Wildsam Dashboard: May/June, 2024
The latest in RV tech, gear and intel from the road.
Image Caption: Photo Credit: Bowlus
Eyes On…
Photo Credit: Bowlus
Bowlus’s Next Modern Tin Can
A competitor to Airstream way back in the 1930s, Bowlus pioneered the riveted-aluminum trailer. Unveiled this spring, the luxury brand’s newest model, the Rivet, is a callback in name and aesthetic. But the sleek, retro-styled trailer boasts seriously high-tech features. Eight kilowatthours of onboard power enable it to stay off grid for days. An optional electric self-propulsion system is a boon for towing range and maneuverability—and lets owners park it via remote control. Starting at $165,000.
Now Open
Photo Credit: Outdoorsy Hill Country
Outdoorsy Gets Glampy
Now welcoming guests in Texas: Outdoorsy Hill Country, the third glamping property opened in a little over a year by outdoor-accommodations platform Outdoorsy. Launched in 2015 as a peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace, fast-growing Outdoorsy is increasingly branching out into luxe branded campgrounds, with RV-friendly, lodge-like sites outside Yosemite and Durango, Colorado. The new property, focused for now on tricked-out glamping tents, will incorporate RV sites in a phase-two buildout to come.
Happenings
Photo Credit: Cousin Media
May
17–19
Overland Expo West
Flagstaff, AZ
Veteran off-roaders (and the overland-curious) gather among ponderosa pines for a slate of some 150 seminars and 400 exhibitors, a film fest, gear and driving demos and a chance to swap knowhow with some of the scene’s most well-traveled adventurers. The Pacific Northwest edition follows hot on its heels (June 2 8–30, in Redmond, Oregon), but the West expo is the biggie. overlandexpo.com
June
2–6
RVs Move America Week
Washington, D.C.
A conclave for serious RV wonks to discuss the state and future of the recreational vehicle market alongside policymakers, industry leaders and others. rvia.org
22-23
Adventure Van Expo
Hood River, OR
A stone’s throw from the Columbia River Gorge, with a view of Mount Hood, it ‘s one of the more memorable sites for this traveling expo of custom builders, open-house van tours and vendors of every sort. adventurevanexpo.com
Camp Report
“If your idea of heaven is a large, richly amenitized RV park, this is the era you’ve waited for.”
— Real-estate journalist Jeffrey Steele, writing for Forbes this spring about how pandemic-era profits have fueled expansions and upgrades across the private-campground sector.
Data Drop
How much a group of four RVers save on a vacation, on average, compared to trips involving hotels, airfare and/or car travel, according to a hospitality advisory group. The study, commissioned by Go RVing and the RV Industry Association, put the number at 46 percent for groups of two.
New Gear Watch
Photo Credit: Litheli
Wagon Ho!
With a powerful electric assist and rechargeable battery pack, the Litheli eWagon W1 Pro takes the sweat out of toting firewood, coolers, children—you name it. The foldable “world’s first electric utility wagon” has a 200-liter cargo capacity and can haul 132 pounds. A throttle in the handle regulates speed, and the beefy little 8-inch wheels can tackle whatever terrain your campsite throws at you. $280.
This article originally appeared in Wildsam magazine. For more Wildsam content, sign up for our newsletter.
