Laura Moore and her son David Cartledge, in front of an Airstream Basecamp towable RV, came to the show looking for a small trailer.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Amid a trade war with our closest neighbours, Canadians are showing increased interest in skipping the vacation south of the border in favour of exploring Canada’s own backyard. And there’s no better way to do it than in a recreational vehicle, or RV. At Canada’s largest RV show, the Toronto Spring Camping and RV Show, in Mississauga, Ont. over the weekend, thousands packed the aisles to get a glimpse of the latest RVs from teardrop trailers to motorized Class A motorhomes, ranging in price from $10,000 to more than $500,000.
Laura Moore, 55, and her son David Cartledge, 23, were shopping for a small trailer – moving up from tenting to a towable RV. Looking at an Airstream, Moore made it clear travel to the U.S. isn’t on the agenda anytime soon. Instead, she’s planning to hit the road in an RV for a family vacation to the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario and Western Canada this summer.
“One hundred per cent, I have no interest in crossing the border now,” said Moore. “There are lots of beautiful spots in the states to see and they have free brochures at the show for RVing there, but I would not even think of crossing the border right now because of my personal feelings toward the new president.”
“Last year, 74 per cent of Canadians decided to stay in Canada for their vacation, according to Deloitte,” said Christopher Mahony, the president of Go RVing Canada, a national non-profit RV organization. “We don’t have a stat for this year, but you can imagine what that’s probably going to look like given the current climate.”
The trend toward domestic travel started with the pandemic and Mahony expects it’ll continue to increase this summer amid rising political tensions. “With all the uncertainty right now, similar to COVID, you’re going to see an increase for sure in domestic travel and more people looking to Canada for their recreation.”
With inflation and rising costs, RVing is a more affordable option to traditional vacations when you factor in flights and hotel costs, said Mahony. A 2020 Vacation Cost Analysis Study by Portage Group found nearly one quarter of RVers reported saving $2,500 - $5,000 per year by RVing versus other travel.
On the downside, because RVs have grown in popularity so have the costs of camping sites and the availability of spots at campgrounds, said Moore. “It used to be more affordable before COVID. It got very expensive after COVID. We camped last summer in the Bruce Peninsula at a park for four nights and it was over $400. When I was a child and my parents took me camping you used to go for $6 a night at provincial parks. It’s not like that anymore. It’s changed,” she said. “And availability is also challenging. It’s grown so much that it’s harder to get a camp spot now in Southern Ontario so you actually have to travel farther to get availability for spots.”
Still, it’s not stopping Canadians from jumping on the RV bandwagon. Fourteen per cent of Canadian households own an RV – that equates to approximately 2.1 million RVs on the road, according to a 2023 Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) Economic Impact Study of the Canadian recreation vehicle industry.
“What we have seen is an influx in the younger demographic – 65 per cent of the market is under the age of 55 now. That younger demographic is looking at tent trailers and teardrops. That’s what they’re choosing to do now because air travel is out of reach,” said Go RVing’s Mahony. In fact, 37 per cent of buyers are under 35.
“I like camping but I also like RVs, tiny homes and small trailers. I like the freedom of going anywhere and having comfort - everything is so innovative, compact and transforming. It’s pretty cool,” said Cartledge.
While it can be overwhelming and intimidating shopping for a motorized, non-motorized or park RV, Mahony recommends doing your research and renting an RV before buying it to see if it fits with your lifestyle. Also, determine your family needs, such as how many beds are required or if you want to tow it or drive it. Similar to buying a boat or cottage, stay within a budget. You can use the GoRving.ca affordability calculator to figure out what it will cost monthly to buy. Then, speak to several dealers before you sign on the dotted line. He recommends building a solid relationship with the dealer for on-going maintenance or storage options in the future.