From pop-up trailers to podcast charts

Dan and Melina of RV Canucks share how real-life RVing sparked a national community

For Dan and Melina, RVing has never been about escape. Long before podcasts, chart rankings, or viral RV hacks, it was about finding a way to weave adventure into careers, school schedules, and the everyday rhythms of family life. From childhood camping memories on both coasts of Canada to hauling a tiny pop-up trailer across provinces with young kids in tow, their approach to RVing has always been grounded in realism, intention, and joy.

That same philosophy became the foundation for RV Canucks, a podcast created to serve Canadian RVers who don’t see themselves reflected in full-time, border-free travel narratives. What started at a kitchen table with two microphones has grown into a trusted, welcoming community; one that celebrates beginner questions, weekend getaways, vintage restorations, and the magic of making the most of the time you have. We sat down with Dan and Melina to talk about their journey, the lessons they’ve learned on the road, and why adventure doesn’t have to wait.

How long have you been enjoying the RV lifestyle, and what do you love most about it?

Camping has been stitched into both of our lives since we were kids. Melina grew up on the West Coast of Canada, surrounded by ocean, cedars, and mountains, and Dan, with his small-town agricultural roots explored Ontario’s provincial parks and Great Lakes. Those early trips planted the seeds for the life we live now. But our first true step into RV life together came in 2013, when we bought an 8-foot pop-up trailer. It was tiny, a little creaky, and exactly what we needed. That little trailer carried our young family across provinces, through unpredictable Canadian weather, and into memories that defined our daughters’ childhoods.

Today, what we love most about the RV lifestyle is the way it lets us leave our everyday responsibilities just far enough behind without disconnecting completely. One moment you’re answering emails, and the next you’re sitting lakeside watching your teenagers coax marshmallows into flames. RVing gives us room to breathe…as parents, as partners, and as people who crave adventure woven into real life.

What inspired you to start RVing as “weekend warriors” instead of full-time?

Full-timing has its own magic, and we admire the people who take that leap, but our lives have always been rooted in careers, school schedules, sports, and community. Rather than waiting for “someday,” we decided to build adventure into the margins of our week.

Weekend warrior life taught us an incredible lesson: “Adventure doesn’t require unlimited time, just the willingness to use the time you have.”

There’s something profound about hitching up after work on a Friday and being under the stars by nightfall. It makes the world feel bigger, even when your timeline is small.

What’s the story behind restoring your 1964 travel trailer?

Our 1964 Glendale Glendette didn’t just catch our eye, it tugged at our hearts. It sat weathered and worn, the kind of trailer most people would pass by. But to us, it felt like a piece of Canadiana that deserved another chance.

So, we named her ‘Sally’ and brought her home without fully understanding the magnitude of the project…which may be exactly how all the best stories begin! Restoring it became a family affair. Dan runs the rewiring and custom millwork. Melina restores every surface she can save save and provides the plans for the framing. The kids handed us tools between popsicle bites and debated paint colours. It still isn’t perfect, but it has soul, and we have a goal to get her on the road in 2026.

Every mile we tow it now will now be a nod to every Canadian family who adventured before us, and because she is only fourteen feet long, we can take her places, our normal travel trailer can’t go.

What was the original vision for the RV Canucks podcast, and how has that evolved?

RV Canucks was born out of a simple question: Where are the stories for Canadian RVers? Nearly everything we found online catered to U.S. full-timers or people with unlimited schedules. Meanwhile, we were out here hauling our trailer through snow squalls, squeezing road trips between hockey tournaments and work trips, and learning lessons the hard way. We also knew first-hand how rich life could be when you start looking beyond the typical weekend radius and begin to travel far…really far…on your vacations from work.

We figured if we were craving that kind of relatable content, others probably were too. So, we sat down at our kitchen table with two microphones and started talking. What’s evolved is the community. The podcast has charted consistently, we’ve been interviewed on radio, presented at National RV Shows, and listeners now write to us with their own stories, questions, and favourite destinations. The heart of the project is still the same, though: help regular people take real adventures.

How do you choose your episode topics?

Our topics come from a blend of experience, curiosity, and campfire conversations. Many episodes grow directly from our own travels: places we’ve loved, places that surprised us, and places we think deserve more attention. Others come directly from the heart of what our listeners tell us they need: the how-tos, the “is this normal?” moments, and the newbie mistakes we’ve all made but rarely admit out loud. Those episodes are actually our most listened-to, because RV life can feel intimidating when you’re starting out, and we wanted RV Canucks to be a judgment-free landing spot where people could ask anything. From backing up a trailer to figuring out why everything suddenly smells like propane, nothing is off-limits.

We’ve been blown away at our viral “30-Second Trailer Hacks” series on TikTok, as we never thought clever tricks to make life on the road more comfortable would resonate so much! We’ve learned that when people feel safe asking beginner questions, they stay in the lifestyle longer and enjoy it more. That’s exactly the community we’re building. If a topic makes RVing feel more accessible, more fun, or more Canadian, we cover it.

In your experience, what episode resonated most with listeners, and why?

Interestingly, the episodes that have resonated most aren’t our destination guides at all. They’re our pre-trip travel checklist and our Top 10 RV Basics. Those continue to be our most downloaded episodes by a landslide.

Those episodes were meant to be the friendly voice in your ear saying, “Hey, we’ve made every mistake there is, you’re doing great.” And clearly, listeners connected with that honesty.

Our second most popular episodes are a completely different vibe: the story of our 2018 Route 66 adventure. It’s full of nostalgia, missteps, small-town magic, and the kind of experiences you only collect when you’re willing to follow a long ribbon of highway into the unknown. Route 66 isn’t just a road, it’s a feeling, and our listeners loved hearing the highs, lows, and hilarious moments from that trip.

Together, those favourites tell us something important: People crave both confidence and connection—practical tips to get started, and real stories to dream with.

How much do you pre-book vs "wing it,” and what factors influence that decision?

We’re planners by nature (or at least Melina is). The kind of people who usually have a spreadsheet, a weather tab, and at least three backup options. For most trips, especially anything more than a few hours from home, we pre-book the destination and use apps to find places to sleep along the road. It just keeps things smooth, especially when you’re balancing jobs, teens, and the logistics of hauling a home-on-wheels.

But in 2025, we decided to do the unthinkable (for us). We winged almost our entire Grand Tour through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI. And somehow, the travel gods smiled on us.

We landed a site at a national park, scored coveted oceanfront views, and found last-minute spots so stunning they were genuinely life-changing. That trip taught us that sometimes the best moments happen when you loosen the grip on the plan. So while we’re still pre-planners at heart, we now leave room for serendipity.

What tools or apps do you swear by for long-distance RV planning?

A mix of tech and intuition. Our go-tos include:

• RV Parky for last minute places to sleep on the road (it’s free!)
• Google Maps satellite view to help you pre-plan which gas stations you can get
• into and out of without a problem!
• Harvest Hosts for last-minute and super unique places to stay
• Roadtrippers for finding the BEST hidden gems and creating full itineraries
• Pilot/Flying J for gas stops, boondocking locations and discounts on fuel

What have been your most important lessons about maintaining balance between adventure and stability?

RVing taught us that you don’t have to blow up your life to enrich it. Adventure and stability don’t have to compete. They can coexist beautifully. Sometimes the most meaningful reset isn’t three months away; it’s two nights by a fire, with the people you love and nowhere else to be.

It also taught our daughters that joy is something you make time for, not something you wait for.

Have you seen a shift in the RV community since you started?

Absolutely. When we began, the community leaned toward retirees and young families.

Now we meet:

• Solo women travellers
• Remote workers
• New Canadians discovering the country
• Young couples in tiny rigs
• Multi-generational families
• Weekend warriors like us

There’s a shift toward intentional travel. Smaller trailers, meaningful experiences, more conservation areas, and a desire to connect with nature in simple, restorative ways.

What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you before buying your first RV?

Buy the RV that fits the life you actually live, not the fantasy version of yourself. And check the roof. Every. Single. Time.

Looking ahead, what big goals do you have for RV Canucks?

We’re stepping into more video storytelling. Campsite walk-throughs, behind-the-scenes road footage, and more visual guides to help new and seasoned RVers alike.

We’re thrilled about our sponsor partnership with Niagara Trailers and excited to grow series like Battle of the Beach Towns. Now that our girls are grown, we’re excited to advance into the next phase of RV life, and that’s discovering couples camping—and each other all over again! The fact that we can do it in the rig where we’ve made so many memories is an added bonus.

Our goal is simple: To help more people feel confident, capable, and inspired to explore Canada. Even if they only have a weekend.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Just gratitude. RV Canucks started with a family who loved camping, and a desire to share what we’d learned. Now it’s a community. A place where listeners swap stories, recommend destinations, and remind us that adventure belongs to everyone. If our journey encourages even one new traveller to hitch up, head out, and discover something wonderful close to home… then we’ve done exactly what we hoped to do.