RV News: Thor’s RV EV Charging Concept, inTech’s New Toy Hauler, and More

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It may be Thanksgiving week, but there was still plenty of news coming out of the RV and outdoor industry this week. Here are a few stories you may have missed while traveling, visiting friends and family, and enjoying turkey and dressing:

Thor Unveils RV EV Charging Station Concept Design: Electric RVs are starting to become a reality, with a few camper vans and travel trailers now available. Aside from manufacturing challenges, one of the things that is holding the adoption of EVs back is a lack of charging infrastructure. To address that, Thor Industries released a prototype design for a charging station specifically for RVs. The company’s vision of such a structure includes wide roads and aisles for easy access, fast-charging systems, and onsite amenities for travelers. To catch a glimpse of this potential future, click here.
InTech Announces New Dual-Axle Toy Hauler: InTech RV, which manufacturers several rugged towables—has announced the availability of the latest edition to its Flyer line of travel trailers. This latest model is called the Flyer Forge and features a double-axle design. The trailer is a toy hauler that offers numerous amenities, including a large galley kitchen, a wet bath, and bunk beds in the garage area.
SpaceX Launches New Mobile Terminal: For many RVers, Starlink has been a game changer, allowing them to access high-speed satellite internet from just about anywhere. This week, the company launched a new terminal that should improve performance even further. The new model comes with a built-in kickstand that makes setup faster and easier than ever. It also has a better receiving panel that improves its field of view by 10%. The device is also completely resistant to dust and is more weatherproof too. For now, the high-tech receiver is only available to select customers on an invite basis but should become fully available in the near future. Find out more from The Verge.
Outdoor Recreation is a $1 Trillion Industry: We’ve known that outdoor recreation contributes significantly to the economy for some time, but quantifying that popularity hasn’t always been easy. But this week, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis released the results of a study that puts a real number on that impact. According to the BEA, RVing, boating, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities added $1.1 trillion to the US economy in 2022, with RVing taking the top spot with a $35.5 billion contribution. For more on this study, click here.
KOA Sees Strong Interest in Holiday Camping: It’s no secret that RV travel has grown in popularity over the past few years, and according to the latest trends report from KOA it doesn’t seem like that will slow down anytime soon. In its Monthly Report for November 2023, the campground company found that camping during the holidays—including Thanksgiving, Hanukah, and Christmas—is on the increase. In fact, 90% of those surveyed said they intend to camp during Thanksgiving and Christmas of this year, with 60% of non-campers indicating they’ll travel for the holidays this year. To get the full report, click here.
Sygic Navigation App Adds CarPlay Support: While many of us use Google Maps and Apple Maps as our means of navigation, there are other alternatives that offer similar functionality but are designed for a narrower audience. Take Sygic, for example. This navigation app is popular with truck drivers and RVers because it takes the dimensions of the vehicle into consideration when selecting routes. This helps drivers to avoid low-hanging overpasses and dangerous roads. This week, Sygic added support for Apple CarPlay, making it easier to use while on the road.