Everyone has a bucket list for something – dreams are what keep us focused to the future – and mine has always been driving coast to coast across Canada. When the opportunity arose last fall to tick this one off, I jumped at the chance. Little did I know then just what an amazing experience that would turn out to be..
While it had never been top of his bucket list, hubby agreed to tag along and on a sunny mid-September day we fronted up to CanaDream's Vancouver location to start our adventure. Seeing something face to face that you've only seen in photos made reality set in when we were taken to our vehicle - a maxi travel camper, mounted in the bed of a brand new Ford F350 Lariat 4x4 truck. The smile on hubby's face was priceless as the penny dropped that he would get to drive that thing for a whole month - like all his Christmases had come at once! I was more interested in the camper which we would call home and it was amazing. Plenty of room inside for our stuff, a compact all in one bathroom and the all-important toilet, an oven and 3-burner cooktop, a decent size refrigerator, microwave, heating and A/C and, best of all, a permanent overcab queen size bed - this promised to be luxury on wheels!.
But none of that particularly impressed hubby who still had his eyes firmly fixed on that shiny truck. With a 6.7L diesel engine under the hood, I could see he couldn't wait to get behind the wheel. Over the next few days, we became familiar with all the bells and whistles packed into this one-ton beast. Hubby even agreed, reluctantly, to let me get behind the wheel and, despite some initial reservations about the size of the combined unit, it didn't take long to be as enthusiastic about it as he was. This truck was a dream to drive!
Chilling out at Nicolston Dam Campground /Checking out the famous Peggy's Cove Lighthouse in Nova Scotia
The 2500lb Northern Lite camper mounted on the truck didn’t appear to affect its stability or maneuverability and the height adjustable seats, along with the adjustable lumbar support, tilt/telescopic steering wheel and adjustable pedals made it a breeze for each of us to have a comfortable driving experience. Lots of room in the back for extra stuff with the split rear seats folded down, but we noted it would also be a really comfortable ride back there for additional passengers.
On a convenience level, this truck didn't disappoint. Standard of course were things like cruise control, front and rear cup holders, power steering etc but we also enjoyed the dual zone climate control, the heated (and cooled) seats and, most of all, the number of outlets to charge our multiple electronic devices. No road trip is ever complete without great music and, while the Sync3 infotainment system provided plenty of options for our listening pleasure, including satellite radio capability, we found that blue-toothing our phone to the system gave us the ability to listen to our own music selection (always the best!).
The dash and entertainment system in our Ford F350 Lariat - lots of bells and whistles here!
Two weeks into the trip, we were so comfortable in our truck and camper, we were wishing it was ours to keep. By the time we reached Halifax, we'd clocked up more than 8000km and the truck didn't miss a beat. Saying goodbye wasn't easy - we'd become really attached and it didn't seem possible it was over. It's an experience we'd repeat in a heartbeat and the memories will never leave us..
CanaDream has this RV combo for rent from many of its locations.
Campers are also available for purchase.
Trucks are sold separately from the camper at Woodridge Ford.
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