RV News: Keystone Cougar Tops Sales Charts, Ford Transit Trail Goes Bye-Bye, and Much More
Another week has come and gone, and as usual we have a lot to cover in our weekly RV and camping news round-up. Here are a few things that happened this week that you might like to know about.
- Keystone Cougar is the Number One Fifth-Wheel in North America, Again: We’re big fans of the Keystone Cougar fifth-wheel here at RV.com, which is why we were happy to see it get recognition from consumers as well. This week, Keystone announced that the Cougar has regained the crown as the best-selling fifth-wheel model in North America. In a press release announcing the win, Keystone says that modern floor plans, integrated technology, and outstanding build quality all contribute to the Cougar’s appeal. We simply think it is one of the best all-around towables on the market, with outstanding features inside and out. Explore more here.
Photo Credit: Forest River
- Forest River Named Ford Motorhome’s Top-Selling Account: It seems Forest River’s motorized division is doing quite well for itself. Recently, Ford named the RV manufacturer as its top-selling motorhome account, meaning it has shipped more vehicles built on a Ford chassis than anyone else. The company builds several of its Class A coaches on the Ford F-53 chassis, including the FR3 and Georgetown models, both of which have risen in popularity in recent years. Additionally, the Class C Forester, Solera, and Sunseeker all ride on Ford’s E350 and E450 chassis.
- Happy 15th Anniversary to inTech: Towables manufacturer inTech was founded on February 15, 2010, which means tomorrow marks its 15th year of operation. To celebrate, the company introduced the new Aucta Sycamore travel trailer, which is its first foray into building a bunkhouse model. Over the past decade and a half, inTech has grown to become one of the leaders in the lightweight towable space, using aluminum manufacturing, high-tech construction techniques, and excellent materials to separate itself from the pack. That approach has paid off, earning it a reputation for making modern, well-built, and affordable RVs. Happy anniversary to the entire inTech crew.
Photo Credit: Ford
- Ford Discontinues Transit Trail Van: Sad news for fans of the Ford Transit van, which is a popular platform for Class B manufacturers. This week the Blue Oval killed off the off-road version of that platform, which was designed for driving and camping off-road. Jalopnik reports that the Transit Trail model—which went on sale in 2022—was dropped from the lineup due to supply chain constraints. Apparently, the automaker was having issues with acquiring some of the parts that add the “Trail” moniker to this Transit variant. There may be a ray of hope though, as Ford hasn’t ruled out bringing the Transit Trail back at a later date once the supply chain issues are sorted out. Fingers crossed, they can make that happen.
- Is Camping Inflation Proof?: The Dyrt’s 2025 Camping Report continues to be a treasure trove of data and information. This week, we learned that four out five people who went camping in 2023 either camped the same amount or more in 2024. Perhaps more surprising, those campers did so despite rising costs, crowded campgrounds, and challenges to making reservations. There are a lot of ways to interpret that data, but it seems like a lot of people still consider camping a cost-effective way to get away and enjoy some time in the outdoors, even if there are a few additional hurdles to overcome.
Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
- Yosemite Reservation System On Hold Pending White House Approval: As a surge of visitors hit America’s national parks over the past few years, many locations had to get creative with how they handled the influx of travelers. For Yosemite National Park, that meant instituting a reservation system that required anyone coming to the park to book a specific time of entry. The goal was to spread out those arrival times throughout the day, better manaing the crowds and keeping traffic to a minimum. Last year, the National Park Service announced that the reservation system would become a permanent fixture. But now, it has been put on hold while administrators wait for approval from the President. Whether or not that approval comes remains to be seen, but for now, reservations are not required to enter this truly breathtaking place. The Los Angles Times has a full breakdown of this story.
- Trump Administration Carves Out Special Exemption for National Parks Hiring: If you’re planning on visiting any national parks this summer, there is a good chance those destinations could be understaffed. That’s because the Trump Administration has placed a hiring freeze for the entire federal government, which up until now has prevented the hiring of seasonal workers to fill roles within the national parks. But according to The Washington Post, the White House may have carved out an exemption that would allow the Park Service to begin staffing up for the summer. As of the time of publication, that exemption hasn’t been confirmed yet, but reliable sources say it is coming. Apparently, someone convinced the administration that the national parks can be dangerous places, especially when there isn’t enough staff to cover all of the duties and responsibilities. Read more about this emerging story here.
Photo Credit: Camping World/Keystone
- US Imposes Tariffs on All Imported Steel and Aluminum: One of the biggest stories of the week—both in and out of the RV industry—is the Trump administration’s decision to levy a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imported into the US. This could have deep and lasting consequences for the economy, causing prices on a variety of goods—including cars and RVs—to go up as a result. At the moment, it is unclear what the long-term effects these tariffs will have on the RV industry, but it has the potential to cause prices to go up. We’ll be following that story closely in the weeks ahead and have a continually updated article on the subject that you can read here.
- Gen-Y Hitches Committed to Keeping Affordable Prices: Speaking of tariffs, this week Gen-Y Hitch became one of the first companies in the RV industry to address the potential impact of the new import taxes. This week, the hitch manufacturer said that it is committed to production costs and retail prices at their current levels, while still meeting demand for its products. It can do that—in part—because the hitches are made in the US using North American steel. Read more here.
That’s a wrap for this week’s RV industry news. See you next Friday for another rundown of the latest new RV announcements, camping reports, and more.
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