Went to the L.A. RV show yesterday to see two things: The Sportsmobile Sprinter and the Winnie Revel. My thoughts on the Revel:
First, my van is about 30% done, currently sporting a Colorado Campervan pop top, Carefree(myass) awning, fully insulated interior (no finish panels), 2 CRL windows, skid plate, Method 17's with BFG 265 KO2's and upgraded speakers. That being said, walking up to the Revel with all of it's goodies my first impression was "It's Done!!!!" Ready to go, drive off into the sunset and comfortably hang for weeks on end. The show model had all the bells and whistles, including factory swivel seats, solar mit batts and inverter, Method wheels albeit 245 KO's (to preserve the stock speedo?),fully enclosed pooper, etc., etc. All those things can be seen on the interwebs... Again, first impression was for all the stuff it had it was a well thought-out design and covered most of the bases. I did some quick numbers in my head and for the $109K show price, it's hard to beat for a fully equipped 4x4 Sprinter Camper.
But after crawling around, I quickly came to the conclusion that doing any type of real "4 wheeling" in it will be really dicey. If you've ever looked under a regular motor home, the first thing you see is all that plumbing hanging down, the Revel is no different. Add a few batteries (cheapiie auto part store brand I might add) and the hydronic diesel heater, et al and there is a wealth of items for the rocks, ruts and other jagged things to pull off. Beyond snowy paved roads and well graded dirt ones, I would be extremely cautious taking it anywhere besides the aforementioned. I kept thinking of our recent jaunt to Coyote Flats and a big ''no way Jose" kept flashing in my head.
While honsettogawd 4wd roads might not be your cup of tea, I get a little personal satisfaction when the Rover/FJ/Jeep crowd asks in wonder "how did you get that thing up here!?!". Plus I don't like crowds, and two (vans) can be a crowd
So, outside of true off road abilities ( and before you flame, allow me to say that I fully realize the factory 4x Sprinter will never get you where that above mentioned crowd CAN go if they so choose) there were a few other things that bugged:
Lay out is cramped. While they have a passenger seat "for two" in reality it will be for two very close adults on a very short trip or two small (under 7?) kids. Sleeping for more than a couple with possibly 2 kids is out of the question. With folding tables up, etc, getting around inside, especially getting into the fridge will be tough.
Bed lift is cool, they use the euro-lift(?) brand, it works nicely and the bed is actually comfortable (yes, I tried it). Personally I don't like the looks of the side pop outs, but for this athwart ship bed app they're necessary; having windows on them is a nice touch. At one time I toyed with putting a HappiJack lift bed in a tall roof to achieve the same end as the Winnie, but here's the rub: If you pile a bunch of gear under the bed that's tall enough to require raising the bed, you'll need to unload said stuff to sleep. Kinda PITA if the weather is bad. The storage area under the bed (when it's down) is big enough for a couple of mountain bikes, and maybe some inflatable kayaks or SUP's (all I need). And using the bed lift to help a buddy move? Um, NO
But maybe carrying a half sheet of plywood for house projects or other taller stuff, but I can't see getting motos in there. Plus I agree with the other poster on carrying gas powered gear in a "living" space; that's why we have trailers! There are some rather bulky plastic side trim panels in the storage area and the sales dude mentioned they could be removed for more space; hmmm?
The Winnie is equipped with the diesel hydronic heating system and they ran it everywhere, including the tankage so the vehicle is ready for winter. Nice. There's a Coleman aux A/C unit on the roof, but the battery/inverter isn't big enough to power it for more than about 10 minutes. Hot Summer ready? Not so much. There's a MaxxFan deluxe and plenty of screened windows with reflective shades built in, so ambient cooling looks good. There's a spot on the roof for a small genset, so adding that you could use the A/C. The spot could also work for stinky stuff like a BBQ or firepit.
Induction cook top is OK for heating stuff and it boils water fast! But for cooking real meals you'll use up real power and you'll need a second burner for any type of two pot food; I would prolly add a portable butane unit to the galley. (Besides riding and drinking, eating is in my top 5 things to do when traveling).
You can't get the truck with the optional HID headlights, so if you need brightness a secondary off-road LED set up would be good. Add that to the skid plate list.
The spare is the factory steel wheel with factory tire, useless IMHO but I suppose it would get you out of a jam. Add an Aluminess type bumper and you free up space under the truck for more batteries(?) and could add a storage box on the back. You would lose the ability to exit from the back in an emergency though, unless you were parked and had swung the carriers out of the way.
It's a tall roof. for some, not an issue but I still prefer the look of the shorty, even though my CCV popper makes it kinda but not quite like a tall. And it will be called an "RV". For some not an issue but I'm not ready for that yet. When I get that, I politely correct the name caller with "ahem, it's a VAN".
And while Winnie can put the lift bed in their unit for pennies on my pop top dollar, I have a bigger bed in a bigger space that's better ventilated and has a way better view! And I don't have to leave my stuff out in the rain...
Interior decor is not my taste. The bright green in the videos supposedly looks better in person, the show unit had a grey driftwood pattern that was better but still lacked the warmth I prefer.
One of the bennies of seeing it at that show was the factory product manager was there. While I watched and listened, a gal hit him with a barrage of pointed questions and he came back with very straight forward answers (unlike sales people). The only answer I'll call "BS" on was the mileage; he stated 17-20. From personal experience I know mine is 17 -18 on a good day and with all the stuff on top and inside the Winnie I would be happy with 15.
So would I? Mebbe. Still mulling. I did ask if you could get it without the cheesy graphics and answer was "yes, no charge". It does come in my favorite color. But I'd be adding bigger tires, and it would go straight to Van Compass for shocks and a lift kit. And some lights. But Tam (other half) like our van and pointed out that there was very little room in the Winnie if any for 3 dog beds. So I just got full approval to go full time on finishing ours. "If we get ours done and it doesn't meet our needs we'll rethink the Winnie" was the consensus.
So, all that being said, one of the big things for some will be the lead time. Sales types and Winne factory dude all said 2-2 1/2 months! (if you order today
If you've read the horror stories in the 'how long did you wait" thread and other places in the forum, this could be huge. I'll add the number thing back as wel. Winnie works with economy of scale which is why they can get units and your local dealer can't, and how they can put together so many goodies in the package at such a relatively low price. Anther thing that came up was the tax incentives. I guess you can deduct 3 years of interest as it's considered a second home, and if you get a loan at 5+ % (standard RV rate?) that could be attractive. But MB gave me a little over 1% so no biggie. At some point I hope to make my truck part of my business do I'll deduct the whole dam thing!
OK, hope all that helps. Before you flame, I will add that all of this is IN MY HUMBLE OPINION! So take it with a double IPA or a damfine Islay, whatever suits your taste.
And Have a Great Weekend... Get out there!!!
