RV Daily: Wyoming Stops and Towing Checks
October 16 RV news: Casper hookups, Devils Tower camping, CURT towing hardware, RV safety labels and the Patrick–Lippert merger review.
The RV Dummies editorial team · Published
A useful overnight stop can appear on the map just as another campground shuts its gate for the year. Today’s roundup starts with two Wyoming travel updates, then looks at towing hardware, the safety labels on an RV and the continuing review of a major supplier merger. The common thread is knowing exactly what an announcement changes for your own trip or rig.
This October 16 edition draws on current park information, company announcements and public filings. Publication dates and event dates are identified separately, and product claims remain attributed to their manufacturers.
Casper adds a small RV stopping option
Love’s says its new Casper, Wyoming, travel stop includes five back-in RV hookups and an RV dump. Its October 12 announcement places the stop at 3387 North Poplar Street, off Interstate 25 at Exit 191. Laundry and a CAT Scale are also listed.
That could make a useful travel-day stop, but five RV spaces are a small inventory. Check availability, your full rig’s fit and the arrival layout before building the day around a stay. The announcement separately lists 52 truck parking spaces; that is not a count of RV campsites.
Keep the booking questions concrete: what is included at your selected site, where do you back in, and what services cost extra? An opening announcement establishes the option, while the details for your dates determine whether it works.
Sources: Love’s Travel Stops: Love’s expands with Wyoming travel stop opening; renovates store in California
Devils Tower’s campground has closed for the season
Belle Fourche River Campground at Devils Tower National Monument is now closed for the season. The National Park Service’s October 15 alert confirms the closure; its earlier notice identified October 14 as the last camping night. The alert points toward reopening in mid-May 2027, so treat that as a future seasonal plan to recheck, rather than a reservation guarantee.
This changes the overnight part of a visit, not automatically every daytime activity at the monument. NPS lists park roads, hiking trails and the picnic area among its visitor options, subject to current conditions. Check the monument’s alerts again close to departure, especially when a fall trip crosses into colder weather.
Camping inside the monument is limited to established sites at Belle Fourche River Campground. A closed campground does not make a parking area an alternative campsite. Arrange an open overnight location outside the monument before arriving. The park’s camping page points visitors toward outside accommodations and Black Hills National Forest options, but each location needs its own season, access and camping-rule check.
For a late-afternoon visit, decide where you will sleep before you turn toward the entrance. That keeps sightseeing from becoming a rushed search after dark.
Sources: National Park Service: Alerts & Conditions: Devils Tower National Monument · National Park Service: Campgrounds: Devils Tower National Monument
CURT’s StowPro spotlight: match the exact hardware
RV News featured CURT’s StowPro adjustable ball mount on October 15. CURT describes the line as manufactured in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, using domestically sourced steel, with a dual-ball arrangement that can move into a stowed position when it is not being used for towing. The useful feature is flexibility for different trailer setups, provided the selected model actually matches the job.
Do not read a family-of-products headline as the rating for every version. CURT’s product page distinguishes two-inch-shank models from two-and-a-half-inch-shank models. Its claims about testing and manufacturing are the company’s own; this roundup is not an independent durability test or an endorsement.
CURT rates model 45962 for 10,000 pounds of trailer weight and 1,000 pounds of tongue weight. The vehicle and any lower-rated towing component still limit what you can tow.
Use the full manual for pin, clip and position checks. Never attach safety chains to the mount; keep them free of entanglement.
Sources: RV News: VIDEO: Curt’s StowPro Adjustable Ball Mount · CURT: StowPro USA-Made Ball Mounts · CURT: StowPro 45962 Installation Manual
Two safety labels answer different questions
Two RV Industry Association explainers published October 15 put a useful shopping question back in view: what does the label on the RV actually certify? The association describes its exterior seal as the manufacturer’s certification to adopted standards for living-area systems, including electrical, propane, plumbing, heating and fire safety. RVIA says its program includes more than 2,000 unannounced factory audits annually and checks against more than 500 safety-related requirements.
The federal vehicle certification label serves a different role. In its regulatory explainer, RVIA describes that label as the manufacturer’s certification to applicable federal vehicle-safety standards. The association says its own auditors do not inspect or enforce those federal standards. Its article also explains that NHTSA’s recall authority can reach safety defects across the RV and its equipment, rather than stopping at the dividing line between chassis and living space.
These are explanations of the existing system, not announcements of a new inspection requirement. When comparing rigs, ask the seller to show you the relevant labels and explain which manufacturer is responsible for the vehicle and its equipment. Keep the unit’s identifying information with the manuals so later service or recall research starts with the right rig.
Our practical takeaway is to separate original certification from present condition. A badge is not a fresh inspection of a used RV after years of wear, repairs or owner modifications. Likewise, RVIA’s statement that many campgrounds require its seal is a reason to check a destination’s actual rules, not a promise that one label guarantees admission everywhere.
Sources: RV Industry Association: Your Safety Baseline: What Consumers Need to Know About the RV Industry Association Seal · RV Industry Association: RVs: A Regulated Vehicle
Patrick–Lippert review moves through another step
Patrick Industries and LCI Industries, Lippert’s parent company, are responding to a Justice Department request for more information about their proposed merger. The timing matters: the request was received October 9 and publicly disclosed October 13. RV News covered it October 15, and Patrick’s amended registration statement that day reiterated the ongoing review.
Patrick’s SEC disclosure explains that the request extends the regulatory waiting period until 30 days after both companies substantially comply, unless it ends earlier or is extended by agreement. That is a process milestone, not a published decision approving or blocking the transaction. Other closing conditions remain.
The October 15 filing continues to describe the first half of 2027 as the expected closing window, while acknowledging uncertainty. For owners, the reason to watch is the companies’ place in the RV component supply chain. The filings do not establish what the deal would mean for your next repair bill, parts delivery or dealer appointment.
Keep those everyday decisions anchored to the information you can verify now: the exact component in your rig, the current service contact and an actual parts or repair estimate. A proposed combination is not a reason to assume a warranty has changed or to delay a needed repair. The next meaningful news will be documented progress in the review and any specific changes the companies announce.
Sources: Patrick Industries / U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: Patrick Industries October 13 filing concerning DOJ second request · Patrick Industries: Patrick Industries Form S-4 amendment · RV News: Justice Department Requests Documents on Patrick-Lippert Deal
Sources & date notes
- Love’s expands with Wyoming travel stop opening; renovates store in California · Love’s Travel Stops
Company announcement dated October 12, 2026; describes the Casper opening. Individual site availability and charges were not checked. Checked 2026-10-16T12:14:34Z.
- Alerts & Conditions: Devils Tower National Monument · National Park Service
Live NPS browser alert posted October 15 confirms closure; September 22 alert gives October 14 as last camping night. Dynamic alerts were directly verified separately from the older page-body update date. Checked 2026-10-16T12:19:32Z.
- Campgrounds: Devils Tower National Monument · National Park Service
Standing camping-location rules; page body last updated April 24, 2025. Used alongside October 15, 2026 closure alert. Checked 2026-10-16T12:14:34Z.
- VIDEO: Curt’s StowPro Adjustable Ball Mount · RV News
Published October 15, 2026; a product spotlight, not evidence of a launch on that date. Checked 2026-10-16T12:14:34Z.
- StowPro USA-Made Ball Mounts · CURT
Current undated manufacturer product page; testing and manufacturing claims attributed to CURT. Checked 2026-10-16T12:16:52Z.
- StowPro 45962 Installation Manual · CURT
Manual 45962-INS-RB dated May 12, 2026; capacities and instructions apply to this model. Checked 2026-10-16T12:14:34Z.
- Your Safety Baseline: What Consumers Need to Know About the RV Industry Association Seal · RV Industry Association
Published October 15, 2026; association explanation of its existing certification and audit program. Audit counts are attributed claims. Checked 2026-10-16T12:16:52Z.
- RVs: A Regulated Vehicle · RV Industry Association
Published October 15, 2026; explains existing certification and recall distinctions, not a new mandate. Checked 2026-10-16T12:16:52Z.
- Patrick Industries October 13 filing concerning DOJ second request · Patrick Industries / U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Filed October 13, 2026; request received October 9. Public company disclosure, not a DOJ merits finding. Checked 2026-10-16T12:16:52Z.
- Patrick Industries Form S-4 amendment · Patrick Industries
October 15, 2026 amendment independently retrieved by research reviewer; repeats ongoing review and expected first-half 2027 completion subject to conditions. Checked 2026-10-16T12:16:26Z.
- Justice Department Requests Documents on Patrick-Lippert Deal · RV News
Published October 15, 2026; primary SEC record used to distinguish action and disclosure dates. Checked 2026-10-16T12:14:13Z.
Editorial notes & corrections
Original reporting synthesis prepared October 16, 2026 from the linked public sources. All three visuals are original editorial information graphics, not photographs of places, products or incidents. Manufacturer and association claims are attributed; no firsthand product testing or campground visit is claimed.
October 21, 2026: Updated punctuation in citation display titles. Reporting, source links and images are unchanged.