The Cost of Van Life Today

The Morgantown Fire Department responded to a camper fire Sunday afternoon in Morgantown, Kentucky. Firefighters were dispatched to 122 Smith Hill Drive, where they found a fully involved camper fire. The fire was brought under control, and the camper sustained significant fire damage. No occupants or firefighters were injured. Fire units were on scene from 2:33 p.m. until approximately 3:44 p.m.

American manufacturer Boundless Recreation RV has presented its debut project — the luxury fifth wheel Boundless 320RL. The 2027 model is at the prototype stage.

The Campground Association of Management Professionals (CAMP) held a Zoom meeting to review information from the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) on Grounding Monitoring Interrupters (GMIs), which will be installed in RVs manufactured from 2027 onward. The meeting aimed to help campground owners and operators understand the technology and prepare for its implications. Electrical Works introduced a program to provide assessments for member campgrounds, including on-site visits and estimates. According to Tristan Ciceri, Vice President of Electrical Works, GMIs will not create problems but will reveal existing grounding issues, and parks with underlying electrical problems are better off finding them now.

Joseph and Isabel Vesely of Anchorage asked the Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Commission on Monday, Sept. 14, to vacate Keyros Avenue, a 60-foot-wide platted right-of-way between two properties they own near Cohoe Beach Road. The owners intend to combine Tracts B2 and B3 into a unified campground and add campsites. In their application, the Veselys argued that eliminating Keyros Avenue would not cut off public access, pointing to an existing trail system and saying ATV, pedestrian, and equestrian traffic could continue reaching the state land by a route that avoids campground operations. Borough planning staff, however, determined that the alternative described in the application did not itself meet requirements for equal or superior access because replacement access must be established on land controlled by the applicants. Staff instead recommended a new 60-foot right-of-way on the plat.

Dozens of illegally parked motorhomes, buses, and camper vans occupy Washington Blvd in Venice, Los Angeles, daily, with limited city enforcement. According to the article, some vehicles remain essentially continuously on the street, moving only for street sweeping, while enforcement is random and inconsistent. Los Angeles has laws restricting parking of vehicles over 22 feet long or 84 inches high between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. where signs are posted, plus a 72-hour rule, but they are not consistently applied. The issue has persisted for nearly a decade, with City Council files dating back to 2005, and local businesses and residents are calling for consistent enforcement.

Ben VanderWerf is building a village with 65 RV spots and 33 pads for tiny homes in Arriba, Colorado. He lives with his wife and four children in a 550-square-foot tiny home prototype he built in 2021. Arriba is located about 70 miles from the Kansas border off Interstate 70 in Lincoln County and has a population of 300.