Keeping dust out of trailer on gravel roads

[Doggonehappy1]

Hi there,
We are preparing for an Arctic Circle trip this summer covering both the Dempster Highway and the Haul Road to Prudeau Bay. Both gravel roads.
We will be pulling our Parkliner and read somewhere that if you crack a vent inside the trailer it creates a pressure draw so no dust gets in. Does this make sense?
We are conserned about road dust and dirt coming in all the vents.
Anybody have any tips?

Thanks,
Ross and Beth

[Raspy]

I don't know of any vents that can be opened that won't either cause a vacuum that allows dust in, or just scoop it in right there.

One way I have heard about is to put a fan on a vent and force air in to pressurize the trailer, and have all of the air going to the fan, go through an air filter. This way you get filtered air and a slightly pressurized trailer. Air leaks out of any holes, instead of air and dust leaking in.

[Doggonehappy1]

Thanks Raspy. That makes sense. I will think about that. I’m guessing that dust through the vents is not a big problem since not much response. That’s a good thing. [emoji4]

[Jack L]

In 1987 I drove the Haul Road to the Arctic Circle. It may be different today, but back then, the "dust" thrown up by tractor trailers going the opposite direction consisted of rocks the size, shape and color of cantaloupe. The road was very wide and the trucks went extremely fast. The truckers seemed to take great sport in making it as difficult on tourists as humanly possible.

Many vehicles, especially class A motor homes had a framework of metal pipe covered with wire mesh to prevent the bigger rocks from hitting the very large and expensive windshield. For sure' if I was doing this trip, I would protect the radiator and headlights with some sort of screen guard and I would protect the front of the trailer from stone damage.

I did have a very large rock the size of a cantaloupe land smack dab in the center of the hood of the Ford Taurus I had rented, but surprisingly, there was no damage.

If I ever get back to Alaska again I would not try this again. The scenery was less han exciting. Things may be different today.

[Jack L]

As an afterthought, and noticing you live in Maryland, if you are not already in Alaska, or at least close to Alaska now, you need to consider that by the time you get there, summer will be almost over.

If I do a trailer trip to Alaska in the next few years, and I hope I do, I would plan on arriving in Alaska the end of May and departing the end of August. 3 months is not anywhere long enough to see everything, but Alaska summer starts Memorial day and ends Labor day. Before or after that. the weather can be poor. It is a great trip, but having plenty of time to see and do everything you want to do is critical.

[Doggonehappy1]

Thanks for all the advise and experience sharing Jack. We are leaving MD in about a week, doing the fall end rather than the spring. It’s a bucket list trip for my husband, who has been there many times but mostly flying in small planes for work. I really don’t want to wreck our sweet trailer or be jostled to death so he may leave me and the trailer in a campground while he travels the gravel roads of the Dempster and the Dalton.

[k corbin]

Take along a portable vacuum cleaner that has a cyclone type of suction action and keep on top of things. It can be a rechargeable one, there are some strong ones around nowadays. The ones with washable filters make sense and make sure it does not need bags.



The place the dust could become a problem is it getting inside of the fridge and water heater vents and the heater exhaust as well. So be sure to open them and frequently vacuum in those areas as well as cleaning the living space. You can get one of the micro cleaning accessory kits for the vacuum, it has small tubes and brushes that will fit into little areas.


Put "dust covers" on the cushions, then you can take them outside to shake them off instead of having the dust penetrate into the cushion fabric and on into the foam as well.

If you have trouble with dust getting into the drawers and cabinets then you need to install some thin, soft foam weather stripping on the inside edges of the doors and drawer fronts to seal out the dust.

Also be sure to take along a couple of extra air filters for the car engine as well as the cabin filter for the cars interior blower. But them from an auto parts store or the car dealer while you are still passing through major metropolitan areas or order them from online before you leave on your trip.

[charlsara]

A friend of mine made several trips to Alaska during the 70’s and 80’s.He camped in the back of a pickup truck with a homemade camper cover. He mounted a car air filter with a heater fan blowing through it. That kept it pressurized enough to keep the dust out. It worked well. He still has the vehicle.

[charlsara]

Here it is

[Doggonehappy1]

Originally Posted by k corbin

Take along a portable vacuum cleaner that has a cyclone type of suction action and keep on top of things. It can be a rechargeable one, there are some strong ones around nowadays. The ones with washable filters make sense and make sure it does not need bags.



The place the dust could become a problem is it getting inside of the fridge and water heater vents and the heater exhaust as well. So be sure to open them and frequently vacuum in those areas as well as cleaning the living space. You can get one of the micro cleaning accessory kits for the vacuum, it has small tubes and brushes that will fit into little areas.


Put "dust covers" on the cushions, then you can take them outside to shake them off instead of having the dust penetrate into the cushion fabric and on into the foam as well.

If you have trouble with dust getting into the drawers and cabinets then you need to install some thin, soft foam weather stripping on the inside edges of the doors and drawer fronts to seal out the dust.

Also be sure to take along a couple of extra air filters for the car engine as well as the cabin filter for the cars interior blower. But them from an auto parts store or the car dealer while you are still passing through major metropolitan areas or order them from online before you leave on your trip.

Thank you. Great ideas!

[Doggonehappy1]

Originally Posted by charlsara

Here it isAttachment 130642

Now THAT is original and truly so cool. Great pic! Thanks for sharing.

[TZBrown]

We went there in July 2015, the road to Deadhorse was very good.

That being said there were some days that were dusty and others that were muddy.

We spent a month just in Alaska and drove every road that could be driven without a ferry ride. It was a great trip and we will do it again soon.

Don't sweat the dust or the mud, it can all be cleaned up after, go and enjoy the adventure

Link to our trip album
https://www.flickr.com/photos/568443...57661434359175

[thrifty bill]

I would be much more concerned about gravel and rocks damaging your FG trailer. Dirt cleans up relatively easily.

Personally, I would either leave the trailer in Fairbanks or Coldfoot and then drive the rest of the way with your TV.

On the trip up, the Alcan itself was in remarkably good condition last August, but it can change every year.


Don't feel like you have to pack everything in Alaska into this one trip. I've been there five times, and I will probably go back again.

[Franswa]

IME what you really have to guard against is dust entering the trailer through poorly sealed openings (vents, access panels or windows) on the REAR FACE of the trailer (where negative air pressure occurs while you are driving down the road)
In my case there is a large window at the back that doubles as an emergency exit (does not seal well at all because of that)....so if I'm going to drive on a logging road I'll tape up where the window meets the frame


the dust that comes in the fridge vent or heater vent (on the sides of trailer) and lays there does not affect the operation of either and can get cleaned up at the end of the trip or season

[David B.]

We did the trip last year (spent 3 monthe there) and had no problem with dust entering our Lil Snoozy, nor did we need to replace any air filters on the tow vehicle. You should tape some yoga mats or similar protection to the front of your Parkliner to protect from the many rocks that end up hitting the front.
Happy Trails
Dave & Paula

[Doggonehappy1]

Thank you David. May husband is doing that right now [emoji1303]

[Doggonehappy1]

Thank you Franswa. We will tape the back window. [emoji1303]

[Brooks Wade]

We recently towed our 13’ Scamp to McCarthy, Alaska. This is a 60 mile gravel road similar to the Dalton Highway (haul road). Here is a list of damage to the Scamp.

Broken shower pan pump.
Broken grey water tank.
Three broken cabinet mounting bolts.
Front bathroom door separated from piano hinge.
Shredded tire/bent rim.
Missing trailer dump hose.

Our Scamp has made 11 round trips on the Alaska Highway and never had that much damage.

We have hunted the Dalton Highway many times and it is uniquely beautiful, but I would never tow our Scamp on that road.

Gravel roads are o.k. if you drive about 20 mph. But driving that slow on the Dalton will get you a lot of aggressive behavior from truck drivers.

Also, do not be North of Atigun Pass after September 1. See photo taken September 4, 2014.

Enjoy your trip, but leave the trailer in Fairbanks.

[Jack L]

Originally Posted by Brooks Wade

We recently towed our 13’ Scamp to McCarthy, Alaska. This is a 60 mile gravel road similar to the Dalton Highway (haul road). Here is a list of damage to the Scamp.

Broken shower pan pump.
Broken grey water tank.
Three broken cabinet mounting bolts.
Front bathroom door separated from piano hinge.
Shredded tire/bent rim.
Missing trailer dump hose.

Our Scamp has made 11 round trips on the Alaska Highway and never had that much damage.

We have hunted the Dalton Highway many times and it is uniquely beautiful, but I would never tow our Scamp on that road.

Gravel roads are o.k. if you drive about 20 mph. But driving that slow on the Dalton will get you a lot of aggressive behavior from truck drivers.

Also, do not be North of Atigun Pass after September 1. See photo taken September 4, 2014.

Enjoy your trip, but leave the trailer in Fairbanks.

^^^^^^^^^ Follow Brooks advice!

For those of you that are considering a trailer trip to Alaska, there is a significant difference between the Alaska Highway (also called the Alcan) and the Haul road. The Alaska Highway is pretty tame and the Haul road is brutal.

I hope to visit Alaska in the next few years, but there is no way I would take a nice trailer up the Haul road. When I have my trailer in Alaska, I would be packing up and leaving by mid August.

[Westwell]

We drove the Haul Road to the Arctic Circle in 2016. Left our Casita in Fairbanks for a few days. The road is very rough. The truckers on the Haul Road drove like mad men. We pulled off the road whenever we saw one coming in the hopes they would not hit us or damage our vehicle. Quite frankly, they appeared ready to run over us. They do create great clouds of dust.