Welcome to this forum.  I understand your view at 100%, I'm from the Province of Quebec and know exactly what you mean by cold winter.  Back in 1989 I've lived in St-Albert near Edmonton and I still remember that if you forget to plug your car = forget about going to work the next morning.  Wish you good luck, in our case it will be sept 2015 to hit the road full time and be snowbird.

Jean

Debbie:

Welcome indeed.  You live in one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited: “Wild Rose Country.”  But best to visit there in the summer and fall.  Right on about the winters.  Alberta, BC, Yukon Territory and NWT have some of the friendliest people we have ever met. We always enjoy being up there and you're always welcome down here.

Bill

MarkS wrote:

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 Western Canada? {perk}. You betcha, I'll be coming for info. I plan on spending some time up there for sure. I'm planning on doing the ice roads in my fifth wheel. Unfortunately, my wife is not.

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Mark:

We did the “Ice Roads” to Yellowknife and Inuvik and others as well.  While not “recommended” for the faint of tires, or mud and rocks, you will enjoy the adventure.  It is an adventure once you leave the Alcan Highway.  BTW, be sure and have the capability to fill your fresh water tank either by gravity or a pump.  Many of the Provincial Parks only have gravity fed water tanks.  So we had to carry the water in 6-7 gallon containers and in our case pump it into the freshwater tank.

You’re an old pro at this, but based on our and others direct experience I also recommend “H” (such as G114) tires on the trailer.  The “E” and “G” tires that came on rigs were blowing and wearing out like crazy. Our “H” had a lot of rock cuts but came through without issue.  After Whitehorse, YT, not a lot of tires available up the Dempster Highway for trailers. Your tractor will naturally be just fine.  Fuel is expensive, but available and I’m sure you have big saddle tanks anyway.  With 90 gallons we were fine without concern.

The only real concern is getting on and off the ferries. (Lots of those)  Those of us with 4 wheel drive were good.  But the 2 wheel drive tractors and pickups were known to get stuck more than once on the approaches and even in the campgrounds.  One Freightliner needed a CAT D-9 Dozer to pull him out with his 36 foot 5er. 

Interesting trip – my Linda was a trouper and said, “Let’s do it! So we did.

Bill

MarkS wrote:

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Bill, HDT translates to "stuck" in several languages. With 9000 to 11000 pounds on the front axle, you have to choose where you go carefully. Even with a Smart loaded (1700 pounds) and a heavy 5er (4000 pounds of tongue weight) that is about 6000 pounds on axles that legally carry 34,000 pounds. That equals no traction. I need a winch!

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Oh yea.  Back when – I was being led by a kind of non-informed person as I was driving the TV remote truck down into position on the Walt Disney World Golf Course.  I told him it wasn’t a good idea to take me down a wet fairway.  But he did anyway.  You know what those locked rear axle dual tandems did to that pretty grass after they got stuck.  Tried to tell him – but we digress.