On the road again with CanaDream
By: Ian Stalker
Klaus Gretzmacher is offering vacationing Canadians a mobile home away from home.
Gretzmacher is with CanaDream, which offers RV vehicles that he says enable people to explore this vast land with plenty of the comforts of home while they do so.
“It’s an amazing country to travel,” he said during a webinar from interior B.C.’s Big White ski resort, with Gretzmacher speaking outside with one of his vehicles and skiers as a backdrop.
The displayed Maxi Motorhome features the likes of a sleeping area above the driver’s area and a bed and blinds in the back; a kitchen area with the likes of a stove, oven, microwave, fridge and freezer; a bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink; TV and entertainment center; and storage area that can hold the likes of bicycles.
Air conditioning and a skylight are also found and Gretzmacher added that winterized vehicles can keep occupants warm at -30.
CanaDream Maxi Motorhome
The RV displayed during the webinar was actually parked on a thick layer of snow at Kelowna-area Big White, with Gretzmacher saying that underscored that his vehicles perform well in winter.
“It’s small but not that small,” Gretzmacher said of the vehicle. “It’s very comfortable.”
Two-time Olympic skiing medalist Kelsey Serwa — a native of Kelowna and one of whose grandfathers was a cofounder of Big White — praised both the Maxi Motorhome and the resort it was being displayed in.
Serwa said she drives a small car and dislikes driving her husband’s truck but found driving the Maxi Motorhome was “actually a lot easier than I was expecting.”
The “super spacious” vehicle has plenty of space for gear and animals, she added. Child seats can also be placed in the RVs.
Klaus Gretzmacher
Serwa added that her own travel has convinced her that “comfort is the king of the road.”
A regular driver’s licence is all that’s needed to operate the Maxi Motorhome.
CanaDream has stations in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Whitehorse, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted CanaDream to encourage people to rent the vehicles on-line, with videos showing how to operate them available.
Gretzmacher said CanaDream is keen on clients seeing different Canadian landscapes. “We really like our guests to enjoy Canadian experiences. That’s what we’re really trying to sell here.”
Among sights he said were particularly memorable to him were seeing orcas off the B.C. coast.
A CanaDream app has over 1,000 tours and products the company works with, including campsites.
Big White Ski Resort
Meanwhile, the outdoorsy Serwa praised Big White as a great four-seasons resort, adding it offers “beautiful RV camping here during the summer.”
Big White environs are easily accessible in an RV, she continued.
