Taking RV Shopping Off-Road: Winnebago’s Ride & Drive Experience at Overland Expo Mountain West

Taking RV Shopping Off-Road: Winnebago’s Ride & Drive Experience at Overland Expo Mountain West
Learn how the Revel, EKKO, and ARKA performed on a backcountry-inspired test track!

By: Kenny & Sabrina Phillips

As RVs continue to evolve and become more advanced, it only makes sense for the RV shopping experience to change as well. Winnebago is excited to lead the way in embracing new trends in the industry while finding meaningful ways to connect with consumers and help them choose the right RV. Their Ride & Drive experience at Overland Expo Mountain West is a testament to the brand’s commitment to engaging directly with customers, gathering valuable feedback, and using those insights to shape future products.

One of the top reasons RV shows are so popular is because they go beyond a typical shopping experience by providing an opportunity to talk directly with the manufacturers of the RVs you are touring. You can usually even have one of the product planners of the RV walk you through the unit to explain its features. This is always a great way to not only learn more about the vehicle but also get a feel for the overall space of the RV and how you might use it!

However, at this year’s Overland Expo Mountain West, Winnebago took that experience one step further … in fact, they took it further than any other RV manufacturer had before. Winnebago partnered with Transwest Truck Trailer RV and Overland Expo to give attendees the opportunity to take the Revel, EKKO, and all-new ARKA through an off-road course for a test drive.

As someone who was there riding along in the vehicles, I can confirm that attendees loved it! Even more telling was how surprised many of them were by just how capable these RVs really are, especially with no aftermarket parts added to boost performance. As part of Winnebago’s Backcountry Series, these RVs really do shine when off-road and the Winnebago team wanted to offer potential owners the chance to experience those features firsthand.

Read more about how the Revel, EKKO, and new ARKA compare in this article.

Not Just Show & Tell: Winnebago’s Off-Road RV Test Drive Experience

If you were a bystander watching the Ride & Drive at Overland Expo, you would have never known this was Winnebago’s first time hosting one. Everything ran smoothly, and we were able to get more people behind the wheel of the vehicles than originally expected.

Winnebago and Transwest had people sign up online in advance to reserve a time slot and choose which vehicle they wanted to take out. When they arrived, we had them sign a waiver, and if they were driving (rather than going for a ride along), they simply had to show us their driver’s license. From there, one of us would take them to their vehicle of choice and go over a few quick rules before they drove onto the course.

I usually sat in the back seat so I could answer any questions while attendees navigated the course. We also had two spotters stationed along the obstacle course who gave drivers instructions on how fast to go and which way to turn the steering wheel. Those instructions varied depending on the vehicle. (I’ll explain those differences later in this article.)

Once the course was completed, they had the option of taking another one of the vehicles out or calling it a day. We also asked attendees to take a quick five-minute survey with another member of our staff to help Winnebago continue to improve these rigs.

The entire team worked so well together that we were eventually able to start accepting walk-ups in addition to our originally reserved time slots. But the best part of the event for me was watching everyone walk away with huge smiles on their faces. It became pretty obvious early on that the Ride & Drive was going to be one of the most talked about experiences of the weekend.

Putting Winnebago’s Backcountry Series to the Test

The Ride & Drive test track at Overland Expo Mountain West was built to showcase a variety of situations. There were two sections of hill climbs, a long stretch of off-camber terrain to demonstrate suspension flex, and an up-and-over ridge designed to show how quickly the all-wheel-drive systems can jump into action and send power to the wheels that need it most.

This course was a great way to see how all three vehicles handle terrain differently!

At under twenty feet long, the Winnebago Revel is the nimblest of the three. Its short wheelbase allows drivers several options for approaching an obstacle.

The Winnebago EKKO and Revel both share the same all-wheel-drive system, but the longer wheelbase of the EKKO means you need to be more strategic with your approach and departure angles. 

Of course, the all-new Winnebago ARKA adventure truck was really a showstopper at this event! With its Overland Trim, 41-inch tires, and ground clearance, it made everything on the test track feel like a walk in the park. The ARKA also has a traditional four-wheel-drive system with a transfer case and dedicated low-range gear. 

Once engaged, only a small amount of throttle was needed for the ARKA to slowly crawl through the course. This often gives drivers the confidence they need when behind the wheel of such a large vehicle. 

The ARKA stands at 11 feet, 9 inches tall, yet one of the most common comments I received from participants was that it never felt top-heavy. The ARKA is built with a torsion-free design, allowing the living area and cab to move independently. This allows the chassis to achieve maximum articulation without transferring that stress to the living area. (Read my full review of traveling in the ARKA here.)

Whenever the ARKA was on the course, everyone seemed to pull out their cameras to capture it in action!

“I Didn't Think It Could Do That!”

You don’t have to just take my word for how great Winnebago’s Backcountry Series RVs perform … here are some comments from the Ride & Drive participants:

"It was much more comfortable than I expected, and I felt confident behind the wheel. With the price point and all that you're getting, it's definitely worth it."
 
"The Ride and Drive was great! It's always a better experience to get a feel for it behind the wheel."
 
"The test drive alone was awesome. I expected rugged, off-road capabilities, but the smoothness and clearance were so much better than I had thought they'd be and what you'd expect from something of this size. I'm excited to go to the booth and check out the rest of the inside."
 
"When you think Winnebago, you usually don't think big, off-road vehicle. They did their homework, and it's fantastic, incredibly smooth, and handled everything well. We're looking forward to learning more about it."
 
"I'm looking for my next chapter in overlanding, and looking at getting an overlanding unit. The Winnebago ARKA is an amazing beast, and we'll be looking into it in the future."
 
"Very capable and comfortable vehicles, and very confidence-inspiring. Overall, an amazing experience."

Benefits of Winnebago’s Backcountry Series

After collecting feedback from the attendees, it was clear that everyone was impressed, but I wondered how many of them realized that Winnebago had not added any aftermarket parts to the test vehicles. These were all stock vehicles. We didn't even lower the tire pressure to improve off-road comfort and traction!

We wanted the experience to be as close as possible to what you would get if you purchased one of these vehicles from a dealer and immediately headed out to explore the backcountry.

As someone who owns a Jeep Wrangler and enjoys off-roading, I know firsthand how quickly you can get caught up in the world of aftermarket upgrades. Spend a little time around the Jeep community, and you will see vehicles with larger tires, shocks, suspension lifts, upgraded bumpers, and all sorts of accessories designed to make them more capable off-road. Before you know it, you can easily spend thousands of dollars modifying a vehicle that was already quite capable when it rolled off the assembly line.

Don't get me wrong, I have made upgrades to my own Jeep, and I certainly believe there are benefits to making a vehicle more capable or comfortable off-road. But do you really need all those upgrades to get out there and start exploring?

I think that is one of the biggest takeaways from Winnebago's Ride & Drive experience. Winnebago’s Backcountry Series vehicles are designed to take you beyond the pavement, and we were able to demonstrate just how capable they are without making a single modification.

Whether you are looking to explore a remote campsite, navigate a forest service road, or venture farther into the backcountry, the Winnebago Revel, EKKO, and ARKA offer plenty of capability right from the factory.

You can always make upgrades down the road as your adventures take you into more challenging terrain, but as we demonstrated on the test track, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on aftermarket parts before you can start exploring.

Sometimes, the only upgrade you really need is the confidence to turn off the pavement and see where the road takes you!

Were You at the Overland Expo Ride & Drive Event?
If you took part, I would love to hear about your experience behind the wheel! If you missed it, would you be interested in attending a future Winnebago Ride & Drive event? Let us know in the comments!