Now it's showing a little bit of city-friendly European camper van sensibility with the Sequence concept, a loaded Ram ProMaster adventure van with solar power, mobile connectivity, sporty Thule accessories and even a slide-out dog bowl.

Class A motorhomes and large travel trailers continue to rule American campgrounds, but smaller camping vehicles have started to carve out more of a niche in the market. Millennials have become a driving market force and have shown a preference for smaller campers, while retiring baby boomers are moving away from large family campers and downsizing to smaller options.

At the same time, the RV industry is trying to reach a new generation of buyers that enjoy outdoor recreation and other compatible leisure activities but aren't yet using an RV to access them. In totally reworking the annual National RV Trade Show, the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) created RVX in hopes of reaching an estimated 30 million Americans who currently enjoy an RV-compatible lifestyle without the RV.