RV News: AEONrv Hits the Road, Lightship Expands Production Facilities, and Much More
Image Caption: Photo Credit: AEONrv
It was another busy week for the RV industry, with plenty of interesting stories to cover. Here’s a rundown of the most important news from the past few days:
Photo Credit: AEONrv
- AEONrv Embarks on 13-State Road Trip to Show Off High-Tech RV: Nevada-based AEONrv has announced a 13-state tour during which it will be showing off its impressively equipped Class B camper at 23 different events across the US. The company builds an RV that features a fully-electric interior utilizing a large lithium battery bank and solar panels to power HVAC, lights, the kitchen, and other equipment. The vehicle is built to stay off-grid for days at a time, without the need for propane or a gas-powered generator. To find out where you can see this intriguing motor coach in person, click here.
Photo Credit: Lightship
- Lightship Expands Production Capacity to Meet Demand: Electric travel trailer startup—and Wildsam partner—Lightship announced this week that it is expanding its production facilities to meet increased demand for its high-tech towable. The company says its AE.1 model, which is available in several configurations, continues to be popular with buyers. So much so, in fact, that it is quadrupling the size of its manufacturing space to further streamline the build-out process. The facility is located in Broomfield, CO, and is currently about 32,000 square feet in size, but will soon grow to 76,000 square feet once the expansion is completed. Electrek has further info here.
Photo Credit: Alaskan
- Alaskan Campers Launches New Lightweight Model: If you’re in the market for a new truck camper, you may want to check out the latest offering from Alaskan. The company’s latest offering is the HS 640, which measures 6.4′ in length, 86.5″ in height, and has a dry weight of just 1200 lbs. The rig is built using 99% non-organic materials, which means it should stand up to the elements nicely. It fits a variety of trucks, too, including models from Toyota, Ford, Ram, and Chevy. Find out more here.
Photo Credit: Thule
- Thule Launches Widesky Rooftop Tent: RV and vehicle accessory manufacturer Thule has announced the launch of its newest rooftop tent, the Wildesky. The two-person hardshell model is designed for quick and easy setup and breakdown, taking just a few seconds for each. It also offers excellent comfort levels thanks to a plush mattress, which converts to a couch when sitting inside the RTT. The latest addition to the Swedish company’s catalog also boasts wide doors, panoramic views, and integrated LED lights. It fits on a wide range of vehicles and has a starting price of $3,999. Check it out here.
Photo Credit: FOX News
- Fox & Friends and Camping World are giving away an RV: In case you missed our report on this from earlier in the week, FOX News is sending its Fox & Friends crew out on a five-stop road trip over the next few months, and is taking an RV along for the trip. That RV is actually a Class A Thor Freedom Traveler from Camping World. For all the details, including how you can win the motorhome yourself, click here.
Photo Credit: Dometic
- Dometic is Giving Away 17 Free Trips to Joshua Tree: We had another story posted to RV.com this week that may be of interest, this time with Dometic giving away some free trips from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree. The giveaway includes lending winners a fully equipped vehicle to take on the trip, with a rooftop tent, powered cooler, camp lights, and other equipment supplied. To learn more, click here.
Photo Credit: Amazon
- Amazon Buys Satellite Operator in Bid to Compete with Starlink: We’ve been following the rollout for Amazon’s satellite internet service for some time now, as the company looks to launch a true competitor for Starlink. That process picked up steam this week with the announcement that it has bought Globalstar, a company that has operated in the satellite phone and internet business for years. The acquisition should provide established infrastructure and monitoring services as the Amazon Leo service ramps up for its expected official launch date this summer. It promises to be faster and more robust than Starlink, at a cheaper cost. Gizmodo has more details on the Globalstar buyout here.
Photo Credit: The North Face
- The North Face Introduces Outdoor Gear Line for Adaptive Campers: Outdoor enthusiasts with disabilities have always been an underserved segment of the population. To address that, this week The North Face launched a line of gear designed to meet the specific needs of people with mobility issues, visual impairments, or other disabilities. The new Universal Collection includes thoughtful features like sleeping bags with magnetic closures and tents with high-vis sleeves and rain flys that are easier to see and interact with. TNF even created a flexible backpack designed to fit a wider range of body types and mobility devices. Check out the Universal Collection here.
Image Courtesy of Oren Ravid/Shutterstock
- KOA Research Shows Camping Continues to Grow in Popularity: Kampgrounds of America released its 12th annual Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report this week, revealing some interesting findings along with it. According to the latest data from KOA, more than 52 million households went camping in 2025, which is up from pre-pandemic levels. That translated into $66 billion in spending in local communities, demonstrating the economic impact of those outings. The study showed that RV travel specifically has settled back down to pre-pandemic levels, with 67% of respondents traveling in an RV they own, while 21% say they used an RV that they borrowed—up from 9% from the previous year. Check out the full report here.
Image Courtesy of welcomia/Getty
- The Dyrt Reveals the Best Places to Camp with Kids in 2026: Online campsite discovery platform The Dyrt continues to be an endless source of great information for campers. This week, the company announced its selection for the top ten places to camp with kids in 2026, with options to choose from in a wide range of places. Some of the top picks include Jellystone Park Quarryville in Pennsylvania, HTR Niagara Campground in New York, and Spacious Skies Bear Den in North Carolina. Read the full list here.
That’s all for this week. See you next Friday for another edition of our weekly RV news recap.
Kraig Becker is a writer in the RV, outdoors, and adventure travel space. Over the course of his career he has contributed to such outlets as Popular Mechanics, Outside Online, Business Insider, TripSavvy, Digital Trends, GearJunkie, The Adventure Blog, and countless others. An avid runner and cyclist, he enjoys camping, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and just about any other outdoor activity. His travels have taken him to seven continents and on many amazing adventures.
