Snowbirds & RV Travelers - Origins
Back in 2007, an unlikely series of events began to unfold that would eventually create Canada’s most popular RV magazine. It started with the purchase of SunCruiser boating guides in 2007. “The publication was completely unique in that it wasn’t about boats, it was all about where you could go with your boat” says Jason Tansem, publisher and the founding partner in SunCruiser Publishing Inc. “I grew up playing hockey, it was always about the game not the gear. After working at Black Press for 12 years I was ready for a change. I purchased SunCruiser and then Snowbirds & RV Travelers. At the time, Snowbirds & RV Travelers was 24 pages, printed on a photocopier, and handed out for free.”
“All my life I’ve made my passions my work”, says Perry Mack, Editor-in-Chief. “I got a degree in marine biology to be outside, then spent 12 years running a sporting goods store so I could go RVing, hiking, sightseeing, skiing and windsurfing. I’ve never been able to escape the desire to travel. After selling the sporting goods store, I saw Snowbirds & RV Travelers was for sale. It looked a little primitive but was all about where to go and what to do when you got there – that spoke to me. Unfortunately, Jason had already purchased it!”
A year later, the two entrepreneurs combined their skills, adding The Sport Fishing Guide and 4WDrive to their stable of publications. “Everything was based on getting outside, going and doing”, says Tansem. “Then it was a natural progression to extend our expertise to help trade shows produce information in their show guides for Snowbirds, RV and outdoor enthusiasts.”
According to Mack, “It seemed to me when I was picking up other magazines, they were both from and about the United States, or filled with motorhome reviews. Sometimes you want new motorhome information, but I always wanted information on RV destinations, discounts, attractions and events. My family and I wanted to use our RV more often than we needed to buy a new one”.
Snowbirds and RV Travelers is a travel magazine. Every issue is roughly 100 pages of parks and resorts, RV friendly attractions, events and destinations. From music festivals and museums, to national historic sites and animal sanctuaries, from the best hiking trails to the best sights to see. Readers enjoy advice to enhance their RV experience. Each issue features gadget, tech and lifestyle columns like Road Cents, In the Headlights, The Road of Life and Hi Tech!
“We started as a British Columbia to Baja magazine, but Canadian readers drew us eastward, all the way to Newfoundland, north to the Yukon and south to Florida”, says Mack. “We enjoy hearing from readers – sharing their experiences for all of us to enjoy, learn and be entertained”.
“And what started as a print only publication expanded to digital editions for mobile devices and desktops, and grew to become the highest rated RV/outdoor web site in Canada”, added Tansem.
When asked about how they decide on the material for the magazine they both agreed, “We follow our hearts and what readers ask for, it’s their magazine as much as ours.”
To enjoy Snowbirds & RV Travelers visit suncruisermedia.com.