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On the Road and Off Season

One of the most satisfying RV trips I ever took involved an uncharted off season journey across Canada in a very small RV that was really nothing more than a converted wide-body van. In retrospect the only change I would have made would have been to keep a better journal.  At the time, I too enchanted with the adventure to take notes.

When I stopped in Banff and the deer came up to the van and pressed their wet black snouts against the window, I was sure I would not forget the details of their faces or the sight of the mountains rising high behind them. And indeed, I did not. But there were many minor details that have slipped my memory, such as the sounds and smells and even the strength of my own initial surprise at their proximity. If you ever try such a wide-open journey, keep a journal.   A simple school scribbler would have done.

This was a journey done on the cheap.  I bought the van for $1500 and spent about another $500 to have it fixed up with things such as a better fan belt, fresh oil, a couple of new gaskets, and assorted other mysterious things under the hood. I also sprang for a CAA membership just in case I needed to be towed. (In the United States, the equivalent would be an AAA membership.)

I removed the passenger seat and replaced it with a plywood box that I had bolted to the floor.  It doubled as a storage area for food and cooking utensils and as a table. In the back I had another box built against one wall with 2x4 posts at each corner of the frame and ½ inch plywood siding.  The top was hinged ¾ -inch plywood with a narrow mattress.  This served as further storage for clothing and supplies and a bed when closed.  There were no plumbing facilities but for the most part campgrounds took care of showers and such needs. In colder climates many outdoor parking lots have electrical outlets for plugging cars into in the winter so that block heaters keep the engines warm enough to start on cold days.  University parking lots were very good for this, so it was possible to plug in electrical appliances in almost any place I stopped.

The trip across Canada took six weeks, beginning out west in chilly April and reaching the east coast just in time for summer. The only plan when I began was to head east. As I pulled into a new town (and this is another hint – avoid big cities and stop in small towns), I would pick up the local paper and check for tourist brochures. Even though it was off season, in many places it was possible to see spectacular natural attractions such as the Canadian Rockies, the rugged beauty of Northern Ontario, or the Tidal Bore at the Bay of Fundy.

If you already have an RV, your trip might have more comfort built right in but the lesson learned from this impromptu trip (aside from keeping a journal) was that the little peculiarities of small towns and out of the way places make it worth while to step off the beaten track of your journey. Because all camping areas were not yet open, for instance, finding a place to shower presented a slight challenge a couple of times until I discovered that I could stop in a gym in a small town and pay a small fee for a one-time workout (not the worst idea in itself) and use the gym’s showers.  Also, truck stops often have shower facilities for truckers that are also available in such circumstance as a grimy low-cost RV trip.

Taking an RV trip just slight off season has much to recommend it. Fewer crowds, for one thing. Time to appreciate happenings that could easily be missed in the rush of a July day.  Rather the seeing the country through a tourist’s eyes, it offers the possibility of seeing it as a temporary inhabitant of each area you visit......

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