RV & Oversized Vehicle Space: Tsawwassen ⇄ Duke Point
If you tow, this is the route to check first. Duke Point is built around commercial traffic — the ships and both terminals are laid out for semi-trailers — so an RV, a fifth-wheel or a truck with a boat fits the flow here rather than fighting it.
That does not make oversized space unlimited. It sells out on peak weekends like everywhere else. But it is frequently the last place over-height space survives once the other three routes are gone, which makes it the most useful page on this site to set an oversized alert from.
The most RV-friendly route to the Island. Set a free alert on the oversized pool and catch the next opening.
Watch Tsawwassen → Duke Point Watch Duke Point → TsawwassenWhy oversized space goes first
The overflow route, which is also its weakness
Duke Point absorbs what Departure Bay cannot. When Horseshoe Bay sells out its over-height space for a summer weekend, the trailers and campers that missed it come here, so oversized demand arrives in a second wave rather than steadily. The route is usually the last to sell out and, on a bad weekend, sells out anyway — just later than the others.
Fewer daily departures than the Victoria run
The crossing is longer and the schedule thinner, so each sailing matters more. Missing an oversized spot here often means a wait measured in hours rather than one departure, which is why catching a released reservation is worth an automatic alert rather than manual checking.
Is your vehicle oversized?
The threshold is the same as everywhere in the system: over 7'2" / 2.18 m tall or over 20' / 6.1 m long books as oversized. Fifth-wheels, Class A and Class C motorhomes, and anything with a trailer behind it are over the line without needing to be measured.
Being the oversized-friendly route does not make the declaration optional. Book the size you are actually driving; on a peak sailing the over-height space is allocated, not improvised.
The full rules, and what they mean for fares and loading, are in the BC Ferries oversized vehicle guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Duke Point better than Departure Bay for an RV?
Usually, yes. Both serve Nanaimo, but Duke Point's ships and terminals are designed around large commercial vehicles, so over-height space is easier to get and easier to use. It is the first alternative to check when Departure Bay oversized is gone.
Duke Point oversized is sold out for my date. What now?
Set an alert on the sailing you want and check Departure Bay in parallel. The two routes rarely sell out at exactly the same pace, and cancellations release back into the pool right up to departure.
How long is the Tsawwassen to Duke Point crossing?
About two hours, longer than the Departure Bay run, with a thinner schedule. Factor that into which sailing you set an alert on — missing one costs more time here.
Do fifth-wheels and Class A motorhomes need an oversized reservation?
Yes. Anything over 7'2" tall or 20' long books as oversized, which covers essentially every motorhome and every towed combination.
Does FerryHawk track oversized space on this route?
Yes, separately from standard vehicles and in both directions. Set the alert for the vehicle you are actually driving and the text arrives when over-height space opens.