Bed Motor Cover

I finally removed the cover from beneath the bed in order to free up more space. 

I used a piece of the bed cover to shield the motor.

I also added some hardwired LED strips to the underside of the bed for proper lighting, since the 2018 Revel didn't have any.

I also added the Bed Head Bumper from CAVans to soften the blow.

2023 July

Bed Rail Caps

The bottoms of the bed rails are sharp and painful and prone to scraping your leg or hand. After doing this three times, I decided to do something about it.

Someone in the Revel group found these square rubber caps  (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MKSGV7K/) that are the perfect size for covering the bottoms of the rails. I had to loosen two screws to slip them on, then tightened them back down after the caps were in place.  No more scrapes!

24-July-2021

Lazy Lounger Hook

We like to hang out in bed with the back doors open, stargazing, listening to music, napping. However, we often fall asleep back there, and then it's late at night, cold outside, and I hate having to get out of bed and go outside to close the doors.  Cue the Lazy Lounger Hook...

I got some of these nylon 'extension cord organizers' ($7) and attached them to the doors using an existing Torx bolt in the latch mechanism. I secured it using a fender washer. This is the loop for grabbing the door to close it with a hook.

The hook needed to be collapsible for storage in the van, but long enough to extend out to the far corner of the door. For the the extending handle, I got this telescopic extension pole ($13.50). For the hook, I got this utility hook ($13) for putting up Christmas lights.

For mounting the Lazy Lounger Hook, I used these Grip Clips ($4) and fastened them to the side of the bed.

Ahh, no more freezing 2:00 am departures from bed to close the back doors...

16-April-2021

Storage Pocket

We needed another small storage pocket in the bedroom for storing glasses, chapstick, etc, and were happy to find this this handy unit from Amazon. It clears the bed when it raises & lowers. I just used some double-sided VHB tape, and it holds perfectly.

13-Oct-2020

Soft Storage Bags

We needed a bit more soft storage in the van for things like extra blankets, laundry, etc, so we got a couple of these bags (Fabric Stuff Bags 24 x 10 Deep) from RB Components. I thought about using expansion nuts to hang them, but the screws that RB shipped turned out to be just fine in the plastic walls of the Revel. They mostly clear the bed, but do get compressed/squeezed when the bed is raised all the way. The bags seems well-made and durable, with solid grommets at all the connection points.

17-October-2020

Bottle Hook

I sometimes need to get a drink in the middle of the night, but I sleep near the back door, and there's no good place to store my water bottle. I decided to repurpose one of the snap screws as a way to anchor a hook for my water bottle. 

I used a 'rope hook' and a #8 1 1/2" self-drilling screw, costing about $2.00.

Update 2020:

This was a big success, so my wife wanted one on her side. I used a slightly smaller hook (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQMUJ2/) and reused one of the holes from the 'bed seat belt' that I had removed.  Works great.

Dec-19-2019

Bumper Step

I frequently found myself needing to stand at the rear of the van and work on the bed or rummage around under the mattress. Since it's a long way up there without a good place to stand, I decided to get a bumper step (aka 'bump step'). Research led me to this item, which installed easily, and seems sturdy. I also installed an anti-rattle locking pin from Curt (silver pin in these photos).

Nightstand Pockets

We've really missed having some sort of 'nightstand' on either side of the bed for all the normal stuff: kindles, chapstick, kleenex, etc. 

We decided to install some sort of cargo pockets on the wall above the bed, and decided that it should have a rigid frame, no adhesive, and accommodate enough stuff without ripping out of the wall. I found these things on Amazon, and they came to us from Germany (took a couple of weeks to receive them).

I was extremely concerned about putting holes in the wall near the flares, because the flares are made of fiberglass. Also, it was unclear to me if the plastic 'shell' that surround the whole garage would be strong enough to hold screws & weight.  After taking some measurements of the plastic and the fiberglass, I settled on these screws, and they worked perfectly, staying away from the fiberglass. If you do this, I highly recommend these screws (7x1/2" flathead), but don't over-tighten them, or you'll lose your grip in the plastic!

The pockets work very well, and are rock-solid, no danger of them falling off the wall at all.

2020 Update

This system continues to work well, but we added yet more storage with this pocket, ideal for holding iPads and similar. Once again, I used simple screws in the plastic walls, and there have been no problems at all with it.

Bedding

The Revel's bed is an unusual size and shape, and it posed a challenge for sheets. Here's what we did.

(We refer to the two stationary pieces of the bed as 'bolsters', perhaps incorrectly, but that's what I'll call them here.) We found that these body pillowcases are a close match for the size of the bolsters.

I cut 5 small holes on the underside of the pillowcase so that the bolster’s snaps can poke through, and then just snap the bolster down. Works great, fast and easy to remove for washing, and only a little bit of extra cloth hangs down. I may try to address the extra cloth if it becomes a nuisance, but so far, it’s not an issue.

We found an unusual fitted sheet on Amazon for the Revel’s mattress. It fits the width perfectly, but has a little bit of extra length that we tuck under the mattress. It’s called a 3/4 sheet or a small double, and it was shipped from India, so it took a week or two to arrive.

RAM Mounts

The 2018 Revel has 3-4 tracks for RAM mounts, and Winnebago sent some of us early adopters a complimentary tablet holder for being patient during the delays of October - December 2017 (we ordered in September, and took delivery on 12/21/17, a few others got theirs 2-3 weeks before us).

I put the RAM tablet holder together and installed it next to the bed for some late evening movie watching.

It works well, but is a little inconvenient in the middle of the night if going to the bathroom — easily bumped into.

Unfortunately, you can’t keep the RAM mount partially installed on the track — it interferes with the bed when raising the bed.

Screen Compartment

I didn't like the fact that our screens and tarps didn't have a safe, flat place to reside without getting smashed or bent. 

I noticed that there about 3 inches of vertical space in the rear of the bed, so I decided to make a compartment for the screens and tarps there. However, the belts that raise the bed also travel through this space, so I needed a way to shield the screens and ensure that they didn't slide into the belts and get chewed up.

I wandered the aisles of my hardware store to find something that was L-shaped, lightweight, several inches high, and could be installed into the Revel non-destructively. I came up with this thing, which has a plastic L shape and which I could easily cut into two pieces with a hacksaw.

I fastened the two pieces to the inside of the bed with double-sided tape. In the above picture, you can see one of the pieces forming the left side of the new screen compartment. 

This is an overview of the new 22x29x4" compartment with the screens inside. The left and right sides are formed with these L-shapes, the top is formed by the center brace that Winnebago installed in the bed, and the bottom side is formed by the side of the bed itself. This works very well - - they don't move around, they don't get beat up & smashed/bent, and they are easy to access by just lifting the mattress and reaching in.