It has been another busy week across the RV industry, with plenty of news to report. Let’s dive right in with a few stories you may have missed:
Photo Credit: ATC
- ATC Launches Plā 650 Fifth-Wheel Toy Hauler: ATC—a company that specializes in towables—has announced the arrival of its all-new Plā 650 toy hauler. This well-equipped fifth-wheel trailer comes with a spacious bedroom, a rear kitchen, and a strategically placed slide-out in the living room area. Other innovations include a deck-over frame that brings increased ground clearance and removes interior wheels, along with 3″ of additional headroom space in the bedroom. The rig sports frameless windows with integrated shades, a large pass-through storage compartment, and room to comfortably sleep 12. It is available in two floor plans and has a starting MSRP of $155,615. Find out more here.
Photo Credit: Renegade RV
- Renegade RV Reveals Explorer TS Class C Coach: Renegade RV, a company known for its high-end Class C motorhomes, is taking things up a notch with the all-new Explorer TS model. This rig positions the brand in the heavy-duty luxury category, with a slew of great features designed to help it stand out from the competition. Those include three A/C units, a 12.5kW generator, a 540Ah (expandable to 1080Ah) lithium house battery, and a 600W (expandable to 1000W) solar package, all as standard equipment. The new coach also comes with factory-installed Starlink on the mobility mount, electric dump valves, porcelain tile flooring, custom cabinetry, residential appliances, and much, much more. The Explorer TS is currently available in a single floor plan with 1.5 baths, a beautiful ensuite, and an amazing living space. Find out more here.
Photo Credit: Grand Design
- Grand Design Shows Off Affordable Transcend Lite Travel Trailer: Grand Design also crashed the new RV party this week with the reveal of the new Transcend Lite towable. This travel trailer is squarely aimed at solo campers, couples, and first-time buyers, offering the brand’s well-known build quality and outstanding warranty coverage in a model that is reportedly very budget-friendly. We gave the new rig full coverage earlier this week, which you can read here.
Photo Credit: Thor Motor Coach
- Thor Shares 2027 Class A Updates: Last week, Thor Motor Coach gave us a sneak peek at the upgrades coming to its Class C coaches in 2027, and this week it did the same for its Class A models. Upgrades include features focused on comfort and convenience, with motorhomes getting higher-resolution side and rear cameras, new floor plans for the Hurricane and Windsport coaches that include the brand’s Dream Dinette, leatherette theater seating, king-sized beds, and more. RV Business has the full rundown of what to expect here.
Photo Credit: Thor Motor Coach
- Thor’s 2027 Class B Upgrades Announced, Too: Thor’s Class A and C models aren’t the only vehicles getting updated for 2027, as the RV maker has also announced its 2027 Class B upgrades. New features for the Rize and Scope camper vans include a Thule powered awning, upgraded window shades, and a new sink in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the Sequence and Tellaro models now come with improved connectivity courtesy of a Winegard ConnectT system. LED accent lighting and new decor options are also highlights. Find out more from RV Business.
Photo Credit: Encore RV
- Encore RV Celebrates Fifth Anniversary: This week marks the fifth anniversary of Encore RV, which was officially founded on June 15, 2021. As anyone who follows the RV industry knows, the past five years have not been easy ones for any manufacturer, but the brand has grown steadily over that time, moving from a 20,000-square-foot facility to space three times that size. Recently, it has even opened a separate site for purchasing and operations, in an effort to further meet customer needs. The brand makes an excellent line of lightweight, rugged, and innovative trailers built for off-road use, all of which feature wood-free construction, all-aluminum chassis, and well-crafted furnishings. Congrats to the entire team on this significant milestone.
Photo Credit: Dreamhaven RV
- Dreamhaven RV to Make Overland Expo Debut: Australian RV-maker Dreamhaven is coming stateside and will make its debut at Overland Expo Mountain West in August. The brand is known for making high-quality towables that offer excellent features and durability at a good price. That’s exactly the message the company is delivering ahead of its first appearance at OEX, where it hopes to woo American buyers with rigs that deliver a lot of value for the dollar. If you’ll be at the Mountain West show in Loveland, CO, be sure to check them out from August 21-23.
Photo Credit: Sasquatch
- GearJunkie Names the 10 Best Small Towable Off-Road Campers: If you’re in the market for a versatile, go-anywhere towable this year, then you’ll want to check out GearJunkie’s ten best options in that category. This week, the website published their picks for the best small off-road camping trailers, with some excellent options making the cut. Those include the Mission Overland Trail Dog, the Opus Camper OP Lite, and the Sasquatch Highland H60, amongst others. Who else earned a spot in this competitive line-up? Click here to find out.
- Tips for Camping on the Cheap: Sticking with our friends at GearJunkie a little longer, this week the website also shared tips for how to save money while camping. Those tips are primarily aimed at a car camping audience, but have some crossover with vanlifers and RVers, too. Suggestions include using gear from brands that are reliable but affordable, such as Coleman or Igloo. The article also recommends shopping for used gear at consignment stores and other outlets, and suggests saving money by looking for dispersed campsites that cost little or no money. Read the rest of the story here.
Photo Credit: marekuliasz/Getty
- Debunking the Most Common Myths of Vanlife: Let’s face it, we’ve all seen the rise of #vanlifers over the past few years, with numerous internet influencers posting splashy photos of their nomadic lifestyles as they roam from one exotic location to the next. But is that what life in a van is really like? This week, automobile culture website Jalopnik took time out to debunk six of the most common myths about vanlife, revealing some interesting takeaways. For instance, as the author points out, most days aren’t filled with glamorous photos and says living the lifestyle can be expensive, dirty, and downright dangerous. It is an eye-opening look behind the influencer curtain that you can read here.
That’s a wrap for this week’s edition of our roundup of the latest news from the RV and camping space. See you next Friday when we’ll recap what is sure to be another busy and interesting week.
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.
