Fitting Four Seasons of Outdoor Gear in a Winnebago Revel

We didn’t think we could cram four seasons of outdoor gear into a van, so we started full-time van life with a storage unit. Our plan was to keep our summer gear like mountain bikes and backpacking equipment in storage during winter. And our ski and snowboard gear would go into storage in summer. We’d revisit our storage unit at least twice a year to trade gear as well as seasonal clothing.

Well, we kept ending up in situations where we wished we had all of our gear and attire. In the winter, we found ourselves eager to go for a bike ride in warm locales between ski resorts. In summer, we’d travel through mountain ranges still covered in snow, and were disappointed to be without the appropriate gear to explore. A couple of times, we ended up in ninety-degree temperatures with wool layers and puffy jackets. Our storage unit was always too far away to just swing on by and pick up what we needed.

It became crucial to have all seasons of gear in our 2019 Winnebago Revel. We didn’t want to pay for a storage unit anyway, so we cleared out our large storage unit and tried to fit everything into the van.

Our Revel storage space includes a “garage” underneath the bed and a wet bath/storage closet with three removable shelves. We use two of the three, so our bodies still have enough room to utilize the toilet. This wasn’t enough space to get all of our gear in the van, so reluctantly, we had to move what didn’t fit into a smaller storage unit.

*After moving into a smaller storage unit*

The biggest challenge was our mountain bikes. The Revel garage was designed to store bikes. But after loading our ski, snowboard, and backpacking gear, van and RV maintenance items, and everything else needed for day-to-day living, it means zero room for our bikes. The Revel didn’t come with an optional external bike rack like our Winnebago Travato, so we had to shop for another solution.

We also wanted to get fluids like engine oil, DEF, windshield wiper fluid, coolant, and RV antifreeze out of our Revel garage. A spill could damage valuables, or otherwise, leave an ugly mess to clean. Carrying extra fuel was also essential to us, but we didn’t have a reasonable spot. We needed external storage.

Our 2019 Winnebago Revel sits on a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter chassis. I had been doing a lot of research online for compatible solutions that would take advantage of our tow hitch. But I kept revisiting pictures I saw of Aluminess products. They offered a rear bumper system for attaching a storage box with a bike rack for two on top.

We didn’t want any rear solution to interfere with our ability to open the van’s rear doors easily. So we were happy to find out the Aluminess box and bike rack would attach to a swinging arm, making it simple to move them out of the way.

I ran into another Revel owner who had installed the Aluminess solution I wanted. He gave us a helpful tip to go see Agile Off Road in Santee, California. Agile had installed his Aluminess solution, and Agile and Aluminess are located across the street from one another. So in October 2019, we paid them both a visit.

Aluminess showed us all the options available for our Sprinter. I appreciated seeing the box and bike rack on the swinging arm in person and feeling how sturdy they were.

We also got the heads up on other useful products like their Deluxe Box Door Tool Kit (Tools Included). We wouldn’t need a bulky toolbox anymore!

At Agile, we discussed hiring them to install an Aluminess solution. But we also learned they had become a go-to shop for Revel owners. They shared other modifications they routinely installed for the Revel, including an extra 28-gallon fuel tank. We had plans for Alaska in summer 2020, and we knew there would be stretches of road without a place to replenish our diesel. Our Sprinter’s fuel tank came with capacity for 26.4 gallons of diesel. The extra tank would buy us another 28 gallons for a total of almost 55 gallons.

To make room for the extra fuel tank, Agile would need to relocate our spare tire. Our Revel’s spare tire lived on the underside of the van toward the rear. We’d have to add a second swinging arm to the Aluminess rear bumper for holding our spare tire. And the additional 28-gallon fuel tank could then go underneath the van.

We also talked to Agile about relocating our ladder. On the Revel, the ladder was affixed to the rear passenger side door when the van was in motion.

*Kyle standing on the ladder that came with our Winnebago Revel*

The new box and bike rack needed to live in that location. We would need to remove the original Revel ladder and install a new ladder on the driver’s side of the van.

We were actually pretty bummed about losing the first ladder by Fiamma. The Revel comes with a Fiamma rooftop rack system that allows you to hook the ladder anywhere along the sides and back of the van. It made it easy to climb and reach all areas of the roof. This is especially helpful when we need to clear snow. With a static Aluminess ladder, snow removal would become more challenging, but not impossible.

After a successful visit with Aluminess and Agile, we committed to installing:

It would take several weeks for all parts to arrive, so we left Southern California and started our ski and snowboard season. We detoured back to sunny Santee in January 2020 to have everything installed. While there, we ended up adding on:

The Expedition Kit allowed us to get rid of the shovel and ax we had in our Revel garage. And the Trasharoo enables us to keep used doggie bags and unscented trash outside of the van. We don’t toss smelly food trash in there, so we don’t attract wildlife like bears.

*Picking up our Revel at Agile Off Road in Santee, California*

We’ve had our Aluminess system for about five months now. As we intended, we keep all van and RV fluids in there, dehydrated food, and other items that don’t need to live inside the van. I like not worrying about engine oil spilling in our Revel’s garage. Moving items to exterior storage has also created a little more breathing room underneath the garage.

We love the extra fuel tank, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic. We don’t have to stop at fuel stations as frequently, and when we find a low price per gallon, we have more room for topping off.

We still need to pick up our mountain bikes from our storage unit. We’re excited to eliminate that monthly payment!

Our setup will be perfect if we can also get our skis and snowboards out of our Revel garage. Ideally, we would like to have a rooftop box to keep our gear protected. But the roof is too cluttered with an air conditioning unit, a bathroom exhaust fan, a solar panel, and an awning. If you know of a solution, please let us know!

If you’re considering the Winnebago Revel and storing your skis and snowboards in the Revel’s garage, please note! My skis are our longest piece of gear at 169 cm. They BARELY fit across the width of our 2019 Winnebago Revel. They do not fit lengthwise. They end up sticking out the other end of the garage into the middle of the van.

I was recently watching videos of the 2021 Winnebago Revel. With the relocation of the batteries to the garage (now lithium) and plumbing, the storage space is narrower, so my skis will no longer fit the garage’s width. Angling could potentially work, but that would probably make packing everything else awkward.