Winnebago was one of the first major American RV manufacturers to embrace the van life and overlanding trends when it launched the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4-based Revel back in 2017, after sending out market feelers with the 2016 Concept Adventure van. Believe it or not, the Revel was less than US$135,000 back then, a price that's since soared to nearly double: over $254K for the 2025 Revel.
Winnebago rolls that pricing back a bit with the new/old 2025 Revel Sport, a lighter version of the Revel that offers more buyer flexibility. But is it cheap enough to keep the off-road van life party rolling onward into the future?
Winnebago updated the original Revel for the 2025 model year earlier in 2024, and the new Sport model carries over the specs of the outgoing Revel while pulling the official MSRP back to previous-year levels. Winnebago, of course, advertises it as an all-new model, but the new model appears to be the product of a large leftover stock of older Revel vans or components.
Regardless of the Sport's origins, it's nice to have options as a consumer, especially when putting down six figures' worth of hard-earned cash. Given how dramatically the price of the Revel has risen in just seven years, it's also nice to see it rolling back in the other direction. Ultimately, the two-model lineup gives buyers more flexibility in finding a van to fit their life and budget.
And if it still looks overpriced, there's always the Tiffin GH1.
Winnebago's big brag for the standard 2025 Revel 44E is a full week's worth of off-grid capabilities that make it a headliner in the new Backcountry Series. That package centers around an 8.4-kWh Lithionics lithium-ion Winnebago Power Max system with EcoFlow control hub and 3,600-W inverter.
The Sport goes back to the 4.1-kWh Lithionics lithium battery system and smaller 2,000-W inverter the Revel featured before the off-grid "Backcountry Series" update. The Sport complements that battery with 215 watts of roof-mounted solar, but buyers will have to forego the full estimated week of power autonomy they'd get with the upgraded non-Sport Revel.
Since the Revel Sport has no need to live up to claims of seven-day autonomy, its fresh water capacity rolls back to previous levels with a 91-L tank, down from the 132.5 liters of the 2025 Revel 44E. The gray tank handles the same 79.5 liters.
The Sport floor plan is labeled the 44N instead of 44E but is laid out the same as the Revel has always been, starting with the rear bed that power-lifts to the roof to clear out a full gear storage garage during the drive. That bed does not share the "WinnSleep" suspension sleep system upgrade of the 2025 Revel 44E, however.
It seems Winnebago could have manipulated the price lower by swapping the power lift system out for a manual lift or fixed bed, but since the new Revel Sport is really just the old Revel, it didn't do anything of the sort.
Moving forward, the floor plan continues with the wet bathroom with removable shelving, shower and cassette toilet; kitchen block with stainless steel sink, portable single-burner induction cooker and 85-L compressor fridge/freezer; and front lounge with two-seat bench, removable table and swivel cab seats.
If you're still not convinced this is an old Revel disguised as a new Sport, note the familiar older features throughout, starting with the low-back two-seat rear bench in place of the taller, separable individual rear seats on the 2025 Revel 44E, the oval dining table instead of the newer rectangular table, the removable kitchen counter extension instead of the drawer, and the old bathroom door design in place of the separate French-style doors. That's not a knock on any of those features, as they were all standards previously, just worth noting as points of differentiation.
Of course, Winnebago still debuted the Revel Sport as part of the new model contingent in its "bold and innovative" MY2025 lineup at this year's Hershey RV Show back in September. We suppose bringing the price down is a "bold" move anyone can appreciate, even if no one would call the Sport's $210,570 base price a bargain-basement steal. It's certainly a lower ceiling from which to start the negotiations.
Like the 44E, the 2025 Revel Sport 44N is built on a 19.5-foot (5.9-m) Mercedes-Benz Sprinter AWD 144 with 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel and nine-speed automatic transmission. It comes loaded with driver-assistance tech, including Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control, active lane keeping assist, active braking assist and driver attention assist. Winnebago can shod the four wheels in optional BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires for those looking to up their traction.
Source: Winnebago
