fotoman54 wrote:

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Hi All,

     This is our first trip to Alaska ................ If there is something else I should know please feel free to add it to this post.

Safe Travels All

Rob

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 Yes.......Don't go now. It's WAY to cold up here.

REALLY?? Guess I gotta go there too.

I would for sure want more than 36 gallons of fuel. Personally, I'd add a 50 gallon tank behind the cab - it would be convenient in the lower 48 too, but cans would work, although inconvenient.

Rob:

Here’s our opinion having done Alaska and the Canadian NWT.  I would NOT go on that trip with 36 gallons of fuel.  A friend who was with us almost ran out with 36 gallons.

Now, you can take three or four containers of diesel totaling maybe 20 gallons or so and that will probably be OK.

Here’s why:  First, while 36 gallons will probably be OK, our trip one of the guys with only 36 gallons came within one gallon of running out because the station(s) he planned to use were closed or simply out of fuel.  Second, there may be fuel but because of the location, like Muncho Lake, it could be extremely expensive and if you could go another 150 miles there was much less expensive and plentiful fuel.

We went with 84 gallons and were able to follow the Alaska rule of thumb, never get below a half a tank.  In my case I know I would have run out with only 36 gallons on both trips.

I’d put in at least a 50 gallon aux tank.  You won’t regret it and you’ll be surprised how much nicer travel is when you don’t have to fill up every day even in the US.

Do make sure you have at least one spare tire for the truck and trailer as was mentioned AND have the proper equipment to change a tire on the trailer and know how to do it.  Also, my opinion, if you don’t have “H” tires on the rig, put them on before you go.  You will not regret it.  “H” will hold up and the “G” tires won’t nearly as well.  Again, seen this on numerous occasions as we were fine with “H” and the guys with “G’s” had to replace them on the trip.

No, you don’t have to put food that is in the fridge in metal containers.  Just don’t leave food outside the rig.  That’s the deal.  You also need to become familiar with what food you can take across the border into Canada and also into the US.  Remember, Alaska is the US and the US is picky about what food you can bring in from Canada.

Take general spare parts for the rig and truck.  Like a water pump for the rig, fuses, light bulbs, “fan” belt, fuel filter for truck, oil filter, battery charger for the rig, jumper cables, duct tape.  Simple stuff that can be hard to obtain depending on location.  Think about the simple, but killer items, like your rig water pump. That goes out and you’re kind of stuck.

PM me if you want more info based on our experiences.

Bill

Get the Toursaver book before going since they normally have some deals in Canada, http://www.toursaver.com/.   I also recommend the Church's Alaska camping book, it is unbiased on camping (Milepost costs the campgrounds money), and also has free places and dumps stations listed - http://www.rollinghomes.com/alaska%20book.htm.  

Red - you made me laugh when you mentioned bear bells. I worked for several summers in Glacier Park years ago while in college. We referred to those bells as "dinner bells"

MarkS wrote:

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...Take a wench, in case the DW doesn't like the chains....

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 If you take a wench, I'm sure the DW won't even be thinking about the chains... jes sayin'

What dates do people usually go up to Alaska? I always thought people go up there during "HOT" summer not winter.

I see a lot heading up in late May, most in early June. You can find quite a few blogs about making the trip all over the interweb. Tons of solid information. If you couple that with the input you get here, you can have a safe and fun trip. I believe it is reasonably easy to find someone going at the same time and run together with them.

We were gone for 3 months and could have easily stayed for a 4th. There is so much to see and do in not only Alaska but BC and the Yukon as well.

I would recommend May thru Sept depending on the weather conditions.

-- Edited by dianneandsteve on Friday 7th of February 2014 11:56:11 AM

Some people head up about mid-May, but find lakes still frozen over if they go too fast. By the first week of September it is a good idea to be heading south, Haines and Skagway are still good as is Whitehorse, then. By mid-September I would want to be to Transcanada 16, or further south.

I recommend taking the Alaska highway north and Cassiar south. The bears are not in Hyder AK/Stewart BC until late July. If you have ideas about visiting the Canadian Rockies, it is better later than earlier. In May and into June the national parks are not fully open, but in September they are. The Canadian Rockies are easy to get to for a separate one to three week trip another year, and well worth visiting.

If you can't make the full Alaska trip I recommend going to Hyder AK/Stewart BC in August or early September. 900 miles from the border, bears, glaciers, seafood, a taste of the full trip, and it can be done in two weeks.

Times of year to go:

Some of this naturally depends on where you are coming from in the states. Coming from the east or generally the mid-west  you can have a lot of bad weather just getting there to get started.   “There” to me is Dawson Creek which is where the Alcan begins officially.  From Dawson Creek it is still almost 1,200 miles to the Alaska border and then 100 miles or so to Tok, Alaska, the first significant “wide place in the road” as my traveling Mother used to say.

IMO, based on our trips up that way, if you get to Dawson Creek about the second week of June or so that’s about right.  Just remember it is 750 miles from Sweetgrass, Montana, one of the border cross over points, to Dawson Creek.  All very good roads by the way.  But sometimes getting to Sweetgrass in early May could be “interesting.”

We agree, you need at least 3 odd months for the whole trip including coming from most places in the US unless you are pretty close to the Alberta / British Columbia area to start with.

I would be back in the states by early October if not a bit sooner.  Again based on our experience.  There is a lot of land to cover where weather can develop.

I agree with Bill J’s routes up and then coming back down the Cassiar Hiway via Prince George, Japer National Park and onto the Ice Fields Parkway.  Arguably one of the most fantastic drives in the world.  Boondocking by a glacier is kind of cool for example.

Our perspective

B & L

Drive slow and you will be fine. The people with problems are the ones who think they can drive as fast and far as they do in the lower 48. There are areas of Yukon and Alaska, frost heave and construction, where 30 mph is fast. Some days 200 miles is a long trip. I know multiple people, with nice RVs, who travel to Alaska yearly or every couple years and have no damage. We are driving the same motorhome we took up in 2006. We would not hesitate to take it back to Alaska.

bjoyce wrote:

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Drive slow and you will be fine. The people with problems are the ones who think they can drive as fast and far as they do in the lower 48. There are areas of Yukon and Alaska, frost heave and construction, where 30 mph is fast. Some days 200 miles is a long trip. I know multiple people, with nice RVs, who travel to Alaska yearly or every couple years and have no damage. We are driving the same motorhome we took up in 2006. We would not hesitate to take it back to Alaska.

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I really agree with this.  You do have to completely re-calibrate your travel time thinking for a lot of reasons.  One is to stop and look around. It takes, IMO, about 3 months including travel time from the US to the starting point.

You can make really good time up until about Fort Nelson, IMO.  Then things start getting more interesting.  Not bad, interesting.

BTW, we plan to take the NH Majestic to Alaska in 2015. Plans already made. We were going this year with the Escalade but the NH "got in the way."  We’ll see, but every time I think about not going we see some documentary and see pictures of places we’ve been and say, “Gotta go back.”

Don’t discount Canada as well.  Half the beauty of the trip is the drive up the Alcan, most of which is in Canada, and back down the Ice Fields Parkway.

You will love it and the people.

Bill

I realized I wanted to make another comment. Most of the bad press on the trip to Alaska comes from people who took a caravan. The caravans do the trip in 30 to 45 days to and from Dawson Creek and/or Prince George BC. The two cities are about 250 miles apart on Transcanada 16, a good road you can drive like you are in the lower 48. That is way too fast and they are on a schedule, so if it rains you still take the Top of the World Highway, instead of waiting a couple days. I do not recommend taking a caravan to Alaska, it will tire you out and not leave the best impression.

Go up on your own or with casual groupings with friends. I say, "casual groupings", since it is best to not be tied to each other unless your interests and travel styles are known to be compatible. If someone likes to leave at 7AM and another at 10AM, there will be issues. If someone has to stop at every gift shop and another doesn't, there will be issues. If someone has to try every giant cinnamon roll on the route and another doesn't or can't for health reasons, there will be issues. Some friends went with a small group and the group insisted on ground rules. One person insisted that if someone wants to eat out, everyone would go. Turns out she didn't cook, so they ate out every night and those roadhouses in Canada can charge a lot for basic food. Our friends had a packed refrigerator and could not eat it all before it spoiled.  When they got to Alaska only two couples wanted to fish, so the group broke up anyway.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Saturday 8th of February 2014 10:16:34 AM

Bill: What you are talking about is an alternative to a normal commercial caravan. I have no problem with it and was no way being critical of that kind of travel.  

Dennis and Carol Hill go up about every other year and lead a group they call the Loosey Goosey Gang, http://rvdrivingschool.blogspot.com/ . It is more loose than what you are talking about, but it is also free.  They keep wanting us to go with them and we would, if we could.  

bjoyce wrote:

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Bill: What you are talking about is an alternative to a normal commercial caravan. I have no problem with it and was no way being critical of that kind of travel.  

Dennis and Carol Hill go up about every other year and lead a group they call the Loosey Goosey Gang, http://rvdrivingschool.blogspot.com/ . It is more loose than what you are talking about, but it is also free.  They keep wanting us to go with them and we would, if we could.  

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Exactly!  I actually prefer to go with a group if that group is not doing it “just for the money.”  I want people who are considering the trip to have options in case they may feel uneasy or intimated by the trip.  Frankly, from our home base it was a total of miles 11,400 towing miles and when we found a small, personally run “caravan” who would take care of all the reservations and make sure we always had a place to stop we thought it would make the trip more enjoyable.  It did. All I had to do was drive, look out the window, stop and say WOW!  When we arrived at the campground I knew there was a space big enough for the 39’ 5er.  I didn’t even have to stop at the office.  We just got directed right to the site.

For some, not all, we think this is a great option to do Alaska, at least the first time and see more than you might otherwise.

BTW, for those considering such a trip, let me quickly add the solo trip from the Sweetgrass, Montana border, or almost any border crossing in the west to Dawson Creek, is like driving in the US. Except for the “funny” speed limit signs (they’re in kilometers) you hardly know you aren’t in the US road wise.  It is very safe.  I have never felt uneasy in Canada and we’ve been through a lot of it.  Enjoy.

B & L

Bill and Linda wrote:

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Now, I do offer the following suggestions:  If you are going to travel, as you guys actually are; I would consider two things:  Put on a MOR/ryde IS before you go and put on G114 “H” tires.  The MS is your home and that would give it, IMO, a much better ride for the trip as well as in the US, be much safer and the tires will last at least 45,000 miles and won’t blow out. (We were on our second set of “H” tires when traded and I changed them at 42,000 but they didn’t need it. Had other reasons.)  But you know how I feel about these two upgrades for people who travel.  Worth every dime, IMO.

Happy to give any other info you may desire.  Looking forward to seeing all three of you at the Rally.

B & L

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Looking forward to seeing you both at the rally as well!

I've been to Alaska 3x, all were fishing trips to Kenai and none were by RV. My next trip will hopefully be via RV and will be more for sightseeing...although we might have to accidentally pass through Kenai :)

Thanks for the information. I'm encouraged by what you and bjoyce wrote. We are considering 2016 for Alaska. I have "J" tires now so they should be good, though they may need replaced by then.

I have the Trail Air c/p suspension right now and am not likely to change that any time soon, though I'd prefer the MOR/ryde IS.

 

In the humor department about when not to go to Alaska:

I noticed this post on a truck forum from a guy with a diesel truck going up the Alcan.  Some of these towns were mentioned in this thread.  Tok is the first town in Alaska on the Alcan.  Just got a chuckle out of it.  Maybe you will.

“I recently came up the Alaska Highway, cold front on, 5W/40 Rotella T6 synthetic and had filled my DEF in Idaho before heading north. Ran many days at -20F and some areas in Canada around FT Nelson and Watson Lake at -31F. I am sure the DEF tank froze as parked at motels and plugged in for say 10 - 12 hours. I did lay over an extra day to avoid -49F in Tok, AK.”