RV Daily: Recalls and Holiday Trip Plans
November 6 RV news: seating-power recalls, holiday travel plans, Harbinger funding and Shenandoah's delayed early-2027 campground reservations.
The RV Dummies editorial team · Published
Before you hitch up for the holidays, give the reservation calendar and your RV's recall status a closer look. Today's roundup connects a new national travel survey with two specific seating-power recalls, a fresh investment in a company developing electrified RV technology, and a campground booking change at Shenandoah.
Start with the decisions that affect your next trip: a campsite that fits, seasonal services you can count on and answers about any open recall. If you are looking further ahead, keep Shenandoah's reservation change and Harbinger's development work on your radar without assuming a booking date or a new motorhome delivery timeline.
Holiday RV travel plans point to an early planning job
The RV Industry Association's November 5 report estimates that 11.4 million Americans plan to take an RV trip over Thanksgiving and 11.2 million over the Christmas holiday period. Those are separate estimates of people planning trips, not a count of vehicles, campground reservations or travelers who have already departed. Some people may travel during both holidays, so adding the figures would not establish a total number of different RVers.
The survey also found that 69% of RVers plan to bring pets on some or all winter trips. Cairn Consulting conducted the research in October for RVIA, using an online sample of 1,208 U.S. residents plus an additional 600 RVers for comparison. The association reports a 2.74-percentage-point margin of error for the base sample. These findings describe intentions; they do not predict the occupancy of a particular park.
For your own trip, settle the overnight stops before building the sightseeing schedule around them. Check the actual campsite's length limit and hookups, the arrival procedure if the office closes early, and whether a stay spanning the holiday has different cancellation or minimum-stay terms. If you are visiting relatives, work out the RV's legal overnight location rather than assuming their street or driveway will be an option.
Traveling with a pet adds a few useful questions to that same call. Confirm the campground's pet rules and think through where your pet will stay during a family meal or an outing that does not allow animals. Keep an alternate overnight stop in your plan, especially when weather could change the driving day. The survey is a reason to get organized, not a reason to rush into a nonrefundable booking that does not fit your rig or routine.
Sources: RV Industry Association: Millions of Americans Plan RV Trips This Thanksgiving and Christmas
Heartland and Ember seating recalls need a VIN-specific check
Owners of certain Heartland fifth wheels and Ember travel trailers have a concrete safety item to follow up on. NHTSA campaign 26V710 covers 518 potentially affected Heartland vehicles: 2024 Torque, Bighorn and Cyclone models, plus 2022-2023 Gravity and Road Warrior models equipped with certain powered seating. Campaign 26V714 covers 259 potentially affected 2024 Ember E-Series travel trailers with affected powered furniture.
Both campaigns concern inadequate circuit protection in the seating power supply. If a short circuit occurs, insufficient protection increases the risk of fire. The combined 777 vehicles are the potentially affected recall population, not a count of fires, injuries or confirmed failures. These are late-October manufacturer filings checked for this edition, not recalls newly filed on November 6.
Heartland filed its report on October 27, and NHTSA's October 29 acknowledgment describes a free dealer replacement of the harness and power cord. The owner notification letter now available in NHTSA's campaign record tells affected owners to turn off or unplug the furniture's 12-volt power until the recall repairs have been performed. If you are unsure how to do that safely on your RV, ask the repair facility for guidance rather than altering the wiring. The letter directs owners to a Jayco-certified repair facility and provides 800-283-8267 for assistance. Refer to recall 990182 or NHTSA campaign 26V710 when arranging service.
Ember filed its report October 28, followed by NHTSA's October 30 acknowledgment. Its remedy is a free dealer replacement of the power cord. Owner notification is expected to begin November 23; the manufacturer report gives a November 23-30 notification window. Ember's customer service number is 1-844-732-4204, and the NHTSA campaign is 26V714.
Have the dealer or manufacturer confirm whether your specific RV is included, what guidance applies while you wait, and when the correct repair parts and an appointment are available. Write down the campaign number and keep the completed repair paperwork with your RV records. Do not use a brief news description to select a replacement fuse, modify the wiring or assume that a furniture power switch completes the recall repair.
Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: NHTSA acknowledgment: Heartland recall 26V710 · Jayco / Heartland via NHTSA: Heartland owner notification letter: recall 26V710 · National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: NHTSA acknowledgment: Ember recall 26V714 · Ember Recreational Vehicles via NHTSA: Ember Part 573 report: campaign 26V714
Harbinger raises capital, with THOR among the investors
Harbinger announced a $240 million Series D funding round on November 5. The company lists THOR Industries, through TechNexus, among the strategic investors. It says the money will support manufacturing growth and work across commercial vehicles, energy storage, power generation, autonomy software and defense applications. The announcement describes a broad industrial expansion, so the entire funding total should not be presented as money earmarked for motorhomes.
The RV connection is established. THOR's September 23, 2024 announcement introduced the THOR Test Vehicle, a demonstration Class A motorhome built on a Harbinger platform with an electric battery system and a gasoline range extender. That earlier project explains why RV owners may want to follow Harbinger's manufacturing progress. It also gives the new investment a more specific context than simply another electric-vehicle funding headline.
For a buyer, however, this week's announcement does not establish a new retail price, delivery date or independently measured driving range for a particular motorhome. Treat those as separate questions. A finished coach adds its own body, equipment and operating demands, and the details that matter should come from the exact production model you are considering.
If an electrified motorhome is on your shopping list, ask for the production specification sheet, warranty coverage, service arrangements and charging requirements in writing. Then compare those details with the trips you actually take, including overnight stops and the availability of appropriate charging. New investment can support future development; your purchase decision still needs a real vehicle, a workable travel plan and a clear path to service.
Sources: Harbinger: Harbinger Raises $240 Million Series D Funding Round · THOR Industries: THOR Industries and Harbinger introduce a hybrid Class A demonstration motorhome
Shenandoah separates fall camping from next year's booking window
If you are searching for an early-2027 campsite at Shenandoah National Park, an unavailable booking calendar does not necessarily mean you missed the release. The National Park Service says those reservations are currently unavailable while campground operations transfer to incoming concessioner ExplorUS. The park expects reservations to open in early January and plans to announce more details, including rates, in mid-December. No exact opening day or booking time is supplied in the notice.
That message appears on the campground page updated October 29 and the operating-dates page updated November 2. For now, keep your preferred dates and acceptable alternatives together, then check the park's own announcement before arranging other parts of the trip around an assumed campsite. Avoid reading the general six-month reservation guidance as a promise that these particular early-2027 dates are already on sale.
There is also a more immediate calendar for anyone considering one last fall visit. The 2026 operating schedule lists November 22 as Lewis Mountain Campground's closing date and November 29 for Big Meadows. Mathews Arm and Loft Mountain have already reached their listed November 1 closing dates. Big Meadows campsites are reservation-only; Lewis Mountain uses first-come, first-served camping. A campground still being in season does not guarantee a vacant site.
Services have their own schedules, too. Elkwallow Wayside and Loft Mountain Wayside are listed to close November 8, while Big Meadows Wayside is listed through November 29. NPS cautions that operating dates can change and that portions of Skyline Drive may close during bad weather. Before heading up with your RV, confirm the campground, your approach route and the supplies or services you expect to use. A park that remains open for visiting can still have closed campgrounds, reduced services or a road interruption.
Sources: National Park Service: Shenandoah National Park campground reservation changes · National Park Service: Shenandoah National Park 2026 operating dates and hours
Sources & date notes
- Millions of Americans Plan RV Trips This Thanksgiving and Christmas · RV Industry Association
Published November 5, 2026; survey conducted in October 2026. Figures describe planned travel, not completed trips or local occupancy. Checked 2026-11-06.
- NHTSA acknowledgment: Heartland recall 26V710 · National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Acknowledgment dated October 29, 2026, used for affected models and remedy. Its original projected mailing date is not treated as current notification status. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Heartland owner notification letter: recall 26V710 · Jayco / Heartland via NHTSA
Owner letter retrieved from NHTSA on November 6, 2026. The body does not state a mailing date. It supplies interim furniture-power guidance and repair-facility contact information. Checked 2026-11-06.
- NHTSA acknowledgment: Ember recall 26V714 · National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Acknowledgment dated October 30, 2026; expected owner notification begins November 23. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Ember Part 573 report: campaign 26V714 · Ember Recreational Vehicles via NHTSA
Filed October 28, 2026; planned owner notification window November 23-30, 2026. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Harbinger Raises $240 Million Series D Funding Round · Harbinger
Company announcement published November 5, 2026. Investment and intended uses are company statements. Checked 2026-11-06.
- THOR Industries and Harbinger introduce a hybrid Class A demonstration motorhome · THOR Industries
September 23, 2024 announcement used only as historical background, not evidence of current retail availability. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Shenandoah National Park campground reservation changes · National Park Service
Page updated October 29, 2026. Early-January opening and mid-December information release are expectations, not exact confirmed dates. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Shenandoah National Park 2026 operating dates and hours · National Park Service
Page updated November 2, 2026; seasonal dates checked November 6 and remain subject to change. Checked 2026-11-06.
Editorial notes & corrections
Original reporting synthesis prepared November 6, 2026 from the credited public sources. Company announcements and survey estimates are attributed. The three visuals are original code-drawn editorial illustrations, not photographs of vehicles, incidents or current park conditions. Recall applicability and operating conditions require the specific checks described in each story.
No corrections have been recorded.