Here's what's on my mind for 2026

Things are evolving in the world of RV travel. As 2026 kicks off, I've been thinking about the changes that are coming—and how all of us might want to adapt. It's already shaping up to be a very interesting year.

In no particular order, here are some of my thoughts about what we can expect in 2026:

It's a good year to buy an RV

We all knew that the pandemic boom would lead to a pandemic bust, didn't we? And it hit the RV industry pretty hard in 2025. Sales went down and so did some fairly large companies that weren't adequately prepared. 

In my opinion, 2026 is a good year to buy an RV. Financing is not crazy expensive and there are a lot of used units on the market. A certain percentage of owners who bought in the pandemic are finding that they didn't use their RV as much they thought, and they're getting out. This phenomenon will probably continue through this year, and then the market will settle down again. Dealers are a lot more negotiable on new RVs these days, too.

You might have also hoped that the post-pandemic bust would mean some slight easing of crowds in popular spots. I'm not so sure about that. A spike in gas prices would probably have a greater impact. (But no prediction from me there.)

National Parks fees

The government just raised the cost of the America The Beautiful Annual Pass to $225.00 for non-residents. (US residents pay $80.) That's the headline you may have seen.

But most visitors from other countries don't buy Annual Passes, they buy regular admission passes, so the cost of the Annual Pass is not really important. The real story is that 11 of the most popular parks are charging non-residents $100 to get in (US residents typically pay $15-20 per person for admission.)

I have mixed feelings about that. On one hand, it's important to ensure that our national parks are adequately funded, so they can be enjoyed now and protected for future generations. Everyone needs to chip in, and since non-residents don't pay US taxes, it's only fair that they pay more.

On the other hand, sticking it to visitors from other countries is probably not going to help bring tourist dollars. If you've ever visited one of the popular western parks in peak season, you may have noticed how many people visit from all over the world. Those folks are helping to support our parks and businesses. Maybe a $100 entry fee is a little excessive.

Regardless of where you stand on this issue, just realize that you've got an incredible perk in the Annual Pass. If you're over 62, it's just $80 for a lifetime Senior Pass. It was one of the proudest days of my life when, the day after I turned 62, I zipped over to Saguaro National Park to buy my pass. Here I am using it for the first time when Tothie and I visited Big Bend National Park a few months ago. Who cares if it reminds me that I'm now "senior"—I'm getting in for free for the rest of my life!

Mo' power!

If there was one thing that changed RV'ing the most over the past few years, it has to be the switchover to lithium batteries. They've gotten cheaper and there are more options for buying them. Just in time, too, since RV's are getting more power-hungry with electric refrigerators, Starlink, laptops, more inverter use, etc. If you're considering the switch, you might find useful tips in this Diary of a Lithium Battery Upgrade that I wrote when we converted our Airstream.

At this point, I can't imagine not having lithium batteries. Soon after I installed them, we attended the Rose Parade Rally, where it was so rainy and cloudy that our solar panels gave us virtually no power. Didn't matter though. The lithium batteries powered everything we needed for nearly five days.

Many of the rally's planned gatherings were rained out and the New Year's Eve party was cut short due to downpour, but our batteries performed like champs.

I think a big change this year will be that portable power stations will start to become more and more common. They're finally at a point where you can easily power your entire RV, including power-hungry things like the microwave, without getting into an expensive custom battery/inverter installation.

Interestingly, we're already seeing portable power stations replace generators for many people. That's huge, when you consider that a generator was once considered the only real option for boondocking power.

Portable power is also real threat to those whose business is installing custom battery banks, inverters, and wiring. For many it will be hard to justify spending $10-15k when they can get the same functionality for about 1/4 the cost, with a portable power system instead.

My prediction: You'll start seeing portable power stations at boondocking events and in beautiful off-grid locations—and if you decide to get one you'll be amazed at what a difference it makes to ditch the generator.

"AI Slop" is taking over

Let me start by saying I'm mostly a fan of AI tools. They're really useful, if you understand and respect their limitations. 

I'm not a fan of the immense amount of AI-generated web pages that have already taken over. If you do a Google, Bing, Duck-Duck-Go, or any other form of web search, it's virtually guaranteed that the first several pages of results will be generated by chatbots, disguised thinly as real people or real companies. 

And heartbreakingly, most of it is absolutely nonsense. I read so many RV-related articles that are just filled with wrong, misstated, re-hashed, garbage information—posted on sites that you'd think would do better. 

It's going to get worse in 2026, so do yourself a favor this year: don't believe anything you read about RV's, RV'ing, or RV technology that doesn't come from a verifiable source and/or a real human being with actual expert knowledge. (I know, that's rare.) When there's even a slight doubt, get confirmation.

In particular, don't trust "influencers" on YouTube. Many of them have no idea what they're talking about, because they get their information from (you guessed it) content generated or influenced by AI. Always go to the source.

Radical new trailer startups

Every year it seems someone is trying to launch an amazing new RV company, designed to utterly disrupt the entrenched manufacturers. For a while the newcomers were usually based on design features, and lately they've been focusing on all-electric concepts. I also noticed a company offering a sleek European-looking fiberglass trailer.

I wish all of them the best, but historically the vast majority of these types of startups fail in a few years. I've watched others go through the process, and it's both ugly and expensive.

In 2026 you'll see a few really interesting ideas that I hope will come to market. But don't hold your breath. It's much harder to build an RV business than most people realize.

Too many apps!

The conventional wisdom seems to be that any type of product made for the RV industry must be either "Smart", "Bluetooth", or "Connected". The result is a phone-full of apps, which can easily take over your camping experience if you let them.

I'm not saying this because I'm a luddite. My phone currently has eight RV apps in it, each of which connects to a different component in the Airstream. AIR GEAR sells some of these products, too, and they are genuinely useful. But sometimes it's just too much. I think we'd all have more fun camping with a little less connectedness.

In 2026, I'm going to put my money where my mouth is: AIR GEAR will introduce at least two new products that are my own personal design, and while they both could be connected to the WiFi or Bluetooth, they won't be. I think some things in life can be better when they are local-only, which also means they have better battery life, less complexity, lower cost, and well, they just work.

When those products come out, in mid-2026 (you'll see them at the Airstream Club International rally in Minot, ND this August) you can tell me to my face if you think I'm wrong. Seriously, just come by our booth and say, "I would have bought this, but I'm not going to because it doesn't have an app!"  ;-)

It's a great year for RV travel

Let's not forget that this is all about travel, which leads to adventure, friendship, and learning. This year is the 250th birthday of the United States and the 100th year of Route 66. Maybe you've got trips scheduled around the festivities or itineraries of one or both.

So the last thing I want to mention is that most of my thoughts this year are focused on the great travel we're planning.

I just got back from a dudes' weekend in the desert near Quartzsite, and soon we'll be heading off on other planned Airstream trips: Lake Havasu, AZ for an Airstream rally and balloon fiesta, Cottonwood AZ, the Cali Rally, a big trip up to Michigan and Wisconsin this summer, Minot ND for the International Rally, and a few others.

I hope you've got some fun to look forward to as well. Best wishes for a great 2026!