How Revel Owners are Making Education an Adventure

How Revel Owners are Making Education an Adventure
THE REVEL CLUB shares the importance of continued learning, community support, and real-world lessons.

By: GoLife Staff

When many of us think of education, images of classrooms and workbooks often appear in our minds. However, for adventurous Revel owners, their schoolroom is out on rocky roads and off-grid locations thanks to some unique opportunities put on by THE REVEL CLUB and their partners. Earlier this autumn, the club hosted their annual three-day, in-person educational series in Moab, Utah, with the pros from 7P Overland – an ideal option for owners wanting to learn important skills in a real-world setting.

The training session took place just after the Revel-Mode Van Rally (previously known as the Revel Rally), which also included other opportunities for owners to learn and daily workshops through a variety of vendors, including THE REVEL CLUB who held several sessions that took participants out to the sand dunes to learn to drive on sand.

The GoLife team spoke with Celia and John Waterhouse, founders of THE REVEL CLUB and early adopters of the Revel, to learn more about the importance of continued education for RV owners and why they are so passionate about the Revel lifestyle.

Falling in Love with the Winnebago Revel

Celia and John first heard of the Winnebago Revel after a failed tent camping trip led them to search out a more comfortable solution. “There had to be a better option for people who just wanted to go out spontaneously and explore,” Celia recalled wishing as she searched online. 

When they stumbled upon the Revel, it wasn’t even available at dealerships yet, so they put down a deposit without ever seeing it in person. When they took ownership, they were one of the first people in Colorado to have a Revel and estimate that their Revel was probably about the 30th off of the line. 

“The Revel was an absolute game changer for our lifestyle,” Celia shared as she noted the many reasons they love their Revel – including how easy it is to pack up and go, how far it can take them, and that it allows their beloved pets to come along for the adventures as well!

However, when they first received their Revel, the Winnebago Revel 4x4 Facebook group (which now has about 14,500 members!) only had a few dozen people in it – all trying to learn about their new adventure RV quickly to get out and make the most of its features. The vast amount of Revel content and education online today was just not available yet.

Being early adopters of the Revel lifestyle, the Waterhouses did their own research to figure out how to use their van and had to carefully learn its limits. They naively went on a few adventures where they realized quickly how important it was to know how to stay out of precarious situations and to have supplies and equipment if self-rescue was necessary. 

As self-proclaimed “education junkies” (they are also both veterinarians who have pet-based educational websites), they were excited to learn everything they could about the Winnebago Revel and start to share it with others – with Celia eventually becoming an admin for the Facebook group, as well as helping with the Revel Rally in previous years, and starting THE REVEL CLUB.

Offering Community & Education Through THE REVEL CLUB

When launching THE REVEL CLUB in 2021, the Waterhouses wanted to create a way to connect with other owners in order to find friends to travel with – something they craved and others had noted being interested in as well. 

Celia and John always want to find ways to “be of service and enrich the quality of lives of others,” so offering education opportunities that would help new Revel owners enjoy their RVs even more was also extremely important to them. The Waterhouses want to help new owners get going easier and faster so they can experience that “buyer’s joy” as well! 

THE REVEL CLUB uses REVEL as an acronym to list its main focuses: Relationships, Experiences, Vans, Education, and Lifestyle. The club is a “community of like-minded people who value the spontaneity and freedom of travel.” 

Celia and John have worked very hard to provide members with opportunities for high-quality training sessions with pros, workshops, meetups, community engagement, online resources and teaching videos (in The Revel Academy), and other experiences created with Revel owners in mind. They even hope to expand into international excursions as well!

This video gives a great look at what to expect when joining one of their sessions.

“We will never not have a Revel because of what it has done for our lives,” John noted when sharing their plans for the future. So, you can be sure to see them in the Revel community for a long time to come!

Why is Education So Important & What Basic Skills Should Owners Know?

When planning out their workshops and educational content, the Waterhouses are very focused on situational awareness and vehicle knowledge. “Our trainings aren’t about getting an adrenaline rush, it’s about knowing how to get out of situations and what to avoid.” 

They also note that education is not just important for going off-grid; it is important in every scenario where you are driving your RV – from the highway to dealing with inclement weather to getting unstuck when camping in muddy or snowy campsites. 

Educating yourself about your RV, practicing your skills, and continuing to learn are important habits for making sure you stay safe while traveling and getting the most enjoyment out of your vehicle!

Here are some of the most important things they recommend knowing:

1. Know when to turn around and what situations to say no to. The key to being able to make this call is really understanding your vehicle and what it is capable of, as well as what your personal limits are as a driver. (The team from 7P Overland shares more about that here).

2. Learn how to change a tire. This is practical real-world knowledge for anywhere you may go and can help keep you from being stuck on the side of the road or at a far-off camping location. Knowing how to repair a tire when damaged (and having the supplies on hand) can also be a huge help!

3. Understand your vehicle and how it works. Celia and John recommend looking under your RV to see where the delicate spots are that you would need to avoid hitting if going over uneven terrain. It is also important to know what each button does, and how to enable your four-wheel drive if in a Revel (useful to increase traction in snow and other conditions – not just for off-road). The Waterhouses noted that many owners who first attend one of their workshops actually don’t know how or when to engage that important feature of their Revel!

4. Know the basics of getting unstuck. This will also involve having some supplies and appropriate equipment on hand to assist you if you do need to get your RV out of a sticky situation.

For more advanced skills, like off-road driving, taking part in a professional training session can be a huge help. Celia and John note that another perk of having a group of Revels go out on these trainings and excursions together is that they can share parts or tools with each other if an issue does come up! Of course, the camaraderie and ability to build confidence quickly is also a huge advantage of learning new skills in a hands-on environment.

So, if you are a Revel owner hoping to learn more about your RV and how to use it, just know that there are exciting, fun ways to get the education you are looking for and a great community of owners ready to welcome you! 

Happy travels!