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HITCH HINTS: TOWING WITH SMALL CARSRV TIPS: USING YOUR RV IN THE WINTERPLUS: CANADIAN RV SHOW SCHEDULEST. LAWRENCE RIVERADVENTURE SPECIAL REPORT: 10 TOP TOWABLE TRAILERS see page 281121 Invicta Dr., Unit 2, Oakville, ON L6H 2R2 Publications Mail Agreement #40010957Vol. 45 No. 6www.rvlifemag.com$4.95RVing through history ROAD TESTS: THOR Motor Coach Compass 23TRContentsDEPARTMENTS6 HITCH HINTS by Andy Thomson Towing with 4-cylinder cars. 10 RV TIPS by Garth Cane Tips for cold weather camping.14 THE COOKING LADIES by Phyllis Hinz and Lamont Mackay Recipes and reports from the road.DESTINATIONS16 TOURING THE MIGHTY ST. LAWRENCE James Stoness explores the historical sites along the St. Lawrence River.ROAD TEST22 THOR MOTOR COACH COMPASS 23TR by Norm Rosen A compact class C that’s designed to please.FEATURES28 10 TOP TRAVEL TRAILERS A glimpse at some of the cool new designs for 2017 35 HOT PRODUCTS FOR COLD WEATHER CAMPING Follow us on Facebook!www.facebook.com/RVLifestyleMagazineON THE COVERThe 2017 THOR Motor Coach Compass 23TR. Cover photo by Norm Rosen.3Volume 45 Number 6 | RV Lifestyle 4RV Lifestyle | Volume 45 Number 6Publisher: WILLIAM E. TAYLORbill@rvlifemag.comGroup Publisher: MELANIE TAYLOR-WALLISmelanie@rvlifemag.comEditorial Director: NORM ROSENnrosen@rvlifemag.comTechnical Editors: GARTH CANEJAMIE RUSSELL info@rvlifemag.comArt/Production Manager: GISELLE BANSALDesign: TAMARA TAYLOR, TRAVIS KINGDONDigital Media: MICHEL JULIENContributing Writers:PHYLLIS HINZLAMONT MACKAYCRAIG RITCHIEJAMES STONESSANDY THOMSONAdvertising Sales:info@rvlifemag.com1-800-354-9145EXECUTIVE OFFICES: TORONTO:1121 Invicta Dr., Unit 2 Oakville, ON L6H 2R2Tel: 905-844-8218 Fax: 905-844-5032MONTREAL:970 Montee de Liesse, Suite 310St. Laurent, PQ H4T 1W7Tel: 514-856-0788 Fax: 514-856-0790VANCOUVER:Bob and Carole Taylor, 1745 Rufus DriveNorth Vancouver, BC V7J 3L8ADMINISTRATION:President/CEO: WILLIAM E. TAYLORGroup Publisher: MELANIE TAYLOR-WALLISVP/General Manager: ROY C. BAIRDVP/Special Projects: NORM ROSENAccounting: NANCY MUELLERCamping Canada’s RV Lifestyle Magazine is published seven times a year by Camping Canada Magazine Ltd. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. Subscription rates: Canada (prices include G.S.T.) 1 year (7 issues) $19.99: 2 years (14 issues) $32. U.S. subscriptions:1 year (7 issues) $30 US. Other: 1 year (7 issues) $60 CDN. Single copies are $4.95 for regular issues, and $5.95 for the annual RV Buyer’s Guide and the annual Campground Directory issues.Subscription inquiries 1-800-354-9145Advertising rates available on request.Editorial contributions must be accompanied by return post-age and will be handled with reasonable care. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of safety of artwork, photo-graphs, or manuscripts. Camping Canada Magazine reserves the right to refuse any and all advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements of facts made by its advertisers or independent columnists.PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40010957Undeliverables to: 1121 Invicta Dr., Unit 2, Oakville, ON L6H 2R2MONTREAL, QUEBEC© 2016 CAMPING CANADA MAGAZINE PRINTED IN CANADAvolume 45 number 6The excitement is building in the RV industry as manufacturers gear up for what is projected to be the most successful year in history… new designs, materials and technology have been added to almost every 2017 model, creating some of the best engineered RV units every offered to the general public. Our RV Lifestyle Road Test Teams have been busy evaluating the first wave of 2017 models to become available in Canada, with reports scheduled to appear throughout the year. RV enthusiasts across the nation are eagerly anticipating the first series of RV shows, where the new models will be displayed – this is the time to take notes, compare your family vacation require-ments with the various types of RV mod-els on the market, and drive home the RV of your dreams. As we drive into the New Year, the thrill of Canada’s 150th Anniversary is building, with every town, region, and province planning special events and projects to celebrate the sesquicenten-nial. Senior readers will recall the excite-ment of the centennial year – back in 1967, when everyone rocked to the rhythm of Bobby Gimby’s “Ca-na-da” – the anthem for the celebration. We asked James Stoness, our travel and tour-ism specialist, to kick off the celebra-tion with a special report on touring the St. Lawrence region – one of Canada’s key historical treasures. In the issues to come, we will explore the many spec-tacular destinations that Canada has to offer, with a special focus on the histori-cal significance of each area. If this is your first encounter with RV Lifestyle Magazine, I would like to welcome you to the family, and thank you for sharing your leisure time with us. Please take a few minutes to visit the website at www.rvlifemag.com , and the Facebook page, and let us know what you think. If you enjoy this copy of RV Lifestyle Magazine, please check out the spe-cial subscription offer on page 41, and keep in mind that all subscribers enjoy FREE access to the digital archives of the magazine. If you are a current sub-scriber, and you have not yet explored the archives, please send an e-mail to editor@rvlifemag.com to request your FREE access information. William E. Taylor,PublisherARE YOU READYFOR A NEW RV?Publishers MESSAGEIf you have a story to share, send it to me and you might just be part of RV Lifestyle’s next edition.btaylor@taylorpublishinggroup.comSeek enLIGHTENmentwww.HEARTLANDRVS.comFeaturing a full line-up of ultra lightweight travel trailers, HEARTLAND RV is your best choice for affordable luxury and value! HEARTLAND ADVANTAGE GREEN MANUFACTURING PROCESSES HEARTLAND ADVANTAGE BEST IN CLASSRV Lifestyle | Volume 45 Number 6 rvlifemag.comHITCH HINTS by Andy Thomson6We recently had a unique opportunity to pick up five 16’ Airstream trailers on the same day from the Airstream factory in Ohio. We had been planning to prepare a special column comparing five dif-ferent 4-cylinder tow vehicles, so we assembled our fleet of tow vehicles and our team of drivers, and headed south.Our tow vehicle fleet included a 2015 Subaru WRX, a 2012 BMW X1 and a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, all with 2.0 Litre Turbocharged motors. We also had a 2014 Cadillac ATS with a 2.5 Litre naturally aspirated motor and our 2010 Jetta. Each vehicle had a 6-speed transmission (manual in the WRX) except the BMW which had an 8-speed. The 16’ Airstreams weigh in at 2,980 pounds, and they have an 8’ wide body. As a point of interest, many of our customers who have 4-cylinder tow vehicles select the 3,600 pound 22’ Airstream because it actually tows a little easier as it is just 7’6” wide.Our road test would cover the route from Jackson Centre Ohio to our home base in Lambeth, Ontario, a distance of 303 miles. Most of Interstate 75 from Toledo to Jackson Center is under con-struction while they expand the road to 3 lanes, so we had plenty of dif-ferent road surfaces and lots of nar-row lanes to run though, and the usual strong crosswinds coming across the open fields of Ohio. When you can run different tow vehicles along the same road at the same time with iden-tical trailers it is a great comparison test as it removes most of the variables that normally come with checking fuel economy, handling, and overall towing comfort.We planned the trip carefully to compile an accurate comparison of the various tow vehicles. We ran the first 90 miles at 60 MPH (97 KPH) and tried to avoid hard acceleration as we were looking for the best mileage pos-sible. When we stopped to top-up all the fuel tanks, the BMW and Jetta were almost equal with the others not terri-bly far behind. The next segment of the test called for the drivers to run at high-er speeds – in the 65-70 MPH range, and we had more stop and go driving to detour around a traffic tie up. This substantially reduced the fuel economy in all the gas powered vehicles, but the diesel powered Jetta hardly changed. This is why we may not see many die-sel powered cars in the future. They may get much better mileage in real world driving, however on the EPA and Transport Canada tests - where very little throttle is applied - there is not as much of a difference.ROAD TEST RESULTSSubaru WRX 2.0 Litre Turbo 6-speed manualThis Subaru is a car I have driven on numerous occasions. As a solo vehicle it is a great combination of practical-ity and performance - it has extremely rvlifemag comAndy Thomson has been writing for RV Lifestyle Magazine for more than 25 years. He also owns and operates Can-Am RV Centre located in London, ON.continued on page 84 CYLINDER TOW VEHICLE COMPARISONclimb your mountainclimb your mountainroadtrek.com | 1.888.ROADTREK (762.3873)RV Lifestyle | Volume 45 Number 6 rvlifemag.comHITCH HINTS by Andy Thomson8continued from page 616’ Airstream it is more than adequate. Most of the time the Cadillac tows the Airstream nicely in 5th gear, however one neat thing I discovered is that if you manually shift into 6th on cruise control it goes as fast as it can with-out shifting down. In the case of the 16’ Airstream, setting the cruise at 100 KPH it would tow at 93-94 KPH in 6th on cruise control. As I mentioned earlier, the 16’ Airstream is 8’ wide and the 7’6” wide 22’ Airstream tows easier (it is always a challenge for people to understand that the longer trailer tows easier). I thought this would be an interest-ing comparison test to see what the speed difference would be in 6th gear on cruise control. As it turns out, the Caddy tows the 22’ at 99 KPH in 6th. I find this little Cadillac to be a very impressive car - we knew that already from our experience on the race track with it. My only complaint is the ridic-ulously complex dash and electronics package. Maybe I am just too old, but it used to be that I could get into any car and know how it worked. One thing that would have my father shaking his head is that other than the Jetta, the Cadillac is the least expensive vehicle in this group.BMW X1 2.0 Litre Turbo 8 speed automaticThe BMW X1 is in a new market segment where the vehicles are taller than a car, but not as tall as a crossover tight handling, a solid body structure, and suspension tuning that is almost a perfect balance between handling and harshness. As refined as it is, the surge of turbo boost gives it just enough unpredictability that it is great fun to drive. Towing the 16’ Airstream you might think “what trailer?” It just seems to pretend it is not there. You can toss the Airstream from lane to lane, decelerate hard into corners, and do pretty much what you like – the trailer just stays sol-idly planted. 0-100 KPH acceleration is 13 seconds including a 2nd to 3rd shift at 95 kilometers per hour. To put that into perspective, a test in 1971 with a Plymouth Belvedere with a 426 Hemi needed 13.6 seconds with an Airstream weighing only 800 pounds more. For some, the manual transmission would be a negative, but before discounting the manual transmission entirely, it is worth a test drive - it shifts so nicely and launches so easily that it is pretty easy to accept the manual - and the CVT automatic would just seem out of place in this car. Cadillac ATS 2.5 Litre 6-speed automatic The Cadillac is closest to the WRX in handling - likely 95% of the WRX’s capability, but with a smoother ride. It is a wonderful chassis that feels like it was carved out of a solid brick. Though the engine is larger, not having a turbo gives it less total power, but for the SUV (like the Subaru Outback or the Volvo Cross Country). The Jetta is 58” tall, the Tiguan is 67” tall, and the X1 is in the middle at 63”. All of these are relatively low riders compared to an F150 at 76” or an F250 at 81”. The Beemer is the most well-rounded vehicle in the group, with the interior space of an SUV, but close to car-like handling. The quickest 0-60 time tow-ing, and the most economical of the turbo engines, it is also the most expen-sive car in this group, but the value is there. The handling is excellent but with a more supple ride. Of course, on a BMW, the tight body structure goes without saying. Though it does not have the sports car handling of the WRX or the Cadillac, stability while towing is just as good, with more com-fort, and the interior is easily the quiet-est. With 8 gears to choose from, the turbo spends less time in boost mode - giving this all-wheel drive vehicle fuel economy as good as the front drive Cadillac sedan. If you can afford it you will love this car. The Tiguan This would have seemed like an excellent tow vehicle if I had not driven the WRX and BMW first. It is the tall-est vehicle in the group and the only SUV - it also it has the softest sus-pension tuning, which is still relatively firm compared to the other vehicles continued on page 40We picked up five identical 16-foot Airstream trailers to prepare this tow vehicle comparison. INSTANTCONSTANTENDLESSEXPECT MORE !The Truma AquaGo® can replace any tankless or 6 - 16 gallon water heater. Visit www.truma.net to find a dealerFor hot water comfort — Go for the revolutionary Truma AquaGo®• True instant hot water at every tap* – That’s Truma luxury• Truma hybrid technology keeps temperature constant – No scalding• Exclusive decalcification technology – Extends life and maintains performance• Simply open “Easy Drain Lever” – Winterization done *with Truma AquaGo® comfort plusNext >