Labor - Rixens MCS7 Hydronic Heater Retrofit Installation | 2018–2020 Winnebago Revel

ODB removes your Revel's factory Espar/Rixens MCS-5 heating system and installs Rixen's MCS7: cabin heat and hot water that adjust automatically for altitude. Fully commissioned and leak-tested.

Factory heater out. Rixens MCS7 in. Commissioned before you pick up.

We remove the factory Espar/Rixens MCS-5 heating system from your 2018–2020 Revel and install Rixens MCS7 in its place. You get cabin heat and hot water from a current-generation system that adjusts automatically for altitude, run from one touchscreen. We're Colorado's Winnebago Revel and Ekko specialists, and this is a Revel-specific retrofit.

Why upgrade a 2018–2020 Revel

• Altitude. The factory Espar furnace is rated for unrestricted heating only up to about 4,900 ft (1,500 m). Above that, it depends on an add-on altitude kit. The MCS7 compensates automatically to at least 11,000 ft.
• Age. Factory systems are now 6–9 years old, and Eberspächer has replaced that furnace generation with the Hydronic S3.
• Smoother heat. The factory unit switches between high and low (0.27 L/h at its low setting). The S3 modulates steplessly and burns as little as 0.15 L/h at low demand.
• Simpler controls. Five switches and a thermostat become one 5.5" touchscreen with phone access.

See what's in the kit: Rixen's MCS7 Hydronic Heater Retrofit Kit.

What we do

1. Inspect. We check coolant condition, the fuel pickup, exhaust and the existing hydronic components. Anything pre-existing that needs repair is quoted before work starts.
2. Remove the factory MCS-5 furnace, switches, controls and other components the retrofit replaces.
3. Install the MCS7 furnace, power box, touchscreen controller, two-speed glycol pump and kick-space air handlers.
4. Re-integrate the coolant reservoir, domestic hot water heat exchanger and mixing valve. These carry over from the factory system.
5. Route and adapt coolant, fuel, exhaust, intake, domestic water, air heat, electrical and control lines for clean integration and service access. We replace the exhaust pipe, muffler and aged flexible fuel line, and keep the hard fuel lines, which meet S3 requirements. The factory 120V electric element is reconnected to the MCS7 control board.
6. Configure cabin heat and hot water in the MCS7 controller. Altitude compensation is automatic.
7. Commission: vacuum-fill the coolant loop to pull the air out and check for leaks before coolant goes in, prime fuel, run the system, leak-check every connection and function-test heat and hot water.
8. Hand off: a walkthrough of the touchscreen and phone access at pickup.

The installed project

Not included: the MCS7 kit and materials (priced above), and repairs to pre-existing vehicle, plumbing, fuel, electrical, cabinetry or hydronic issues unless quoted separately.

Add engine heat while we're in there. Engine heat and preheat integration adds a dedicated heat-exchanger loop between the engine and the heater. The two coolant circuits stay separate. It recovers engine heat while you drive and can preheat the engine from the touchscreen before a cold start. Added during this retrofit, its installation costs 25% less: choose Bundled Install on the installation page and add the Engine Heat & Preheat Integration Kit.

Fits: 2018–2020 Winnebago Revel with the factory Espar/Rixens MCS-5 diesel hydronic system. Final requirements can vary with vehicle condition, prior modifications and production-year differences. We confirm them during quote review.

FAQ

How long will my van be here?
About a week. We confirm your install window during quote review.

Can I supply my own parts?
No. We install only parts we source, so we can stand behind the result.

What could change the final price?
Coolant and installation materials are estimated during quote review and depend on your van's routing and condition. Pre-existing issues we find during inspection are quoted separately before any work is done.