RP Rebellion 2 AWD Pro campervan

RP’s 4x4 flagship is back, with more features and more off-grid capability than ever before. Meet the winner of Best 4x4 Campervan 2026 in the Out and About Live Awards in association with Creation.

Over 1.2 million people have watched our YouTube video of the original RP Rebellion, a 4x4 super-campervan that clearly caught the imagination of a lot of folk and, arguably, started the boom in off-road leisure vehicles.

Since then, RP has continued to develop its luxury adventure campervans, adding a clever second alternator to give you unlimited off-grid stays (as long as you have diesel in the tank). Meanwhile, its Smart Assist system allows key functions to be controlled and monitored from an iPad.

Always seeking to stay ahead of the competition, RP launched the new Rebellion at last October’s NEC show – and instantly grabbed the Best 4x4 Campervan trophy in the Out & About Live Awards 2026.

Development of the latest model started when Mercedes-Benz withdrew the Super High Roof version of the Sprinter, a prerequisite for RP’s unique elevated rear lounge. Now, the company starts with the L2 van and adds its own roof on top – not an easy task when mated with the perfectionism of RP owner, Steve Young.

The prototype tested had roof design number seven, with final tweaks still being made to the mould at time of writing. Crucially, the new top adds 70mm in height, creating more headroom and extra storage, while the awning is now much better integrated into the roof (without any ugly brackets) and spoilers duct airflow over the rooflights.

There is much more, however, to the revised Rebellion than a new roof.

The garage has been reconfigured, the front lounge and washroom have both been redesigned, there are new-generation solar panels which can directly charge the latest lithium batteries (and even top up the vehicle battery), and a weight-saving programme has increased payload by 150kg with no loss of quality.

Even the pricing has had a thorough overhaul, with a new lower starting figure of £148,000 for the 4x4 and £136,000 for a rear-wheel drive version.

There are many options you can add, but an online configurator on the RP website now allows you to spec your vehicle exactly as you need it.

The show vehicle – fully loaded with all the bells and whistles (no washing machine this time, though!) had £13,489-worth of base vehicle extras and a further £47,650 of additional habitation features, but you no longer need to spend over £200k to get into a Rebellion.

Still a unique vehicle

Apart from the Pebble paint finish, this 2026-model Rebellion could, at first glance, be mistaken for its predecessor, which is a real compliment regarding the OEM look of the new roof.

It still has RP’s own bodykit (£1,495) and Black Rhino Warlord alloys, now fitted with the latest BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tyres for improved traction in challenging environments (£3,780).

Lazer Lights (for off-road use, linked to the main beam) are now integrated into the grille (£1,545).

Of course, the foundations of the Rebellion are still a seven-metre Sprinter panel van, now with the 2-litre 190hp diesel engine and 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox as standard.

The maximum gross weight of 4,100kg is uprated here to 4,400kg to give a 650kg payload.

And, while we’re on the subject of load lugging, let’s take a look at the Rebellion’s distinctive derrière. As before, the barn doors are replaced by RP’s own huge top-hinged tailgate, which opens to reveal a deeper garage, boasting extra capacity.

Now 1.69m wide and 91cm tall, with a minimum depth of 85cm, the space has longer (1.87m) sections on either side for skis, windbreaks, etc.

The batteries (two 200Ah 24V Victron lithium units) are now raised off the floor to increase their efficiency, while the inboard water tank is now placed centrally for improved weight distribution. Three sizes of tank are offered, the largest being 180 litres.

Not only does the tailgate look much more attractive than panel van doors but you can load the garage without cold and rain blowing into your bedroom. 

But, if it’s sunny and warm and you want fresh air, there’s still another top-hinged hatch above the tailgate that gives panoramic views from the rear lounge. This second door can now be fitted with a full flyscreen.

Driving off-road

There’s a limit to what you can do with someone else’s brand-new £200k campervan but Storm Bram ensured that there was plenty of thick, gloopy mud and exceedingly soft, wet ground at Bramham Park where we photographed the Rebellion.

Suffice to say that we didn’t get stuck (or close to it), while having fun showering our cameraman (and cameras!) with grime. 

Only the sheer size of the Sprinter (compared with something like a Land Rover Defender) – and perhaps your bravery – will limit where you go. And, with the optional 213-litre diesel tank, you should have enough range to go from Land’s End to John O’Groats without refuelling.

On the road, it’s a familiar Mercedes cab, albeit one that has you sitting eye to eye with the truckers. The steering is now lighter than before and the all-wheel drive system allocates drive according to grip, without the driver having to get involved.

VB semi-air suspension (£2,070) allows a softer setting for off-roading, all controlled digitally from the dashboard. Fresh and waste water tanks are also emptied via fascia switches, so there’s no grovelling underneath for muck-splattered drain taps.

For a commercial vehicle, the driving environment already feels premium, but the 4x4 Sprinter is now offered with additional luxuries, including a heated steering wheel and LED headlights.

Our test vehicle came with heated seats (£420) trimmed in RP’s exclusive Italian leather (£3,930). Reshaped for extra support, these are chairs that should stay comfy for a very long drive.

Living off-grid

Already we’ve discovered plenty of USPs of the Rebellion but the key one is its off-grid capability compared with other gas-free vehicles (which often have very limited potential for electric cooking without a hook-up).

This is achieved via the 24V Advanced Power Management System (£16,750), which adds a second alternator that replicates hooking up to a mains electricity supply.

You simply flick a switch, which triggers the RP charging system with the engine running. Ideally, you’d do this en route to your destination but, if you flatten your batteries while parked up, you can replenish your electric supply for as long as you have diesel – you’ll never run out of power!

We put this to the test, boiling water on both induction rings on the hob and using the twin drawers of a Ninja air fryer at the same time. Even though we were drawing almost 5kW of power, we were still topping up the batteries at the same time! The Victron inverter can supply up to 7kW.

A rather harsher test has been carried out by an RP customer touring the USA for almost a year. With no ability to plug into American 110V electrics, the Rebellion has been running off-grid for the whole tour.

It’s not just the electrical systems that impress here, but also the incredibly generous kitchen. With the flap raised at the forward end, by the sliding door, there is 2.13m of worktop (over 7ft), all in DuPont Corian. Then, above, is a shelf (1.37m long) giving even more worktop at a second level.

Storage is excellent, too, with three deep drawers (the top one for cutlery and utensils) and a large cupboard under the sink (which has a domestic outlet).

Different sizes of compressor fridge are available, the largest (seen here) having a 150-litre capacity split between two drawers – use one as a fridge, the other as a freezer, if you wish.

There’s more storage at high level but, with headroom here measuring up to 2.14m, you’ll need to be tall to access the highest shelf without a step. Opposite, there’s even more cupboard space, including a compartment for a De’Longhi Cappuccino coffee machine.

The only downside is enforced by the width of the Sprinter van, so the centre aisle is just 45cm wide at its slimmest point. But everything seems extremely sturdy, with remarkably few rattles when bumping around off road.

Two lounge areas

Twin steps lead up to the rear lounge, which feels very different to the fixed beds in the Rebellion’s rivals; you can turn this space into a bedroom almost instantly and leave it as such if you prefer.

As single beds, both mattresses measure 1.89m long and, for the first 89cm, the beds are joined, filling the width of the campervan.

Two armrest cushions and a portion of slide-out slats turn twin beds into a huge double, 1.89m by 1.68m (1.50m long in the middle, so the steps are still accessible and no ladder is required).

Pack your duvets away and this space is a comfortable raised seating area with a great view out via the open upper rear hatch, while small side windows give daylight with privacy. New top lockers create extra clothes storage here and there’s more locker space under the sofas. 

The 21.5in Avtex smart TV is a £1,195 option with comfortable viewing, whether as a bedroom or a lounge, while another new feature is the movable reading lights that clip to rails under the cupboards.

There’s much greater change up front, where the seating has been redesigned to create a versatile lounging/dining space for two – with space for guests, but no rear travel seats. 

Both cab chairs swivel and a jump seat/footrest that appears from the end of the galley is a nice touch. Opposite, the settee can be side-facing or arranged to face the rotated driver’s seat with small or large tables in between. In all, the Rebellion has three sizes of table, two of which can also be used in the rear lounge or al fresco with the addition of a tripod base.

In the cab, RP has now manufactured its own headlining, replacing the dark Mercedes original. Its beige colouring matches the side panel mouldings – there’s no old-fashioned carpet trim in this very twenty-first century motorhome. 

Then above the cab is a huge locker where you’ll find a rechargeable Maglite clipped into place. In the entrance, there’s even a built-in brolly that slides out from behind an RP logo!

New washroom

Opposite the kitchen, you step down into a new washroom that’s now moulded in one piece and lifted into the Rebellion as a single unit. There’s 1.92m headroom here and an opening window protected by a waterproof blind when showering.

Not only is there the usual showerhead on a riser bar but an overhead rain shower, too, for that boutique hotel vibe, while the large fold-down washbasin is RP’s own design, made in-house from Corian.

Previously, RP has fitted the OGO composting toilet but, as here, a new alternative is the Clesana bag system loo. Either option will allow much longer off-grid stays, as you’ll not have to go searching for chemical emptying points.

Heating currently is a diesel/mains 6kW Truma Combi but this will shortly be changed to a diesel Alde ‘wet’ central heating system, which will include a heat exchanger to take heat from the Mercedes engine. 

Insulation includes 75mm in the floor, while additional insulation is provided by the Styrofoam core in the lightweight furniture.

For hotter climes, the Rebellion is available with an automotive air-conditioning system (£2,940) for the habitation area with ducting built into the new roof and outlets in four separate areas.

With all-wheel drive to go almost anywhere and the 24V Advanced Power Management System to stay off-grid virtually indefinitely (as long as you have diesel), the new Rebellion is designed and built as a mini expedition vehicle, without the cost of something like a Unimog. It has so many USPs that it stands head and shoulders above 4x4s from mainstream manufacturers.