Recreational vehicles, more commonly known as RVs, campers or trailers, are increasingly visible on our highways in summer. They have as many destinations as they do itineraries. Fully equipped, these wonderful homes on wheels theoretically mean adventures that involve freedom and the great outdoors. The charm fades, however, when the vehicles are parked side-by-side close to a highway.

Is there a better way to enjoy summer in an RV? Tremblant Express tested the Terego solution.

Founded in 2017 by Sainte-Agathe native Michèle Bourassa and her daughter Karine Morin, Terego makes available to its members – for a membership fee of $105/ year – a large network of hosts, allowing Terego members to discover the land from behind the wheel of an RV. Members can camp for a night on unique sites, enjoy the huge country spaces of farmers and producers and discover, in a most authentic way, a region and its inhabitants.

The golden rules

To enjoy these free campsites, the traveller must have access to a fully autonomous RV. Campers must leave their site free of any trace of their presence. Forget leaving lines of toothpaste on the ground or any other disrespectful signs that you’ve been there. Travellers with a generator are asked to use it only with the permission of the farmer, and only if they are camped far from other campers.

As you know, road trips can mean unexpected circumstances, and travellers should inform the host in the event of cancellation. While Terego’s first goal is to have people explore the terroir and to promote local buying, this kind of camping is much like boondocking, a practice popular in the United States that consists of camping freely in an isolated place, completely autonomously. One of the golden rules is to leave the borrowed land even cleaner than it was when you arrived.

Terego trips: a foodie’s delight First off, exploring the Terego website lets you plan your itinerary and reserve your place with the farmers. The choice is vast: close to 300 hosts, distributed through Québec, the Maritimes, Ontario and even British Columbia, welcome members of this community of campers. And the welcome is warm.

The advantage is that you can do your grocery shopping on-site. Seasonal fruits and vegetables, homemade prepared dishes, terrines, foie gras, eggs fresh that morning, honey harvested from the honeycombs, breads and sweet dough pastries, artisanal items…in other words, you’ll lack for nothing. The sites Nicely laid out in rolling fields, the sites are huge and provide a fabulous outdoors experience.

Some farmers offer access to hiking trails that allow campers to discover the backcountry, others offer discovery circuits and yet others print maps to make access to the closest lakes and rivers easy-peasy. Did we mention that the welcome is warm? Of course, it’s fascinating, as well, to chat with farmers who are truly passionate about what they do and to learn more about how products are grown or made. In short, it’s a happy time.

“It’s our first year with Terego and everything is going really well. It’s a super concept,” says Pascal Klein, owner of the business Les Canardises (featuring duck products) in Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges. “The travellers all have the same general profile: they are open, curious people who want to find out how products are made,” Pascal explains.

“It’s fairly subjective to buy a product when you don’t know what was done to it before it got to you. Here, people can find out how it all happens. We are even developing an ‘outdoors’ line for Terego. We’re going to offer cooked meals that are very easy to reheat and are made with quality products: duck tajine, tandoori, General Tao, chili, smoked meat and more.”

In short, nothing but happiness. But did we mention that already?

terego.ca

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