Go big and go home on the road in an RV
But consider insurance, storage, gas and other costs, experts advise
CALGARY— The symbol of a retirement filled with travel and relaxation arrived last year for Bruce and Lisa Anderson of Calgary in the form of a 12-metre long package.
That’s how big their dieselpowered Class A motorhome is — about the same size as a city bus with, as Bruce points out, a bigger weight-carrying capacity.
“Our camping experience has run the whole gamut from tent to travel trailer to motorhome,” said Bruce, acknowledging that purists might not consider it camping if you stay in air-conditioned luxury with more floor space than a small apartment.
“As a teenager, I camped under a lean-to. At age 60, I like my house on wheels.”
When it comes to buying a trailer or motorhome to get out into the great outdoors or just avoid paying hotel rates on vacation, the choices can be daunting and the price in the window just the beginning of what ownership will actually cost.
The best prices are usually seen now, at the start of the off-season, when more used units are on the market and dealers may be willing to bar- gain to reduce inventory, said Jeff Redmond, general manager of Bucars RV just north of Calgary.
The range of options and prices mean it’s best to have a good idea of your budget and needs before turning up at the dealership, he said.
“You can get into a really good used RV for around $5,000,” he said. “In the new market, you can be as low as ... $20,000 (for a travel trailer) and we range all the way up to over $1 million for luxury Class A diesel motorhomes.” The total number of new camping units sold in Canada this year is expected to be about 52,000, up about 5 per cent over 2017, said Eleonore Hamm, president of the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of Canada.
Private RV sales represent about 50 per cent of used unit sales, with the rest being sold by dealers.
“If you’re buying privately, the main thing is safety,” Hamm said, adding many dealers will do safety checks for a fee.
Renting is the best way to go RVing, says Brian Gronberg, CEO of Calgary-based CanaDream Corp., which counts about 85 per cent of its RV rental customers from outside of Canada.
“Nobody should buy a motorhome. They’re expensive and they are depreciating assets,” he said.
The fall rental of a two-person RV might cost $100 per night from CanaDream, but a lastminute, midsummer rental of a big motorhome that sleeps six could be $350 to $400 per night, Gronberg said.
The Andersons have learned a lot about RVing since buying their hulking unit for about $390,000. Storing the unit at the dealership costs about $1,000 a year, Bruce said. Insurance for the motorhome costs more than for a house. Campground fees start at $40-$50 a night with power and water service. And then there’s the cost of fuel, he said.
“Motorhoming, in my opinion, will not save you money.”