Hello from Austria!
- Thread starter The Revconeer
- Start date
HAPPY NEW YEAR, Matt!
Is wheel balancing on vehicle still common in Europe?
I used to search high and low for shops that could do it for my Ford XR4Ti's and Scorpio (Sierra and Grenada).
It was the only way to eliminate all vibrations at all speeds, braking, accelerating, etc.
I did have to mark the rim and a lug so wheels could be replaced in same orientation if removed.
I really enjoy the telling of your Revcon story and admire your perseverance!
Is wheel balancing on vehicle still common in Europe?
I used to search high and low for shops that could do it for my Ford XR4Ti's and Scorpio (Sierra and Grenada).
It was the only way to eliminate all vibrations at all speeds, braking, accelerating, etc.
I did have to mark the rim and a lug so wheels could be replaced in same orientation if removed.
I really enjoy the telling of your Revcon story and admire your perseverance!
Happy New Year and thank you for your compliment!
No, it' s absolutely not common in Europe,
almost every tire shop has sorted out this
kind of old fashioned equipment.
So, it took me a very long time to find
someone who was finally able to do it,
another problem was the size of the Revcon
in this matter.
No, it' s absolutely not common in Europe,
almost every tire shop has sorted out this
kind of old fashioned equipment.
So, it took me a very long time to find
someone who was finally able to do it,
another problem was the size of the Revcon
in this matter.
For my Merkur's (Ford's US marque for their 1980's German cars) I ended up going to a shop that specialized in radial tires for heavy trucks/equipment - they could do my on-car balancing and four-wheel alignment.
They also regularly shaved tires after mounting and before balancing to insure diameter and concentricity.
I rarely see this last procedure mentioned in tire fitment these days.
They also regularly shaved tires after mounting and before balancing to insure diameter and concentricity.
I rarely see this last procedure mentioned in tire fitment these days.
Do you have steel wheels on your rig? If so, do you know that they are true? It would take a tire balance machine to spin and check for any out of roundness., or you could jack up the drive wheels off of the ground and rotate the wheels to check for any out of round wheels.
Right now, the repaired rims are on their way back to Saxony.
The new windshield has arrived in Germany and is transported to the repair shop.
The freight costs from the US to Europe were EUR 585,-- with custom duties. Very cheap.
All in all, the new windshield was about EUR 2,000, like I wrote before. I' m very happy.
The new windshield has arrived in Germany and is transported to the repair shop.
The freight costs from the US to Europe were EUR 585,-- with custom duties. Very cheap.
All in all, the new windshield was about EUR 2,000, like I wrote before. I' m very happy.
New windshield has finally arrived at the U.S. Motorhome Service Station in Germany.
I am going to drive to them on Monday, 10th of February. All in all 600 km on that day. I want to talk about the exchange and further repairs/services in person.
The repaired rims should arrive this week at my mechanic in Saxony. And then the low-loader will pick up my Revcon in order to transport it 300 km to the Motorhome Service Station. Everything is still according to plan.
I am going to drive to them on Monday, 10th of February. All in all 600 km on that day. I want to talk about the exchange and further repairs/services in person.
The repaired rims should arrive this week at my mechanic in Saxony. And then the low-loader will pick up my Revcon in order to transport it 300 km to the Motorhome Service Station. Everything is still according to plan.
Drove 600 km yesterday to have a talk at the Motorhome repair shop in Babenhausen near Köln. Wanted to meet the mechanic crew. Received a phone call yesterday - my Revcon is going to be transported to Babenhausen this week. Their scedule is a full till April, then they will start replacing the windshield. Hourly labor costs are 180 Euros without tax.
My Revcon was picked up today and is now transported over 300 km to the special U.S. Motorhome repair shop near Köln. After loading my mechanic had to climb out of the window, because the door was blocked. Someone called the police too, because "somebody is stealing a Motorhome"! Unbelievable! Big rumble in the morning in little Saxony, when a Revcon is around...
Exchanging the windshield on the driver' s side is in progress.
Attached pictures of the window frame.
You can see the original GRP frame that is riveted to the vehicle.
You can also see that some "specialist" has laminated fiberglass mats from the roof over this frame and so he has covered the rivets.
However, the frame must be dismantled in order to be able to change the window!
This means the repair shop has to free the frame from the fiberglass mats so they can drill out the rivets.
But then the question arises as to how they should proceed.
In order to repair it as neatly and true to the original as possible, they would actually have to expose the frame on the passenger side too. Then from the roof they want to do the re-lamination again, but not over the window frame.
In addition, water came out from under the fiberglass mats when they started removing them.
They are currently assuming that the first 20-50cm of the roof should actually be worked on and also painted.
But no "specialist" is responsible for that.
Scott G. from one of the two Revcon FB Groups:
"That's how the factory built them. Always wondered how much work it was to replace the windshield."
Matt A.:
"Yeah it wasn't until 1984 or 85 that they went to a gasketed installation."
I have got a 1979.
That means $$$$ or in my case €€€€ for the exchange of the windshield.
It' s also described in the manual:
Attached pictures of the window frame.
You can see the original GRP frame that is riveted to the vehicle.
You can also see that some "specialist" has laminated fiberglass mats from the roof over this frame and so he has covered the rivets.
However, the frame must be dismantled in order to be able to change the window!
This means the repair shop has to free the frame from the fiberglass mats so they can drill out the rivets.
But then the question arises as to how they should proceed.
In order to repair it as neatly and true to the original as possible, they would actually have to expose the frame on the passenger side too. Then from the roof they want to do the re-lamination again, but not over the window frame.
In addition, water came out from under the fiberglass mats when they started removing them.
They are currently assuming that the first 20-50cm of the roof should actually be worked on and also painted.
But no "specialist" is responsible for that.
Scott G. from one of the two Revcon FB Groups:
"That's how the factory built them. Always wondered how much work it was to replace the windshield."
Matt A.:
"Yeah it wasn't until 1984 or 85 that they went to a gasketed installation."
I have got a 1979.
That means $$$$ or in my case €€€€ for the exchange of the windshield.
It' s also described in the manual:
Can of worms, but not that big a deal if shop is skilled in fibreglass work. The saturation is a bit of a headache though as it will have to be dried out thoroughly (takes some time) before reconstruction and no doubt osmosis has sucked in plenty.
Saturation of fibres is a common problem with fibreglass boat hulls that have scratches or damage to the gelcoat.
Ask me how I know.
Saturation of fibres is a common problem with fibreglass boat hulls that have scratches or damage to the gelcoat.
Ask me how I know.
This explains everything, thanks!
And why do you know?
Windshield exchange was done within 3 working days. Both windshields were resealed on the sides. Now my Revcon is heading to the paint shop.
I am glad that the new windshield from RV glass solutions did fit and that the repair crew in Babenhausen was able to do the job without any problems.
They were the first to take care of replacing the windshield without any blah blah.
I hope that the reconstruction and paint job will also be no problem.
I am a little afraid of the total costs.
And why do you know?
Windshield exchange was done within 3 working days. Both windshields were resealed on the sides. Now my Revcon is heading to the paint shop.
I am glad that the new windshield from RV glass solutions did fit and that the repair crew in Babenhausen was able to do the job without any problems.
They were the first to take care of replacing the windshield without any blah blah.
I hope that the reconstruction and paint job will also be no problem.
I am a little afraid of the total costs.
I talk to Cyrax, the FB Revcon colleague, almost every day. Spare parts and overhauls could so be no longer a problem if the worst comes to the worst. If necessary, he comes over to Saxony and we overhaul the engine or transmission completely in 1.5 weeks in Germany after we have removed the drive train in 1.5 hours. It's as simple as that. We just pull engine and transmission on the subframe out. Revcon' s "NASCAR pitstop design".
His pics.
Complete engine overhaul, for example, USD 5,000 flat rate. Would be a summer project, although I very much hope not to have to do it any time soon.
Cyrax will probably buy a second 1979 Revcon for around USD 2,000, cut off the front, store it for me with a suitable 403 engine/425 transmission in Indiana and use the rest to build a trailer with a mobile Revcon workshop to help his Revcon colleagues and other old motorhomes in the US.
He can simply repair everything "on the street" there - he has the technical know-how for it. Soon, so is his opinion, no one in the US will be able to repair the old things - just like here in Europe.
Without a diagnostic tool, they're helpless.
He's 29 years old and would do the same with me in Saxony at my Revcon' s location. As you know, we have a workshop with space there, but not always the will and knowledge on the part of my 68-year-old mechanic.
Of course, I would have to discuss the overhaul topic with the guys in Babenhausen and see if they would be cheaper in case of an technical emergency, but who knows.
His pics.
Complete engine overhaul, for example, USD 5,000 flat rate. Would be a summer project, although I very much hope not to have to do it any time soon.
Cyrax will probably buy a second 1979 Revcon for around USD 2,000, cut off the front, store it for me with a suitable 403 engine/425 transmission in Indiana and use the rest to build a trailer with a mobile Revcon workshop to help his Revcon colleagues and other old motorhomes in the US.
He can simply repair everything "on the street" there - he has the technical know-how for it. Soon, so is his opinion, no one in the US will be able to repair the old things - just like here in Europe.
Without a diagnostic tool, they're helpless.
He's 29 years old and would do the same with me in Saxony at my Revcon' s location. As you know, we have a workshop with space there, but not always the will and knowledge on the part of my 68-year-old mechanic.
Of course, I would have to discuss the overhaul topic with the guys in Babenhausen and see if they would be cheaper in case of an technical emergency, but who knows.
Facebook Revcon colleague Cyrax will fly from the U.S. to Saxony in August 2026 and service the engine of my and Mario's Revcon. Another Revcon would come from the Netherlands, as well as one from France. All of this will be done at the workshop of my 68-year-old mechanic—if he agrees. He will receive a "rental fee" for his tools.
We'll split Cyrax's travel expenses.
Everything is currently being planned. He needs two to three days per motorhome. A French mechanic will travel as a technical assistant. The former owner of my Revcon would also like to be there.
Parking will be on the 10,000 square meter property I lease annually, next to our garden shed or my in-laws' log cabin. Electricity and water are available.
So it's entirely possible that a big US-European Revcon party will take place in Saxony in 2026, sort of like a happening.
I would, of course, document all of this for my YouTube channel.
Cyrax really wants to announce the "first European Revcon meeting" in 2026 and I'm responsible for organizing it.
You can't really call it a meeting in the traditional sense, since our Revcons are supposed to receive a basic service as part of it.
The working language is English, but simultaneous translation (in German) would be possible in some cases.
Cyrax holds two bachelor's degrees in education,. I think he also sees the whole thing as a technical knowledge transfer or rather a workshop.
A few members from the German Astro/Safari Forum will probably also be there. I don' t expect or I don' t want any Austrians at the event, since there have been some troubles when I announced it in the Austrian U.S. Car Forum. Some people here just can't watch their language, have got no manners and I really don't want to embarrass myself internationally.
What Cyrax considers a complete Revcon service, in addition to the obvious, is going through hoses and wires, checking them for damage and replacing them if necessary. The suspension is inspected to check lubrication and bushings.
He removes the fuel pump, carburetor, etc., soaks everything overnight, and cleans it with a brush and rag. He removes the cylinder head, checks the connecting rods and springs, and replaces them if necessary.
He checks the cylinder head gasket and inspects the piston rings and cylinders for any wear or damage.
After reassembly, everything is clean, fresh, and tight again. The parts are tightened to the specified torque, and the 403 should then run smoothly for another 120,000 kilometers, assuming the rings and pistons show no signs of oil starvation or anything similar.
My Revcon now has 147,000 km on the odometer.
We'll split Cyrax's travel expenses.
Everything is currently being planned. He needs two to three days per motorhome. A French mechanic will travel as a technical assistant. The former owner of my Revcon would also like to be there.
Parking will be on the 10,000 square meter property I lease annually, next to our garden shed or my in-laws' log cabin. Electricity and water are available.
So it's entirely possible that a big US-European Revcon party will take place in Saxony in 2026, sort of like a happening.
I would, of course, document all of this for my YouTube channel.
Cyrax really wants to announce the "first European Revcon meeting" in 2026 and I'm responsible for organizing it.
You can't really call it a meeting in the traditional sense, since our Revcons are supposed to receive a basic service as part of it.
The working language is English, but simultaneous translation (in German) would be possible in some cases.
Cyrax holds two bachelor's degrees in education,. I think he also sees the whole thing as a technical knowledge transfer or rather a workshop.
A few members from the German Astro/Safari Forum will probably also be there. I don' t expect or I don' t want any Austrians at the event, since there have been some troubles when I announced it in the Austrian U.S. Car Forum. Some people here just can't watch their language, have got no manners and I really don't want to embarrass myself internationally.
What Cyrax considers a complete Revcon service, in addition to the obvious, is going through hoses and wires, checking them for damage and replacing them if necessary. The suspension is inspected to check lubrication and bushings.
He removes the fuel pump, carburetor, etc., soaks everything overnight, and cleans it with a brush and rag. He removes the cylinder head, checks the connecting rods and springs, and replaces them if necessary.
He checks the cylinder head gasket and inspects the piston rings and cylinders for any wear or damage.
After reassembly, everything is clean, fresh, and tight again. The parts are tightened to the specified torque, and the 403 should then run smoothly for another 120,000 kilometers, assuming the rings and pistons show no signs of oil starvation or anything similar.
My Revcon now has 147,000 km on the odometer.
August 2026 is a long time ahead, it would seem to me.
and Cyrax is taking the heads off and removes the pistons? All that in 2 days per motorhome?
He removes the cylinder head, checks the connecting rods and springs, and replaces them if necessary.
He checks the cylinder head gasket and inspects the piston rings and cylinders for any wear or damage.
Ambitious, I think.
Cor
and Cyrax is taking the heads off and removes the pistons? All that in 2 days per motorhome?
He removes the cylinder head, checks the connecting rods and springs, and replaces them if necessary.
He checks the cylinder head gasket and inspects the piston rings and cylinders for any wear or damage.
Ambitious, I think.
Cor
