Advice - Travel Through Canada

[RickLight]

You might dig into TV sections for diesel advice.

My mechanic just recommended adding Cetane due to ethanol and bio-diesel issues. We're finishing a 6K trip trip with HotShots additive giving 1.5 MPG bboost.Paid for itself 10X.

[marine6805]

We live on the border with Canada (Blaine Wa) and just last week travelled into BC near Grand Forks BC and seemingly all of the fuel stops had diesel. We fueled up in Vernon BC at one of the more common Canadian Stations (PetroCan) and only have the price of fuel to convert (my CC doesn't charge for Internattional transactions).
In 2018 we traveled through BC, Yukon, and Alaska (round trip and never experienced any fuel shortage/issues)!

[Wandering5thwheelers]

I agree with everything I’ve read in everyone’s responses. I would strongly suggest you download the Harvest host (formerly boondockers welcome) and the freecampsites.net applications/website. I live in Canada, and these 2 websites are great for overnight, or less than 5 day. Diesel is abundant in Canada and available almost everywhere. Agree, use gas Buddy, it helps!

For you experienced RVers traveling in Canada, I would appreciate any advice. We are now planning a legendary trip before we get too old to enjoy it. From Dothan, AL to Upstate MI (about 1,100 mi), then from Mackinaw City KOA (used before and love it) to Grand Forks Campground (ND), then a Ramada overnight in Moose Jaw, SK, then to Bow RiversEdge Campground in Cochrane, AB. Goal is to visit Banff, Lake Louise and Japer National Park again. We thought it best to hub from Bow RiversEdge near Calgary for 3 days rather than fighting the tourists in Banff. Then back home to AL. I know - long trip over about 5 weeks. We've done the MI trip many times - but never this trip over 5k mi, and never in Canada. I'm pulling a Reflection 303RLS 5th wheel with an F-250, 6.7 diesel. Any diesel fuel issues? Hook up issues? I'm open to any advice from you experienced RVers. Thanks

[FF708camper]

For you experienced RVers traveling in Canada, I would appreciate any advice. We are now planning a legendary trip before we get too old to enjoy it. From Dothan, AL to Upstate MI (about 1,100 mi), then from Mackinaw City KOA (used before and love it) to Grand Forks Campground (ND), then a Ramada overnight in Moose Jaw, SK, then to Bow RiversEdge Campground in Cochrane, AB. Goal is to visit Banff, Lake Louise and Japer National Park again. We thought it best to hub from Bow RiversEdge near Calgary for 3 days rather than fighting the tourists in Banff. Then back home to AL. I know - long trip over about 5 weeks. We've done the MI trip many times - but never this trip over 5k mi, and never in Canada. I'm pulling a Reflection 303RLS 5th wheel with an F-250, 6.7 diesel. Any diesel fuel issues? Hook up issues? I'm open to any advice from you experienced RVers. Thanks

This will be a trip that you will never forget, for all of the right reasons as well. Alberta is simply amazing. We did this trip a few years ago and it was 6000 miles for us from Southern Ontario. We when out through MI, Wisconsin, Minnesota, ND and back up into Manitoba SK and into Alberta. We came back through Montana, Wyoming, SD, Iowa, IL and MI.
You will have no issues with fuel and campgrounds when traveling in Canada or the US but as others have mentioned booking sites in Banff and Jasper is a must in the summer months. The next time we do this trip we will spend more time in Jasper, (Likely a week) and only 3-4 days in the Banff area. Jasper is way less peoplely.
There is no fuel between Banff / Lake Louise and Jasper, and no cell service which is what makes this drive one of, if not the best drive in North America and a must do!
Enjoy!

[Neetarts3388]

In July, we stopped in Glacier NP for 4 days before heading to Banff, Jasper, Kelowna, then home. As others have stated, if you want Tunnel Mtn reservations you have to be logged in and ready to go 5 mins before it goes live. Then 15,000 of your dearest friends and family will be doing the same. At 35 mins past the start time I finally got into the system to book and was only able to get 2 nights. We enjoyed our stay at Tunnel Mtn. I would have liked to check out Canmore and the CG's in that area. Maybe another time. Seeing Lake Louise, we drove in around 400pm and was able to find parking. Or you can go to the Lake Louise ski resort and park. You have to reserve a shuttle in advance and they will take you to L Louise. But if you want a spectacular view buy a ticket at the resort and take the gondola up to the restaurant. The view from up there is outstanding. Gas or Diesel was never a problem, just make sure you are full before you drive the Banff-Jasper parkway. I wasn't able to get Wapiti CG near Jasper. Instead we stayed at campground between Jasper & Hinton. It was about a 40 min drive from CG to Jasper. Hinton has a Safeway, Walmart, Gas/diesel stations, Tire store, etc.

[Castlerock]

Fuel is available at Saskatchewan River Crossing. Junction of Hwy 93 (Banff/Jasper) and Hwy 11. Although it is also best to start that journey with a full tank.

[luvmyrv]

For you experienced RVers traveling in Canada, I would appreciate any advice. We are now planning a legendary trip before we get too old to enjoy it. From Dothan, AL to Upstate MI (about 1,100 mi), then from Mackinaw City KOA (used before and love it) to Grand Forks Campground (ND), then a Ramada overnight in Moose Jaw, SK, then to Bow RiversEdge Campground in Cochrane, AB. Goal is to visit Banff, Lake Louise and Japer National Park again. We thought it best to hub from Bow RiversEdge near Calgary for 3 days rather than fighting the tourists in Banff. Then back home to AL. I know - long trip over about 5 weeks. We've done the MI trip many times - but never this trip over 5k mi, and never in Canada. I'm pulling a Reflection 303RLS 5th wheel with an F-250, 6.7 diesel. Any diesel fuel issues? Hook up issues? I'm open to any advice from you experienced RVers. Thanks

You mention Grand Forks c/g in ND...we frequent that area quite a bit, that particular c/g is a dump. It's handy because it's right of the I-29, but you need to go down a gravel road to get to it, and a lot of trucks use it, so you are in constant dust, and the park itself is old and run down. Your much better option is to go to Red River State Recreation Area. It's immediately after the bridge on the MN side, so technically it's in East Grand Forks, MN. It's a MN State Park. Nice paved roads in the park and vast majority of sites are pull through with full hook ups. Walking distance to restaurants and Cabelas is right across the street. Very nice park, we go there a lot. It's very easily accessible from Hwy 2, cross the bridge into the MN side and hang right immediately after the bridge.

[WhittleBurner]

You mention Grand Forks c/g in ND...we frequent that area quite a bit, that particular c/g is a dump. It's handy because it's right of the I-29, but you need to go down a gravel road to get to it, and a lot of trucks use it, so you are in constant dust, and the park itself is old and run down. Your much better option is to go to Red River State Recreation Area. It's immediately after the bridge on the MN side, so technically it's in East Grand Forks, MN. It's a MN State Park. Nice paved roads in the park and vast majority of sites are pull through with full hook ups. Walking distance to restaurants and Cabelas is right across the street. Very nice park, we go there a lot. It's very easily accessible from Hwy 2, cross the bridge into the MN side and hang right immediately after the bridge.

We stayed there once when we were returning from a trip out west. It was a good place to stay. What we were told was that that used to be a neighborhood with houses. Because of the river in 1997 the state bought the 500 homes and turned it into a state park.

[luvmyrv]

We stayed there once when we were returning from a trip out west. It was a good place to stay. What we were told was that that used to be a neighborhood with houses. Because of the river in 1997 the state bought the 500 homes and turned it into a state park.

That is correct....the infamous flood of 1997 did a whole lot of damage to that city and many of ours as well all along the Red River. On the ND side of the river, the downtown was all flooded and buildings started burning and the Fire Department couldn't even access them. Millions upon millions have been spent since that time floodproofing that city so it doesn't happen again. There is a monument that was built across the river from Cabela's that's shows the various flood stages and 1997 is at the very top. Mind boggling to see how high the river got.
So where the park is , was a very prestigious residential area. The damage was so extensive that all those homes demolished and as you say the State has turned it into a State Park. The roads within the park are all the original streets that were there at the time. There is a plaque there with all the family names of the people who lived there at the time.

[grumpypapa]

There is a fueling station halfway between Banff and Jasper on the Icefields Parkway. This last September, diesel in Canada was about $5.00 per gallon (after conversion from liters to gallons and after the exchange rate). At the time, that was about 10% higher than in the US.

what ? i am moving out west ,in ontario in september and now ,diesel is over $ 10.00 a gallon