Newbie driving across Canada needs advice

[downs]

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 family and I are going to be driving from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. My wife will be doing a book tour so its going to take us about a month stopping and visiting along the way.

This is a one way trip and we are going to be carrying really only clothes and a few personal effects.

So my first decision is around what to buy to do this trip.

I have been back and forth on buying a C Class Motorhome and towing our nearly paid off Mazda 5 or buying a pickup and getting either a 5th wheel or TT and ditching the Mazda 5 before we go.

I do have a motorcycle and have looked into toy hauler/camper combos but that seems to have been ruled out by the 'boss.'

I have budgeted 20K for the purchase of this vehicle( vehicle combo).

So I ask you, those who have come before for your advice.

[downs]

This is all good to know.

I am going to have to get rid of the mazda to tow an enclosed trailer.
Maybe even keep the bike if I get a big enough trailer.
Nice to know an F150 could do the trick.

[Rolin]

Need to match tow vehicle to the load.

That said, our F150 5 speed V6 pulled our 22ft 5th wheel from the west coast (over the Rockies) to the east coast multiple times and from Canada to San Diego.

We found the F150 to be a very reliable and capable tow vehicle.

[shum02]

Tothill wrote:


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.

Well that would TOTALLY depend on the size of the trailer and the F150 wouldn't it! You may wish to add a little more detail instead of making a blanket statement next time.

Duh :S

[Tothill]

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.

[johnwalkerpa1]

downs wrote:
oh thought I had put a post in earlier this morning

yes I think we are going to go with the mazda/hotel/camping

wife doesn't love camping but we have all the gear
thinking i might buy an enclosed trailer ?
haul our personal effects and some camping gear

places like toronto we have family so that is easy
so its just the odd hotel when weather is bad
otherwise its camping

thanks for all the advice folks

Yes, Maybe you can do both? Some camping and some hotels. Some campgrounds also have rental cabins available. Sometimes the basic ones (no bath, no kitchen) are pretty reasonable although the nicer ones can get pricy. Its a nice way to have the "campground experience" if you can't or don't want to go the RV or tent route.


When travelling with friends who don't have an RV, we pick campgrounds that have cabins so they can stay with us.

[downs]

Oh man Rollin

you speak EXACTLY what I was thinking
take the home with you
no matter where we are we can park somewhere
there are tons of ford F150's around

ok perhaps the debate is not over yet

the other hting is this mazda 5 wont tow anything
i was thinking about getting an enclosed trailer and putting all our******in that
perhaps the bike
but no way will it tow a trailer and my bike
probably not even the trailer and all our******
not through the rockies anyway

glad there is lots of time to make a decision

[pawatt]

I have had several truck, trailer combos that cost well under $20,000 & no major problems. They were nothing fancy but we had a blast with them.

[Rolin]

I don't know how much difference there is in pricing between Canada and the USA. However, I think you should be able to get a serviceable trailer and pickup for $20,000.

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/rvs/4304604748.html

Something like the 17ft trailer listed above would have room for 2 adults and 2 children. Plus you can pull it with a 1/2 ton pickup like a F150 or Ranger with a v6 engine. You should be able to get a serviceable trailer for $10K. And you should be able to get smaller serviceable 1/2 ton pickup for $10K.

You could put the motorcycle in the pickup bed. With this type of setup you can carry all of your cloths etc and not have to pack and unpack each night. You have your own kitchen (cheaper than eating out), your own bathroom (much more convenient than looking for a convenient Tim Hortons or McDonalds while traveling), plus you have your own bed (no bedbugs or ?). You have your home with you where ever you go. If you are spending 60 days on the road I think you could save at about $5k over staying at Motels and eating out.

In the USA you can find a serviceable Class C or Class A for $20,000. You may need to look around a bit, but there are some very nice lightly used units out there. I think the trailer / pickup would be the safest option but I am prejudiced toward a small Class C or small Class A as I like the included generator / air conditioner and the convenience (not towing anything).

For me it would be a more relaxing trip if I had my home with me. If needed I can pull into a Walmart parking lot or Casino parking lot for the night. Now matter what, I have a warm, dry place to stay and place to fix a meal. Plus once you arrive at the West Coast you have a living space while looking for a more permanent location.

Just my 2 cents...oh forgot. No pennies in Canada, my 5 cents worth ;-).

[elivi8]

The wife and I moved to Nova Scotia then back after 2 years. All we had was a Toyota Corolla. We packed up the cat and camping gear and tented/hotel all the way. It was a great trip! Did the same on the way back.

It'll be fun no matter what you do.

[loulou57]

downs wrote:
oh thought I had put a post in earlier this morning

yes I think we are going to go with the mazda/hotel/camping

wife doesn't love camping but we have all the gear
thinking i might buy an enclosed trailer ?
haul our personal effects and some camping gear

places like toronto we have family so that is easy
so its just the odd hotel when weather is bad
otherwise its camping

thanks for all the advice folks

I was about to post but now I have just read you have decided.

Hubby and I did a 6 week trip across Canada. We took camping gear and I will be honest did hotel most of it. If you can get a small trailer it will help with your things. I think you are making the best choice but it only matters what you and your family thinks.

Enjoy your trip!

[downs]

oh thought I had put a post in earlier this morning

yes I think we are going to go with the mazda/hotel/camping

wife doesn't love camping but we have all the gear
thinking i might buy an enclosed trailer ?
haul our personal effects and some camping gear

places like toronto we have family so that is easy
so its just the odd hotel when weather is bad
otherwise its camping

thanks for all the advice folks

[mayo30]

Hotels have pools,usually continental breakfast,no extra over size ferry fees,park anywhere,take a good look at your road,there are numerous places tha have hotels,not a baron no mans land.Get a membership to a hotel chain and save another 10%,you can probably do it for less the $75.00 a night.You can buy a tent and some basic camping gear for the odd night if that floats your boat,$500.00 will more then cover that,no room put a pod on the Mazda,loose a little gas though.You can't tow you car 4 wheels down so if you decide to buy a Rv and tow it look for at least another expense of around $2000.00 to buy and pull a dolly or conversion hitch,brakes etc.Think of it this way.Nightly camping fees may average $35.00,hotels are probably another $45/50 a night.That difference won't even pay for your fuel costs alone per day getting 8mpg.in a class C versus at least 35 mpg in the car.Have fun on your trip.

[michelb]

I have to agree with others that you should be able to find an older class C (or class A) for under $20k (particularly if you buy in the US). You'll probably also need a tow dolly but you should be able to get a used one for under $1k so figure $19k for your mh budget.

I think finding a tow vehicle and towable is probably going to be difficult although I don't think it's impossible. I think $10k for a used full size pickup is not out of the question which leaves $10k for the trailer.

[dcason]

To give you an idea...
We bought a 2005 25 foot class C with 18,000 miles on it. It was very lightly used and we also had to buy tires (originals were checked) for maybe $1300...then accessories.

It would give you options for "living" in it.
Donna