Rising fuel prices push RV owners to choose local destinations

Gulf State Park in Alabama has opened a new RV resort with 103 premium campsites, bringing the park's total to 607 sites. The resort features a clubhouse, bathhouses, a saltwater pool, playground, and pickleball courts. The expansion was funded by Alabama's $85 million state parks investment approved by voters in 2022.

California-based startup Aboard RV has unveiled the Aboard travel trailer, built to automotive standards. It features a 41 kWh LFP battery and a 60 kW generator from a four-cylinder engine, offering up to 200 kWh of energy storage and 'weeks' of boondocking. Pricing starts at $80,000, with series production expected in Q4 2025.

Hipcamp released its 2026 list of top-rated campsites in Nevada, based on over 2,400 reviews of more than 2,200 sites. The top five include Great Basin Desert Camping and RV, Jeffry's Farm, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Great Basin National Park, and Tarantula Ranch. Nevada received an overall 89% approval rating, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The article describes strategies to beat the heat while camping in Arizona during summer. Desert regions like the Sonoran lowlands regularly exceed 110°F, and Phoenix area nights stay above 86°F. Recommended are higher-elevation sites: Flagstaff at 6,900 feet averages 50°F at night. For RVs, electrical hookups are essential for air conditioning (30 kWh/day), but evaporative cooling and proper orientation also help.

Highland Ridge RV has introduced the Open Range 335RBS motorhome, measuring 12 meters in length, 2.5 meters in width, and 3.5 meters in height. The model features four slide-outs, a living room, a kitchen with an island, a master bedroom with a king-size bed, a bathroom, and a multi-purpose room with bunk beds. The empty trailer weighs over 4,535 kg, requiring powerful pickup trucks for towing. The suggested retail price in the US starts at $88,530.

Investorade Community Holdings LLC has completed the acquisition of Merritt’s Beach RV Resort, a waterfront campground near Omaha, Nebraska. The property features over 100 RV sites and a sandy beach. The transaction closed on January 30, 2026. The acquisition is part of a broader trend of consolidation in the U.S. RV park industry, where many large properties remain independently owned.