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268- 44 Crawford Cres., Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 Publications Mail Agreement #43638025 Vol. 49 No. 1 www.rvlifemag.com $9.95 DISPLAY UNTIL DECEMBER 2020 CLASS OF 2020 TOW VEHICLES RV BUYERS GUIDE2020 PRICES & SPECS ON 150 RV’S IN CANADA CLASS A MOTORHOME MOTORHOMES | FIFTH WHEELS | TRAVEL TRAILERS | PARK MODELS TRUCK CAMPERS | TOY HAULER RVS | FOLD-DOWN CAMPERS CLASS B MOTORHOME FIFTH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER FOLD DOWN CLASS C MOTORHOME CANADA’S #1 CHOICE FOR RV ADVENTURE W PLUSBEST FIFTH WHEELSBEST TOY HAULERSDEALER AWARD 5X At Grand Design our goal is simple... We strive for nothing less than customers for life and we would be honored to welcome you to the Grand Design RV Family. GrandDesignRV.com/RVLifestyle We love our customers and they love us back. Dealers rate all Grand Design products at the top of the entire industry in reliability, quality, service, and warranty.Follow us on Facebook! @ RVLifestyleMagazine Follow us on Instagram! @rvlifestylemagazine 3 Volume 49 Number 1 | RV Lifestyle ON THE COVER The RV Class of 2020 includes vehicles to suit every family’s needs and budget! For more information please visit our website at www.rvlifemag.com CONTENTS BUYER’S GUIDE VOL. 49 NO. 1 268- 44 Crawford Cres., Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 Publications Mail Agreement #43638025 Vol. 49 No. 1 www.rvlifemag.com$9.95 DISPLAY UNTIL DECEMBER 2020 CLASS OF 2020 TOW VEHICLES RV BUYERS GUIDE2020 PRICES & SPECS ON 150 RV’S IN CANADA CLASS A MOTORHOME MOTORHOMES | FIFTH WHEELS | TRAVEL TRAILERS | PARK MODELS TRUCK CAMPERS | TOY HAULER RVS | FOLD-DOWN CAMPERS CLASS B MOTORHOME FIFTH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER FOLD DOWN CLASS C MOTORHOME CANADA’S #1 CHOICE FOR RV ADVENTURE W PLUS The 2020 RV Lifestyle Magazine RV Buyer’s Guide issue includes a selection of recreational vehicles currently available in Canada. Please consult your local RV dealer to confirm availability and pricing on a full range of the 2020 models. 30 RV CLASS OF 2018 31 CLASS A MOTORHOMES 38 CLASS B MOTORHOMES 44 CLASS C MOTORHOMES 51 FIFTH WHEEL TRAILERS 58 TRAVEL TRAILERS 74 FOLD-DOWN CAMPING TRAILERS 76 MULTI-PURPOSE RV’S – TOY HAULERS 79 TRUCK CAMPERS 82 PARK MODEL TRAILERS Departments 6 HITCH HINTS by Andy Thomson How to choose a hitch. 13 RV FIXER by Jamie Russell How to care for your RV furnace 17 THE COOKING LADIES – Phyllis Hinz and Lamont Mackay The Best Ever Beef Brisket! 20 TOW VEHICLES – CLASS OF 2020 by Garth Cane Trucks and SUVs to match the RV of your dreams. 86 HOT NEW PRODUCTS FOR THE SUMMER OF 2020! A selection of accessories to enhance your RV experience4 RV Lifestyle | Volume 49 Number 1 With so many challenges facing the Canadian family in their quest for a safe, interesting, and affordable vacation alternative, the world of RV touring and RV park model living has become the #1 choice for mil- lions of families from sea to sea to sea. At RV Lifestyle Magazine, we are proud to be Canada’s leading RV publica- tion – a role we have played since 1971, with a roster of the top experts in the RV field. From Norm Rosen and Garth Cane to Andy Thomson and Jamie Russell, we put a combined expertise of more than 200 years in the RV business at your dis- posal. Our print and digital editions are enjoyed by generations of RV enthusiasts across Canada, and around the world, as we present a wealth of information on the full range of RV related topics through the magazine, the website (www.rvlifemag. com), our YouTube channel (https://www. youtube.com/rvlifestylemagazine) and our social media pages. In this issue, we present a cross-sec- tion of the most popular RV models avail- able in Canada, and we provide the infor- mation you need to explore the full range of vehicles through the website links to each manufacturer. This portal to the RV world is even more convenient when you use the digital edition of this issue, where the references are hot-linked for your con- venience. As a subscriber or a newsstand customer you may access the digital edi- tion at our website by sending an e-mail to editor@rvlifemag.com and requesting the information you need to enjoy the full multi-media RV shopping experience. The modern recreational vehicle encompasses everything you need to entertain, accommodate, and inspire the family as you discover new sights and new activities in the great outdoors. Your freedom as an RV traveller is incredi- ble – you can go virtually anywhere you might imagine, enjoy meals in the com- fort of your own home away from home, and spend the night in the campground of your choice or nestled into a wilder- ness site at one of the National, State or Provincial parks across North America. This is our 49th annual RV Buyer’s Guide issue, and while we make every effort possible to include representative models from all the manufacturers selling vehicles in Canada, not all the manufac- turers participate actively in this project – even though the editorial listings are FREE of charge to the manufacturers. Please keep this in mind as you browse through the listings, and please shop for the products shown in this issue at a Canadian RV dealership near you. For a world of information that will inform, entertain, and inspire you to enjoy the ultimate RV experience, please visit our website at www.rvlifemag.com and join our growing family of RV enthusiasts at our social media site - www.facebook. com/RVLifestyleMagazine. It’s fun, it’s free, and it’s the ideal place to share your thoughts on your RV adventures! WELCOME TO THE GOOD LIFE! Publishers MESSAGE William E. Taylor, Publisher volume 49 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 info@rvlifemag.com Art/Production Manager: GISELLE BANSAL Design: TAMARA TAYLOR Contributing Writers: PHYLLIS HINZ LAMONT MACKAY JAMES STONESS ANDY THOMSON JAMIE RUSSELL 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, FRANK HONE 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 (prices include G.S.T.) 1 year (7 issues) $30: 2 years (14 issues) $45. U.S. subscriptions:1 year (7 issues) $40 US. Other: 1 year (7 issues) $75 CDN. Single copies are $6.95 for regular issues, and $9.95 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 post- age and will be handled with reasonable care. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of safety of artwork, pho- tographs, 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 inde- pendent columnists. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #43638025 Undeliverables to: 268 - 44 Crawford Crescent, Campbellville, Ontario L0P 1B0 MONTREAL, QUEBEC © 2020 CAMPING CANADA MAGAZINE PRINTED IN CANADAFor over 34 years, our family-owned and operated facility has remained committed to producing the high level of quality and customer satisfaction you have come to expect from Pleasure-Way Industries. Our vision of delivering a superior ownership experience is backed with an extensive list of standard features from top-rated suppli- ers. Experience the difference quality makes with a first-class RV that offers a 5-Year Freedom Warranty as well as a 90 day Personal Assistant. QUALITY, COMFORT & CONVENIENCE www.pleasureway.comProud recipient of nine consecutive RVDA Quality Circle Awards. STANDARD FEATURES • LAGUN TABLE MOUNT SYSTEM • CORIAN® SOLID SURFACES • ULTRALEATHER® FABRIC • MEMORY FOAM SOFA CUSHIONS • 7-INCH TOUCHSCREEN CONTROL PANELS • LG SMART TV & BOSE® SOUNDBAR • TRUMA AQUAGO® COMFORT PLUS WATER HEATER • 2X100AH ECO-ION LITHIUM BATTERIES • 2,000 WATT PURE-SINE WAVE INVERTER • PLEASURE-WAY PERSONAL ASSISTANT • 5-YEAR FREEDOM WARRANTY * Some items may not be available with every model. See website for further details. RV Lifestyle | Volume 49 Number 1 www.rvlifemag.com HITCH HINTS by Andy Thomson W 6 Every year, the readers of the RV Lifestyle Buyer’s Guide ask me how to select the right hitch for their tow vehicle and the RV of their dreams. Here’s a letter that I received from one of our readers – you may find that the question, and the answer, will match your own RV and tow vehicle experiences. Dear Andy: We are looking at buying our first RV, but we are getting very confused about towing. We have a V6 mid-size SUV with front wheel drive. We were initially looking at an 18’ trailer, but we were told that there is no way we can tow that, so we started looking at fold-down camping trailers. We were thinking about compromis- ing by selecting one of the high wall camping trailers. The dealer selling the brand we like told us that a “class 2 hitch” is all we need. Another deal- er for a competing brand told us that we need a “class 3 equalizing hitch” and that we should not get the high wall model. Other “experts” told us that if we had 4WD we could pull the high wall model… still others say that we should not tow anything with a mid-size SUV because it is not safe - but we have seen many SUV’s on the road, towing a variety of trailers, and they don’t seem to have any trouble. Could you please shed some light on this for us? Steve & Joan Thanks for the letter, Steve and Joan - it sounds like you are confused, and no wonder - there is generally far more misinformation about towing an RV than there is good information. All too often, the misinformation is shared by people who are well-meaning, but have never actually driven the combi- nation of tow vehicle and trailer that you are considering. The mid-size SUV is a very popu- lar vehicle category and we have sev- eral customers who tow with models from Ford, GM, Nissan, and Chrysler. Selecting a load equalizing hitch is the best thing you can do to make your trailer and tow vehicle more sta- ble. Without an equalizing hitch, you carry all the trailer’s hitch weight on the back bumper of the tow vehicle, and this subtracts weight from your front wheels, affecting suspension performance, steering control, and the overall ride quality of the tow vehicle/ trailer combination. When adjusted properly, an equalizing hitch distrib- utes the tongue weight of the trailer evenly to all four wheels of the tow vehicle, and this lets the tow vehicle sit level and ride much better - but more importantly, the act of equal- izing creates a physical bond between the two vehicles and makes them act almost as one. Conventional wisdom is that you do not need an equalizing hitch to tow a fold-down camping trailer, but we often install them on our custom- er’s tow vehicles – even when they are only towing a fold-down camp- ing trailer - and we find that the use of an equalizing hitch dramatically improves the ride and handling of any towable travel trailer. New RV enthusiasts are often con- fused by the various types of hitches Andy 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 8 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW… TO TOW YOUR NEW RVControl your environment while creating memories. Take control of your vacation with a Lance Travel Trailer or Truck Camper. All the comforts of home with the serenity, isolation and beauty the wilderness has to offer. An all-inclusive resort wherever you park! Make it a Lance. We are social distancing pros with 55+ years of experience building RVs. Unmatched quality achieved through composite construction and lightweight design with off the grid features keeping you powered up and connected with family and friends. Our dealer partners are open and ready to serve you in a safe environment! LIVE.LANCE.LIFE. NOW BOARDING, THE ULTIMATE SOCIAL DISTANCING MACHINE! OPTIONAL FEATURES INCLUDE: Roof Mounted Solar Panels – Clean, Quiet Power Anywhere! Lithium Batteries - Lightweight Cutting Edge Power With More Usable Capacity! (Select Travel Trailers) Power Inverter – Run Conventional Appliances At All Outlets! (Select Travel Trailers) Lance Campers, social distancing since 1965. Visit lancecamper.com to locate your nearest Lance dealer and the RV of your dreams. Model 650 Model 2075 Model 2075 RVLIfestyle_Ad_2020_V1.indd 1RVLIfestyle_Ad_2020_V1.indd 16/4/20 12:01 PM6/4/20 12:01 PMHITCH HINTS by Andy Thomson W 8 continued from page 6 RV Lifestyle | Volume 49 Number 1 www.rvlifemag.com available to tow fold-down camping trailers and travel trailers. Hitches are rated in classes that designate what the hitch is able to carry (referred to as “tongue weight”) and what they are rated to pull, which is referred to as the “total weight”. The hitch rating, however, does not mean that the tow vehicle will necessarily be suited to handle that weight, nor does it mean that the hitch is appropriate for the type of trailer being towed. Class 1 hitches that bolt-on to the frame or the rear bumper of the tow vehicle have an extremely light load capacity in terms of RV usage, and should only be used for something like a small aluminum boat or a single snowmobile trailer, and even with that many of these towing configurations make me nervous. A class 2 hitch is generally rated for 350 lbs. of hitch weight and 3500 lbs. of total weight; however, they have a small receiver tube and will not accept an equalizing hitch. Even if they could be outfitted with a load equalizing device, they would not withstand the torque that the equalizing hitch exerts. Every trailer and tow vehicle com- bination requires a specific hitch appli- cation to provide optimum safety and functionality. For example, a Ford Escape is a stable tow vehicle, thanks to the independent rear suspension and the centre of gravity, which is relatively low for an SUV. Pairing the Escape with a large fold-down camping trailer brings up some interesting possibili- ties. Even though the class 2 hitch is rated for 350 lbs. weight carrying, in order to maintain good handling, you don’t want more than about 200 lbs. of hitch weight on the Escape without equalizing the weight onto all four wheels. Even if you decide not to use an equalizing hitch, I would still sug- gest a class 3 receiver. The Class 3 is significantly stronger, and it adds very little additional cost – it also keeps your options open if you decide to trade-up to a larger trailer, and even when used as a weight carrying hitch it has less flex, which will result in a smoother ride. As far as the necessity of four- wheel drive is concerned, you don’t really need this for towing, and the drive train will consume more power than the two-wheel drive alternative, so performance for trailer towing would be a little better with a front wheel drive vehicle. I don’t like to tell you that you should start the selection process over again, but there is a better approach to match- ing a trailer to a tow vehicle than what you have been doing so far. Since you know that you are going to tow some- thing, have a class 3 receiver installed - there are some available for most mid-size SUVs that are rated for 5000 pounds towing capacity and 500 pounds hitch weight. Have the tow vehicle wired for the standard 7-pin Bargman- type connection, and get a good brake control installed as well as a transmis- sion cooler. Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 continued on page 10 A Reese Weight Distributing Hitch System is composed of four major elements: 1. the hitch receiver, 2. the ball mount, 3. the spring bar assembly and, 4. the sway control (see below) These components work in unison to provide complete towing system compatibility.SOLIS FROM SLOPE TO SHORE AND ANY BUDGE T IN BE T WEEN. 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