner wanted.

But John Hall had an idea: an all new motor home, all new from the ground up. John knew that his motor home would have to be front wheel drive to get the low center of gravity needed for the superb handling he wanted. He also knew a wooden roof and walls weren't what he wanted, so this new motor home would be made out of aluminum like an aircraft. This was an all new idea, a totally new concept, a REVolutionary CONcept: a REVCON!

The Airstream Connection

It's no secret that Revcon construction bears a striking resemblance to Airstream trailers. It's also no coincidence. John Hall was the stepson of Airstream founder Wally Byam. John knew that the all aluminum construction was far superior to anything else being built at the time. The entire shell was aluminum framing, with aluminum sheets riveted to the inside and outside. The walls and roof were built this way, with no seams in the roof to leak. It was also much more rigid than the typical wooden studs with thin aluminum siding stapled to the outside and cheap plywood paneling stapled to the inside.

The GM Connection

In 1966 GM's Oldsmobile division rocked the auto industry with the introduction of the Toronado. The Toronado was all new, nothing like it had ever been seen before. With swooping curves, hidden headlights, big-block power and front wheel drive, it was as luxurious as it was innovative. Powered by a 385 horsepower 425 cubic inch V8, GM's revolutionary Turbo-Hydramatic 425 transmission propelled the front wheels, an American first in 30 years. John Hall knew at once this was the drivetrain he needed for his Revcon. The front wheel drive would eliminate the need for a driveshaft from the front of the coach to the rear, and would permit the low profile and low center of gravity he envisioned.

The Amazing Result

In 1968, the first Revcons were built. They included aircraft aluminum monocoque body construction, and a custom built chassis with Oldsmobile Toronado front wheel drive. The lightweight, low profile and front wheel drive made the Revcon handle as well as any American car of the day, quite a feat for a 12,000 pound motor home. It certainly helped the fuel economy, consistently 2 to 4 MPG higher than the competition. The innovation didn't end with the drivetrain and body, Revcon took it to the interior as well. Lightweight materials were used throughout. Cabinets were constructed of aluminum honeycomb core sandwiched between 2 thin layers of formica. Not only did this save weight, it was much more durable than the plastic or pressboard cabinets that were typical of the era, and are still the industry standard today. Everything was then trimmed with genuine teak accents. Some coaches, mine included, were built with the optional solid teak galley, to give the look of high-end custom cabinets, which in fact they were. The interior walls were aluminum sheets, with high quality vinyl wall covering. The wall paper inside my Revcon is over 30 years old and looks as good as it did when new. Quality didn't stop where you couldn't see it either. John Hall's new coaches were fitted with copper tubing for the fresh water system, rather than the industry standard plastic. At a time when most motor homes were built with so called "wet baths", where the entire bathroom doubled as the shower stall, all Revcons had "dry baths" with separate shower stalls, just like a smaller version of your bathroom at home. Regular production started in 1971, with Revcon leading the industry in innovation and luxury. By this time, Oldsmobile had increased the size of the Toronado engine to 455 cubic inches, even more suited for motor home use. Early models, affectionately called Flat-Noses, were built until 1977 and could be had in 4 models, the 220, 250, 260 and 290, with several floorplans built in each model.

Continuous Improvement

Revcon realized that it's flat-nose design left a lot to be desired in the aerodynamics department, so in 1978 they introduced the second generation Revcon, commonly called the Slant-Nose. This new design was much more aerodynamic than previous models, brought a more modern look to a motor home that already had the most modern drivetrain. Ironically, while Revcon was improving the exterior of the coaches, Oldsmobile was downsizing the Toronado. The new 350 cubic inch engine and smaller Turbo-Hydramatic 325 transmission wasn't suited for motor home use, so Revcon was left with no choice but to design their own drivetrain. In 1979, they introduced the first Revcon powered by a 454 cubic inch Chevrolet engine and heavy duty Turbo-Hydramatic 475 transmission, with a transfer case mounted to the rear of the transmission and a driveshaft headed up to the heavy duty Dana front differential. The whole system looked similar to a four wheel drive truck, without the rear driveshaft and differential. The interior could be customized in almost any way a customer could imagine. Real ceramic tile countertops, genuine hardwood trim, including cherry, oak, and the Revcon tradition, teak. Customized coaches were the norm for Revcon, not just for RV customers, but for commercial customers as well. Several commercial units were built, used as mobile emergency response units for police and fire departments, local broadcast units for TV and radio stations, and even "bookmobiles" for libraries. Revcons were not just getting better, they were getting bigger too. The new Slant-Nose could be had in even longer lengths than the Flat-nose models, all the way up to 34 feet. Revcon remained the industry leader in quality, innovation and luxury up until the last Slant-Nose was built in 1989.

The NEW Revcons

After being out of production since 1989, the Revcon name has been revived in recent years. This is not the same company that built the classic Revcons this website is dedicated to, but they have revived more than just the name. New Revcons are not front wheel drive class A coaches anymore, now they're four wheel drive class C coaches. Though still built with the same aircraft style aluminum body work, they lack the luxury of earlier units. Rather than high-end, ultra luxury, the new Revcons are specialty coaches, meant for minor off-road use.