So you’re coming to Bend to enjoy the dirtbag lifestyle of outdoor adventure and beer, but you’re concerned about sleeping comfortably and needing to get dressed up for that nice dinner downtown? Well, our friends at Oregon Adventure Rentals finally give you the opportunity to it all! Their fleet of adventure rigs ranges from Jeeps with camper tops to loaded Dodge Power Wagons to high-end adventure vans. They recently let us take their 2020 Winnebago Revel Rental out for a night of exploration.
We’d read enough about this high-end 4×4 machine to know that it could get us to just about anywhere we wanted to go in Central Oregon. What we weren’t ready for is how truly amazing the interior and amenities are.
Inside, the Revel’s unique features start with a floor plan designed around a 140-cubic ft. gear garage with a power lift bed. A full galley, including a 2.5-cubic ft. compressor refrigerator, makes meal prep a breeze. The all-in-one wet bath and gear closet boast a cassette-style toilet that eliminates the need for a separate black water holding tank. Add a standard 200-watt solar power system, diesel-powered heating, a dinette with a pull-up table that converts to additional sleeping space, and many more innovative features and the result is the new Revel: quite simply the most off-road capable RV Winnebago has ever built.
The on-line tutorials on the van’s various features and functionality had us feeling comfortable with the “how tos”, so after a quick walk-through with Jacob we were ready to hit the road.
Right off the bat we noticed how drivable the van really is. Yes it’s a little bit taller and a little bit longer than your average vehicle, but it definitely did not drive like a big RV or motorhome. Navigating the streets of Bend on our way out to the Cascade Lakes Highway was a breeze.
It just so happened that the weekend we had the van was one of the hottest weekends on record in Central Oregon. So naturally our first stop was to set up by a lake and cool off. Being able to comfortably park the Revel right on the lake side was fantastic. No lugging chairs, coolers, tents, or towels from a far away parking spot down to the beach. Our entire set up was ready to go just steps from the water. Given the triple digit temperatures it was absolutely glorious to be able to go from driving to toes in the water and a beer in hand in seconds.
While setting up camp for the night at the lake would’ve been easy and absolutely breathtaking, we knew we only had one night, so we wanted to put the Winnebago Revel through a little bit more of a test. After a drying off from our swim, we headed further down the Cascade Lakes Highway. (But seriously, could you imagine waking up to this?!)
We found the forest service road we were looking for, and before long we were testing out just how rugged the Revel could be. We’ve taking this road many times in a truck, but there’s no way your average RV could make it back to where we were headed. Roughly 6 1/2 miles through BLM land we pulled up to a very quiet, secluded, and serene spot where we would actually set up camp for the night.
We pulled out the provided camp chairs and set them next to the outside table. Next, we opened the windows and doors and put the bug screens in place. We also knew that would be spending the majority of the evening hiking, mountain biking, and sitting outside, so we lowered the bed and had it already to go. Within minutes the Winnebago Revel went from rugged off-road van to a high-end “glamping” set up.
Miles of mountain biking… check! A cold beer with some music at the campsite… check! Back out to explore the forest on foot… check! A much needed outdoor shower… check! The interior shower probably would have been great too, but there is just something about an outdoor shower in the woods that cleanses the soul as well as the body!
It was too hot and dry for a campfire, but that didn’t hinder the magic of the evening. The music played, the cold drinks refreshed, and the stars lit up the sky (which served as a reminder that it might be time for a camera upgrade).
When it was finally time to head to bed it was pretty amazing to be deep in the forest, surrounded by nothing but stars and trees, and climb into a comfortable bed in an air-conditioned van. Seriously, it was one of the best nights sleep we’ve ever had on a camping trip.
In our opinion, one of the worst parts of camping is the final morning cleanup. Not only do you have to spend time breaking down your tent, rolling up sleeping bags, reloading the cooler, and packing the car; but you do it all well knowing you’re about to go back to the reality of work and responsibility. In the Revel, the cleanup was simple and easy. The trash was already in the outdoor, self-contained trash bag and the bed simply rolled back up into place. The French press Provided by Oregon Adventure Rentals allowed us to simply enjoy our morning coffee and reflect on how brilliant the night had been.
For our purposes, we had one night to test out the drivability, functionality, and comfort of the Winnebago Revel from Oregon Adventure Rentals; and this beast absolutely exceeded all expectations! But if you’re planning a vacation, looking for a way to truly get out and explore the exquisite outdoor lifestyle Central Oregon offers while sill enjoying the creature comforts of home… We can’t imagine a better way to do it!