On the Road with Winnebago’s Van Caravan

On the Road with Winnebago’s Van Caravan
Traveling to Revel Van Rally and Overland Expo with the Winnebago team.
By: Nick Riebe

Greetings GoLifers! My name is Nick Riebe, and I am Winnebago's ambassador for the new Solis Pocket. I have named her ‘Grete’ (pronounced ‘Greta’) which means ‘Pearl'’ in Norwegian. The reason for that name is because my previous Winnebago was a Travato named “Black Pearl,” and I unfortunately lost her in an accident. 

We spent 4.5 years together traveling around North America, and because I loved her so much, it only seemed right to carry on the legacy. I am currently touring around the country in Grete over the next six months, attending various Overland Expos and Adventure Van Expos. I’m really looking forward to meeting new people, making new friends, and showing off Winnebago’s newest van in the Solis lineup.

First Stop: Revel Van Rally

This year's Revel Van Rally was held at the Purgatory Ski Resort, in Durango, CO. I departed Forest City, IA, and thoroughly enjoyed the few-day journey down to Durango. Colorado is truly a beautiful state, and I really need to spend more time there. 

Upon arrival, I met up with “Team Winnebago,” who were all smiles, and ready to cater to the crowd! Chris, Kim, Merrisa, Amy, Jon, and Mike were an absolute joy to hang out with, and their positive energy and genuine enthusiasm are absolutely contagious!

The Revel Van Rally team was excited to have such a great turnout and provided an amazing experience for everyone in attendance. Plus, the various vendors were selling all kinds of goodies to anxious Revel owners.

Caravanning through Colorado

After the Revel Van Rally ended, Team Winnebago (along with a few friends) set off on a four day (three night) “van caravan” through some of the most beautiful parts of Colorado, led by the Holcombe family in their Revel/Hike duo. 

As we traveled, we kept in contact via GMRS radios, while Peter Holcombe played tour guide and provided amazing narration about places we were traveling through. Our first day was spent in Ouray, CO, enjoying the hot springs, good food, and some of the gang even went on a Via Ferrata mountain climbing adventure! 

Our first boondocking location was deep in the wilds of the San Juan mountains. We were surrounded by mountains on all sides, and the photography opportunities were endless. Later in the evening, we shared stories around a campfire before settling in for a good night's sleep.

Day two of the caravan was spent traveling from our secret location in the San Juan mountains to Buena Vista, CO. We were able to fill our water tanks, wash the filthy vans, and get some other pending chores done. 

That night, we were able to “moochdock” at a friend's home on the Arkansas river. We shared an amazing meal and discussed all of the beautiful scenery we had seen over the past few days, along with details of our next day's caravan plans.

Day three was spent traveling from Buena Vista, CO, and through Rocky Mountain National Park. If there were to be a favorite part of the caravan, this was it for me! The scenery was incredible, and we purposely stopped at various altitudes (up to 12,000 feet) to do some product testing.

While stopped at one location, we were fortunate enough to see some elk and moose in the valley below. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the Visitor Center in time to get a stamp in my National Parks Passport, but that's ok… I know I was there! 

We made it out of the park, and to our campground for the night. With little daylight remaining, we hastily got all the rigs situated, a campfire going, and enjoyed our last evening together before setting off towards Overland Expo Mountain West on our own the next morning.   

Overland Expo Mountain West & The Caravan Wrap-Up

In the morning, most of us continued the caravan to Overland Expo Mountain West, which was a few-hours drive from the campground outside of RMNP to Loveland, CO. Once on-site at Overland Expo Mountain West, the fun continued as we showcased a few of Winnebago’s newest, and most popular products: the Revel, Solis Pocket, and EKKO. 

Every morning of the expo, there was a line of people waiting to tour each vehicle, and as the days wore on, the lines never seemed to end! The sheer amount of positive feedback I personally received about all three vehicles was staggering. Proof that Winnebago listens to its customers and only provides the absolute best products.    

As the caravan, and various rallies and expos ultimately came to an end, I’m sure we would all agree that new friendships were forged, old friendships renewed, and memories were made. For me, this was an amazing opportunity to become part of the Winnebago team for a short time, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you for letting me tag along on this adventure!