Today’s RV review is something different. I had the opportunity to spend a week in Indiana looking at a ton of new RVs of all sorts. I got to preview some RVs and RV features that are on the horizon and some that are even debuting now.
If you’re a regular reader you may not be shocked by any of this, as I’ve watched RVs move in some of these directions over the past year.
In the event that you’ve been living on Gilligan’s Island for the past few years, know that the RV industry had a huge boom in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. What happened was the number of RVs the industry could produce was limited by production constraints as well as parts constraints.
When you’re a for-profit business and you can’t build enough product to satiate the demand, you then focus on the more profitable things in your lineup and add features to make yourself more profitable. As a company, you also build the items that are more profitable. So things like single-axle trailers, tent trailers and other bargain basement offerings suddenly become scarce, while larger and more profitable models become the norm. This is just management doing what they should as a team that reports to shareholders.
Then, when demand slows down, you start looking for opportunities and seeing what customers are asking for. Tent trailers, pop-up trailers and simpler and less expensive products are back on the production line. You’re also going to see more and more stick-and-tin or wood-framed, aluminum-skinned product—which we’ve already been looking at from brands like Ozark and Grand Design, to name a few.
COVID campers
But something I see a lot on social media is the dire warning not to buy campers made during or after COVID. Let’s address that.
There were absolutely companies who hired anyone with a heartbeat to slap together RVs as quickly as possible with very poor results. But there were higher-quality brands that just built what they could using the same workforce they have had for years.
I would have zero qualms about buying products from Lance, Rockwood, Northwood Manufacturing, Escape, Bigfoot RV, Ember RV, Flagstaff and a few others even if they were built in 2020, let alone now. There are others, I’m sure, but I know these the best.
So, rather than rely on blanket statements, know that all the different brands, even those from the big name companies, are encouraged to compete both within the company and with others—and there absolutely are quality brands out there.
But I have also seen some of the new low-end stuff being built pretty sloppily.
If it were my money buying something, I’d hire a qualified inspector and, by all means, seek out a quality dealer first. Even the best RV is hauled from wherever it’s made to the dealership by transporters as quickly as possible. A good-quality dealer will thoroughly test your RV from head to toe and deliver a working product to you. This is, sadly, not common.
Here are the things I saw in the collection.
Smart TVs
Your home has potentially had a smart TV for some time, but the RV industry has been a bit behind in the smart TV world. That is changing. All of the RVs I saw in the collection had smart TVs—from the most expensive to the most affordable.
Well, unless they had no TV—and there were RVs that didn’t come with a TV.
The thing I thought was nifty was that many of the TVs I saw that were smart TVs were also 12-volt TVs. I see a lot of you sharing that you have to run a generator or an inverter to run your TV. It seems like that’s changing—and that just makes a tremendous amount of sense.
Refrigerators
In addition to 12-volt TVs, I can say that I didn’t see one RV in the collection we had that had anything but a 12-volt refrigerator. From huge park models to top-of-the-line fifth wheels to small single-axle travel trailers, they all had 12-volt fridges.
The largest of the 12-volt fridges was a 20-cubic-foot model with French refrigerator doors and dual freezer trays. This big, fancy fridge also had an ice maker and all the features you’d expect in a large, fancy fridge.
I like this because these fridges are arguably built for travel with hardened components and systems designed to live their lives in an RV. As a warranty guy, I found that appliance repair people had no interest in working on refrigerators in RVs, and RV techs had no interest in working on residential fridges. I hope these 12-volt systems last longer than the lousy fridges the appliance industry makes nowadays (good luck) and survive better than the residential models.
Cooking
I am no fan of the terrible 17” RV oven. It’s small, it has extreme hot spots and it’s just worthless. So, the fact that I saw most of the new RVs with something else made me very happy.
Two things really stood out. A lot of these RVs had some form of convection air fryer microwave. These new gadgets can bake and do all those kinds of things and actually work pretty well. The one thing, though, is that they require 120vac household power. So that means a generator, shore power or a hefty inverter.
I also saw a larger number of RVs with the two-burner in-line cooktop.
Lastly, I saw a new RV stove/oven combo with an all-electric convection oven. This is the same size as the 17” propane oven, but it has more interior space and doesn’t have the hot spots that the propane version has. The challenge, again, is getting power to the oven.
There were also a few RVs with huge propane ovens and a few that still had the 22” propane oven. Both of these have the advantage of running on propane but also providing enough space to actually cook something. But I see how things are going, and while I prefer a propane oven, I do like the convection air fryer better than the 17” propane oven.
Bunkhouses
Something else I saw were a lot of desks in bunkhouse trailers. Traveling families have spoken up and said they needed a spot for the kiddos to do crafts or even participate in home schooling. My favorite of these was the Prime Time Mfg. Tracer 32DSB trailer that I wrote about on Friday. I wouldn’t mind that desk at home.
But there were others: some with hidden desks, others with bigger desks. The thing that was universally true is that all the forthcoming RVs I saw with bunkhouses also had some provision to get work, or just your coloring, done.
Interior design
We may have all bemoaned RV Brown #7 interiors in the past. What I saw was almost a complete lack of RV Brown. The interior trends that I observed were all very, very pleasing to the eye. There were nice colors, tasteful appointments and good-looking decor.
Clearly the RV industry seems to have gotten the message with interior design, and that message is: Tasteful interior decor is in.
Miscellaneous
I really liked what I saw. But a few things bugged me. There were still signs that people in the RV industry don’t ever go RVing. They also don’t always design for real people. You know. Those that displace a lot of water in the pool.
I saw one rig where I literally couldn’t get into the bathroom because the bed was so close to the bathroom door. The skinny rep from the company had no issue. I showed them that I did.
I think we’ve all replaced the stock shower head in our RVs with a model from Oxygenics. But I was surprised to find a few RVs that already had these installed, or something comparable. Maybe there won’t be so many RV shower heads in the landfill. What would future archaeologists say?
There were also some other blunders such as deep, deep pantries with narrow doors where some arms just couldn’t reach the back.
And, of course, some cheap tires, buggy-era springs and some other things.
A lot of what I saw was exciting and promising. But some of the build of some of the rigs just made me reiterate that you should know what you’re getting and shop for your RV dealership first.
More about these RV reviews
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. He also works closely with a number of RV manufacturers to get an inside look at how things are done and is a brand ambassador for Rockwood Mini Lite with his wife, Peggy.
You can also check out his RV podcast with his wife, Peggy.
##RVT1162
3 years ago I attended an RV show looking for some specific things. One of these things was a replacement microwave oven that supported convection and airfry. 4 dealers’ staff representing 4 brands, acted like I was asking for a different flavor of lunar cheese. When I mentioned they were on the shelf as residential appliances, the sales manager was found and each said doesn’t exist for RVs. Not true, but it meant nobody I spoke with at that show really knew their own industry.
That actually makes sense. The convection/air fryer microwave really came on line within the RV industry within less than two years now. In fact the kitchen in the Ember Overland series was designed with a convection microwave as part of the design but they haven’t been able to get them until 2022 model year. Now that Furrion is making them (Lippert’s appliance brand) everybody’s going to have one.
RV trends need to be “QUALITY” above all else. Who cares if you have residential appliances when they won’t work or keep breaking down. RV manufacturers are clueless to sagging sales when their thought process is trends for 2025.
Here’s the thing – the RV industry builds what the customers demand. Look at where a lot of RVs are sold and the reputation of mega chain dealers yet they sell. If customers want change they’re going to have to vote with their wallets. If people really did want better quality it’s out there for sure but the better quality brands are usually the ones that don’t sell as well because they’re not cheap.
Tony, can we add holding tank sensors to your list of items where the industry can do better but won’t?
There are a very few manufacturers that use the See Level sensors but the list is small. I don’t see this being something the industry does unless there are a lot of complaints.
There is one stand out company doing it right….Brinkley. I was dead set against upgrading my 10 year old Primetime fiver since it has been issue free. Quality in the industry these days appears to be at an all time low. However, the reviews on Brinkley have been stellar, so I bought a Z3100. This product is amazing in design engineering and quality all the way down to the 16 ply Cooper commercial grade tires. What is even more amazing, a Brinkley Owner Relations called me, spent over 30 minutes on the phone with me for feedback on my experience so far….and he gave me his direct cell phone number to call anytime. This experience will raise the bar in an industry that needs leadership
I’m glad to hear you defend some of the quality brands Tony. We have a 2021 Rockwood fifth wheel that we’ve been super happy with. And I can tell you from personal experience they have some great people at their factory willing to go out of their way to help you, even years after the sale. Two thumbs and two toes up from this happy camper!
Thank you, Tony! 🙂 Interesting, insightful, entertaining, and informative comments! Thanks again, have a great day, and SAFE travels! 🙂
The news that RVs are now arriving with 12-volt smart TVs and refrigerators is long overdue. That is awesome and I wonder why it took the industry so long to catch on to that? And I may be the only person on this rock that loathes gray and white as a color scheme and I sure don’t care for it in a camper. We go to the great outdoors to explore and get dirty and then we come inside to sit down on a white sofa? Nope, not very smart. Definitely not smart for pet owners. It might look good in a magazine but it’s absolutely impractical in an RV.
Goes back to the fact that few decision makers at RV companies actually ever go RVing. Fortunately companies like Ember, Northwoods Mfg., and a few others are avid campers and it shows in their products.
Thanks for the trend update, Tony. Our Rockwood fifth wheel had a solution for those ultra-deep pantries. Our large pantry was in the “dining room” slide, but only half the depth of the slide. The other half was tall, narrow outside compartment with a door that was hinged on one side. It was so perfect for holding several of my fishing rods that I installed a rod holder on one side wall. I also installed hooks on the other wall for my fishing tackle bag, coiled extension cords, and other infrequently needed items. The floor area was, weirdly, carpeted, but I covered it with sheet plastic and stored my bagged inflatable kayak there. It was a very useful compartment!
Sadly our 15 year old Apollo microwave, convection, half time, and whatever else it did finally broke so we replaced it with a recpro unit that was a simple fix. Even considered one of the MANY available 8 in 1 (lol) combo units available on Amazon for about $100 less but realized at least in our case venting is an issue so if you go that route buy a built in cabinet unit that’s designed to vent around and thru the front, basically how a countertop unit vents but those are designed to have more open space. Oh and that interior looks gross, outdated and cheap. Would you want that in your house?
Tony,
Great article!
I appreciated the comment on the product lines that you would have no qualms buying.
Any insight or thoughts on the Nexus class C’s?
Honestly I am less familiar with how companies make motorized rigs than towables. Knowing that I will never buy a motorized rig (except, maybe a Corvair Ultravan or GMC Motorhome) I don’t focus on those as much.
The demise of the useless radio/DVD player that comes in every unit! It’s 30 year old technology at this point. At least give us Blu-ray? And while you’re at it, how about allowing the audio quality to be better than AM radio? All treble, no bass, and sounds like it’s coming from the bottom of a well .
And a Bluetooth connection that doesn’t drop and/or has a range further than 10ft? Or how about just don’t even put anything in standard and let the buyer choose what head unit to install?
I have seen a few RVs that have come with Bluetooth portable speakers which, to me, is the ideal situation. But then I don’t own a DVD nor Blu-ray player – I just rent my movies on my iPad and listen to them on headphones. I’d like to see RVs come with NO speakers since they’re likely going to be lousy anyway. You can get some great portable Bluetooth speakers nowadays.
You’re right – much of what’s in an RV does sound like you dropped an AM radio down a well.
No-propane electric RV travel is here today. Our Ford F150 Lightning tows beautifully and for hours at a time. We did a 2000 km towing tour of Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia Canada in summer 2024 with NO issues. Stayed at 50 amp sites or ran the RV from the truck’s 240V 30 amp power inverter. I wrote about it on a Lightning forum:
https://www.lightningowners.com/threads/6th-ev-f150-lightning-in-ontario-canada.5376/?post_id=58545#post-58545