Gen Z chooses campgrounds over hotels: it's not just about money

Fire crews extinguished a camper fire in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Thursday afternoon. The fire occurred in the 4800 block of Northwest 178th Terrace. Firefighters found the camper fully engulfed in flames upon arrival. Residents of the home used garden hoses to contain the fire before crews arrived. No injuries were reported. The possible cause is an air fryer inside the camper. The Red Cross was called to assist the family with temporary housing.

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.

During the last week of July, the RV Industry Association (RVIA)'s State Government Affairs team attended the 2026 Legislative Summit, hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures in Chicago, Illinois. The event drew over 7,000 attendees, including state legislators, staff, exhibitors, lobbyists, and government affairs professionals. The team showcased the 2026 Winnebago 22RBS Thrive travel trailer and networked with legislators from 40 states, discussing priorities for the 2027 legislative session, such as state RV franchise laws, right to repair laws, and PFAS bans.