RV News: The Winnebago Thrive Travel Trailer, Pleasure-Way’s New Plateau Model, and Much More
Tariffs are back in the news, AEONrv wins major honors, and other news from the past week.
Image Caption: Photo Credit: Winnebago
Welcome to another edition of our weekly round-up of the latest news from the RV industry. Here are a few things that went down over the past week that you might want to know about:
Photo Credit: Winnebago
- Winnebago Reveals New Thrive Travel Trailer: Sliding in on a Friday morning, Winnebago has taken the wraps off a brand-new towable model. The Thrive, a laminated travel trailer that looks great and comes with some excellent features. Notable elements include a sleek design with a tinted and frameless front window, fiberglass countertops, a molded sink, soft-close cabinets, a pullout pantry, and much more. Pricing starts at $46,760 with the first models arriving at dealers in June. Check it out here.
Photo Credit: Pleasure-Way
- Pleasure-Way Launches New Plateau XLTW Class B Model: Luxury RV manufacturer Pleasure-Way announced a new model this week, adding the innovative Plateau XLTW to its already impressive line-up. The XLTW rides on the Mercedes Sprinter 3500 chassis and boasts a spacious and well-appointed cabin. Features include a luxurious front lounge, twin beds in the rear, and modern conveniences like a portable induction stove, a microwave, fridge/freezer, and more. The rig includes upscale Corian countertops, a private wet bath, overhead cabinets, hidden wardrobes, a massive 64-cubic foot gear garage with multiple access points, and 500W of solar panels. Find out more here.
- Overland Expo West Attendance Tops 28,000: Overland Expo West took place two weekends ago and once again proved to be a very popular event. The annual gathering in Flagstaff, AZ, drew more than 28,000 attendees, reaffirming the continued interest and enthusiasm for off-road travel and camping. If you missed the event, there are three more Overland Expo shows yet to come this year. Those include Overland Expo PNW (June 27-29) in Redmond, OR, Overland Expo Mountain West (August 22-24) in Loveland, Colorado, and Overland Expo East (October 3-5) in Arrington, Virginia.
Image Courtesy of welcomia/Getty
- Family RV Association Joins Forces with RV Overnights: This week, the RV Family Association announced a partnership with RV Overnights, a membership program that connects RVers with unique host locations across the country for free overnight stays. The partnership grants RVFA members a 40% discount on the RV Overnights membership, which typically runs $49.99 annually, but is reduced to just $29.99 through the partnership. Seems like a great deal.
Photo Credit: AEONrv
- AEONrv is Nevada’s Manufacturing Company of the Year: Innovative motorhome manufacturer AEONrv earned a major honor this week, getting named Nevada’s 2025 Manufacturing Company of the Year by the state’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. The recognition is in honor of AEONrv’s “transformative approach to RV manufacturing, introducing a product that’s not only industry-disrupting but also rooted in Nevada-based engineering and manufacturing.” Congrats to the AEONrv team for this amazing achievement.
- Court of International Trade Blocks Trump’s Tariff Initiatives: More big moves on the tariff front this week. Even as President Trump promised 50% tariffs on all goods from the European Union, the US Court of International Trade struck down the administration’s tariff initiatives, stating the President doesn’t have the authority to unilaterally make sweeping trade regulations like those we’ve seen over the past few months. Naturally, Trump says he will challenge the ruling, potentially requesting the Supreme Court to overrule the block.
Photo Credit: THOR/Harbinger
- US Senate Blocks California Advanced Clean Trucks Act: Last week, the US Senate rejected the state of California’s moves to implement strict regulations designed to protect the environment. Over the past few years, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) has implemented new rules designed to encourage the adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles in an attempt to reduce emissions going into the atmosphere. The most high-profile of those regulations are Omnibus Low NOx regulation and the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, the latter of which was set to potentially have a big impact on the RV industry. That ruling required truck chassis manufacturers to produce electric versions to help offset the more traditional gas models, which could have limited sales of medium and heavy-duty trucks, as well as RVs. Now, those rules have been struck down, although Governor Gavin Newsome vows to challenge the Senate’s rejection in court. Read more here.
- 2025 Elkhart RV Extravaganza Set for September 22-25: One of the biggest events of the annual RV calendar confirmed its dates this week. The Elkhart Extravaganza will take place on September 22-25, with both Forest River and Thor confirming plans for that timeframe. Additionally, the RV/MH Hall of Fame’s RV Suppliers Show has also confirmed it will take place at the same time. While mainly aimed at RV industry insiders, these events always result in numerous product announcements, along with the reveal of new RV models and floor plans. As always, it should be a fun and exciting time.
That’s a wrap for this week. See you next Friday for another review of the latest news from the RV and camping industries.
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. And 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.
