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Vol. 53 No. 1 268-44 Crawford Crescent, Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 Publications Mail Agreement # 43638025 Campground Campground www.rvlifemag.com $14.95 Plus: RV FISHING: TIPS AND TRICKS TOWING TECH EXCITING DESTINATIONS OVER 160,000 CANADIAN CAMPSITES COAST TO COAST! CAMPING ACCESSORIES GUIDE SPECIAL ANNUAL EDITION DirectoryDirectory Guide for TENTERS RV’ERS HIKERS 2024 RV Cover 53-1 CG KOA 2.indd 1RV Cover 53-1 CG KOA 2.indd 12024-06-11 10:14 AM2024-06-11 10:14 AMDANCE INTO ADVENTURE ...WITH THE KZ CONNECT. (800) 768 - 4016 Go. Camp. Live. K Z-RV.com Dance into adventure with the KZ Connect, our top-flight, lightweight travel trailer. Exceptional comfort awaits with a king-sized bed and fully- equipped kitchen. Its resilience shines with the robust build, optional solar, and innovative airflow system. Find the rhythm of the road with KZ RV. K-Z.indd 1K-Z.indd 12024-05-29 8:49 AM2024-05-29 8:49 AM3 DEPARTMENTS 6 HITCH HINTS by Andy Thomson Hitching Lightweight Trailers. 12 CAMPING WITH THE COLES By Ben and Cheryl Coles Exploring the stunning vistas of Lake Superior Provincial Park. 18 THE COOKING LADIES Phyllis Hinz and Lamont Mackay Fettucini with Fresh Tomato Caper Sauce – shopping for fresh veggies in Montreal! FEATURES 22 CAMPSITE TIPS Making the most of your camping adventures. 26 RV DESTINATIONS by Vera Lynne Weeks Five Reasons to make PEI Your Next RV Destination. 32 CONSUMERS GUIDE TO RV COLLISION REPAIR A Special Feature from our friends at Collision Repair Magazine. 34 RV ANGLER Patrick Campeau says “Let’s Go Fishing!”. 38 RV PRODUCTS – NEW AND HOT ITEMS! Check out these cool camping accessories, available at your local RV dealer. 45 BUG BITES! A special feature on dealing with insect bites, from our friends at Benadryl®. Contents 12 VOLUME 53 NUMBER 1 | RV LIFESTYLE RV Lifestyle Magazine archives are open for your viewing pleasure – check them out at www.rvlifemag.com Click on MAGAZINES, and use the password RVLFREE2017. Watch our road test videos at our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube. com/rvlifestylemagazine ON THE COVER Enjoying a roaring campfire on a cool summer evening. Photo courtesy KOA Vol. 53 No. 1 268-44 Crawford Crescent, Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 Publications Mail Agreement # 43638025 Campground Campground www.rvlifemag.com$14.95 Plus: RV FISHING: TIPS AND TRICKS TOWING TECH EXCITING DESTINATIONS OVER 160,000 CANADIAN CAMPSITES COAST TO COAST! CAMPING ACCESSORIES GUIDE SPECIAL ANNUAL EDITION DirectoryDirectory Guide for TENTERS RV’ERS HIKERS 2024 RV Cover 53-1 CG KOA 2.indd 1RV Cover 53-1 CG KOA 2.indd 12024-05-24 4:32 PM2024-05-24 4:32 PM SUBSCRIBERS: e-mail editor@rvlifemag.com for FREE access to the latest digital edition! 2024 CANADIAN CAMPGROUND DIRECTORY USING YOUR DIRECTORY LISTINGS D1 ALBERTA D2 BRITISH COLUMBIA D15 MANITOBA D33 NEW BRUNSWICK D39 NEWFOUNDLAND D43 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES D46 NOVA SCOTIA D47 ONTARIO D51 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND D73 QUEBEC D75 SASKATCHEWAN D92 YUKON TERRITORIES D102 CAMPGROUND UPDATE FORM D104 RV53-1 CONTENTS.indd 3RV53-1 CONTENTS.indd 32024-05-27 10:53 AM2024-05-27 10:53 AM4 RV LIFESTYLE | VOLUME 53 NUMBER 1 Blue skies, sandy beaches, fresh air, and a world of adventure awaits when you set off with the family on a camping trip. At RV Lifestyle Magazine, we have been travelling the RV roads to adventure for more than 50 years, sharing the camping experience with generations of Canadian outdoor enthusiasts through the magazine, and North American campers through the website at www.rvlifemag.com . This issue, our 53rd annual Canadian Campground Directory, encompasses editorial features from our RV Lifestyle Magazine writers, along with a directory of campgrounds across Canada, from sea to sea to sea. Subscribers and newsstand readers can take advantage of two online opportunities to speed up the search for the perfect campsite… access the DIGITAL edition of this issue at https://www.rvlifemag.com/magazines/ - if you are prompted for a password, please use RVLFREE2017 – or try our NEW interactive campground directory at https://www.rvlifemag.com/campgrounds/ - it’s a fascinating combination of maps, website links, and touring information that expands the content we can deliver in a printed format. Our website at www.rvlifemag.com and our digital edition archives encompass more than 1,000 articles, covering a full array of camping and RV topics. All subscribers and newsstand readers enjoy FREE access to our digital edition archives – if you are enjoying your first issue of RV Lifestyle Magazine, and you have not yet received your password to read the online editions, please send Norm an email – editor@rvlifemag.com – and he will send you the secret code to unlock your digital magazine issues. Our next issue will be the 53rd annual edition of our RV Buyer’s Guide – filled with expert advice to help you pick the RV of your dreams. This special issue has been cre- ated to guide new and repeat RV buyers through the labyrinth of trailers, motorhomes, and tow vehicles that are currently available on the Canadian market. Watch your local newsstand for this very special issue, or save time and money by subscribing – use the form in this issue, or visit the sign-up page at https://www.rvlifemag.com/subscribe/ Keep well, see you on the RV roads to adventure! WELCOME TO “THE GOOD LIFE” PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE William E. Taylor, Publisher TMTM TM TM VOLUME 53 NUMBER 1 Publisher: WILLIAM E. TAYLOR bill@rvlifemag.com Group Publisher: MELANIE TAYLOR-WALLIS melanie@rvlifemag.com Editorial Director: NORM ROSEN nrosen@rvlifemag.com Technical Editors: GARTH CANE gcane@taylorpublishinggroup.com Art/Production Manager: GISELLE BANSAL Design: TAMARA TAYLOR Contributing Writers: PHYLLIS HINZ JAMES STONESS ANDY THOMSON BEN & CHERYL COLES Advertising Sales: info@rvlifemag.com 1-800-354-9145 EXECUTIVE OFFICES: TORONTO: 268 - 44 Crawford Crescent, Campbellville, Ontario L0P 1B0 Tel: 905-844-8218 Fax: 905-844-5032 MONTREAL: Tel: 514-856-0788 Fax: 514-856-0790 VANCOUVER: Bob and Carole Taylor, 1745 Rufus Drive North Vancouver, BC V7J 3L8 ADMINISTRATION: President/CEO: WILLIAM E. TAYLOR Group Publisher: MELANIE TAYLOR-WALLIS VP/Special Projects: NORM ROSEN Advertising Sales: TODD TAYLOR Accounting: NANCY MUELLER Camping 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 1 year (6 issues) $35+tax: 2 years (12 issues) $50+tax. U.S. subscrip- tions:1 year (6 issues) $50 US. Single copies are $9.95 for regular issues, and $14.95 for the annual RV Buyer’s Guide and the annual Campground Directory issues. Subscription inquiries 1-800-354-9145 Advertising rates available on request. Editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of safety of artwork, photographs, or manuscripts. Camping Canada Magazine reserves the right to refuse any and all advertising and disclaims all respon- sibilities for claims or statements of facts made by its advertisers or independent columnists. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #43638025 Undeliverables to: 268 - 44 Crawford Crescent, Campbellville, Ontario L0P 1B0 MONTREAL, QUEBEC © 2024 CAMPING CANADA MAGAZINE PRINTED IN CANADA@ RVLifestyleMagazine @rvlifestylemagazine www.rvlifestylemagazine.com FOLLOW RV LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE: RV53-1 CONTENTS.indd 4RV53-1 CONTENTS.indd 42024-05-27 10:55 AM2024-05-27 10:55 AMEnergizer.indd 1Energizer.indd 12024-06-11 11:50 AM2024-06-11 11:50 AMRV LIFESTYLE | VOLUME 53 NUMBER 1 www.rvlifemag.com 6 When I put on my business hat, which is likely far too rarely, the business gurus often talk about how you change the culture of a company. I know this is difficult because even in our little company we still have most of the culture created by my father 40 years ago. Luckily, the corporate culture that my father created did not need a lot of changing. As hard as changing the culture of a company can be, changing the widely held industry culture may be almost impossible. Many of the conventions of the RV industry still trace their roots back to the 1960s and early 1970s, the formative years of the RV industry. For example, hitch classifications still reach back to a time when pretty much every tow vehicle weighed 5000 pounds or more. In those days, virtually every RV trailer weighed 5000 pounds by time you loaded it, even a 17’ model. The only “lite” trailers on the road at that time were boat trailers and fold down camping trailers. Another example of an outdated industry “rule of thumb” is that brakes are not required on a trailer weighing less than 2000 pounds - but if you are towing a 1500-pound trailer with a 2400-pound car, you very much do need brakes! Another element that was present in the 1960s and early 1970s was an assumption of the driver’s ability and expectations. After all, if you grew up driving a model “A” Ford with a three- quarter of a turn of play in the steering, and mechanical brakes that often worked, a little sway from the trailer when towing with your 1969 Buick Electra did not bother you very much. When hitch classifications were first established, the only class with weight distribution was class 3, which includes hitches over 5000 pound capacity. I guess the thought at the time was that with 5000-pound tow vehicles, trailers lighter than that did not require weight distribution. This was not a correct assumption, but since almost all vehicles of that era could have a class 3 hitch if you wanted it, weight distribution was easy to do and the lack of weight distribution capability on the lighter hitches was not really a problem. Also, most hitches were manufactured on the car in hitch shops – bolt-on receivers were a relatively new thing. Overall, I doubt that a lot of thought was given to the lighter classifications; no one envisioned 2800 pound 23’ trailers or 200 hp 4 cylinder tow vehicles. Today, we often tow 3500-pound trailers with vehicles that are lighter than the trailer, which is not a problem with weight distribution. In other words, towing a 3500-pound trailer with a 2700-pound tow vehicle usually requires the same degree of hitching (weight distribution, sway controls, electric HITCH HINTS BY ANDY THOMSON THE CULTURE OF TOWING HITCHING LIGHTWEIGHT TRAILERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY. This sporty coupe does a great job towing a low 1800 pound Alto - but how do you hitch it? Hitch Hints 53-1.indd 6Hitch Hints 53-1.indd 62024-05-30 12:27 PM2024-05-30 12:27 PMRV LIFESTYLE | VOLUME 53 NUMBER 1 www.rvlifemag.com 8 HITCH HINTS BY ANDY THOMSON brakes) as towing a 6500-pound trailer with a 5000-pound tow vehicle. This can present a problem because we still design and rate hitches like we did in the 1970s - no one designs class 2 hitches (rated for 3500 pounds total weight and 350 pounds hitch weight) to accept the torque of weight distribution. To prevent the use of weight distribution in a class 2 hitch, the receiver tube is a smaller size. Unlike the 1970s when you could buy a class 3 hitch for almost any vehicle, today there are many vehicles where a class 2 hitch is the largest hitch available. This causes some interesting anomalies; for example, Reese builds a mini hitch that we use on our Alto trailers and some hardtops. It is ideal for these ultra-lite trailers, but you would never use it on a trailer weighing more than 2500 pounds - however there are no equivalent off-the-shelf receivers to match with it. You may own a vehicle with plenty of power to tow, great chassis dynamics etc. but it cannot carry 350 pounds on the back without weight distribution, and you cannot easily purchase a receiver for it that will accept weight distribution. As a result of this, I see somewhat disturbing things happen. You will see a trailer that desperately needs weight distribution being towed just on the ball, with maybe a sway control, or you see people spend thousands of dollars to change tow vehicles when all they needed was a little better hitch receiver. I have also seen class 2 receivers where someone has cut off the small receiver tube and welded on a 2” tube, but they have not made the hitch any stronger so it just twists from the torsion bar torque. Even scarier is when someone takes an adaptor intended for bike carriers and adapts the 1.5” This is the reinforcement for the hitch on a Chevrolet Traverse, which goes above the spare tire. The small flanges sticking out sideways are for the spare to rest against. receiver tube to a 2”. This is doubly bad as it pushes the ball well behind the tow vehicle, further increasing the strain on the receiver and reducing stability. So how do you solve the problem if you own a potentially great tow vehicle, but just cannot get a receiver for it? What you need to find is a fabricator that can change a class 2 into a class 3 receiver. There are still a few old time hitch shops around from the 1970s who understand how to do this, but if there is not one in your area, you can often have it done by a general welding or machine shop. One person I spoke with in Arizona had it done by a racecar builder - another had it done at a truck repair facility, and a couple of people I met had this done at a farm implement repair shop. Basically, if the fabricator understands that you are going to leverage weight to the front wheels with the hitch, they can often figure out a way do to it, it is not rocket science. The way you accomplish this is to lengthen the receiver further forward on the vehicle - that way the section you add is absorbing the torque from the torsion bars, and the original class 2 hitch portion is only dealing with the vertical loads it was designed to accept. A rule of thumb is that you create strength with distance - the further you can spread the loads the stronger the hitch will be. So why does the industry not just On this car, the independent rear suspension besides being great for towing makes a perfect spot to fasten the front of the hitch. Hitch Hints 53-1.indd 8Hitch Hints 53-1.indd 82024-05-24 4:36 PM2024-05-24 4:36 PMTake a one-on-one personalized video tour of any 2024 Pleasure-Way model today at www.pleasureway.com/golive E X P ERIENCE THE 2 0 2 4 LINEUP T OD A Y Take a one-on-one personalized video tour of any 2024 Pleasure-Way model today at www.pleasureway.com/golive E X P ERIENCE THE 2 0 2 4 LINEUP T OD A Y pleasureway.indd 1pleasureway.indd 12023-11-22 9:25 AM2023-11-22 9:25 AMNext >