RV News: Forest River Launches New Surveyor Fifth-Wheels, Notable New Travel Trailers, and Other News
This week's news also includes the best places to camp with your dog, opportunities to test drive new Winnebagos, and much more.
Image Caption: Photo Credit: Forest River
Another week has come and gone, which means it is once again time for our Friday RV industry news wrap-up. Here are the biggest stories from this past week that you might want to know about:
Photo Credit: Forest River
- Forest River Reveals New Surveyor Fifth-Wheel Floor Plans: This week, we got a sneak preview of three new floor plans of the recently revived Forest River Surveyor line of fifth-wheel trailers courtesy of three RV influencers. The RV Hunter showed off the 32RL model in a video here, while Josh the RV Nerd took a peek at the 27MK floor plan. And last, but certainly not least, Big Truck Big RV offered up a look at the 36MB model. These exciting new options fall into the 2027 model year and will almost certainly be on display at the upcoming Hershey RV SuperShow.
Photo Credit: Motsmann Engineering
- Gear Patrol Shares “The Most Notable New Travel Trailers of 2026”: There have been a number of fun, unique, and interesting new travel trailers released so far this year, and Gear Patrol has posted a rundown of its favorites to date. The list consists of seven models in total, with options from Airstream, Encore RV, and Honda (yes, Honda!). Check out the rigs who made the cut here.
Photo Credit: Winnebago
- General RV Offers Test Drives and First Looks of New Winnebago Models: It has been a great year for Winnebago, which has announced several new motorized RVs, including the adventure-ready Arka and the budget-friendly Elora/Resa. Those rigs will have their own coming-out party at the Hershey RV Show as well, but anyone interested in checking them out may want to head to the General RV Center in Elizabethtown, PA this week instead. The RV dealer has those new models on the lot for an early sneak peek. Find out more here.
Photo Credit: MRCOOL
- MRCOOL Promises “Residential-Grade” Climate Control for RVs: The RV industry has made big strides in heating and cooling our rigs in recent years, especially in larger, multi-room models. Now, MRCOOL is promising to take things to another level, offering “residential-grade” climate control with its new TravelCool units. Designed for both ducted and ductless operation, these devices provide 15,000 BTUs of cooling and 10,236 BTUs of heating in one energy-efficient package that’s made for use both on and off-grid. These exciting new products are available now, and RV Business has all the details here.
Photo Credit: Jackery
- Jackery Introduces New HomePower 1000 Plus V2 Power Station: RVers looking for a versatile new solution for portable power at home and in their rigs may want to check out the latest from Jackery. This week, the company announced the new HomePower 1000 Plus V2, which offers a 1024Wh battery, but is expandable up to 11kWh with expansion power cells, making it a great option for expanding and upgrading over time. The main base module maintains its portability, making it easy to take with you on the road, while back home it seamlessly plugs into a larger, more powerful system. Pricing starts at just $749, with an introductory price running through September 3 of $619. Find out more at the Jackery website.
Photo Credit: US Forest Service
- USDA Proposes Reform to Forest Service Travel Management Rules: The US Department of Agriculture is preparing to take public comments on proposed reforms for the US Forest Service’s Travel Management Rules. Those rules were originally adopted back in 2005 and set guidelines for how visitors—including RVers—to Forest Service lands travel, explore, and camp in those areas. The goal is to change and update those rules to allow for greater access to the lands with less regulation, making it easier to utilize roads, trails, airfields, and other infrastructure, while still maintaining environmental protection. The USDA will begin accepting public comments on Monday, August 31, with the commenting period closing on September 23. Learn more here.
Photo Credit: Double-D/Getty
- The Dyrt Picks the Best Places to Camp with Your Dog: One of the great joys of camping is that many of us enjoy bringing our dogs along for the trip. Pups obviously love being outside, and camping is a great way for them to bond even more with us. But not all campsites are as dog-friendly or appropriate as we’d like. Fortunately, there are plenty of places that are, and this week The Dyrt revealed its picks for the best places to camp with dogs. As you would expect, there are some great options to choose from. Read the entire list here.
Photo Credit: Overland Expo
- Overland Expo Mountain West was a Hit!: More than 18,000 people descended on Loveland, CO, last week to take part in Overland Expo Mountain West. By all accounts, the event was a big success, with visitors from all 50 states, including 79 instructors presenting 282 educational seminars. There were also 335 exhibitors on hand, including some of the top vehicle and accessory manufacturers that the industry has to offer. RV News has all the details here.
Photo Credit: cookelma/Getty
- 23 Million Americans Planning a Fall RV Trip: The long Labor Day weekend may still be a week away, but it’s never too early to start planning your activities. And according to a new survey from the RV Industry Association (RVIA), many of you are doing just that. In a newly released study, RVIA says that 11 million Americans are expecting to hit the road in their RVs next weekend. Better still, more than 23 million plan to take a trip this fall, with 9.4 million non-RV owners hoping to rent or borrow one for a getaway. Read more here.
Photo Credit: Leisure Travel Vans
- Leisure Travel Vans Reveals 2026 Triple Diamond Dealers: This week, our friends at Leisure Travel Vans announced its Triple Diamond Dealers for 2026. This award is handed out annually to the top-performing LTV dealers, who go above and beyond to provide not just outstanding sales but excellent customer service and a great delivery service. RV Pro has the complete list of winners here.
That’s all for this week. See you again next Friday for another edition of our weekly RV news roundup.
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.
