New camping trend: compact travel trailers from the US gain traction

RV refrigerators can pose a fire risk due to cooling unit failures. In 2001, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission documented a recall of Norcold gas and electric refrigerators because worn tubing could leak flammable gas. Dometic issued recalls on select two-door absorption refrigerators from 1997 to 2006. Similar cooling unit failures were later found in Norcold models from 2010 to 2011.

In Bandera and Bexar counties, Texas, evacuations are underway due to rising waters in the Medina River and Cibolo Creek. Bandera County Judge Evans signed an order for RV parks along the Medina River, with a forecasted rise of nearly 14 feet.

Plans for an RV park in Mount Hope’s Bailey’s Bottom area are on hold after city officials received a July 7 letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture stating the project would likely violate restrictions on flood-buyout properties. The land is held under perpetual easements meant to restore floodplains, prohibiting buildings, vegetation alteration, and filling. A large crowd attended the July 14 city council meeting amid resident concerns over safety and transparency.

Fire crews responded to a fully involved travel trailer fire near Highway 49 and Shaws Flat Road in Sonora, California. The blaze, dubbed the Shaw Fire, produced a large smoke column and was contained without spreading to surrounding vegetation. No information is available on whether the trailer was occupied at the time.

GoRVing.com published a three-day RV route through three states: Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. Total driving time is under four hours. The route includes stops in Coalville (Utah), Bear Lake (Idaho) and Alpine (Wyoming). Activities include whitewater rafting on the Snake River, visiting Grand Teton National Park and a treetop ropes course at Echo Island RV Resort.

A 1982 Crown Supercoach school bus has been converted into a motorhome and is listed for sale. It features a 7.0-liter Detroit Diesel 6-71T two-stroke turbodiesel engine producing 270 hp and 762 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 5-speed Fuller manual transmission. The engine is mounted in the middle of the chassis. The current owner purchased the bus in 2003; odometer reads approximately 132,000 miles. Interior includes maple flooring, birch plywood cabinetry, a queen-size bed, an RV toilet, and a sink.