Camping with the Coles

Camping with the Coles Follow the adventures of Cheryl and Ben Coles as they review Ontario Provincial Parks

Realtime update #4 - well...the adventure continues. On the positive side of things we made it for 4 nights in and 5 ...
09/04/2026

Realtime update #4 - well...the adventure continues. On the positive side of things we made it for 4 nights in and 5 nights in . We're now in Edmonton back near our daughter's house in Gerry Patsula RV Park (parking lot in the city). Prior to Jasper we got the truck serviced in Edmonton and we thought it was finally fixed. Well, 87km later we had a "service engine soon" warning come up and it went back into reduced power mode or limp mode. So for the entire time in Jasper and Banff we dealt with truck issues, having to pull over and restart the truck to get it working properly. We arrived back in Edmonton yesterday and brought the truck back into . The diagnosis - it needs a new turbo and cam. They can start work on it on Tuesday and they hope to have it completed Wednesday. So, we are having an unexpected extended stay in Edmonton. More time with our daughters, son-in-law and son. We're not wanting to spend 5 nights in this parking lot so we went online in a quest to find an available campsite on this labour day weekend. After many searches and inquires we got the last site at the KOA. Full hook-ups for a little pampering on what has turned out to be a very stressful trip. HOPEFULLY this is the last Ford dealership we have to visit on this trip. We'll be glad to get home from this one.

We camped at Charleston Lake Provincial Park from July 26th to the 29th, 2026. This is our kind of park with nice trails...
08/29/2026

We camped at Charleston Lake Provincial Park from July 26th to the 29th, 2026. This is our kind of park with nice trails, great paddling and nice cycling around the campground. We had a little encounter with some bandits in the night but that was our fault for leaving the cooler outside. Join us on YouTube as we explore this park https://youtu.be/UV7lFZeqX1o
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Real time update #3 - the adventure out west continues! As we were entering Manitoba the truck showed the same "Powertr...
08/24/2026

Real time update #3 - the adventure out west continues! As we were entering Manitoba the truck showed the same "Powertrain Malfunction - Reduced Power" alert, ughh. Back into limp mode. We pulled over and turned the truck off, let it rest a minute or two and turned it back on and the alerts were gone and full power restored. We continue trying to make it to Winnipeg where there are multiple Ford dealerships. We had to repeat the alert process 7 or 8 times to Winnipeg. Saturday morning we went to Vickar Ford and they were amazing. They took pity on us and got us in immediately and diagnosed the problem. Turbo needs a new wastegate actuator. None in stock and will take a few days. The head mechanic explained what was happening and said we are good to continue on our journey rebooting the truck as needed. We called ahead to an Edmonton Ford dealership. They got the part and scheduled us for service Tuesday morning. We cancelled our first night in Jasper. We limped into Edmonton last night (Sunday) Hopefully the problem gets fixed tomorrow once and for all!
In the same tone of this trip, our daughter, Allison, flying from Toronto to Edmonton last night was delayed in the Toronto security line with a dozen others causing them to miss boarding the plane. Luckily (for her) there was a passenger security issue on the plane while still at the gate and a passenger had to be removed, causing the plane to be delayed and allowing the dozen people that missed boarding to be able to board. She made it to Edmonton!
We're staying in a city park that offers electric RV connections. It's 3 minutes from our daughters house.
The adventure continues...

Thanks everyone for your well wishes. We truly appreciate it. You guys are the best!!As of this morning things were look...
08/21/2026

Thanks everyone for your well wishes. We truly appreciate it. You guys are the best!!
As of this morning things were looking grim. Then, a couple hours later came through for us. They were able to fix the problem! 🎉🎉 Westword bound we go 🤞🤞😊

Here's a photo with Wayne a viewer from Fort Frances. He stopped by to visit us at our makeshift campsite as we were ready to head out!

08/20/2026

Real time update number 2


Real time update. We're on our way out west. The plan was to be in Winnipeg tonight but that's not happening. We're in F...
08/19/2026

Real time update. We're on our way out west. The plan was to be in Winnipeg tonight but that's not happening. We're in Fort Frances, ON, with truck trouble. We're hoping that can come through for us and save our trip! In the mean time, we're camping out in the back of the collision center making the most of it, doing some laundry at the close by laundromat.

We camped at Sandbanks Provincial Park from July 23rd to the 26th, 2026. This is the top beach park in Ontario Parks but...
08/15/2026

We camped at Sandbanks Provincial Park from July 23rd to the 26th, 2026. This is the top beach park in Ontario Parks but it's more than just a beach park. We enjoyed cycling, hiking and paddling in the park. Jax really enjoyed the two dog beaches. We also explored a bit of the incredible Prince Edward County by going to one of the many wineries, a market and grabbing some fish & chips. Check out the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/wgVTOuMoMh0

We camped at Port Burwell Provincial Park from June 25th to the 28th, 2026. Our first time camping here was in 2021 duri...
08/01/2026

We camped at Port Burwell Provincial Park from June 25th to the 28th, 2026. Our first time camping here was in 2021 during season 3 of our park reviews and it was a whole lot of mud. We knew we had to come back to see this beautiful park in the sunshine. It did not disappoint! Jax loved the dog beach, playing with so many new friends. We toured the HMCS Ojibwa cold war era submarine in the town of Port Burwell and while in town we had a great meal and ice cream. Join us in exploring this park. https://youtu.be/RASXGrPq1XQ

Elgin County Tourism
Simply Scoops
Port Burwell Provincial Park
Invasive Species Centre

We camped at Falls Reserve Conservation Area from June 10th to the 14th, 2026. It's a well cared for park near the beaut...
07/18/2026

We camped at Falls Reserve Conservation Area from June 10th to the 14th, 2026. It's a well cared for park near the beautiful town of Goderich, Ontario. We explored the park and the falls and went to a nearby winery. Watch our YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/o3sTwzoUj7A


2nd Streetlight Estate Winery

Address

7-871 Victoria Street N. Suite 185
Kitchener, ON
N2B3S4

Website

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