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PLEASE READ - Future of this system https://policeinterceptor.com/revconforums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=186 |
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Author: | elc32955 [ Sun Dec 29, 2019 7:18 pm ] |
Post subject: | PLEASE READ - Future of this system |
Hi Folks, Well, we're approaching the start of 2020 now and I have some hard decisions to shortly make. This system has been active since 2013, and it has seen, at best, minimal use. When I started the forums, I wanted a landing zone for the Revcon users from the Yahoo Groups system in case something happened there and that system crashed, ceased to exist, or otherwise became unusable. If you followed history with the Yahoo Forums sites, during the last years the forums were basically on autopilot with absence of forum management keenly noted. Yahoo had gone through numerous iterations of what to do with their forum side, two or three times over the years saying different things. Stability was not there with Yahoo eventually being acquired by Oath, so it was basically like limping a terminally ill patient through the last functional stages of life. Well, fast forward to 2019. There has been a major downward trend in activity for Revcon coaches on-line. Whether the coaches are all going to dirt and being parted out, the owners are dying off, or what the story is I'm not certain. I can definitely state that there are coaches still around and in service, however do the owners of those coaches have sufficient support resources to keep them running, on their own, with the factory, all former dealers, and the last coach-specific service center now gone (Marty Moore)? Owners have always been a valuable part of the equation for support of Revcons, information exchange has always been invaluable in keeping these niche coaches running. The Yahoo Group essentially vanished for on-line forum support earlier in the year, with the archived resources going away via Yahoo on December 14. 2019. This site archived the files and a majority of the group messages, but not the pictures unfortunately. I do hope someone took the time to download them. With the moderator of that group being mostly AWOL, there was no real consensus as far as what to do out of the group before the switch was pulled. The group via Yahoo is now reduced to an EMAIL list, I don't generally participate in EMAIL lists so I'm now out of the loop as far as any remaining group traffic. This system has very minimal usage at best. I can probably count the number of messages on one hand within the last three months, same with new user registrations (I believe two). Complicating things is that last year I had to take some draconian measures to insure that we were not invaded by more bots, now requiring manual registration validations. I have another system active centered around the Chevrolet Caprice PPV that has around 800 or so users, it also has the same standards. As of today we only have 90 active user accounts on the Revcon Forums. SO.... the point of this soapbox speech. The system is running an older version of PHPbb, also the system flowchart is pretty convoluted. To get the system up in a hurry during the great bot attack of 2012 over on the Yahoo forums, I made this site as an "overlay" on my existing Policeinterceptor.com website so as not to have to pull web space for a separate new website from my host. Ultimately the system needs to be modernized to current software versions, the system flow cleaned up and properly channeled, and possibly moved to another webhost down the road due to a bug in the EMAIL system associated with IP flagging that is extremely hard to have undone. Since I pay all the expenses associated with the system out of my own pocket (and have NEVER accepted commercial ads or sponsorships), due to the lack of use & interest I am now forced to ask the question if this resource is worthwhile to continue to support and throw money at, or would it be better off freezing and then just decommissioning the forums and eventually the site. Hiring the system developer that I used on the New Caprice site to make all the necessary changes on this system will cost easily several hundred dollars, plus require a good investment of my time for making the changes and modifications to bring everything current and work as it should. I don't mind spending the money or time if it's warranted, but I'm having problems justifying the decision to move forward to myself given current usage. The Revconeers ceased to exist a number of years back due to a number of factors including advancing age and diminishing interest in the coaches. My commitment was to keep this system active until at least the demise of Yahoo groups, then take a step back & re-evaluate. On the other hand, the GMC coaches seem to be undergoing a resurgence. Jim Bounds over at the Co-op is doing marvelously. So, the time's now here to take a fresh look from the 40th floor folks. What I'm going to do is leave this question on the table for open discussion with the members through the end of January, 2020. The responses I receive by the end of January will assist in determining what's going to happen going forward. If you have interest either way (preserving this forum site or if you think it should be shot in the head), please speak up - I can't tell what you're thinking unless you say something. Post your comments, good or bad in this thread please. It's stickied so it stays at the top of the menu. Thanks Eric |
Author: | elc32955 [ Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:27 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: PLEASE READ - Future of this system |
Well, it's now February 3. Out of the established users & moderators of this system.... not one current user replied to the thread. One new user replied via Email to me. Sometimes silence itself is an answer. 'nuff said. Eric |
Author: | lincolnmaniac [ Tue Feb 11, 2020 8:07 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: PLEASE READ - Future of this system |
thanks for keeping this going as long as you did. i guess all of marty moore's stock got trashed? not sure what to do with my revcon. my son is grown and working all the time, my mom is elderly and no longer wishes to travel. |
Author: | trueblue2k2 [ Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:45 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: PLEASE READ - Future of this system |
Fact remains that Revcon 33ft King Slant-nose was a coach out-of-time. It evolved from and into some very advanced engineering such that by 1984, a point of progress was achieved beyond any other front-drive motor home. That includes the much vaunted GMC Motorhome that is inferior to it in many ways including its inadequate 23/27 ft length (for a full sized Class A coach). Yet we now see several refurbishing groups turning out 6-figure sales with these old GMCs mainly because they were cute and pretty. A rebuilt chassis (such as it is) with a glitzy interior and custom paint or wrap does the trick, it seems. I've owned my King for 11 years, lived in it for 7, and done the Snowbird 2000 mile tour 4 of those years. I detoured the first year to meet Marty Moore in San Diego, whereupon he set aside his 40 Ford hot rod for several hours in order to show me around the facility and parts stock as he explained to me all of the smarts to keep mine running. Two years later, Marty passed on leaving us owners without his help. Although Revcon production numbers were only 10% of GMCs, these coaches were amazing, and deserve a better place history than they've been relegated to. The best years were those approaching 1984, and (as Marty shared with me) most 1985 and up wide-body changes were not improvements. The classic form itself was compromized in several ways; leading up to a total demise of the company about 5 years later. It is becoming more and more difficult to keep my Revcon reliable enough to serve as a full-time RV going into the future, but I hate to stand by and see its demise. There's much recent growth in the niche hobby of Glam (vintage) RVs owners who love to tour and display their restorations; even some early 60s Winnebagos have been redone. I may also consider approaching Jay Leno in his capacity as the King of Classic Vehicles about this matter. If it has wheels, and advanced engineering, Jay is usually interested. I expect that these coaches more than qualify, and it would only require effort to present a convincing case to him about Revcon engineering. Perhaps interest could be revived in restorations, and some of Marty's resources could still be salvagad. |
Author: | elc32955 [ Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:57 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: PLEASE READ - Future of this system |
Hey folks, I haven't pulled the switch on the system... yet. I just validated three new users this morning and I'm still tossing around options on what to do here. I'm going to take a trip over to the Co-op in Orlando within the next week or so and have a one on one with Jim Bounds. His business is going gangbusters and he is advertising for Revcon service work on his webpages. I'd love to help Jim increase his Revcon customer base as he is a reliable, growing, and thriving RV business with interest in the coaches. Yes his first passion is GMC, however his facility is better suited then most places in the US to help in long-term support of our coaches. I'll let everyone know if anything pans out. Eric |
Author: | Daveinet [ Sun Jun 21, 2020 3:45 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: PLEASE READ - Future of this system |
Eric, I know it is a tough decision, especially when there is not a lot of activity. Who knows, Covid may change all that in the end. Many people view life differently and have readjusted their priorities. Right now we are still all in freeze mode, but slowly people are coming out and seeing the world differently as they do. For Revcon owners, that may be good or bad. Who knows for sure until is happens. |
Author: | elc32955 [ Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:08 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: PLEASE READ - Future of this system |
Just to close the loop, I renewed the DNS for the system for at least another year. So we're not going into the great beyond anytime soon. There's enough interest in the coaches to where there is a need for a support site. ALSO... I understand that the Revcon EMAIL list (through Yahoo Groups) is going away now before the end of the year. I have no idea right now where people are going to end up, but this system is still a resource that's available.... Thanks Eric |
Author: | elc32955 [ Tue Jun 28, 2022 3:55 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: PLEASE READ - Future of this system |
Hi Folks, Well, I haven't pulled the switch yet. I just renewed the DNS for another year, so as long as I maintain my hosting arrangement we'll be staying around for a while longer. On a depressing note, I did take that trip over to the GMC Co-op a few months back to talk to Jim Bounds, unfortunately the day he was over there he was not in the shop. I had a friend with me from Saudi Arabia that was touring around Central Florida, he has a YouTube channel with roughly 6,000,000 views (yeah - 6 MILLION views), so he shot some footage over at Jim's place with their permission to show people some of the American RV lifestyle. Jim's new digs (well, expanded on the same site) has GMC's coming out of every conceivable square millimeter of the parking area. Very crowded both with parts coaches, coaches for sale, coaches awaiting restoration work, people camping in coaches and coaches being worked on. While there going around the yard, I was chatting about the Revcon situation with one of Jim's managers and mentioned that I was going to talk to Jim about perhaps taking a more proactive role with offering Revcon service & support - since his shop has provided these services for coach owners from time to time in the past. Immediately he was like "NONONONONO.... we don't need ANY more work!!!! Please DON'T DO THAT!!!!" I may make another attempt in the future, but only with speaking to Jim directly, not through staff. Anyone can easily see that their place is both extremely busy and booking out months in advance. So, back to square 1 on support facilities I'm afraid. At least for the time being. Eric |
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