RVIA State Gov. Affairs Team Attends 2026 Legislative Summit

Firefighters extinguished a fully engulfed RV fire in Newhall on Thursday morning. The call came in around 10:40 a.m. near Wiley Canyon and Fourl Roads. Crews prevented the fire from spreading to nearby property. No injuries were reported.

In Berkeley, California, officials confirmed that a man died from leptospirosis after living in a recreational vehicle they said was heavily infested with wild rats. A woman who lived with him also got sick but later recovered under medical care. According to the Berkeley Scanner, first responders were called to the RV in May, and nearly 200 rats were removed before the vehicle was destroyed. The couple had been trapping, feeding, and breeding wild rats, and they delayed seeking medical care for weeks or months. Berkeley had not reported a human leptospirosis infection in over 10 years. The city issued public warnings and established a buffer zone for rodent control.

Go RVing unveiled its new experiential activation space in 2026, debuting at the first two events of the season. At the Scouting America National Jamboree in West Virginia, three RVs were showcased, attracting 7,613 consumer tours. At the U.S. Open of Surfing in California, five RVs drew 32,440 tours. The organization is seeking three RVs for the upcoming Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, scheduled for Oct. 3–11. Manufacturers interested in providing a display unit can contact Dana DelVecchio by Aug. 24.

Vatrer Power has introduced the Vatrer 12V 600Ah Bluetooth Lithium Battery, a single-unit solution for RVs, vans, fifth wheels and off-grid systems. The battery provides 7,680Wh of stored energy, equivalent to two 300Ah batteries in parallel, while occupying about 7% less space. It features a 300A BMS with 300A continuous discharge, Bluetooth monitoring via the Vatrer app, and is rated for over 5,000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge. The battery can be expanded up to 4S4P for 51.2V 2400Ah systems, is certified to CE, FCC, UN38.3 and RoHS standards, and is available on vatrerpower.com.

The City of Tilden, Nebraska, invites residents to an open house on its park and recreation master plan on Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Lied Auditorium. Attendees can review proposed site plans for each city park, including Sunrise RV Park, Horseshoe Park, Richie Ashburn Memorial Park, and the new Elkhorn Valley Schools/Tilden baseball field complex. The plans reflect city resources and priorities from community workshops and a survey completed by 124 residents.

The RV Industry Association announced that more content from the Go RVing Creator Summit is being released across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook. Creators such as Anthony Porter, Greg Sakowicz, Joey Starr, Peyton Sharkey, and Sarah B. with Myles A. showcase various aspects of RV life, from fly fishing and hiking to camp cooking and campfire evenings. The campaign aims to build awareness and interest in RV ownership among millions of consumers.