Interesting connection to Wally Byam found in Revcon motorhome

[daveinet]

Yes, I'm still round - more round that I like to talk about. My new website is only partially up. Just have not had the time to fix all the old links.
Revcon Motorhome

Probably the best source for info on Revcon is http://<a href="http://autos.groups....n_Curious/</a> They are still a pretty active group and a great resource for parts and technical support. Revconeers is also still alive and well, but is not as active. Maintinance wise, an old Argosy probably is the simplist, as it uses a standard chassis. I really don't see any of them as that complex if you have mechanical aptitude. Yes, when you first dive in, you do wonder what you have gotten yourself into, but once you get your feet wet, it is really not all that bad. Even the slant nose with the custom drivetrain is still pretty straight forward. Most parts can be purchased from Napa or Carquest, once you know what you are asking for. To me, the drivetrian is very logical. The engineer who designed it was Peter Bryant, who was well known in Formula 1 racing circles. If you google his name, there is a bunch of stuff on him, even some YouTube videos. Intriguing that this guy designed a motorhome.

[TWaugh]

FYI,
Here's an interesting link to find Revcons for sale.

site mash : revcon : combined classified and auction listings++++


I that doesn't work try this link and select Revcon from the list.
site mash : : combined classified and auction listings

Be careful, don't get lost down the rabbit hole looking at other manufacturers.

[daveinet]

Not sure why the forum hosed the link in my post, but lets try again:
Revcon_Curious : Revcon Curious

Oddly, it won't let me edit my own post to try to fix it either.

[johnlag]

Originally Posted by 59ona64

So many of these links are down. Daveinet are you still around but at a new website? Wordpress blogs are free and easy. and Facebook pages are really free and easy. Is anyone there on FB?

I'm interested in purchasing at Flatnose Revcon or a 24' Argosy or an FMC. Airstream is out of my league price-wise, but I love some funky styling. The FMC owners group/forum is super-active, so though they seem more complex than the Revcon or Argosy, maybe the forum help will make maintenance more feasible. Any hints/suggestions/leads/cajoling?

Thanks,
Dave

Did you ever buy a flatnose? I am refurbishing one and have an electrical short I can't locate. There is also an odd wiring config not represented in the schematic, john 74 250DT

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by daveinet

Don't know if old threads can be woken up by new posts, but today I just stumbled on a news article about John Hall from the early 70s. He actually did work for Airstream for 20 years. He worked as an engineer and later worked in marketing. The news article made the case for John Hall being the driving force at Airstream in trailer design. Putting that together with starting Revcon in '68 seems to make a lot of sense.

I would love to see this article, but according to what I know it sounds like a lot of fiction. John Hall did work for Airstream for a short while in the 1950s, but he had little to nothing to do with trailer design, and certainly not for 20 years.

John Hall was reportedly a supplier to Airstream for a while after working on their payroll, so the author may have taken liberties to exaggerate his contributions.

[daveinet]

The article was an interview with John Hall. I'm not sure I can find it anymore, its in storage from my old house. Being he was the stepson, that is like being heir to the thrown, so it would not be a surprise for him to be in a position of authority. Knowing how the Revcon was built, I would suspect his input to have been more technical refinement, rather than significant changes. After he departed, he was still selling them aluminum tanks. Was the "20 years" actual employment or did that include his business arrangement? That I don't know.

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by daveinet

The article was an interview with John Hall. I'm not sure I can find it anymore, its in storage from my old house. Being he was the stepson, that is like being heir to the thrown, so it would not be a surprise for him to be in a position of authority. Knowing how the Revcon was built, I would suspect his input to have been more technical refinement, rather than significant changes. After he departed, he was still selling them aluminum tanks. Was the "20 years" actual employment or did that include his business arrangement? That I don't know.

John Hall went to work with Airstream in mid-1952 when they expended to Jackson Center. He was soon let go. He then became employed at the Wally Byam's Holiday plant when that was a separate company in 1954-55. I do not know if he ever returned to Airstream when Holiday closed. According the records I have, his job the short time he was at Airstream was something like "production manager". As such he may have consulted on design a little bit, but he was not there long enough for the design to evolve much from the original design that was inherited from the California plant.

I am sure the Revcon promotional materials greatly enhanced his contributions at Airstream. That said, Revcon has a good reputation, so his contributions, or lack there of, at Airstream are really immaterial.