Full-timing Canadians?

[dbailey]

I was reading a trailer magazine this morning and thinking about full-timing, and it occurred to me that the logistics are a little tricky for Canadians...

Our weather means we're somewhat limited in when we can camp in Canada. The weather also limits when we can safely plan on moving from one area to another.

Residency restrictions limit how long we can camp south of the border. (I think it's no more than 6 months in any calendar year, and no more than 4 months per year averaged over 3 years? Is that right?)

I guess you could spend 2 years full-timing with 6 months north of the border and 6 months south of the border, and then stay out of the US for a year (maybe quit the full-timing lifestyle for a year).

Are there any Canadian full-timers (past, present or future) out there? Where do you spend your time?

[BCnomad]

I can't answer properly, but maybe:

www.snowbirds.org will be of help?

[Brian B-P]

I don't think an Escape is suitable for year-round full-time (and thus over-winter) in most typical areas in Canada, but if you're flexible on which days you travel and don't need the trailer to stay warm while actually on the road, a trailer can certainly be towed in winter.

The only areas of Canada that I know of which are pleasant for RV living in mid-winter are in British Columbia - and then only the lower mainland and perhaps further up the coast. A significant number of people stay over the winter in the Okanagan valley (particularly in the same campground in Osoyoos as used for ETI's annual Escape Rally - Nk'Mip), but in recent years the lake has been freezing over and it just isn't warm enough for that to be really pleasant.

If you go to another province in the winter to find weather that allows you to stay in Canada, you could still have residency concerns related to provincial health care coverage. Other than that, I am aware of the residency requirements, but can't help with much specific information.

[dbailey]

I agree that the Escape isn't suitable for full-timing in cold winter weather. But I'm not a fan of winter conditions, so wouldn't want to be staying in cold winter weather in the first place. But then again again, I'm not really interested in full-timing at all (any time soon, anyways). I was just curious about the logistics.

I wasn't aware of residency requirements province-to-province for health care... That's something to keep in mind.

[dbailey]

(I was reading Trailer Life, and looking at all these huge monsters, wondering why anyone would want such a thing... The only reason I could see myself in one would be if I was full-timing. Which got me thinking about full-timing... Which got me thinking about how I would do it, given the recent news about the government being more fussy about residency requirements...)