Toronto, February 18, 2026 – On March 1, 2026, RV Lifestyle Magazine will celebrate 55 years of service to the RV enthusiast audience.
A milestone for some, a lifetime of achievement for our team members who have brought trusted, expert content to millions of readers across the generations.
It all started back in 1969, when Bill Taylor and Andre Gagnon created a magazine called Recreational Vehicle Life, focusing on snowmobiles, motorcycles, and outdoor motorized lifestyles.
Their early efforts included the first snowmobile show in Montreal, a motorcycle buyer’s guide, and the launch of a B to B publication Recreational Vehicle Trade.
In 1971, Tony Lavoie approached Bill and Andre to become part of CANA Campgrounds – Bill and Andre took a look, discovered a new opportunity, and added the campground component to CRV Publishing Company – Canadian Recreational Vehicle Publishing – a few months later, they bought the CANA operation and published their first Canadian Campground Directory.
The publication was renamed Camping Canada – the RV Lifestyle Magazine, with Bill Taylor and Andre Gagnon handling the publishing and marketing roles, and Wayne Paterson leading the editorial team.
I came on board in May of 1971, as Associate Editor, with a group of freelance writers contributing to a full range of RV content, from road tests and destination features to camping and outdoor recreation lifestyle articles.
In 1974, our Recreational Vehicle Trade magazine evolved into Trailering Trade, and then Canadian RV Dealer Magazine, which is now RV Dealer News.
Of the many highlights of the early years, we helped launch the RVDA of Canada when Steve McGuire and John Torrington came back from the RVDA convention in Las Vegas with the thought that we should have a Canadian chapter – Fred Wolfe designed the first RVDA of Canada logo in my office in Montreal… we helped the association grow by bringing It to the attention of our RV dealer contacts across the country. John Torrington contributed articles for several years.
The RV industry – from a Canadian perspective…
On the industry side, we have provided a platform for the RVDA of Canada, CRVA, and the provincial associations to reach RV dealers and related businesses throughout Canada, and the RV manufacturing sector across North America – this contributed to the growth of these organizations.
Living the RV Lifestyle
The strength of any enthusiast magazine lies in the participation of the key staff in the lifestyle – Bill and Marilyn Taylor travelled extensively throughout North America, road testing a full range of RV models, and introducing their children Todd, Melanie, and Tamara to the outdoor lifestyle. Bill continues to lead the company as President and Publisher, and guides the overall content of all of the publications, websites, and social media pages.
Melanie Taylor-Wallis serves on the CRVA Board of Directors, and works with the RVDA of Canada’s Canadian RV Dealer of the Year selection committee, which oversees the presentation of the Walter Paseska Memorial award, which we have sponsored since 1989. Melanie also spearheads our events division, including trade and consumer show exhibits, and our famous performance boating Poker Runs.
Todd Taylor is the VP Marketing, handling the advertising needs of our RV and boating clients, and managing the content and websites at www.powerboating.com www.pokerrunsamerica.com www.centerconsolelifemag.com and www.lesplaisanciers.com
For the past 55 years, I have written and photographed road test and destination features for the magazine and the website. I have brought my family along on what we refer to as “RV Lifestyle Excellent Adventures” see one of these classic feature articles here:
Our YouTube channels and social media pages round out the multi-media aspects of our RV and boating operations.
RV Lifestyle Columnists
In 1971, I introduced my parents to trailering, and they discovered the many benefits of an RV retirement lifestyle. My mother, Hilda Rosen, began a series of articles on “living the RV life”, focusing on campground activities and how to make the most of an RV adventure.
We coined the term “RV Lifestyle” which has been widely adopted throughout the industry.
Over the years, we grew our team to include many of Canada’s most respected experts. Andy Thomson, Canada’s leading Airstream dealer and one of the top towing experts in North America began his Hitch Hints column, which has appeared in each issue of the magazine for more than 40 years. Read Andy’s columns here: https://www.rvlifemag.com/category/rv-life/hitch-hints/
Garth Cane, who recently retired after more than 40 years as our RV Tips expert and Tech Editor, delivered seminars at RV rallies and shows for decades… he was inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame in the class of 2020. See the article here:
https://www.rvlifemag.com/garth-cane-to-be-inducted-into-the-rv-mh-hall-of-fame/
Our “Wagon Masters”, M.B. and Karen Wilson, contributed travel features for more than 25 years… read some of the articles here: https://www.rvlifemag.com/?s=wagon+masters
For many years, The Cooking Ladies, Phyllis Hinz and Lamont Mackay, have provided gourmet recipes and travel suggestions for our RV enthusiast audience – check out their columns here: https://www.rvlifemag.com/category/rv-life/recipes/
Today, RV Lifestyle Magazine enjoys an online audience across North America through our digital editions, available FREE of charge at https://www.rvlifemag.com/magazines/ (if you are prompted for a password, please use RVLFREE2017) and we bring the RV experience to millions of viewers each month at the website www.rvlifemag.com
Taylor Publishing Group
Over the years, CRV Publishing evolved into Taylor Publishing Group, with many outdoor recreation magazines serving the RV, boating, snowmobile, and personal watercraft sectors. Our team have been personally involved at every phase of the creation of these issues – that’s Melanie Taylor on the cover of Hot Water Magazine, and Bill Taylor on the cover of Hot Sled Magazine…
Looking for more flashbacks? Here’s a classic feature article on our 25th anniversary…
https://www.rvlifemag.com/from-the-vault-our-25th-anniversary/
In a highly competitive world, RV Lifestyle Magazine and RV Dealer News provide trusted and expert multi-media advertising opportunities – check out this article, and contact us to discuss details and logistics for your 2026 ad campaign.
https://www.rvlifemag.com/advertise-with-us-your-multi-media-keys-to-the-rv-market/
