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23 Million Americans Are Planning RV Trips This Fall
RV travel is drawing strong interest heading into fall, with 23 million Americans planning an RV trip and more than 11 million expecting to travel by RV over Labor Day. Affordability ranks as the leading reason for choosing an RV, followed by comfort and opportunities to see fall foliage. More than 9.4 million people who do not own an RV expect to rent or borrow one.
National parks and scenic destinations have moved ahead of beaches among planned stops, while the Northeast and Southeast rank as the most popular regions. More than 90% of RV travelers expect to stay within a three-to-seven-hour drive from home, and 71% plan to bring pets. Gen Z and Millennials are showing particularly strong interest, and 35% of likely RV buyers now say they expect to purchase within three months.
U.S.-Canada Tariff Fight Adds New Costs and Uncertainty for the RV Industry
Trade policy affecting the RV industry continued to shift in August. The United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian goods on August 22 after negotiations between the two countries broke down. Two days later, President Donald Trump announced that tariffs on cars, trucks, automotive parts and steel would rise to 50% on January 1, 2027, though further details had not yet been released.
Canada responded by publishing a list of 874 U.S. tariff items that will face retaliatory duties beginning September 8. The new Canadian tariffs will apply rates of 15%, 25% or 50% and cover $27.6 billion in U.S. imports. Other recent developments include proposed expansions of U.S. metal tariffs, court battles over tariff refunds and the de minimis exemption, and a carve-out that keeps Indonesian lauan plywood from being subject to a new Section 301 forced-labor tariff.
Teton Pass RV Restrictions Gain Support After Another Serious Crash
A recent motorhome crash on Wyoming’s Teton Pass has renewed calls for restrictions on RVs and vehicles towing trailers. Seven people were involved in the August 17 collision, including a juvenile who was airlifted with serious injuries. Authorities have not announced the cause, so there is no finding that the RV, its brakes or its driver caused the crash.
The local group Make Teton Pass Safer is asking Wyoming transportation officials to temporarily restrict RVs and trailers while longer-term safety measures are considered. The debate follows several other serious incidents on the steep route, including a fatal 2024 motorhome crash caused by brake failure. RVs remain legal on Teton Pass during the summer, although trailers are already prohibited from November 15 through April 1.
Great Smoky Mountains Wants Visitors to Report Giant Joro Spiders
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is asking visitors to help researchers track the spread of Joro spiders, a large East Asian species now established in parts of the Southeast. Adult females can span about three inches with their legs extended and are known for bright markings and large golden webs.
Despite their size, research indicates Joro spiders pose little danger to people or pets and tend to be unusually timid. Visitors who spot one are being asked to photograph it, record the location and submit the sighting through iNaturalist or to University of Tennessee researchers. Park officials are asking people to leave the spiders and their webs undisturbed.
RV Shipments Have Fallen Every Month of 2026 So Far
RV manufacturers shipped fewer units in every month from January through July than during the same months in 2025. July shipments totaled 19,948 units, down 11.9% from a year earlier, while shipments through the first seven months fell 13.9% to 183,592 units.
Towable RVs have carried much of the decline, with travel trailer shipments down 15.7% and fifth wheels down 19.5% through July. The downturn is far smaller than those seen during the Great Recession or the post-pandemic correction, but it comes after only two years of modest recovery. RVIA has cut its 2026 shipment forecast midpoint from 349,000 units to 314,000, which would represent an 8.2% annual decline.
Camping World Shrinks Its Footprint as New RV Sales Slide
Camping World has shifted from rapid expansion toward tighter operations as demand for new RVs weakens. The company closed or consolidated 13 locations during the 12 months ending in March and reduced its full-time workforce by more than 1,500 employees during 2025.
The split between new and used RVs is especially noticeable. Second-quarter new RV unit sales fell 16.4% from a year earlier, while used RV sales rose 5.2%. Total gross profit dropped 9.1% and net income fell 24%, prompting Camping World to lower its full-year adjusted earnings forecast. The company is still profitable in 2026 and generating operating cash flow, but its results show much stronger demand for preowned RVs than new ones.
Diesel Nears Record High as U.S. Fuel Inventories Tighten
The national average price for on-highway diesel reached $5.652 per gallon on August 24, nearly $2 higher than a year earlier and about 16 cents below the record set in June 2022. At that price, filling a 100-gallon diesel motorhome tank from empty would cost about $565.
At the same time, U.S. commercial inventories of distillate fuel oil, which primarily includes diesel and heating oil, fell to 103.4 million barrels. That was the lowest late-August level in weekly federal records dating to 1982. Refineries were already operating at high capacity, while exports were rising. Fall harvest demand, heating-oil use and scheduled refinery maintenance could keep the market tight, although federal forecasts also point to the possibility of lower crude oil prices later in the year.
Grand Canyon Flash Flood Wipes Out Bridges and Forces Evacuations
A severe flash flood struck Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area at Grand Canyon National Park, prompting evacuations and widespread closures. By Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, with more evacuations planned. No injuries had been reported in the National Park Service’s latest update.
Nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, and Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the North Kaibab Trail, Black Bridge and Silver Bridge are among the areas closed indefinitely. The Colorado River was also temporarily closed to river traffic because of debris. Officials were still working to account for visitors after the flood, while forecasts called for additional storms and possible flash flooding in the area.
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Lots of news this week! Thanks for doing this. I’d much rather read the stories I find interesting than trying to sit htrough a 45+ min news podcast like some of the others do.
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