Just a few short years ago, a battery-powered RV was the stuff dreams were made of. Today, it’s on the cusp of mainstream reality. One drawback, however, has been a dearth of EV charging stations for recreational vehicles. In late November, THOR Industries unveiled state-of-the-art 3-D renderings of an EV charging station concept designed to serve the comprehensive needs of electric recreational vehicles (eRVs), from small travel trailers towed by EVs to the largest Class A motorhomes, while enhancing an eRV traveler’s outdoor experience and mindset.

The concept illustrates THOR’s efforts to support the development of pull-through eRV-compatible chargers in destinations popular with RV owners, according to company representatives.

Key features of the concept include:

• Broad road access points to facilitate easy ingress and egress.
• Wide aisles between the pull-through charger islands.
• Ample room to maneuver a large motorized eRV or an EV car/truck towing an RV.
• Visitor amenities including restrooms, play areas and picnic areas.
• Natural landscaping, including berms, trees and green spaces.
• Sustainability features, including recycling containers, a rain harvesting system, and solar panels on the charger shelter roofs.

For more information, visit THOR’s eRV charging station concept.

Looking for great new places to visit in 2024? The Department of the Interior designated 16 new National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) and two new National Natural Landmarks (NNLs) in December. The designations reflect the importance of the sites in sharing America’s rich history and extraordinary natural features.

NHLs are some of the nation’s most historically important buildings, sites, structures, objects and districts, which communicate themes in history, archeology, architecture, engineering and cultural significance. The newly designated NHLs in locations across the country join a select group of more than 2,600 noteworthy places that possess exceptional value in illustrating the history of the United States.

The new NHLs across 14 states include:

• California: Pond Farm Pottery and Wayfarers Chapel
• Colorado: Wink’s Panorama and Temple Aaron
• Connecticut: Barnum Institute of Science and History
• Idaho: Strategic Air Command Ground Alert Facility, Mountain Home Air Force Base
• Illinois: Sam and Ruth Van Sickle Ford House
• Indiana: Montgomery County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence
• Iowa: Pottawattamie County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence
• Massachusetts: Sampson-White Joiner Shop
• Tennessee: Fort Armistead
• Texas: Rio Vista Bracero Reception Center
• Washington, D.C.: National Archives Building
• West Virginia: Jefferson County Courthouse
• Wisconsin: Rock Island Site II
• Wyoming: Quebec 01 Launch Control Facility

The newly designated NNLs include Glenwood Caverns and Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Colorado and John Boyd Thacher State Park in New York. These additions join 602 other locations that recognize and encourage the conservation of sites that contain outstanding biological and geological resources, bringing illustrative character, rarity, diversity and value to science and education.

SylvanSport, a pioneer in adventure trailer design and engineering, the Brevard, N.C.-based innovator and manufacturer of adventure travel trailers, recently launched its VAST travel trailer. Designed to be the ultimate adventure trailer equipped for hauling gear without compromising on luxury, the VAST is the most well-appointed, versatile, and innovative RV in its class.

The 21-foot VAST was engineered to create luxurious spaces for living, sleeping, eating and playing — all within a lightweight, innovative structure with a dry weight under 5,000 pounds. The rugged durability of the VAST marries innovative materials like thermal composite walls, floor and roof with creature comforts like the plush SylvanSport Cloud Layer queen mattress. Unique features include the patented Glide-Out Kitchen System — which enables cooking inside or outside with ease — and largest-in-class double-pane acrylic windows.

When it’s time to play, the VAST provides an industry-exclusive side-mounted equipment rack system for kayaks, boards or other watercraft. Inside, the lounge glides effortlessly forward, creating a generous cargo space for two or more bikes. The VAST also features a sizable aerodynamic front storage trunk for secure and easily accessible gear. Cutting-edge technology is connected and controlled through complete digital systems with intuitive touch-screen controls, while 800 watts of on-board solar panels provide power so the VAST can easily handle extended periods while off the grid.

For more information, visit sylvansport.com.

If you’ve got a hankering for a new RV — or you just want to take a look at the latest rigs and accessories — there’s probably no better place to be than Tampa, Florida, in mid-January.

The Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA) will host the 39th Annual 2024 Florida RV SuperShow Jan. 16-21 at the Florida State Fairgrounds. One of the largest RV shows in the country, the 2024 SuperShow will have representation from every major RV manufacturer as well as hundreds of accessory booth exhibitors.

“We will have more suppliers’ booths and every type, size and style of RV on the market,” said Executive Director David Kelly. “With the addition of new entertainment and more seminars, we’re anticipating record crowds this year. We’re also renewing the 2-day pass so the public will have two full days to see everything at the SuperShow at no additional cost.”

Seminars are presented throughout the day at the SuperShow. Topics include Generator Maintenance, Lippert Components, RVing to Alaska, Guided RV Vacations, Spartan Chassis Maintenance, Lithium Batteries and Solar Power.

For more information on the 2024 Florida RV SuperShow, visit at www.frvta.org.

Most RVers are familiar with harvesthosts.com, the popular membership program offering RVers unique overnight stays and a safe alternative to the Walmart parking lot or truck stops. For those looking for more extended stays, RVers now have an alternative to traditional campgrounds or state parks through a land-sharing partnership with LandTrust.com, which bills itself as a way to “Get Outdoors Without the Crowds.”

According to company founder and CEO Nic De Castro, the RV and camping experiences offered on LandTrust are unique from what other booking sites offer. “It’s for access to working farms and ranches and more for the off-grid camper looking for outdoor recreation opportunities and no one else around.”

Access to the LandTrust database of properties is free, although there is a charge to stay of around $25 per night per guest. Currently, the site includes more than 1.25 million acres of private lands across 40 states, with in excess of two hundred listings of RV and camping experiences. For more information, visit landtrust.com.

If you haven’t yet experienced the amazing sights of America’s national parks, here’s your chance – for free, even. The National Parks Service (NPS) annually earmarks a number of days when admission is free, and recently released its entry-fee-free days for 2024.

They include:

January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day 
April 20 – First Day of National Park Week 
June 19 – Juneteenth 
August 4 – Great American Outdoors Day 
September 28 – National Public Lands Day 
November 11 – Veteran’s Day

While the country’s national parks are already wallet-friendly — more than 300 of the 400+ national parks are free to enter every day — the cost of others ranges from $10 to $35. On the above days, those fees are waived.

Another option for travelers is to purchase ($80) an America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass covers entry at more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks.

Ahead of initial production scheduled for 2024, electric RV startup Lightship is offering a peek behind its solar electric curtain, detailing the efforts that went into its flagship L1 towable trailer to ensure it arrives as the more aerodynamic option on the market, according to a report by Eletrek.co.

Lightship is a San Francisco, Calif., and Boulder, Colo.-based startup that heralds itself as the first all-electric RV company – designing battery-powered trailers for the all-electric age. It was founded in 2020 by Ben Parker and Toby Kraus – two industry veterans with notable tenures at Tesla.

“We have followed Lightship since its inception, through to the official unveiling of its L1 electric RV trailer at SXSW this past March,” said the report. “This travel trailer is unique in its aerodynamic, modular design and comes equipped with its own all-electric powertrain and battery pack, alleviating the towing capacity for the vehicle in front of it.

“The result is a towable EV that will empower future owners to drive further and more efficiently without recharging as much. The L1’s debut last spring did not disappoint, but we have admittedly been left craving more details as an electric trailer that maintains its towing vehicle’s range has the makings to be an absolute game-changer in a stale RV industry.

“Today, Lightship shared details of the L1’s development process – particularly the keen focus its creators put on aerodynamics – as it works to deliver a true one-of-a-kind electric RV.”

Click here to read the full report by Eletrek.co.

TaxFree RV, a leading provider of Montana LLC vehicle registration services in business since 2005, has launched a new website — taxfreerv.com — designed to provide valuable information and resources to help individuals and businesses understand how they can save significant amounts of money on vehicle registration through the use of a holding company.

The new website aims to make it even easier for customers to access the expertise and services offered by TaxFree RV.

One of the key features of the new website is the emphasis on the potential savings that can be achieved through Montana LLC vehicle registration. By appointing TaxFreeRV as the registered agent in Montana, the procedure is promised to be quick, easy and painless. The website also highlights the importance of compliance with all necessary laws and regulations, emphasizing the company’s knowledge about Montana’s registration process to ensure compliance and prevent potential legal issues.

The new website also provides access to resources such as the Montana Secretary of State’s name availability search tool, which allows individuals to check for existing business names when considering LLC registration in Montana.

From its Serengeti Grassland to its Didgeridoo Pass, Six Flags’ Wild Safari Adventure theme park in Jackson, New Jersey, provides visitors with up-close views of many of the planets’ most amazing animals. Now, visitors can see those sights during the day and relax in comfort at night.

Bushtec Safari USA, a leading luxury tent manufacturing company, has announced a groundbreaking collaboration with Six Flags, the second-largest regional theme park company in the world, that promises to redefine luxury and adventure at Six Flags’ safari park in New Jersey.The initial phase of the project involves the procurement of 24 luxury glamping tents, including family units, couples suites, a spa tent and a conference tent, each designed to meet the highest standards of luxury and comfort. Bushtec Safari USA also will provide a full turnkey package for each glamping tent. The glamping accommodations are set to open at the park in Spring 2024.

Looking to sell your current RV for a newer model with more features? One way to gauge its value is by noting the prices paid at auction (wholesale). As reported in RVBusiness, the commentary released by Black Book — which publishes a family of vehicle appraisal guides — was mixed as winter arrives.

“Motorhomes continued their frustrating ‘one month up, one month down’ pattern again (although their overall direction is clearly declining), but towables were relatively consistent, with their values falling for the fourth consecutive month. Several dealers we have spoken to in the colder states have said they are basically shutting down for a few months, so future auction activity may be a little slower,” reported Eric Lawrence, Black Book principal analyst – specialty markets.

“Taking a closer look at the markets, we see that the average selling price for motorized units was $63,812 which is up $2,234 (3.6%) from the previous month. Towables came in at $18,941, down $1,197 (5.9%) from last month. One year ago, the average motorhome sold for $62,070 and the average towable unit brought $20,187.”

According to the report, the average age of motorhomes was nine years old (2014) and towables was five (2018).

It seems that winter camping is gaining adherents. The Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA) Monthly Research Report – December 2023 Edition reports a dynamic picture of the camping landscape with a thriving interest in winter camping, notable intent for holiday travel, and a significant desire for camping gear on Christmas wish lists.

Approximately 33% of campers intend to go winter camping, marking a clear shift towards embracing the outdoors during the colder months.

Of course, anyone who’s tried — and failed — to secure their favorite campsites for next year is also well aware of the need to book early. The report noted that nearly 6-in-10 campers have already secured at least one trip for the new year. This high intent continues to outpace general leisure travelers, of which only 18% have booked in 2024. Among campers, younger guests are most likely to have travel reservations for next year, including two-thirds of millennials (67%) or GenZ (66%).