RV News: ARB Earth Camper Comes Stateside, ‘RV There Yet’ Video Game a Hit, and More
The Coachmen RVEX's fate still in the balance, RV packing tips, and an update on tariffs.
Image Caption: Photo Credit: ARB
Another week has come and gone, which means it’s time for another edition of our weekly RV and camping news roundup. Here are the biggest stories from this past week:
Photo Credit: Coachmen
- Coachmen Weighs the Fate of the All-Electric RVEX Camper Van: Last week we reported that General Motors had cancelled its BrightDrop electric van platform, which had failed to meet sales expectations over the past few years. That was big news not just in the automotive space, but for the RV industry, too, in large part because Coachmen has recently announced the all-electric RVEX Class B camper van. When we posted our original story, we were unsure of what the future of the RVEX would be, and more than a week later, the vehicle’s fate remains murky. But Coachmen told RV Business that it is weighing its options, which could include buying remaining BrightDrop chassis to move ahead with the project, or abandoning it altogether. Apparently, GM’s decision to kill the electric van was just as much of a surprise to its partners as it was the rest of the world. Find out more here.
Photo Credit: ARB
- Australian Off-Road ARB Earth Camper Makes Its Way Stateside: If you follow the RV and camping space on an international level, you probably already know there are a lot of cool campers that never make their way to the US. This week, we learned we can cross one of those models off the list, as the Earth Camper from ARB is finally coming stateside. The Australian brand has entered into a partnership with XGrid Campers in Las Vegas to begin importing the overlanding-focused towable, which comes with a heavy-duty suspension, off-road tires, solar power, and a beefed-up air conditioner for the American market. Gear Patrol has more info here.
Photo Credit: Nuggets Entertainment
- RV Travel Focused Video Game is a Big Hit: You wouldn’t necessarily think a cooperative online video game about RV travel would blossom into a big hit, but that’s what happened over the past week. Swedish-based indie video game developer Nuggets Entertainment released the game entitled RV There Yet? on October 21, only to see it sell 1.3 million copies on digital storefront Steam in its first few days. The game requires players to work together to navigate a backroads adventure in their RV, facing all kinds of obstacles and challenges along the way. The success of the game shows how much RV culture has become a part of the mainstream and has a wide appeal. Check it out here.
Photo Credit: ELS
- Outdoorsy Launches RV Trip Planning Tool for 2026 International Soccer Event: In case you haven’t been keeping up on the international football—er, we mean soccer—scene, various cities across North America are set to host the World Cup next year. Games are set to take place in a variety of locations, including Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Kansas City, Boston, Mexico City, Vancouver, and other places. Naturally, getting a hotel room—not to mention tickets—for these events is already difficult, but Outdoorsy has come up with a way to help. The online platform for finding and renting RVs has launched the Outdoorsy RV Roadtrip Concierge specifically to help soccer fans lock down recreational vehicles to serve as their home bases while attending the World Cup games. The trip planning tool also lists campsites, nearby attractions, and other helpful information for attendees. If you’re planning to take part in the festivities, and haven’t firmed up your plans yet, this may be your best option for renting accommodations and taking part. Check it out here.
Photo Credit: Bryanna Royal
- GearJunkie Shares RV Packing Hacks to Make Your Next Trip Easier: Packing for an RV trip can sometimes feel tedious, as we often work our way through long checklists of all of the gear and supplies we need to bring with us. This week, our friends at GearJunkie shared some tips to help take the tedium out of those tasks, with helpful suggestions on how to stay organized and efficient when setting out on an RV road trip. Check out all of their packing hacks here.
Photo Credit: Sushaaa/Getty
- Trade Agreements Help Reduce Tariffs with China and Others: It was another topsy-turvy week for the Trump Administration’s efforts to use tariffs as leverage for making trade deals with foreign partners. On the one hand, trade talks with Canada were dropped after the province of Ontario ran a TV commercial showing former President Ronald Reagan decrying the use of tariffs, prompting the current President to tack another 10% trade tax on our neighbors to the north. But, negotiations with other countries—including China—have yielded results, lowering import fees (and tensions) between the US and that country. Inroads were also made with Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, too, which hopefully will lead to a reduction of prices for goods from those locations, including key components and materials used in manufacturing.
That’s a wrap for another week here at RV.com. We’ll be back next Friday with another look at all the important happenings across the RV industry. Until then, enjoy our other content and have a great weekend.
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.
