RV Rental Association Survey: RV Rental Demand Strong Heading into Summer Travel Season

On Aug. 25, the Department of Finance Canada published the full list of products subject to retaliatory tariffs, effective Sept. 8 (874 tariff items). The tariffs, at rates of 15%, 25% or 50%, mirror U.S. Section 338 tariffs and cover $27.6 billion in U.S. imports. Finished RVs, motorhomes and trailers are not on the list, but steel, aluminum, wood, furniture and other components are subject to duties.

Police in Williams Lake are looking for a white 2016 Grand Design Reflection 27RL RV stolen on Aug. 16 from a storage lot. It was reportedly towed by a dark pickup with a white passenger door.

Canadian company Petawatts Auto Marine RV Ltd., led by Attila Molnar, will present its electric RV eRV at Try Everything 2026, held September 9-10 at DDP in Seoul. The eRV features a battery energy storage system (BESS), enabling use as a mobile power source. The company also plans to expand production in Canada and collaborate with OEMs to integrate its technology into other RV models.

Two Montreal drivers have produced a rare real-world comparison of nearly matched Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid towing setups. A driver posting as Hsaphoto pulled a loaded 1973 Boler camper through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia with a 2025 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, reporting 20.5 to 21.4 MPG at 63 to 65 MPH. An earlier trip with a 2024 RAV4 Prime and a Helio O4 camper returned 20 MPG at 65 MPH, but wind cut some highway segments to 14 MPG. The trailers weighed 1,900 and 1,810 pounds respectively, a difference of only 90 pounds, yet the 14-MPG segment was about 49 percent more fuel-intensive. Toyota Canada lists a 2,500-pound maximum towing capacity for the 2025 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, so the Boler used 76 percent of that rating. The report does not include separate axle weights for the loaded RAV4, leaving the payload margin unconfirmed.

Canadian manufacturer Roulottes Prolite offers the Plus S, an ultralight teardrop-style travel trailer weighing 675 kg (1,490 lbs) dry. It includes a kitchen with a gas cooktop, a wet bath, a dinette that converts to a bed, and a solar panel. Prices for the 2026 model range from $30,000 to $35,000 (CAD 38,500–45,999).

A Montreal driver towed a Helio O4 camper weighing 1,810 pounds loaded with a 2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime over 2,800 miles, recording 22.4 MPG at 56 mph and as low as 14 MPG at 65 mph in windy conditions. The trailer's loaded weight was 485 pounds above its dry weight, and the combination stayed within the vehicle's towing and GVWR limits. Engine oil temperature stabilized at 220°F on grades, and the driver used trailer brakes and a brake controller.