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Hodaka"Pops" Revel Build - Traveling in Comfort!

Revel 4wd sprinter van

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#11 Hodakaguy

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Posted 25 February 2023 - 01:34 AM

Next mod...increase storage space.

The revel comes with an induction stove top that you set on the counter and plug in, it's a slick setup but takes up the entire top drawer in the kitchen.  We were looking at putting the stove in a bag of some sort but then where to put the bag?   While cruising the forums I found a solution that stores the stove under the bench seat, utilizing space that's currently not being utilized and opening the top kitchen drawer up for any number of more important uses.

Here's the induction stove in the stock storage location.

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We ordered the Stove adapter from Clauson Cutom Hardwoods (Link here:  CLICK HERE) and with the unit in hand set to installing it.  The packing was great and everything showed up undamaged.

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Although the unit is well built it showed up with bare unfinished wood, would have liked to see some kind of coating on it to protect the wood over time.   That said I decided to apply a couple coats of OSMO to the wood before installing the assembly in the van.  Off to the shop I go....

I started by removing the small door that's used to check the Glycol level in the heater and pealed off the felt that was lightly glued onto the bottom of the unit for the stove to sit on.

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Now to apply a couple layers of clear OSMO.  OSMO is great stuff and will provide a water & stain proof finish making the unit more durable, as well as making the wood look nicer.  To apply the OSMO you use a very small amount on a non-abrasive pad to rub the OSMO onto the woods surface.  You want to make sure there is no standing OSMO on the surface, once applied you take another piece of new pad and wipe any standing OSMO off the woods surface.  Then let the finish dry, next day repeat the process for the 2nd coat.

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After two coats the finish is super smooth and looks great.

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I used a bit of 3M90 Adhesive to glue the felt back into place.

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Continued Below....


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My 4wd Sprinter Build: CLICK HERE

My Unimog U1300L Build:  CLICK HERE

My VW Syncro Westy Build:  CLICK HERE

My Tacoma/FWC  Builds: CLICK HERE

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#12 Hodakaguy

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Posted 25 February 2023 - 01:35 AM

Continued from above....

 

Now time to install the unit in the van.  Install only takes minutes, pull off the seat cushion and lift up the seat base.  Then it's just two screws (One on each end) to remove the lower cover that covers the water piping etc, this is the cover that this unit will replace.

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Now just drop the new unit in it's place.

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At this point I dropped the stove into place for a test fit and then placed the lid on top of the stove.  The provided lid just lays on the glass stove and has enough clearance on the sides that it can slide around and make a lot of noise while going down the road.  The lid also sat a little below flush which is good as it provided an easy solution.

Here I'm removing the felt from the original panel to cut and install on the back/sides of the lid with some more 3M90.

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I covered the entire rear of the lid along with the back edge and one of the sides.  This provided the lid a nice snug fit when placed on top of the stove and prevents and rattles.

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Stove and lid in place.

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The small door is used to access the glycol tank for the heater.

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And now we have an empty kitchen drawer available :-)

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Hodakaguy


 

 


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My 4wd Sprinter Build: CLICK HERE

My Unimog U1300L Build:  CLICK HERE

My VW Syncro Westy Build:  CLICK HERE

My Tacoma/FWC  Builds: CLICK HERE

Ride Report - In Memory Of The Crewmen: CLICK HERE


#13 Hodakaguy

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Posted 25 February 2023 - 01:54 AM

Next mod is to increase capacity of the kitchen drawers and make them actually useful.  Winnebago tried to cut some pennies here and made the drawers very shallow, if you put taller objects in the drawers they can easily fall out.  Again we reached out to Clauson Custom Hardwoods (Link: CLICK HERE) and purchased one of his drawer extension sets.   Just like the stove storage they came well packed and undamaged, unlike the stove storage they came finished and ready to install....sweet!   

Install was super easy.  Hardware was already installed on each extension and it's just a matter of dropping each unit onto the top of the matching drawer then drilling 4 pilot holes and installing the provided screws to attach the extension to the drawer.  Once installed the drawers are actually usable!   Should have left the factory this way!  Nice!

Getting ready to install the extensions.

Here's what the stock drawers look like.....pretty pathetic and a waste of space.

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Now lets install the extensions and make these drawers a lot more practical.

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Drilling pilot holes.

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And installed.  Now the drawers can hold a lot more without worrying about items falling out of the drawer.   Love it!

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More to come....

Hodakaguy

 


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My 4wd Sprinter Build: CLICK HERE

My Unimog U1300L Build:  CLICK HERE

My VW Syncro Westy Build:  CLICK HERE

My Tacoma/FWC  Builds: CLICK HERE

Ride Report - In Memory Of The Crewmen: CLICK HERE


#14 goinoregon

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Posted 26 February 2023 - 09:33 PM

mr clauson does nice work. found a niche.


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#15 Hodakaguy

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Posted 06 March 2023 - 01:09 AM

Next Updates:  First up is to mount our Maxxtrax recovery boards on the roof.  I enjoy fabricating brackets etc but pressed the easy button on this one and ordered the mounts from Agile Off Road, sometimes it nice to receive a setup powder coated and ready to bolt on :-).

Install was quick and easy.  Assemble the mounting pins onto the mount rails then bolt the rails onto the OEM roof rack.  I had to loosen the bolts on the solar panel and slide the whole assembly forward a tad to get everything lined up.  Just minutes and this project was completed.

Here the bars are mounted onto the OEM rails and ready to accept the Maxxtrax.

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And Maxxtrax installed.   We are carrying two tracks but the pins allow carrying a set of 4.  Once you twist the top of the pin to lock the tracks in place it opens up a pass through hole where you can also add a padlock.

Nice out of the way storage solution and adds a bit of security for the tracks as well.


Next up....VanMadeGear insulated window covers. Warmth and blackout capability!

I've ran the VanMadeGear insulated window covers on my van for several years now and they are one of our favorite mods, they provide a huge amount of warmth when camping in colder weather and also help keep the interior cooler in the summer months. When my father recently purchased his Revel we knew we wanted to add a set to his setup as well. The factory Revel window shades offer bug screens and privacy shades but don't offer blackout capability (We've camped at several areas where bright street lights were present and having the blackout covers are really nice) or insulation. The front window covers that were provided with the Revel are very heavy and don't fit the windows well so we replaced them with the VanMadegear units as well.

Fresh out of the box....VanMadeGear is soooooo nice.

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Stock window shade unit.  You can slide down the bug screen or slide up the privacy shade.  This setup doesn't offer insulation or blackout capabilities, and they don't tend to last that long before they start developing issues.  Time to install something with a LOT better quality and function.

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To Install the VanMadeGear shades you first remove the corner trim pieces on the OEM units by sliding them straight out, then remove 8 total screws per shade assembly. Once the screws are removed the OEM shade assembly simply pops off the wall.

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OEM shade assy removed.  Now clean up the surfaces with an alcohol wipe in preparation of installing the self adhesive Velcro strips.  The shades also come supplied with metal clips that pinch the ends of the Velcro onto the plastic wall trim and ensure it stays in place, for some reason I didn't get photo's of these.

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Here I'm rounding the ends of the adhesive Velcro strips on each cover prior to installing the tape, rounding the corners will make the tape less likely to lift.

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Do the same process to remove the Slider door and bedroom OEM window shades. Here you can see that this unit is already having issues, when driving the bug screen keeps lowering itself down and won't stay fully opened....not a problem any more :-)

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The rear door/window covers are magnetic and are provided with small metal clips that attach to the plastic window trim to give the magnets something to latch onto. The clips pop in place without tools and once installed the rear window covers provide an amazing fit. Takes seconds to remove/attach the covers when you get to camp.  Nice!!

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Here's one of the rear window covers, they fold up nice and compact when not in use.  We will store them on the bed under the comforter while on the road, quick and easy access when getting to camp for the night.

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Continued below....


Edited by Hodakaguy, 06 March 2023 - 01:13 AM.

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My 4wd Sprinter Build: CLICK HERE

My Unimog U1300L Build:  CLICK HERE

My VW Syncro Westy Build:  CLICK HERE

My Tacoma/FWC  Builds: CLICK HERE

Ride Report - In Memory Of The Crewmen: CLICK HERE


#16 Hodakaguy

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Posted 06 March 2023 - 01:10 AM

Continued from above....

 

And rear covers installed on the windows.  You simply fold them out and push them against the window, the sewn in rare earth magnets hold the covers snugly in position.  Fit and finish is excellent!

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Rear bedroom window cover installed.

Once installed the shades offer several ways to use them. When zipped closed they offer Blackout/Insulation. You can zip open and roll up the outer cover to utilize the bug screens for a nice breeze when the window is open or zip open the bug screen and roll the screen and outer cover up together for a completely open window (How we like to leave them when driving so the windows are all open).

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The slider door has stiffening rods sewn into the panels so when you open the window and fold up the inner covers they remain tight to the window and won't rub the van when the slider door is being opened. Nice!

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Continued Below....


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My 4wd Sprinter Build: CLICK HERE

My Unimog U1300L Build:  CLICK HERE

My VW Syncro Westy Build:  CLICK HERE

My Tacoma/FWC  Builds: CLICK HERE

Ride Report - In Memory Of The Crewmen: CLICK HERE


#17 Hodakaguy

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Posted 06 March 2023 - 01:11 AM

Continued from above...

 

Same features and functions on at the Dinette window.

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Next up is to install the insulated magnetic cover for the Maxxfan. To install you remove the 4 screws securing the trim piece around the fan then remove the trim piece.

Here's the fan without the cover.

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Open the cover up and set the plastic trim piece on top of the cover. Then take the provided magnets and set them around the edges of the trim piece, the magnets will snap into place aligning themselves with the magnets sewn into the cover. Once all the magnets are in place use some tape to secure the magnets in place, then just re-install the cover.

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Here I'm using some packing tape to keep the magnets in place.

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Trim piece screwed back in place.   The insulated cover just snaps in place and can be folded open and left in place as well. As an added benefit to insulation and blackout capabilities it also helps to reduce road noise when driving.

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On the front we went with Black fabric on the inside and reflective on the outside. The reflective is great for keeping the interior cooler on hot days and when we want to camp and not draw as much attention to the fact we are camping we can reverse the covers and put the black side out. We also ordered a set of the magnetic bug screens that we can snap in place when we are camping and want to keep the windows down and bugs out!

Magnetic Bug Screens.

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Continued Below.....


  • 0

My 4wd Sprinter Build: CLICK HERE

My Unimog U1300L Build:  CLICK HERE

My VW Syncro Westy Build:  CLICK HERE

My Tacoma/FWC  Builds: CLICK HERE

Ride Report - In Memory Of The Crewmen: CLICK HERE


#18 Hodakaguy

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Posted 06 March 2023 - 01:11 AM

Continued from above....

 

And the front window shades.

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They come in a very nice storage pouch that fits perfectly up on the overhead shelf above the driver/passenger seat.

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The set even came with some sweet swag :-)

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If your looking for the best insulated window shades out there look up VanMadeGear, Simon's quality and customer service is second to none!


Lastly we picked up a WeatherTech rubber hitch step for the rear of the Revel.  I have the same unit in the smaller size on my van and it's been brilliant, my father decided to go with the wider version on his.  These steps are super durable and convenient, no having to carry and mess with a portable step when accessing the rear of the van.

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More to come.....

Hodakaguy


 


 


 

 


  • 1

My 4wd Sprinter Build: CLICK HERE

My Unimog U1300L Build:  CLICK HERE

My VW Syncro Westy Build:  CLICK HERE

My Tacoma/FWC  Builds: CLICK HERE

Ride Report - In Memory Of The Crewmen: CLICK HERE


#19 craig333

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Posted 06 March 2023 - 03:57 PM

I might have to get out the tape measure and see if I could adapt some of that for my use.


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#20 pvstoy

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Posted 06 March 2023 - 05:15 PM

It is the little things that enhance the enjoyment and comfort....  Thanks for sharing these with us!


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Patrick

2015 FWC Hawk Flatbed






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