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Revcon: the most under appreciated motorhome ever made. It was the forerunner to the GMC front-wheel drive motorhomes of the 1970s. Based on the Oldsmobile Toronado of 1971-1978, the original 'flat nose' version of the motorhome featured an aircraft grade, 6061 aluminum body, bolted to a steel ladder chassis. In 1978, when General Motors down-sized the big Toronado, Revcon changed to a Chevrolet 454 based drivetrain of their own design. It too featured the same construction but with a new, molded fiberglass nose section and wheel openings. It was more aerodynamic and stylish than the bus-like looks of the original 'flat nose' series. A few of the last 1978 units featured the newer styling with the original Toronado drivetrain.

To the right, you can see the original chassis. The elegance of it's design is clearly visible here. The front wheel drivetrain is at the bottom of the photo. In fact, there is half of an Oldsmobile Toronado complete with 455 engine and Turbo Hydramatic 425 transmission, bolted to the bottom of the ladder frame. The torsion bars for the original Toronado front suspension are visible extending rearward from the drivetrain unit. Where you see that torsion bar crossmember is where the factory Toronado frame ends. From there, back, the rest of the coach is effectively a trailer being dragged by the powertrain unit. This design allowed for an exceptionally low floor and accompanying center of gravity. As a result, the Revcon 250 handled like no other coach of its time.

When we acquired a particularly low-mile 1973, we were also fortunate enough to get some beautifully preserved brochures and price lists. Here are some of the gems.. These files are large and were intended to download and print. They were scanned, retouched where appropriate and cropped to 7.5x10 inches, leaving the original 0.5" border around the edges. The black and white images were generally printed on beige colored paper. The background color was eliminated in these scans. If you want authenticity, a textured, beige 'resume' paper would be your best choice to match the original material. Unfortunately, the color brochures were printed right to to the edges. Since most people don't own 'full bleed' printers, they were scaled to fit within a margined page.


1972

Large Brochure Page 1
Large Brochure Page 2
Large Brochure Page 3
Large Brochure Page 4
Large Brochure Page 5
Large Brochure Page 6
Large Brochure Page 7
Large Brochure Page 8

Specifications and price list page 1
Specifications and price list page 2

1973

Large Brochure, Page 1
Large Brochure, Page 2
Large Brochure, Page 3
Large Brochure, Page 4
Large Brochure, Page 5
Large Brochure, Page 6
Large Brochure, Page 7
 Large Brochure, Page 8
Large Brochure, Page 9
Large Brochure, Page 10
Large Brochure, Page 11
Large Brochure, Page 12

Single Sheet Brochure Page 1
Single Sheet Brochure Page 2

Four Page Foldout Brochure Page 1
Four Page Foldout Brochure Page 2
Four Page Foldout Brochure Page 3 (blue background deleted for ease of printing)
Four Page Foldout Brochure Page 4

1974

Brochure Page 1
Brochure Page 2
Price List  Page 1
Price List Page 2 and 3 (reduced from 11x17 for ease of printing)
Price List Page 4

1975

Price List Page 1
Price List Page 2
Price List Page 3
Price List Page 4

1978

November 1977 Magazine Ad for the new Revcon II

Pre-1972 Test Mule Photos?

These photos were present in the 1972 Revcon brochure, however if you study them closely, you'll notice that they feature items not seen in regular production models.

This photo shows just a portion of the dashboard. If you look at the later brochures or are familiar with the early style dashboard, it is clear that this is not the production dashboard used from 1971-on. That makes sense because the original coaches were based on the earlier series Oldsmobile Toronado. The Toronado speedometer and dash switches used in the production Revcons were not in GM production until the 1971 model year. It is not known how many of those very early coaches were built or where they are. The oldest Revcons generally found are 1971 or later.

This photo shows the original galley area present in all of the early 250D models. The difference? There is no pass-through between the galley and the bedroom (the wood-grained panel in the background). In production coaches, this featured a rounded-oval cutout and a privacy curtain that could be closed when desired. It also lacks the production roof air unit normally installed between the galley and bedroom.

If you study the 1972 and 1973 brochures, you will also notice other minor differences like the wiper blades running together in 1973 but swinging opposite one-another in the 1972 brochure. After study of the wipers on known-prodction 1971 coaches, the coach shown in the 1972 brochure is believed to be one of the earlier test mules (earlier than 1971).

General 250D and 250DT Pictures

The 250D model was the first Revcon floorplan and featured a 'full' rear bed. The 250DT model differed in that it traded the 'full' bed, a wardrobe and dresser for twin beds in the rear of the coach. These photos were present in the brochures above but warranted enlargement. The '250' designation meant 25 feet. There was also a '220' model (22 foot). Considering that the Toronado measured 19 feet, it's hard to imagine an entire motorhome built in just three more feet. Similarly, the Toronado claimed a dry weight of 5,200 pounds, while the 250D weighed in at  7,666. The lightweight construction methods obviously paid off.

1972 Galley: A great shot of the original Revcon 250DT interior (the optional twin bed is visible in the bedroom). This one is from a 1973 brochure, though the coach is a 1972 as evidenced by the following photo. Notice the green shag 'Acrilon' carpet in the photo.

1972 Swivel Bucket Seats: Another great shot of the 1972 250D, this time looking forward. The 1973 models featured ducted dash air conditioning, though this one shows the original underdash air conditioner. In most coaches, there was an additional table socket in the floor between the two front seats. This allowed the installation of an optional 'cocktail table', making the front seats into another dining and seating area. In later years, the Revcon grew in length to eventually include a lounge area behind the front seats. The additional seating did away with the need for a cocktail table.

Engineering Line Drawing of the general layout of the coach: This is page three of the 1973 foldout brochure. It features a great cross sectional view of the coach showing the ingenious packaging and the very low stance.

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