Lionel’s Winnebago Revel

September 14, 2022

Lionel Sanders has a new deal with Winnebago and, as a result, joins Eric Lagerstrom, Ben Deal and others as a vested member of Van Life.

Yes, it’s a new sponsor and let’s get that over with so we can talk about the rig. Here’s what Lionel said as part of Winnebago’s release. “Since we [Lionel and his wife Erin] travel all over the US for races and training camps, it was a logical alliance to bring more eyeballs to the sport of triathlon as well as to highlight how Winnebago can play a role in enhancing the already active person’s lifestyle! Winnebago and I share the same mission—to help people explore a healthy, outdoor lifestyle, whether it be for work or play. I cannot wait to see what we can do together!”

Now to the rig itself, which is a Winnebago Revel. It’s built on a Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 chassis with the 6-cylinder diesel motor. It uses the shorter-wheelbase (144”), high-roof body. This is the Sprinter exterior most folks want for Van Life. The longer wheelbase Mercedes works fine if set up as a dually, and is more roomy, but is less well suited as an everyday driver or a long-distance traveler.

The bare rig, from Mercedes, is about a $60,000 to $70,000 vehicle. The appeal is in the build-outs. Handy folks will want to try this themselves, but it’s not a trivial task. As the owner of just about every kind of RV (motorhomes, travel trailers, truck campers) this buildout requires precision plumbing, electrical, and cabinetry skills, and that’s separate from specialized RV skills (furnace, safety features, on-demand water heating, batteries, solar charging, controls). Best not to do it yourself unless you know what you’re in for; let Winnebago do it for you if you can afford to.

Outfitted, the Revel is about a $200,000 home on wheels. Here’s the Revel in which you’ll find Lionel and Erin, as they travel from race to race, and from Eastern Canada to Tucson to Flagstaff and wherever they’ll stay to train.

Here’s what I have to say to Lionel: Bikes are cool. Wheels are nifty. Googles and wetsuits are grand. Money’s nice. This is different. It’s not just mobility; it’s freedom. As always during moments of extreme sobriety and emotional upswelling I… tend to think of famous movie lines. This van is the stuff that dreams are made of. It's not something to be taken lightly; no one knows its secrets. It's like nothing you've ever gone after before.

Earn this.