Alaska Al-Can Highway ?!? Workable?? - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-04-2012, 06:17 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
CallDon's Avatar
 
Name: Don
Trailer: Still deciding, but changing my mind from the Casita FD to the Lil Snoozy!
Texas
Posts: 237
Alaska Al-Can Highway ?!? Workable??

I am watching a DVD series called "America's Scenic RV Adventures" The first program is called "Alaska: RV Adventure Of A Lifetime."

Early on they mentioned that the entire highway was now paved but you still should take cautions. From the video, every highway section they showed had a paved highway, although not divided like the interstate system. Still it had WIDE sides to allow for slower traffic to pull over for others to pass.

Also, when they were headed south back into Canada, at the customs station was a Scamp going through pulled by some type of mini-van.

BTW, this is a GREAT video series if you want to "get away" with some RVers without leaving home. They are all driving BORN FREE motorhomes on the trip. I'm watching it with Netflix.

So my questions are, has anyone driven the Al-Can highway to Alaska with Fiberglass? It is as easy as they make it look? Do you sill have to take extra precautions, extra trailer and TV tires, take cautions to protect the holding tanks, etc, etc.

Looks like it would be a beautiful trip, but I'm not sure about taking a new FG trailer and TV up there from what I have heard about past trips and dangers.

Any comments about it? Would you take a brand new Scamp or Casita on that trip?

???

Thanks,

Don
__________________
Airstream FM
Beautiful Music Radio For the Internet Generation

The Don Pod
CallDon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-04-2012, 06:46 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Name: jim
Trailer: 2022 Escape19 pulled by 2014 Dodge Ram Hemi Sport
Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,710
Registry
On my "Bucket List"!
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-04-2012, 06:48 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
honda03842's Avatar
 
Name: Norm and Ginny
Trailer: Scamp 16
Florida
Posts: 7,517
Alaska

We've done the trip but not with our Scamp. However based on our trip I would say it should not be a problem.

Like all long trips, it requires preparation. Depending on the route you choose, it should be all paved except for construction zones. There are plenty of construction zones because they only have the summer to repair the roads.

The roads are decent though they sometimes slope in the wrong direction.

You can not plan on doing lower 48 state speeds in Alaska but you are there to see things not drive thru.

Of course you can also buy the fantastic guide too Alaska, the Milepost.

I'd start with really good tires, probably protect the front of my rig and protect the front and bottom of my gray tank and plan on a few months.
__________________
Norm and Ginny

2014 Honda Odyssey
1991 Scamp 16
honda03842 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-04-2012, 08:25 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Carol H's Avatar
 
Trailer: 92 16 ft Scamp
Posts: 11,756
Registry
Don, there is a previous thread here where folks who have done it gives some good info.
Carol H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-04-2012, 11:17 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
CallDon's Avatar
 
Name: Don
Trailer: Still deciding, but changing my mind from the Casita FD to the Lil Snoozy!
Texas
Posts: 237
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
Don, there is a previous thread here where folks who have done it give some good info.
Carol, I knew there had been discussions before. But I read at least three fiberglass forums and several other RV forums. It's good reading to learn from people who have been there, done that.

Thanks for the link!!

Don
__________________
Airstream FM
Beautiful Music Radio For the Internet Generation

The Don Pod
CallDon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2012, 12:13 AM   #6
Member
 
ceilityme's Avatar
 
Name: Jude
Trailer: 1973 Honey Boler...
Alberta
Posts: 42
Although I have not done the entire trip, I've done most of it and living in Edmonton, I know plenty of people who have. And... although it's not as bad as it was in the past, plan on having to replace your windshield after your trip. Unless the gods are with you, you will most likely get a few dings that'll scare the heck outta ya... It's inevitable when living with winter roads used by a plethora of big trucks.
Aside from that, it's a trip that's on my bucket list as well. It's beautiful unspoiled country and there's a lot of colour and there are many unique sites enroute to enjoy.
You'll be in wild territory. Visit tourist info booths and follow their instructions. Their are long stretches of road you don't want to be caught in the dark unaware, with a flat or whatnot, not that it gets dark for very long.
Hope you have a great trip.
ceilityme is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2012, 12:16 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Name: Dave
Trailer: ,Bigfoot 25 foot plus Surfside 14 foot
British Columbia
Posts: 1,148
Quote:
Originally Posted by ceilityme View Post
not that it gets dark for very long.
.
In the summer! In Winter it does not get LIGHT for very long!
BCDave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2012, 12:30 AM   #8
Member
 
ceilityme's Avatar
 
Name: Jude
Trailer: 1973 Honey Boler...
Alberta
Posts: 42
Only the brave would go camping in the dark of winter... lol
ceilityme is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2012, 08:53 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
honda03842's Avatar
 
Name: Norm and Ginny
Trailer: Scamp 16
Florida
Posts: 7,517
One thing that surprised us is that there are virtually no 18 wheelers on the road to Alaska, actually relatively little traffic and I suspect there will be less considering gas prices. (I did notice that Alaska gas prices were no more than CA prices on Gas Buddy.)

We never drove at night and usually stopped early because there's just so much to see that's outside of our experiences.

We did take three windshield hits. Most of these hits are repairable and actually on our trip there were people parked here and there to repair the typical minor dings.

Alaska's a different kind of place and well worth a visit.
__________________
Norm and Ginny

2014 Honda Odyssey
1991 Scamp 16
honda03842 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2012, 11:52 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Trailer: 2000 Burro 17 ft / 2001 Toyota Tundra V8 2wd
Posts: 339
Registry
I drove from California to Alaska almost 2 years ago. Technically it's all paved, but there is a great deal of road construction that goes on during the short summer months. So you do end up driving quite a bit on roads where the top layer has been removed, or driving on freshly tarred roads, roads with bad frost heaves, etc. My trailer got a bunch of little pits in the front from the flying gravel. The worst was the fresh tar, I thought it was mud until I got home and it took me hours to remove the dried tar with orange oil based cleaner. I would recommend coating the lower front of your trailer with wax, or Pam, anything that will keep tar from sticking to make cleanup easier.
ThomasE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2012, 12:34 PM   #11
Moderator
 
Frederick L. Simson's Avatar
 
Trailer: Fiber Stream 1978 / Honda Odyssey LX 2003
Posts: 8,222
Registry
Send a message via AIM to Frederick L. Simson
Talking

Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasE View Post
I would recommend coating the lower front of your trailer with wax, or Pam, anything that will keep tar from sticking to make cleanup easier.
This sounds like a post for the Camp Cooking, Food & Recipes forum. (sorry; I couldn't help myself)
__________________
Frederick - The Scaleman
Frederick L. Simson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2012, 01:33 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Trailer: 2000 Burro 17 ft / 2001 Toyota Tundra V8 2wd
Posts: 339
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson View Post
This sounds like a post for the Camp Cooking, Food & Recipes forum. (sorry; I couldn't help myself)
I can't take credit for that idea, I read it somewhere and it works. Any non-stick cooking spray will keep bugs and tar from sticking, and it's easy to wash off with soap and water.
ThomasE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2012, 08:24 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Mike Magee's Avatar
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: 2012 Escape 19
Oklahoma
Posts: 6,021
Use Pam, and even the highway construction workers will slip off without sticking...
Mike Magee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2012, 01:20 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
David and Nancy's Avatar
 
Trailer: Bigfoot 21.5 ft (25B21RB)
Posts: 309
In 2004 I was living in Alaska and decided to buy a new Casita. I drove all the way to the factory in Texas to get it. So the first trip the trailer was on was up the Alaska Highway, right out of the factory. I didn't take any special precautions and had no serious problems. It is a fully paved highway, except for the construction zones noted by others on this thread. In the spring there are a lot of frost heaves and potholes in some areas, especially in the Yukon Territory. A couple of years later I moved back to the lower 48 and again had no real issues pulling the Casita. Anybody that wants to make the trip should just quit worrying about the what-ifs and go for it. You might get a gravel ding or two, but it's worth it.
David and Nancy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-13-2012, 05:40 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Name: Bob Ruggles
Trailer: 2015 Escape
Michigan
Posts: 1,537
We made three trips to Alaska in a pickup camper. we got a broken window in the camper cabover. Happened in Montana. At Tok, I backed into a timber retaining wall and broke one of the camper jacks loose. Tho only issues we had unless you call squashed bugs and a lot of mud from construction. On all three trips we saw about everything there is in the way of camping including motorcycles with tents to huge trailers and motorhomes. I'd go again with our Egg Camper but my wife says three is enough. Go & have fun.
rgrugg is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Alaska highway info needed ThomasE General Chat 7 01-11-2010 11:27 AM
BC Highway 97 ronsmith100 General Chat 8 05-18-2009 08:10 PM
Alaska Highway LauraW Camping, Campout Reports 16 04-23-2007 11:29 AM
Alaska Highway David and Nancy Camping, Campout Reports 36 06-10-2006 10:33 AM
Alaska Highway General Chat 0 01-01-1970 12:00 AM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:13 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.