RV News: Bontrager’s New Lightweight Trailers, Hershey Show a Success, and Much More
After a few weeks off for website upgrades and travel to the Hershey RV Show, our weekly round-up of the latest news from the RV industry is back. And as you can probably imagine, there is a lot to cover before heading into the weekend. Here are a few stories you should have on your radar:
- Bontrager Outdoors Reveals Two New Lightweight Trailers: Bontrager Outdoors—formerly Braxton Creek—has announced a pair of new lightweight camping trailers. For the 2025 model year, the company is offering the 7ROD and 10ROK towables, which fall into its all-new Compact Line. The 7ROD is 10′ 7″ in length and weighs about 500 lbs., while the 10ROK is a bit bigger, tipping the scales at just 1,700 lbs. and measuring 13′ 2″ end-to-end. Both models are made for remote camping, offering a balance of practicality and performance. Visit the company’s website for more info.
Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
- The Hershey RV Show was a Success: Speaking of “America’s Largest RV Show,” the word out of Hershey, PA, this week is that the event was a big success. According to the show’s organizers, 47,879 people were on hand, with 13,000 attendees on Saturday alone. That’s up more than 2,300 people compared to last year, indicating that the industry is moving in the right direction in terms of interest and sales.
- Elkhart Open House RV Event is Next Week: While we’re on the topic of RV-related events, the 2024 edition of the Elkhart Open House week starts next week. This annual industry gathering brings brands, dealer partners, and media to Elkhart, IN—the unofficial RV manufacturing capital of the world—where new models, floorplans, and products are unveiled. The festivities kickoff on Monday, with what looks to be an incredibly busy week with plenty of announcements. Some that we already know about include KZ showing off an all-new Ridgeway fifth-wheel, Modern Buggy announcing new brands and products, and Prolite returning for the first time in five years. Needless to say, there should be plenty to talk about next week.
Photo Credit: welcomia/Getty
- Is Solo RVing on the Rise?: The latest Monthly Trends Report from Go RVing has some interesting numbers to share. According to a 2024 survey conducted by Booking.com, 59% of travelers indicated they’re interested in traveling solo, while a similar report from American Express found solo traveling is expected to rise more than 9% annually between now and 2030. Does that mean those same trends will expand into the RV space? Possibly! But RVing has always been a communal, shared experience, which you just don’t get when traveling alone. Still, it is a trend that the industry should be aware of and tap into, whenever possible, offering single travelers more amenities and features to meet their needs.
- Lippert Partners with SolarWindow for Power-Generating Glass: We’re in favor of using solar panels to generate clean power while camping, which is why this next story is so interesting. This week, it was revealed that RV accessories manufacturer Lippert had joined forces with a company called SolarWindow to create glass that can also generate power. The goal is to bring that glass to the RV, marine, and specialty building space. We don’t know how soon these products will become available, but we do like the idea of adding more solar power to future RVs. Read more about his announcement at RV Business.
Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
- SylvanSport Expands Manufacturing Facilities: In another sign that the RV industry is in full recovery mode, SylvanSport announced this week that it is expanding its manufacturing facilities. The company recently broke ground on a new 40,000-square-foot facility in its hometown of Brevard, NC, where it will add capacity to build its signature Go, GOAT, and Vast travel trailers, as well as future projects yet to be revealed.
- Alliance RV Launches New Website: Last week, Alliance RV launched a new website that the company says is more consumer-friendly. The site has been updated to offer potential customers and dealer partners a better overall experience. The new enhancements include a better dealer locator feature, improved floorplan searches, and better inventory tracking. Check it out for yourself here.
- Congratulations to REDARC for 45 Years of Business: We’re a few weeks late on this one, but we still wanted to send a shout-out to our friends over at REDARC. The company recently celebrated its 45th anniversary, having been founded way back in 1979. Since then, it has continued to innovate in the mobile power solutions space, offering customers complete power kits that include everything from inverters and solar panels to electric cables and more. Those are in addition to the company’s line of towing brake controllers, vehicle management systems, and more. Congrats to the entire team, and keep up the great work.
That’s all for this week. We’ll be back Friday with another rundown of everything happening in the RV and camping space. See you then, and have a great weekend.
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