 Poster: A snowHead
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Just wondering if anyone here has any experience of renting an RV for skiing in Canada. We are looking at it as an option for a trip around the Rockies early 2012.
Thanks
Ed
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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edmundf, someone will be along I'm sure. when I looked into it the costs started stacking up when I realised that they don't come fully equipped - you even have to pay for things like pots and pans, so I suppose I'm saying make sure you add all the costs in!
There might be places that do rent fully equipped but the ones I looked at didn't
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Probably a little on the chilly side, though my neighbour has one that has a furnace in so is probably fine in the depths of winter
Bear in mind that winter is not the high season in the rockies so you should be able to find somewhere to stay for a decent price whereever you go.
I did a tour round the BC interior and had no problem finding places and negotiating a good rate.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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As stuarth says why? Why pay a high rental and high petrol costs when you can find plenty of affordable motels in the interior within short drives of skiing. Plus they'll be warm, have kitchenettes and cable TV and you'll be in towns with restaurants and bars rather than in a side lot on a mountainside.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There was a thread about this around this time last year - I can't find it now, but the consensus was that the cold could be a problem, and lodgings are cheap.
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| Bones wrote: |
| When we roadtripped BC/Alberta all the RV parks we saw were closed until May. We never saw a single one in any resorts or on the road. You may find the winters are too harsh for them and possibly laws against this |
Both Big White and Silver Star have dedicated areas for RVs in winter.
Not that we've ever seen any in either....
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I hired a car with Rent-a-Wreck in Vancouver and drove to all the main Rockies Canadian ski resorts (Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise, Whistler). Stayed in a tent or youth hostels.
There are plenty of good HI hostels in the Rockies. Lake Louise has a large one, which is dedicated for skiers during the winter season. Good value, some double rooms.
Accommodation was reasonably priced in Whistler. However. I was not there in ski season. It was September!
The car I used had done 125,000 kms and was a Ford Escort!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Getting the impression that the general consensus is no to the RV idea then? - was looking at canadream.com and they seemed to be pretty well set up for it?
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edmundf, are there any canadian RV forums you could ask?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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thought i would come at it from the point of view of the skier(boarder) rather than the RV enthusiast, but certainly worth a look around on google. Did come across a few RV reports on youtube
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| edmundf wrote: |
| Getting the impression that the general consensus is no to the RV idea then? - was looking at canadream.com and they seemed to be pretty well set up for it? |
Have you done similar things anywhere else?
I've RV'ed in summer. The appeal is you can freely move around, 1 night here and 2 night there, without a lot of packing and unpacking. How much of that moving around are you planning to do while skiing? There's also the hassle of needing to dig out your rig after a couple feet of snow had fallen.
In the summer, the draw back of small space doesn't really matter. One can simply take a stroll outside. And swimming can be done in any lakes and ponds. But in the winter, I really can't see myself being coup up in a tiny RV with hardly space to turn around all evening. Plus, I really prefer a hotel that has a hot tub after a day of skiing! 
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think the main logic would be that we are going for three weeks, so the justification for it is that we would like to follow something like http://www.canadream.com/tripplanning.aspx?id=271 for the first two weeks and then spend a week in Lake Lousie or Banff. Considering that car rental for the three weeks is about CAD1000 the camper is about another CAD1500 from what i can see. Allowing for the car hire this works back to just over CAD100 per night with a lot of flexibility built in?. I have camped and 'RV'd' before (not sure of the term) so was really looking for anyone that had actually done it before, where they hired from, where they stayed, problems pitfalls etc..
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You know it makes sense.
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The difference isn't just CAD100 a night, you'll spend I'd guess double the fuel and pay for any hookups or proper RV sites you use. That will more than cover a motel room in most towns on your trip (and probably a meal).
Plus having driven a lot of those roads on your itinary in winter, at night and in snowstorms I know I'd rather be in a 4WD or FWD with low centre of gravity than a high sided camper. Crownest Pass, Kootenay Pass, Rogers Pass and Kicking Horse Pass aren't that pleasant in a whiteout.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Not feeling a lot of love here for the RV idea
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Poster: A snowHead
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edmundf, It's a great idea if you know someone with one to lend you or in summer but I'd struggle to make the rental economics stack up when you can often strike pretty good deals in motels mid week as it's off season. Plus with a car you can park closer to the lifts etc, drive through at Tim's for your coffee and doughnut fix etc.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mmmmm timbits
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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If you went to NZ instead of Canada, you could hire a Britz 2/3 person Hi top campervan for 32 days at $39.90 per day which is like £20 a day!
If you think about it that is £10 per person for accomodation and hire car!
When you also consider it is ski season in NZ right now, that looks like a good deal. The snow chains are for hire too at $35! I would sell you a pair for that price, which might well fit!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Bigtipper, why do you finish every post with a rolling eyes smiley?
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Bones, if you are living in a campervan, it does not look like that! The snow melts on the roof and creates big icicles down the side like stalactites. Also when you open the door in the morning, you will clear some of the snow away before it becomes hard and icy. Nobody is living in that van! (and the brakes are rusting!)
holidayloverxx, I do not know how to upload pictures in www.snowmediazone.com and post them in messages. Everyone is just having more fun in the snow than me!
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 14-06-11 11:19; edited 1 time in total
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| edmundf wrote: |
Just wondering if anyone here has any experience of renting an RV for skiing in Canada. We are looking at it as an option for a trip around the Rockies early 2012.
Thanks
Ed |
Sorry, no experience, but I have spent a couple of evenings looking at the logistics of it...........
Firstly, forget it anytime earlier than mid March. Or for less than a month. Late March into early May would be ideal. Most campsites are still shut, though some are open through the winter. http://www.camping.bc.ca/ & http://www.staycanada.ca/alberta/campsites.php , or google campsites BC/Alberta, will give you an idea. I've seen a fair few RV's kicking around Mar/Apr, so not everyone thinks it's undoable.
A leccy hook-up shouldn't be an absolute neccessity. Most RV's have a night heater/furnace that runs off of the diesel, so keeping warm shouldn't be a problem, and outside of the campgrounds if you can arrange to park up you shouldn't have many issues, unless you sit in it all night cooking and watching tv.
Oversize is the key. If a couple of you are going get a four/five berth, they're not that much more per day anyway. Possibly best keep it to you and the missus, or a bunch of hairy arshed blokes, mixed couples could be a nightmare..............
You will probably have some digging out to do, but can avoid the worst of the travelling weather by, well, just avoiding it. No schedule to keep.
And if, occasionally, it all gets a bit much, you can park up and spend the odd night in a motel/lodge.
As pointed out, pratical, probably not. Possible, certainly, and maybe something you will remember (for various reasons.......) forever. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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BCjohnny
thanks for the info - we are far from making a decision on how the holiday should go, but a lot of good info there thanks
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I wouldn't RV early in the year in Canada
Just don't understand what's driving it, because its not really cost. You can get some really good deals in off-peak weeks in canada. All of it is set up to accept daily bookings.
In Jan/Feb it can be cold.
RVs are small. You need all your gear in it overnight and still fit in. Not my idea of fun.
RVs proabably need block heaters and if there are no plug ins at campsites that could be tricky.
. Plus presumably you have your skis inside too?
The roads can be crap and RVs are top
Campsites that will be open probably don't have any water or facilities. Where will you shower?
Rvs are heavy and probably come with crap tyres.
Car plus hotel or ca
r + condo will be much more comfy and around the same price.
Some hotel deals (eg RCR who book a few resorts) then offer lift ticket packages
Maybe late march early april or late april would be better
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