Updated
How many campervans are there in Canada?
No agency publishes an official count of campervans in Canada, but the figures that exist show they are a small part of a large RV market. About 2.1 million Canadian households, 14.1% of all households, owned an RV in 20221.
How many campervans are sold in Canada each year?
533 Class B campervans were shipped to Canadian dealers in 2025, about 1.7% of the 32,097 RVs shipped into Canada that year3.
Which provinces have the most RV owners?
Alberta has the highest share of households owning an RV, 19.8%, against 14.1% across Canada1.
- The Prairie provinces outside Alberta follow at 17.6%, then British Columbia at 16.1% and Atlantic Canada at 15.4%1.
- Ontario (11.6%) and Quebec (12.7%) have the lowest shares1, despite having the most RV owners.
Published figures don't break campervan ownership down by province.
Who owns an RV or campervan in Canada?
9% of Canada's current and past RV owners have owned a Class B motorhome or camper van, and 16% of RV renters have rented one, according to Go RVing Canada's 2023 Ipsos survey of 1,000 Canadians2.
- Age: The average Canadian RVer is 44 years old2.
- Household: 66% of RVers are married or partnered, 35% have kids and 49% have dogs2.
- First-time buyers: 12% of RV purchases in 2023, up from 10% in 2022 and 6% in 20212.
- Buying: 42% of current owners bought their RV new and 57% bought it from a dealer2.
These figures cover owners of every RV type; no Canadian survey profiles campervan owners alone.
What types of campervans are there?
- Class B motorhomes (factory-built): vans finished by an RV manufacturer, commonly built on Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ford Transit or RAM ProMaster vans.
- High-roof cargo van conversions (DIY or custom): cargo vans converted by their owners or by conversion companies.
- Pop-top campervans: vans with a roof that lifts for standing room, from vintage Volkswagen Westfalias to modern equivalents.
- Truck camper vans and specialty 4×4s: overland vehicles built for backcountry travel.
There are no published figures on how Canada's campervans split between these types.
How much does it cost to own an RV in Canada?
Canadian RV-owning households spent an average of $1,519 a year on owning their RV in 2022, or $1,722 including seasonal campsite fees1.
- Insurance: $468 a year1.
- Maintenance: $456 a year1.
- Equipment and accessories: $405 a year1.
- Storage: $190 a year1.
- Seasonal sites: owners who rent a seasonal campsite pay $1,735 a year on average1.
- All households: spending on recreational vehicles and associated services averaged $901 per Canadian household in 20236, across owners and non-owners alike.
These averages cover every RV type and include owners who spent nothing in a category. Buying a new Class B campervan costs about $100,000 to $300,0007, according to Go RVing Canada; no source publishes campervan depreciation for Canada.
How much does it cost to rent a campervan in Canada?
A typical campervan rental in Canada costs about CAD $100 to $140 a day outside summer and CAD $250 to $290 a day in July and August8, according to Camper Champ quotes from rental companies collected in November 2026.
- Vancouver: $110 a day in December 2026, rising to $287 in July 20278.
- Calgary: $100 a day in December 2026, rising to $271 in August 20278.
- Edmonton: $107 a day in May 2027, rising to $266 in August 20278.
- Montreal: $101 a day in April 2027, rising to $259 in August 20278.
- Halifax: $104 a day in April 2027, rising to $258 in August 20278.
- Toronto: $102 a day in April 2027, rising to $251 in August 20278.
Prices are the typical daily rate for budget and mid-range campervans on a 7-day rental picked up on a Wednesday, and rise as dates fill up.
RV rental in Canada
What share of RVs sold in Canada are campervans?
How much is the RV industry worth to Canada?
RV travel is a big part of domestic tourism in Canada.
- Economic impact: The RV industry as a whole contributed $12.0 billion to Canada’s GDP in 20221.
- Travel expenditure: RV travelers spent $10.3 billion on trips in Canada in 2022: $8.4 billion by RV owners and $1.9 billion by renters1.
- Rental market: The RV rental market in Canada was US$42.1 million in 2021 and is projected to reach US$82.2 million by 20309.
How many RV trips do Canadians take?
Canadian RV owners took 6.3 million RV trips within Canada in 20221, and renters took 1.3 million, for 7.7 million trips in all.
- Owners use their RVs for summer road trips and outdoor vacations, and spend a median of 21 days a year in their RV across 4 trips2.
Campervan FAQs
Can you sleep in a campervan anywhere in Canada?
No. Outside campgrounds and RV parks, you can only stay overnight where the landowner or local rules allow it, and those rules differ by province and city. Crown (public) land is the main free option, and our guide to wild camping rules in Canada covers each province.
How long can you camp on Crown land in a campervan?
In British Columbia, anyone may camp on Crown land for up to 14 consecutive days10. In Ontario, camping is free on most Crown land for up to 21 days on any one site in a calendar year, after which you must move at least 100 meters11. Most visitors from outside Canada need a permit to camp on Ontario's Crown land north of the French and Mattawa Rivers.
How much does a new campervan cost in Canada?
New Class B campervans cost about $100,000 to $300,000 in Canada7, according to Go RVing Canada, the RV industry's consumer site. Class C motorhomes start at about $120,000.
Is van life legal in Canada?
Canada has no single rule on van life: where you can stay overnight in a van is set by each province and town. Some towns ban overnight stays in public places. Squamish, British Columbia, for example, bans camping, including staying overnight in a vehicle, in its parks, District parking lots and Crown land in the parts of town its camping bylaw covers12. Outside towns, Crown land is the main free option.
More on camping in Canada
References
- 2023 RVDA Economic Impact Study — Final Report · rvda.ca ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p
- Promoting the RV Lifestyle — Executive Summary (Go RVing Canada / Ipsos consumer study, 2023) · files.constantcontact.com ↑ b c d e f g h
- CRVA Wholesale RV Shipments Report — Q4 2025 (year to December 31, 2025) · files.constantcontact.com ↑ b c d e f
- Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association — Wholesale Shipment Report into Canada · crva.ca ↑ b c d
- CRVA Wholesale RV Shipments Report — Q4 2024 (year to December 31, 2024) · files.constantcontact.com ↑
- Table 11-10-0222-01 Household spending, Canada, regions and provinces (Statistics Canada) · www150.statcan.gc.ca ↑
- Class B Motorhome (Go RVing Canada) · gorving.ca ↑ b
- Camper Champ campervan rental price table — Canada (rental-company quotes for 7-day rentals, read 4 November 2026) · Camper Champ ↑ b c d e f g
- Canada RV Rental Market Size & Outlook, 2030 · grandviewresearch.com ↑
- Land Use Policy: Permission (Government of British Columbia, Crown land) · www2.gov.bc.ca ↑
- Recreational activities on Crown land (Government of Ontario) · ontario.ca ↑
- District of Squamish Camping Bylaw No. 2829, 2021 (as amended) · squamish.ca ↑
