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SERVING CANADA’S RV INDUSTRY SINCE 1971 268 - 44 Crawford Cres., Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 Publications Mail Agreement #43638025 CANADA’S FOREMOST RV INDUSTRY MAGAZINE TM TM TM TM TM TM TM TM VOL 55 NO 1 RVDA of Canada Update RVDA Provincial Reports And much more… CANADIAN RV DEALER OF THE YEAR JONATHAN STONE Stone’s RV & Home Centre, New Glasgow and Sydney, NS CRVA important information on Cross Border RV Deliveries VOLTHIUM: The Invisible Revolution Celebrates 55 Years• Creditor Life, Disability & Critical Illness Insurance • Mechanical Breakdown Plans • Appearance Protection Products WE PROVIDE PROTECTION TO CANADIAN FAMILIES FOR WHEN “WHAT IF?” BECOMES “WHAT NOW?”. 320 Sioux Rd, Sherwood Park, AB T8A 3X6 F inancial G r oup Phone: 780.467.9575 • Fax: 780.467.4016 • Toll Free: 1-800.561.3242 RV Lifestyles publication - 2024.indd 1RV Lifestyles publication - 2024.indd 12024-09-27 10:55 AM2024-09-27 10:55 AM Trevor Smolski Director - Business Development 780-819-3271 tsmolski@firstcanadian.ca Darrell Boughton Director - Business Development 204-612-1550 dboughton@firstcanadian.ca first canadian.indd 1first canadian.indd 12025-10-14 11:33 AM2025-10-14 11:33 AM3 Volume 55 Number 1 | RV Lifestyle Dealer News contents 30 16 44 COVER STORY: 16 Jonathan Stone Canadian RV Dealer of the Year IN THIS ISSUE: 4 Canada’s RV Industry News – from a Canadian Perspective Looking ahead to a positive year for the RV industry 6 Marketing – by Nick Farnell Tracking Canada’s Pre-Owned RV Market. 12 How AI Search is Changing What Auto and RV Buyers See Online By Jason Livengood 22 RV Lifestyle Magazine – Celebrating 55 Years! Canada’s #1 RV trade and consumer market influencers… INDUSTRY UPDATES: 26 RVDA of Canada Update Driveaway– Towaway Exemption Extension – Industry Action Needed 28 CRVA – Celebrating 50 Years across Canada 30 ORVDA Update – Your Partners in Outdoor Adventure 32 GO RVing Canada – Go RVing Canada’s blueprint for marketing success in 2026 34 RVWA “Chassis to Classy” Vision Vehicle Project – To Support Women in the RV Industry 36 RVIA – Ryan Elias elected RV Industry Association Board Chair. 38 What’s next in RV Power? – Sodium-Ion vs. Semi Solid-State Batteries. 40 EVOTREX PG5 Debuts at CES By Gordon Cruise McBride 44 NTP-Stag SeaWide Expo – A Great Success! North America’s largest RV Parts and Accessory Show. 50 Breaking News! By Patrick Campeau How Volthium SafeCharge™ Unshackled the Modern RVer Looking for late-breaking news of interest to the Canadian RV industry? Check out the RV Dealer News website – www.rvldealernews.com Contentspub page.indd 3Contentspub page.indd 32026-04-07 1:06 PM2026-04-07 1:06 PM4 RV Lifestyle Dealer News | Volume 55 Number 1 TM TM TM TM RV Dealer NEWS CANADA’S FOREMOST RV INDUSTRY MAGAZINE PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE For more than half a century, RV Lifestyle Magazine, formerly Camping Canada, and RV Dealer News has delivered the thrill of outdoor adventures to both the buying public and our RV dealer network across Canada through our print issues and digital editions, websites, and social media platforms. As we begin our 55th year as Canada’s source for all aspects of camping and RV touring, and the internet’s leading source for RV content, our team of RV enthusiasts and marketing professionals recently gathered a few thoughts on the State of the RV Industry, and the market potential for the coming year. We have concluded a series of RV show and exhibits, where we had the opportunity to talk with families, many of whom are just embarking on their first RV purchase. We found that a substantial number of these new camping and RV prospects are entering the sector “blind”, with very little opportunity to research the RV models, camping destinations, and equipment resources that have traditionally been available through conventional internet search – the SEO terms that have brought all of our websites to the attention of customers. This is a major shift in the usefulness of the internet for RV dealers, parts and accessory retailers, and the manufacturing sector. We can help you reclaim your website traffic. Over the years, we have built websites that encompass a full range of RV and camping related topics. Our RV Dealer News site www.rvldealernews.com delivers the industry news from a Canadian perspective. This is essential for our audience, as there are VERY significant differences between the Canadian and the American RV markets. On the consumer side, our RV Lifestyle Magazine website, www.rvlifemag.com reaches the full North American camping and RV enthusiast audience with more than 1,000 articles on a vast array of everything you want to know about RVing. While we averaged more than 2 million page views per month over the past five years, AI generated search results have impacted our traffic, just as this has affected your website activity. We counter this AI impact by promoting our websites as portals to the RV, camping, and outdoor recreation audiences, through our e-newsletters, social media, and live event exposure. There is a new era of outdoor adventure marketing just over the horizon… where we can help you achieve major results for your promotional efforts. Don’t let the new marketing opportunities pass you by. Discover how to reach our full trade and consumer audience by reading this special article: https://rvldealernews.com/ advertise-with-us-your-multi- media-keys-to-the-rv-market/ Call us to discuss the logistics for sales growth in the AI dominated era. VOLUME 55 NUMBER 1 Publisher William E. Taylor Associate Publisher Melanie Taylor-Wallis V.P. Special Projects/Editorial Director Norm Rosen Production Coordinator Giselle Bansal ADVERTISING SALES Norm Rosen Melanie Taylor-Wallis Todd Taylor ADMINISTRATION William E. Taylor President Melanie Taylor-Wallis Group Publisher Norman Rosen VP/Special Projects Nancy Mueller Accounting EXECUTIVE OFFICES Toronto: 268 - 44 Crawford Crescent., Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 Tel: 905-844-8218 Montreal: Tel: 514-856-0788 Vancouver: 1745 Rufus Drive North Vancouver, BC V7J 3L8 RV Lifestyle Dealer News is published by RV Lifestyle Magazine, formerly Camping Canada. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. Advertising rates available on request. RV Lifestyle 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 #43638025 Undeliverables to: 268 - 44 Crawford Crescent., Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0 MONTREAL, QUEBEC © 2026 CAMPING CANADA MAGAZINE PRINTED IN CANADA 55 YEARS ON THE ROAD TO THE GOOD LIFE! William E. Taylor, Publisher6 Aclear east-west divide defined the Canadian pre- owned RV market in 2025, with robust growth in British Columbia and Alberta contrasting with a mixed picture in Central Canada. While travel trailers continue to dominate sales volumes nationwide and average prices climb across most segments, dealership managers must navigate different regional realities to optimize their inventory and pricing strategies. Analysis of year-over-year data reveals that while pricing generally remains firm, unit sales trends are telling a tale of two markets. Western provinces had a better year in 2025, showing strong consumer demand across nearly every major RV category. The scenario in Ontario, Quebec, and Eastern provinces were mixed, with growth in some segments and softness in others. TOWABLES TELL A REGIONAL STORY As the bedrock of the industry, MARKETING TRACKING THE 2024– 2025 SHIFT IN CANADA’S PRE-OWNED RV DOMINANCE RV Lifestyle Dealer News | Volume 55 Number 1 the Travel Trailer segment remains the key market indicator. Its health underscores the regional split. British Columbia and Alberta are leading the charge, posting substantial increases in units sold. This surge in volume was matched by strong price appreciation, with average prices climbing in B.C. and Alberta. In contrast, Ontario, while still the country’s largest market by volume with well over 3,000 pre- owned units sold, saw more subdued growth and average prices remaining flat. The Prairie provinces faced headwinds, with Manitoba and Saskatchewan both seeing unit sales decline, though dealers were able to command higher average prices per unit. The Fifth Wheel market, the second-largest segment, illustrates this regional divide even more Report by Nick FarnellPleasure way.indd 1Pleasure way.indd 12026-04-08 2:07 PM2026-04-08 2:07 PM8 RV Lifestyle Dealer News | Volume 55 Number 1 MARKETING starkly. Western Canada once again showed its strength, with B.C. and Alberta both moving more pre-owned units in 2025 than 2024 and increased average prices. The story was different in Central Canada, where Ontario, a major market for fifth wheels, saw unit sales cool. Quebec presented a unique scenario, where unit sales increased, but it was the only major region where the average fifth wheel price actually decreased. MOTORIZED MARKET SHIFTS TOWARD SMALLER UNITS In the motorized segment, the data signals a pivot toward smaller, more versatile units. For example, Class B motorhomes saw an increase in volume in Western Canada. While the absolute unit numbers are lower than towables, this trend points to an expanding segment. Demand for larger Class A motorhomes was inconsistent. British Columbia again proved to be a hot market with increases in both volume and average price. However, sales volumes for these larger units were down in the high-volume markets of Ontario and Quebec, reinforcing the trend toward smaller motorized RVs in Central Canada. FROM MACRO TRENDS TO MICRO DECISIONS ON THE LOT While these high-level trends provide a crucial roadmap, the real challenge for dealers lies in translating this market intelligence into profitable, day-to-day decisions. Knowing that fifth wheel prices are up 9% in Alberta is useful, but accurately valuing a specific trade- in is critical. This is where granular, model-specific data becomes so important. Analytical platforms like our tools from wtrfll.ca allow dealers to move beyond generalized values and drill down to the specific floorplan level to see real-world sales volumes and current average pricing. A good example case study is the Grand Design Reflection 303RL, one of the highest-selling pre-owned fifth-wheel models of 2025. Analysis shows that for models five years old or newer, the average selling price this year was $74,888. In 2024, that same model profile sold for an average of just $61,995. This represents a year-over-year price increase of over 20% for one specific, high-demand floorplan. A dealer relying on outdated data or broad market averages would risk undervaluing a 303RL trade-in by nearly $13,000, potentially losing the deal or leaving significant profit on the table. As the Canadian pre-owned market continues to evolve with these distinct regional and segment-specific trends, access to precise, real-time data is no longer a luxury—it is the key to making informed inventory and pricing decisions that drive success. For more detailed insights and weekly updated information on pre-owned RV trends across Canada, please visit wtrfll.ca for interactive dashboards and in-depth analysis by province, RV type, manufacturer, and model year.9 Volume 55 Number 1 | RV Lifestyle Dealer News Nick Farnell, MBA Nick Farnell is a professor of business analytics and runs the consulting firm wtrfll, focusing primarily on competitive intelligence and data driven insights. When not in front of a computer, he is spending as much time as possible in one of Ontario’s provincial parks with his young family. Please vist https://wtrfll.ca/ to see how Nick and his team have helped organizations use data and analytics to better understand their customers and competitors. 3Next >