Newbie driving across Canada needs advice
Hello there, Thanks for your help right off the bat, I have learned a lot of things over the years from all sorts of different forums just like this one. Truly the internet is great. :) My fa...
Forum Discussion
Downs, One of these days I will be driving across Canada. I plan to take the whole summer to do it and it will be in my 1989 Class C.
A friend has towed a travel trailer back and forth across Canada 4 times with military moves since 2004. They bought the trailer before the first trip and use it to this day.
A couple thoughts about your plans.
I take it you have no experience with RVing? There is a learning curve to it and you will want o practice close to home before heading out. Something as simple as filling the water tank may not be as simple as you think.
If you do buy used, you will at the very least need a good engine tune up and fluid replacement, new batteries (we added solar, no generator) and tires. We did $1500.00 work on Moni when we bought in 2007 plus tires for $1200.00. Since then we have replaced the alternator, fan clutch and basic tune ups.
Make sure you are both comfortable driving the fully loaded rig on highways and through cities. It is a long drive for just one person and emergencies do happen.
Make sure you can both make and break camp. Dumping tanks is not a fun chore, but you both use the toilet, you should both be able to empty it.
You both need to be able to hitch up the extra vehicle (whether it is a trailer, car dolly etc).
If you are looking at a truck trailer combination and planning on moving to BC, you may find that a F150 is not a strong enough or have enough braking power for BCs mountain passes.
Size matters: Our class c is 27 feet long. We can easily fit in two parking stalls back to back. This is really handy for street parking (the wife has parallel parked Mobi) and when stopping for groceries.
We have had 5 adult sized people, plus a 70 pound dog in those 27 feet for up to 2 weeks at a time.
Where is BC are you moving to? It is a big province with many diverse communities.
A friend has towed a travel trailer back and forth across Canada 4 times with military moves since 2004. They bought the trailer before the first trip and use it to this day.
A couple thoughts about your plans.
I take it you have no experience with RVing? There is a learning curve to it and you will want o practice close to home before heading out. Something as simple as filling the water tank may not be as simple as you think.
If you do buy used, you will at the very least need a good engine tune up and fluid replacement, new batteries (we added solar, no generator) and tires. We did $1500.00 work on Moni when we bought in 2007 plus tires for $1200.00. Since then we have replaced the alternator, fan clutch and basic tune ups.
Make sure you are both comfortable driving the fully loaded rig on highways and through cities. It is a long drive for just one person and emergencies do happen.
Make sure you can both make and break camp. Dumping tanks is not a fun chore, but you both use the toilet, you should both be able to empty it.
You both need to be able to hitch up the extra vehicle (whether it is a trailer, car dolly etc).
If you are looking at a truck trailer combination and planning on moving to BC, you may find that a F150 is not a strong enough or have enough braking power for BCs mountain passes.
Size matters: Our class c is 27 feet long. We can easily fit in two parking stalls back to back. This is really handy for street parking (the wife has parallel parked Mobi) and when stopping for groceries.
We have had 5 adult sized people, plus a 70 pound dog in those 27 feet for up to 2 weeks at a time.
Where is BC are you moving to? It is a big province with many diverse communities.
