Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Airstream has long been famous for its classic shiny camper trailers that can be parked along the smooth dirt driving paths of campsites that have hook-ups for electricity and plumbing. But now it has come out with its four-wheel-drive off-road camper van for those who want to get even further off the beaten path.
With the Interstate 24X, Airstream is venturing into territory that was, up to now, mostly occupied by start-ups that specialize in making campers for overlanding and boondocking. This means real wilderness camping, which has gained in popularity during the Covid pandemic.
With a starting price of about $214,000, the Interstate 24X has knobby off-road tires and all-wheel-drive, allowing it to crawl along muddy rutted trails with less chance of getting stuck. Its sheer size -- as the name implies, it's 24 feet long -- could prevent it from getting too deep into the woods, but it's designed to venture further into the forests or deserts than Airstream's other camper vans.
Airstream has recently started offering off-road capable trailers, like the Basecamp 20X and 16X, but those are designed to be towed behind other vehicles. There are other Airstream camper vans, like the Interstate 24GT and 24GL, but the Interstate 24X is Airstream's first to offer four-wheel-drive.
Like the other Airstream Interstate models, the 24X is based on a diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. It has comfortable bed space for two adults -- four people could fit in a pinch -- and seats as many as six.
In designing the interior, a lot of attention was paid to storage, according to Airstream. A track-like storage system along the walls, ceiling and floor allows for hanging and securing gear with straps.
The on-board bathroom also "features amenities that surpass the minimalist setup you find in most adventure vans on the market," according to Airstream. For instance, it has heated floor, a clothesline, and vanity mirror. The van also has a small kitchen with a two-burner cooktop and a microwave oven.
For living off the grid, the van comes with lithium batteries to power accessories and has solar panels to charge them. There are also extra inputs for more solar panels on the outside, and the van comes with a gasoline-powered electrical generator.
For remote work, the van is equipped with a 5G-ready cellular antenna. There are four mounts for removable tables. One mount allows a table to be used as a standing desk outside.
For driving into unlit off-road areas, the van sports a 3.5-foot light bar above the windshield. There are also other lights around the outside of the van for use at the campsite.
Camping became more popular during the pandemic, resulting in an increase in RV sales which had previously been declining. Airstream's parent company, Thor Industries, which also owns Jayco, Keystone, Heartland and other RV companies, said it has a $14.3 billion backlog of orders. That's about a year's worth of production for Thor's companies, an Airstream spokesman said. Airstream said its first Interstate 24X van orders should be completed by this fall, though.
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.