Tom Oakes, owner of TRX RV, surveys the interior of his new dealership located at Black Iron Crossing in Martensville.
Photograph by: Jeff Lyons, StarPhoenix , The Starphoenix
by Paul Sinkewicz, The StarPhoenix
Scott Engele can almost hear the loons and smell the pine trees from work.
The dealer principal of Scotty's RV SOURCE is ecstatic about the new location now open in the north end of Martensville sandwiched between Centennial Drive and Hwy 12.
One of the other tenants is TRX RV, whose owner Tom Oakes was looking for more room to market trailers and motorhomes when he sold his six-acre Saskatoon location on North Idylwyld. His vision was for an RV mall, with room for his dealership and other recreational outdoors-related businesses. A two-year stint at a temporary location on Marquis Drive afforded Oakes the time he needed to find the perfect site.
The solution was the purchase of 34 acres of industrial/commercial land in the growing city of Martensville, just 10 minutes north of Saskatoon, a perfect spot for an RV Mecca.
"This highway is the second highest traffic count in the province and the gateway to lake country," says Engele. "Tom has such great ideas. We occupy a 20,000-square-foot building with a second floor that has more RVs sitting on display. We can have about 40 units in our indoor campground at any given time."
Having the campground inside is great for potential customers who want to come by in the winter to shop.
"We do a lot of business through the winter months, as that's when a lot of people have the time to shop for an RV, and it's also the time that new models are introduced," says Engele.
There are three other businesses already at the complex - TCC Truck Camper Canada, a true superstore of truck camper shopping, with a full 12 lines to choose from, rather than the typical single-line a store would offer, Scotty's RV SOURCE with a focus on rentals, park models, cargo and utility trailers, as well as RVceteras, a boutique parts, accessories and service provider.
"Moving forward, we see the 34 acres with Oak Centre RV Mall front and centre as eventually being home to more businesses that are recreation-related," says Engele. "So it will really be a great destination. We envision a point where anyone shopping for a trailer can also scout out quads, boats and so on, and then get the oil changed on their truck or use the car wash. It will be onestop shopping for the outdoor recreation crowd."
Oak Centre RV Mall will also have complimentary electrified RV campsites for its customers, so if they come into the Saskatoon area for a concert or a family event, or just for some service work on their RV, they will have a place to set up camp at no charge.
Engele says the mall has close to 70 lines of trailers. It is one of only six Airstream dealers in Canada, and also sells the popular Winnebago motorhomes and Trillium ultra-light trailers.
At this past winter's RV show at Prairieland Park, Engele said he was assisted by 11 representatives from major manufacturers who travel all over the continent.
"One said: 'If you guys don't have it, they don't make it yet,' " says Engele. "He also couldn't believe the facility we were building, and it wasn't even finished yet. Reps are blown away at the magnitude of the mall and these are people who travel North America. It really is very impressive."
Engele says someone who hasn't been involved in RVs for a few years would be surprised by the new technology. Towability has been greatly improved, for one thing. Many trailers used to be very heavy, sitting too low to the ground.
"Most have dual axles now and sit up higher to match your tow vehicle better," says Engele. "They're engineered much better that way, and are certainly much more luxurious. Everything's at the touch of a button, so when you get to your campsite, let your jacks down, push a button and your slide room goes out. Push another button and you've got lights, hot water and a power awning. Everything is so user friendly."
He said even a very simple 17-foot trailer, with just a couple of bunks, will be light-years ahead of the old trailers. They are very comfortable, and can come with a furnace, air conditioning and a large fridge.
People might also be surprised by how thermally efficient threeseason trailers can be. And there are even four-season trailers with special features like heated water tanks.
"I think another big thing is the affordability. Lenders love RVs because they don't depreciate like vehicles. You can amortize them over 20 years like a mortgage on any recreation property," says Engele. "People would be surprised by how little the monthly payments would be on a very nice trailer that allows their family to spend some very precious time relaxing together."
The other businesses at the Oak Centre RV Mall add to these options. For those who want to test the camping waters, Scotty's RV SOURCE can rent a pop-up or travel trailer.
"We'll even tow it out to their site," says Engele, "should the customer choose to pay a mileage charge, or they can tow it themselves if they have the proper vehicle."
It's a popular option when people need extra sleeping accommodations for a family function, he says. They can rent a travel trailer with a bathroom, fridge and air conditioning that sleeps eight.
"Renting can be the perfect solution. Maybe they want to find out if they like the camping lifestyle before they buy. Maybe they just want to camp with no ownership costs, storage fees or insurance premiums."
TCC Truck Camper Canada sells truck campers from almost every manufacturer, and has 35 different models in stock.
"Nobody else in Canada does that. We have customers calling us from every corner of the country."