That was the RV week that was, March 23, 2019

Here are your RV news highlights for the week of March 16–22, 2019.

Former KOA reopens as tiny home community

Six tiny houses, ranging from 375 to 600 square feet, have been built on a former Fort Scott, Kansas, KOA campground. The tiny houses come in four floor plans, each with room for four people. One-half of the tiny houses will be long-term rentals and the others will be available short-term through Airbnb.

Idaho fairground to expand RV park

The Bannock County (Idaho) Planning and Development council has approved expanding the fairground’s RV park. The expansion will add another 70 sites. The park, along I-15 near Pocatello, currently has 122 sites.

Arches National Park considering shuttle system

Public concern over the possibility that a reservations system for visitors at Utah’s Arches National Park could cost the Moab area upwards of $22 million in lost economic spending has prompted the National Park Service to look at other options for managing traffic, including a shuttle system. Yellowstone, Zion, Yosemite, Acadia, Grand Canyon and Glacier national parks also struggle at times during the year with overcrowding. Zion already operates a shuttle system and is considering limiting park admission to reservation-only.

General RV opens new location

Michigan-based General RV officially celebrated an official grand opening on Wednesday of its store in Ocala, Florida. Physically, the dealership is the largest in General RV’s chain, which now includes 13 sites. Its national presence now covers six states with dealerships in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Utah and Virginia, along with three stores in Florida. The new 90,000-square-foot dealership houses 40 service bays, 20,000 square feet of retail space with 600 RVs in stock, a paint facility and a comfortable customer lounge.

FMCA rally deemed a success

Family Motor Coach Association’s (FMCA) 99th International Convention and RV Expo held last week drew 2,292 RVs to the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, about 400 fewer than last year.  Despite the former motorhome-only club opening membership to owners of towable RVs more than a year ago, they represented only about 2 percent of the RVs in attendance. In its heyday, FMCA attracted 6,600 coaches to a national rally.

Wildfire survivors get LP help

Folks still recovering from California’s devastating Camp Fire are getting help with heating as Campaign Propane: Operation Warmth swings into action. Jocelyn Cronin founded the project, and handed out 52 propane cylinders last Sunday at a Yankee Hill, CA, hardware store. A donation of less than $50 buys a new tank, and a local propane operation then fills it for free.

Camping World stock downgraded over fears of RV industry slowdown

Last Tuesday, March 19, Camping World Holdings Inc. was hit with a sell-side downgrade and price target cut as fears of the RV industry slowing is weighing on shares. Goldman Sachs analyst David Tamberrino downgraded the company from Buy to Neutral and lowered the price target from $28 to $15. Learn more.

New Carson City RV park hits development pothole

An RV park developer must have thought his permits were “in the bag,” after Carson City, Nevada’s Planning Commission approved a Special Use Permit to allow the proposed Sierra Skies RV Resort to grant stays up to 180 days. Neighborhood residents balked, suggesting the 277-site park will become a place of permanent residency. An appeal was filed, and now the matter will be taken up by local Board of Supervisors.

New TV show to debut about RVing

Fun Roads Media Inc., has announced a new television show, RV Road Test. Season one features motorized RVs built by Thor Motor Coach and is hosted by Steve DuVal. The show will also cover the lifestyle with an emphasis on how today’s RV tech lets RVers get the most out of their life on the road. The 13-episode first season of RV Road Test is already completed. Learn where to watch the show.

Ten-mile lake appears in Death Valley

California’s Death Valley National Park is known for heat and dry, but for a short while, a 10-mile long lake was twinkling in the spring sun. Early March rains dumped nearly an inch, and the concrete-like desert floor simply couldn’t absorb the deluge, creating the rare waterhole. The short-lived lake stretched from Salt Creek to Harmony Borax Works.

Arson investigator joins Forest River fire probe team

A police agency arson investigator has been called in to help find the cause of the March 12 fire that destroyed a Forest River RV plant in Elkhart, Indiana. Since local fire officials couldn’t determine the fire cause, arson can’t be ruled out. State fire marshals and insurance company-hired private investigators are also on the job. The plant built Vibe travel trailers.

RV technician wins $10,000 techno-prize

Looking for an RV tech who knows his stuff? Head over to Guntersville, Alabama, and look up Brandon Galbreath at D&N RV Service. Galbreath took home a $10,000 prize for being the top gun RV tech at a challenge in Salt Lake City, Utah. Contestants faced RV parts and equipment that had been sabotaged and had to figure out the problems and fix ’em. No sweat for Brandon – he previously won the contest back in 2017.

Big RV resort proposed near Cincinnati

RVs and cabins and yurts, oh my! It’s not the Land of Oz, but rather a proposed resort planned near Kings Island Amusement Park northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. If approved, 182 RV sites, 114 cabins and 38 yurts would populate a 52-acre site east of I-71. County staff are urging a go-ahead, and county planners are eyeballing the proposal. Final approval could come as early as May.

Sleeping in San Diego

San Diego, California’s government has bucked a nationwide trend: It recently repealed an ordinance that banned overnight sleeping in vehicles. Across the nation, laws against the practice jumped 143 percent in the decade ending in 2016. Still, the change has left plenty of San Diegans outraged, who say campers will soon take over all the local ocean views. More here.