During filming, Jack Nance received a call from his then-wife Kelly Jean Van Dyke saying that she was going to commit suicide. Nance attempted to console his wife over the phone, but a lightning storm killed Van Dyke's end of the receiver. Nance, as well as the director, took 45 minutes to find a deputy sheriff, who in turn, contacted LAPD and Nance's apartment manager, but by the time they had arrived at Nance's apartment, it was too late, as Van Dyke had already hung herself.
The film was originally entitled "Happy Campers" but just before its scheduled release, the producers changed the name to "Meatballs 4" in an effort to cash in on the popularity of the "Meatballs" series. As of 2025, it remains the final entry in the "Meatballs" franchise.
Kristi Ducati said star Corey Feldman kept treating her and the other actresses as if they were as dumb as the bimbo characters they were playing. Fed up with his attitude, she pulled him aside and set him straight one day. He apologized and he and Ducati ended up becoming good friends after that.
In one scene, Corey Feldman is dancing to a song that sounds akin to Michael Jackson's "Black or White." Corey Feldman was good friends with Michael Jackson for many years prior to the latter's death in 2009.