RVing in The Canadian Rockies
Driving an RV has been--believe it or not -- a long-time dream. I must admit, I was scared to drive one-especially around NYC. Yet when I got the opportunity to drive one in the Canadian Rockies I said YES and didn't look back.
I took my good friend, Adeline along as a co-driver on a 4-day roundtrip journey from Calgary to Banff and Lake Louise. Our home was our truck and we hooked up at campgrounds along the way.
The trip was sponsored by Go RVing Canada along with Banff / Lake Louise tourism so there were lots of adventures along the way. For example we soaked in the Banff Hot Springs, took a helicopter ride into the Rockies and landed on a stream bed and visited the Icefields in Brewster, Canada.
The best part of my trip was spending time with my friend while driving through astoundingly beautiful scenery.
Our Class C Mini Motorhome was 29 feet long and a few cars wide (8.5 feet wide). It slept six with a master bedroom, sleeping loft (cab-over bunk) full-on kitchen, bathroom and dining room. For a girl living in Manhattan it was plenty big. Plus, there was tons of storage spaces and cabinets---even a couple of outside closets for our suitcases and lawn chairs.
Driving the "rig" was actually a breeze. And we didn't get any formal directions. Our only instruction was to turn wide.
Hmmm.... turn wide you say. My first experience was in the gas station. I almost knocked over a pump, got stuck on a curb and then nearly backed into Adeline. I caught on quick though. Sure, this RV breathed hard going up hills but cruise control saved the day and pumped up the torque.
More important than driving instructions were the directions on how to hook up the different hoses when we got to the campsite-electric, water and yes, even waste. At the end of four days I was feeling like RV WOMAN-turning nozzles, attaching hoses, flipping switches. Not at all like the movie RV.
The truck was very basic. No bells and whistles. It had a dial radio and no GPS!! We did have the rather fun Gypsy Guide
, a unique audio tour/satellite radio that gave us directions and history. In any event, we kept getting lost because we were talking too much.
And on the question of mileage. The RV gets approx 12-13 mpg. Just know that it cost me $220 Canadian dollars to fill it less than 3/4 full. But, along with the cost of rental (around $850 off season) it makes sense for a vacation.
Truly, how cool is to drive a "home" with all your possessions along for the trip. Kind of the same reason that I like cruising-everything is in one place. Need a sweater? No problem-go get one in the closet. Wanna' snack? Hey, you can make popcorn (in the microwave) while your mate is driving. And traveling is such a breeze-no waiting lines, no suitcase schlepping, no security, no check in at a hotel.
And Canada.... Ahhh.... The Rockies are mind-altering. We were there off-season so there was no traffic in the parks and the roads are well-maintained, wide and well-paved. I'd do it again in a nano second.
How can you do this?
Check out Go RVing Canada
- Posted by
- Holly Reich September 29, 2008, 12:35 PM
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- Categories:
- Family Cars and Concerns, Fuel Economy, Life with Cars
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- Canada, Manhattan, RV
Sounds like great fun, Holly. Love the pictures. The RV chicks! How difficult to learn to drive one of these behemouths? Here is my issue - w. the price of gas, is this rv trip really worth it?
Cool post. Amazing scenery. And that's surprisingly decent fuel economy.
We rented a travel trailer earlier this year and loved it. I like the Class C size you got, or even the giant buses, but the problem with those is that, unless you tow a smaller car behind you, you have to unhook from your campsite if you need to run to the store or want to take a scenic drive. With the trailer, you leave it parked and connected, and you have your truck/SUV/van handy to run errands. We got about 12 mpg towing a 19-footer with our Suburban (stayed at or below 60 mph the whole time or it would certainly have been single digits).
Is it worth the cost? 600 miles round trip = $185 for gas, $390 for four days rent rent, $60 ($20 per night) for the campsite. Total of $635 for a long weekend for a family of five, I'd say it's a pretty good deal. Probably about as much as a decent hotel room, but a lot more fun.
Obviously the big factor is how far away you go and how much fuel you burn. I can't yet justify buying one, but we definitely plan to rent a couple times a year.
Oh, another nice thing about a trailer instead of a motor home (if you have a capable tow vehicle) is that you typically have to pay mileage on a motor home, whereas trailers come with unlimited mileage.