Camping World Rumors, Packed National Parks & The RV Reality Check
RV Podcast - Stories From The Road
Mike Wendland
4.5 • 704 Ratings
🗓️ 25 May 2026
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week on the RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland digs into four stories every RVer should be paying attention to.
First up: Is Camping World really in trouble? Rumors of bankruptcy exploded online after comparisons were made to the collapse of marine retailer West Marine. Mike separates the facts from the fear and explains what’s really happening inside the RV industry right now.
Then, Yosemite National Park is becoming a crowded mess. Reservation systems are gone, traffic is piling up, vandalism is increasing, and many park employees are sounding the alarm about what this summer could look like.
Also in this episode: Why are RV owners staying home? KOA’s CEO just revealed a troubling trend inside the camping industry. More RV owners than ever are using their rigs less often, or not at all. Rising travel costs, fuel prices, campground fees, and economic uncertainty are changing how people camp.
And finally, some good news. In a world where so many people feel isolated and disconnected, camping may be one of the best antidotes to loneliness. New research shows RVers and campers are forming friendships and community connections unlike anywhere else.
This is the RV Lifestyle Podcast News Edition for May 26, 2026.
Stories Covered:
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good morning, good morning, and happy Memorial Day weekend. Welcome to the RV LifeSale |
| 0:07.0 | podcast News Edition. I'm Mike Wendland, and it is Monday, Labor Day, 2026. We hope wherever you are, |
| 0:15.3 | you're able to pause and think about what this holiday really means. Yeah, we call it the |
| 0:20.0 | unofficial start of summer, |
| 0:21.6 | but it's really a time to remember all of those men and women who sacrificed so much so we can be so |
| 0:29.4 | free. All right, we are going to dig into some of the stories that matter to you as an RV |
| 0:34.7 | traveler, as an RV owner, or somebody just thinking about jumping into |
| 0:38.4 | this lifestyle and before we get into today's stories. A quick reminder, all the links and the |
| 0:44.0 | sources for everything we cover today are in the show notes at RV Podcast.com. We do the research |
| 0:50.4 | so you don't have to, but we always want you to read the original sources and |
| 0:54.4 | draw your own conclusions. I'm a journalist, and I've always been told to source my material, |
| 0:59.9 | and that's the way I've been trained, and that's what I'm doing for you. So it's all there |
| 1:03.8 | in the show notes for this, and you find that at RVpodcast.com. All right, let's get into it. |
| 1:10.5 | Is camping world in trouble? And what does that mean for you? |
| 1:15.1 | Now, I want to start today with the story that landed on my radar this week, and I will be honest with you here. |
| 1:21.0 | My skeptical antenna went up the moment I read the headline. It was a post on X, formerly Twitter, |
| 1:27.1 | from a username Roger, |
| 1:29.1 | claiming that camping world, the nation's largest RV dealer chain, is headed towards Chapter 11 bankruptcy. |
| 1:35.5 | He cited $3.5 billion in what he called unpayable debt, and he pointed to the very real and very |
| 1:42.8 | fresh bankruptcy filing by West Marine, |
| 1:45.7 | the country's largest boating supply retailer, as a sign of things to come. |
| 1:51.0 | Now, here's what made this post more than just random social media noise. |
... |
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