RV News: Elkhart Open House is Next Week, Jayco Embraces Solar Power, and Much More
The RV industry gears up for its next big event with new models and major announcements.
Image Caption: Photo Credit: Camping World
Welcome to this week’s edition of our Friday RV news round-up. It’s the week after the big Hershey RV Show, which means things are a bit quieter. Still, we have some important items to share ahead of next week’s Elkhart Open House, so let’s dive right in:
- Elkhart RV Extravaganza/Open House Takes Place Next Week: If all of the news from the Hershey RV show wasn’t enough to satiate your curiosity, stay tuned for plenty more next week. That’s when the annual Elkhart Extravaganza and Open House event takes place in Elkhart, Indiana, the epicenter of RV manufacturing. All of the major RV brands will be on hand showing off their latest vehicles, some of which will be making their debut at the show. This event is not open to the public and is mainly geared for industry execs, dealers, and media. We’ll be following the news closely to share any big announcements, which we’re told there should be plenty to report. Stay tuned!
Photo Credit: Thor
- Thor Hints at Upcoming RV Models: Speaking of the upcoming Elkhart Open House event, Thor Motor Coach has shared a few hints of what it has on tap for next week. The RV manufacturer says it will have more than 45 rigs on display, including the all-new Inception HD Super C, as well as the Rize, Palladium, and Tellaro camper vans. Watch for future updates on these exciting models.
- New Acclaim Travel Trailer from East to West Coming to Elkhart: Thor’s not the only one with things to show off next week. East to West will also be in Elkhart, where the Forest River sub-brand will reveal its new Acclaim travel trailer line. Aimed at the entry-level market, these new towables will be available in ten floor plans, including six couples’ coaches and four bunkhouse models. The promise is that these rigs will combine both quality construction and an affordable price. Watch for more info soon.
Photo Credit: Awaken RV
- Awaken RV Withdraws from Elkhart Event: While Thor and other major manufacturers are gearing up for the annual Elkhart gathering next week, one RV start-up has decided to withdraw from the event. Awaken RV, which is working on sleek, modern fiberglass travel trailers, has announced that its highly anticipated MorningStar towable will not debut at the show. Awaken founder Scott Hubble says the company needs a little more time to get all of the details right before the RV’s public debut. Expect to see more of this at a later date, quite possibly in Tampa for the Florida RV SuperShow in January.
- SDG Debuts All-DC Powered RV HVAC System: Some of the biggest advances in RV energy efficiency over the past few years have come from the transition to 12V and DC-powered devices. To that end, SDG has announced an all-new HVAC system purpose-built for overlanding, camper vans, and RVs that runs entirely on DC power. The unit puts out 20,000 BTUs of cooling capacity, 7,000 BTUs of heating, and can be used in ducted or free-flow environments. Better still, the product is said to be super quiet and can be mounted on the rear of the vehicle to free up space. Check out this story from RV Pro for more details.
- Jayco Embraces Renewable Energy Option at Idaho Facility: We’ve mentioned Jayco’s efforts to expand the use of clean, renewable energy at its manufacturing facilities before, and this week we got an update on those activities. The RV manufacturer has revealed that it has partnered with Solscient Energy to install 1,760 high-efficiency solar panels to its Plant 55 facility located in Twin Falls, Idaho. That should generate as much as 930,000 kWh of energy each year, greatly reducing the company’s carbon footprint and further protecting the environment. RV Business has the full scoop.
Photo Credit: The Unity Folks
- Black Folks Camp Too Rebrands as The Unity Folks: Black Folks Camp Too, which is a nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity and acceptance in outdoor activities, announced this week that it is changing its name. The organization is now called The Unity Folks as it takes on the role of parent company for Folks Camp Too, which is launching an initiative to appeal to not just Black campers, but Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Native American, mixed-race, and other ethnic groups. The goal is to make outdoor recreation feel welcoming and accommodating to everyone, no matter their race, creed, or color. Find out more here.
- The Term “Townsizing” is a Thing Now, and It’s Travel Related: According to the just-released Priceline 2025 travel trends report, an increasing number of people are looking to ditch visits to big cities in favor of enjoying smaller towns and rural communities instead. The report brands this trend as “townsizing,” which it describes as traveling to visit a location with more walkable amenities, laid-back schedules, and beautiful scenery. This style of travel has become so popular that 67% of younger travelers now say they seek out vacations to those types of destinations. Find out more about current travel trends here.
Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
- Nearly 46,000 people attended the Hershey RV Show: Finally, one last note about the Hershey RV Show from last week. According to the Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle and Camping Association, the event welcomed 45,813 people, drawing attendees from across the country. That’s close to the same level of attendance from last year, despite more economic uncertainty in 2025. Want more numbers? Apparently, there were 1,500 RVs on display at the show, with more than 180 vendor booths to visit, too. That’s a lot of ground to cover in just a few short days.
That’s a wrap for this week. See you next Friday for another review of the latest news from the RV and camping space.
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.
