Alaska At Last. #49 State This Summer. Seeking Advice

[USA in a Chevrolet]

We are finally going to Alaska after 18 years of rving & 48 states. I’m looking for advice & thoughts about this trip from folks who have traveled to Alaska by RV.

Do you regret making the trip? Did you suffer any damage to your truck or trailer? Were there any disappointing stops you made? Can you share your recommendations with us? Were the roads better than you expected?

Here is some information about our rig that may help us. We have a Chevy Silverado 3500 & Solitude 345 GKR. We have a 50 gallon auxiliary fuel tank in our truck. Our Solitude has 12 200 watt solar panels & 8 100 amp Lithium batteries. Do you think I need to take our 2000 watt Honda generator with us? Normally we can run one AC for about 6 hours & run our residential refrigerator & any lights we need without running our batteries too low. I don’t think we will need AC very often but I’m concerned about solar production. On the one hand there are almost 24 hours of sunlight but on the other hand I think the sun will be low in the sky.

My questions include: Are bears a real threat? Should I take a shotgun with me? I’ve already prepared the application for admittance to Canada & firearms are permitted for protection against wildlife. Should I protect my truck against damage from gravel? I have heavy duty mud flaps on the truck & the Solitude.

Any advice from experienced Alaska travelers is greatly appreciated.

 

[orbiker]

I would take the Honda just for backup. We pack ours's all the time (full-time rv'ers).

While traveling up there; watch for a small flag on one or both sides of the road. If the flag is on the left, there is a hole on that side of the road. If the flags are on both sides of the road; there is a hole in the middle of the road or there is a heave. Heaves are the worst. My wife and I went up to Fairbanks and all over AK in the Harley in 2010. We were lucky to travel 55 mph. We just did long days because there is plenty of daylight.

Take your time and enjoy the sights and adventure. KEN

 

[rgreenz]

We traveled all through Alaska last summer with a F-350 SRW and Solitude 2930RL. It was epic. In answer to your questions:

We have no regrets and look forward to doing it again sometime in the future.
Overall, the roads here in California are worse than what we saw in the Yukon and Alaska. Yes, there are areas of gravel. Yes there are frost heaves, especially between Destruction Bay and Tok, AK. Simply slow down and enjoy the view
Despite 10,000 miles of driving, we suffered no damage at all to the truck or trailer.
We carried a 2000W generator but never needed it. I liked the security of having it "just in case."
We saw several bears but never had a problem with them.
We don't do firearms so can't really help you there.

Take your time and enjoy the views. There is so much to see that it becomes overwhelming.

Don't forget to get a copy of the Milepost, we used it every day on our trip.

Enjoy!

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

I would take the Honda just for backup. We pack ours's all the time (full-time rv'ers).

While traveling up there; watch for a small flag on one or both sides of the road. If the flag is on the left, there is a hole on that side of the road. If the flags are on both sides of the road; there is a hole in the middle of the road or there is a heave. Heaves are the worst. My wife and I went up to Fairbanks and all over AK in the Harley in 2010. We were lucky to travel 55 mph. We just did long days because there is plenty of daylight.

Take your time and enjoy the sights and adventure. KEN

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

We traveled all through Alaska last summer with a F-350 SRW and Solitude 2930RL. It was epic. In answer to your questions:

We have no regrets and look forward to doing it again sometime in the future.
Overall, the roads here in California are worse than what we saw in the Yukon and Alaska. Yes, there are areas of gravel. Yes there are frost heaves, especially between Destruction Bay and Tok, AK. Simply slow down and enjoy the view
Despite 10,000 miles of driving, we suffered no damage at all to the truck or trailer.
We carried a 2000W generator but never needed it. I liked the security of having it "just in case."
We saw several bears but never had a problem with them.
We don't do firearms so can't really help you there.

Take your time and enjoy the views. There is so much to see that it becomes overwhelming.

Don't forget to get a copy of the Milepost, we used it every day on our trip.

Enjoy!

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I’ve heard from a lot of naysayers who tell me I will ruin my truck. We usually take our time & will stay alert for frost heaves. I’ve ordered the 2023 Milepost & it should arrive any day. As for gravel roads did you have any experience with other people who were careless passing you & throwing up gravel? I’m planning on taking the shot gun for potential wildlife issues. As for people I’ve been told it’s very safe. Did you do a lot of dry camping on turnouts & if so did you ever feel unsafe? I appreciate your advice very much.

 

[rgreenz]

We heard the same thing about ruining our truck! My attitude is I bought it to travel and if it gets scratched or whatever, then that's probably OK.
We did get passed on gravel roads and sometimes stuff was thrown up at the truck, as you would expect. On some two lane roads, the gravel is getting tossed up by oncoming traffic. Both are inevitable. That said, we did not have any damage from that.
We never once felt unsafe. We found people very friendly and welcoming. We mostly camped in campgrounds but have friends that do what you asked and they have never had any problems. Having been there, I would not hesitate to dry camp most anywhere that looks safe.
Perhaps one of the highlights of the trip wasn't necessarily where we stayed but the travel between locations. The scenery is incredible! Unlike driving along an Interstate here, where there is essentially nothing to see, there it is sometimes hard to keep your eyes on the road for fear of missing something scenic!
Safe travels!

 

[powerscol]

Did it two years ago and did have trailer damage, but my fault for not slowing down enough on the rough road sections, mainly in Canada They are marked so keep an eye out. I will be going back sometime to see the places we missed. Plan on at least 4 weeks - 6 is best

Take your time. Leave the shotgun at home and get bear spray there. We did not have any issues, even in Denali.

Carry two trailer spares

If you truck is diesel stock up on DEF - was hard to find in places Canadian tire does carry it, most Canadian Walmarts do not - at least the ones I went to.

Last - get the mile post book and unless you have specific places to see in Canada take the western access through Washington state up to the Alcan Hwy. Basically 97 to 16 to 37 to 1. Backtrack to Watson Lake on 1 for fuel (good camping and store there too), before heading west to Tolk. Tolk has great camping and and a fantastic restaurant. Homer Spit is fantastic - free camping boon docking right at the base. If you plan on fishing book your charters way ahead of time and be flexible on weather

Last check you credit cards for foreign transition fees. Bank of America has them, Capitol 1 does not, neither does Discover. Discover is not widely accepted in Canada. Also notify your card carries you will be traveling and have a way to unlock. As our US phones did not work it was a real problem for us as they locked everything thinking it was fraud even though I notified them in advance.That was Bank Of America. We did not have online banking set up in advance - my mistake. I now have two separate cards from two separate visa and master card from two banks

Phones - we have Consumer Cellular. one on AT&T and one on Sprint. Even though we set them up for roaming (they were supposed to work in Canada, neither did and the roaming charge was 1$ a minute for Sprint and texts were not free. We stopped at a Walmart and bought a 1 month unlimited plan for all of Canada (on a sim card) for around 35$ with free to US calls too. It worked great. So check with you carrier. But be prepared for a lot of no service areas away from towns.

Good lick, take your time, and slow down for the rough roads. Also if you impeding traffic, pull over (plenty of spots) Canadians can get a little irritated and make some stupid passes.

PS also check for border food restrictions - right now I think it is Chicken, eggs and some onions/garlic/peppers. Chanda has a good web page the keep updated.

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

Did it two years ago and did have trailer damage, but my fault for not slowing down enough on the rough road sections, mainly in Canada They are marked so keep an eye out. I will be going back sometime to see the places we missed. Plan on at least 4 weeks - 6 is best

Take your time. Leave the shotgun at home and get bear spray there. We did not have any issues, even in Denali.

Carry two trailer spares

If you truck is diesel stock up on DEF - was hard to find in places Canadian tire does carry it, most Canadian Walmarts do not - at least the ones I went to.

Last - get the mile post book and unless you have specific places to see in Canada take the western access through Washington state up to the Alcan Hwy. Basically 97 to 16 to 37 to 1. Backtrack to Watson Lake on 1 for fuel (good camping and store there too), before heading west to Tolk. Tolk has great camping and and a fantastic restaurant. Homer Spit is fantastic - free camping boon docking right at the base. If you plan on fishing book your charters way ahead of time and be flexible on weather

Last check you credit cards for foreign transition fees. Bank of America has them, Capitol 1 does not, neither does Discover. Discover is not widely accepted in Canada. Also notify your card carries you will be traveling and have a way to unlock. As our US phones did not work it was a real problem for us as they locked everything thinking it was fraud even though I notified them in advance.That was Bank Of America. We did not have online banking set up in advance - my mistake. I now have two separate cards from two separate visa and master card from two banks

Phones - we have Consumer Cellular. one on AT&T and one on Sprint. Even though we set them up for roaming (they were supposed to work in Canada, neither did and the roaming charge was 1$ a minute for Sprint and texts were not free. We stopped at a Walmart and bought a 1 month unlimited plan for all of Canada (on a sim card) for around 35$ with free to US calls too. It worked great. So check with you carrier. But be prepared for a lot of no service areas away from towns.

Good lick, take your time, and slow down for the rough roads. Also if you impeding traffic, pull over (plenty of spots) Canadians can get a little irritated and make some stupid passes.

PS also check for border food restrictions - right now I think it is Chicken, eggs and some onions/garlic/peppers. Chanda has a good web page the keep updated.

Thanks for the great advice! We were planning on entering Canada at Sweetgrass Montana. Why did you choose to go into Canada in Washington state? Is it a shorter distance to Alaska that way? Also I see you have Solar & a Victron inverter. How well did your panels work in Alaska? I’ll definitely stock up on spare containers of DEF. I see you suggest 2 trailer spare tires. Did you have to use either one of them? Any flat tires on your truck? I did purchase the Milepost. It arrived yesterday & I think it will take some time to learn to use it properly. I
Plan to check My ATT cell coverage for Canada. Did you feel safe dry camping? You mentioned that you plan on returning to see the places you missed. Are you referring to places in Alaska or in Canada? Will you enter through Montana? You are the second person to suggest not carrying my shotgun with me. That’s interesting. What are the negatives of having it with me if I get the Canadian permit at the border?
Again thank you so much for sharing your experiences.

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

Thanks for the feedback. Keep it coming please!

Thank you to the folks who have responded to my post. Your comments have really helped me with my planning.

In particular where did you enter Canada on your way to Alaska? We will be starting our trip in Florida & Montana looks like the closest entry point.

Again thank you!

 

[powerscol]

Thank you to the folks who have responded to my post. Your comments have really helped me with my planning.

In particular where did you enter Canada on your way to Alaska? We will be starting our trip in Florida & Montana looks like the closest entry point.

Again thank you!

That all depends on what you want to see in Canada I first entered using I15 out of salt lake to Calgary then Edmonton and the NW I would not go that way again - nothing of interest for me. Not the best part of Canada either as far as folks liking us Southerners. Just my opinion

Instead I suggest head west across the top of the US using I90 to see the sights. I would use 97 and cross at Orville and make my way up to Prince George. From there head north to the start of the origional Alcan at Dawson Creek, or if you want to see the most beautiful scenery head west on 16 to 37 and go North. 37 is the most beautiful drive I have ever taken, However is is fule limited so you must plan your stops.

Now if you have any interest to see the west coast first or even on your return cross at Sumas, just south of Abbotsford. It less crowded than I5. There is another crossing west of there on 539, but I have no information on that one. From that area you can go many different routes north

Get the Mile Post Book (Amazon) Has good information and they keep it updated.

Have a safe trip

On edit - no matter what Fuel up on the US side before crossing, or after crossing coming home.

 

[Nrbsrsr]

Did it in '19. 13,000 miles Upstate NY to Sweetgrass and AK and back. Other than a crack in the windshield and drivers window (Montana) we had zero issues with the truck or camper. Took the Alcan up and detoured through Jasper and Banff on the way back. Do not skip over the Jasper/Banff trip, best scenery of the whole trip. The roads are not all that bad but you should expect to use caution and not be in a hurry.
The most deadly animal in Alaska is the Moose, they appear docile and can be easily approached. Moose are not very smart and when approached by another not very smart species the results can be undesirable.
Leave your shotgun home.

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

That all depends on what you want to see in Canada I first entered using I15 out of salt lake to Calgary then Edmonton and the NW I would not go that way again - nothing of interest for me. Not the best part of Canada either as far as folks liking us Southerners. Just my opinion

Instead I suggest head west across the top of the US using I90 to see the sights. I would use 97 and cross at Orville and make my way up to Prince George. From there head north to the start of the origional Alcan at Dawson Creek, or if you want to see the most beautiful scenery head west on 16 to 37 and go North. 37 is the most beautiful drive I have ever taken, However is is fule limited so you must plan your stops.

Now if you have any interest to see the west coast first or even on your return cross at Sumas, just south of Abbotsford. It less crowded than I5. There is another crossing west of there on 539, but I have no information on that one. From that area you can go many different routes north

Get the Mile Post Book (Amazon) Has good information and they keep it updated.

Have a safe trip

On edit - no matter what Fuel up on the US side before crossing, or after crossing coming home.

Thanks. How are the roads on your suggested route?

 

[powerscol]

Thanks. How are the roads on your suggested route?

No matter what you will run into road damage. Frost heaves and tire eating pot holes. From what I remember the west approach was better than going through Edmonton. Just ask about the roads ahead as you make stops.

You just need to slow down and pay attention. Road damage is marked by cones or flags on the shoulder. If you get lucky get behind a local trucker and watch his moves.

Hope this helps

 

[snowman62]

As a former Alaskan that grew up there, everyone is pretty spot-on with their advise. Bears generally don't go into your camp unless you leave food or trash out. Leaving a closed cooler outside is a mistake too. They will still smell what is inside it and you will lose you cooler. Take your gun if it makes you feel better. I never used to go anywhere in the woods without one. Although, bear spray works really well too and is sometimes easier to use then the gun, and you won't possibly wound a bear or something else. Bear spray shoots far and wide so it covers a large area. I never knew of anyone that was attacked after they sprayed them, but I do know someone that was mauled after he shot it while it was charging him. The adrenaline in the grizzly kept him alive long enough to maul him up pretty good before he died. Heading South out of Denali be sure to stop in Talkeetna. Also, someone else mentioned Homer Spit (very neat town). Great fishing down there on the Kenai Peninsula. Some places worth seeing; Seward ( Exit glacier ), the tunnel to Whittier, Portage glacier, Girdwood ( Eat at the Double Musky ). There is also a wild animal preserve in Girdwood that is worth stopping at. Lots to see throughout the state, but like everyone else said, take your time and enjoy it.

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

As a former Alaskan that grew up there, everyone is pretty spot-on with their advise. Bears generally don't go into your camp unless you leave food or trash out. Leaving a closed cooler outside is a mistake too. They will still smell what is inside it and you will lose you cooler. Take your gun if it makes you feel better. I never used to go anywhere in the woods without one. Although, bear spray works really well too and is sometimes easier to use then the gun, and you won't possibly wound a bear or something else. Bear spray shoots far and wide so it covers a large area. I never knew of anyone that was attacked after they sprayed them, but I do know someone that was mauled after he shot it while it was charging him. The adrenaline in the grizzly kept him alive long enough to maul him up pretty good before he died. Heading South out of Denali be sure to stop in Talkeetna. Also, someone else mentioned Homer Spit (very neat town). Great fishing down there on the Kenai Peninsula. Some places worth seeing; Seward ( Exit glacier ), the tunnel to Whittier, Portage glacier, Girdwood ( Eat at the Double Musky ). There is also a wild animal preserve in Girdwood that is worth stopping at. Lots to see throughout the state, but like everyone else said, take your time and enjoy it.

Thanks for the great advice!

 

[secjcc]

We are now in Jasper headed to Alaska. We left Texas on June 1st, worse roads we’ve seen so far was in Colorado. Now I know we have not gotten to the Alaska Hwy yet, so we’ll see how that goes.

 

[secjcc]

Rough roads

Roads between Valleyview and Dawson Creek, be careful lots of rough areas. Pay attention and slow down.

 

[Scott'n'Wendy]

While in AZ this year we met a couple from AK. They make the trip to AZ every year and claim the roads on average are no worse than the rest of the USA or Canada. They claimed the days of driving to AK and bringing all sorts of spare parts etc for breakdowns like in the '70's and '80s are long gone. Again..their words not mine.
I haven't personally gone to AK but have gone to the Yukon and NWT. Also east coast and west coast. Worst roads in my memory were the lengths of hwy in NWT that were gravel, assorted sections of I10 between Phoenix and OKC, and the bridge transitions in Iowa-some of those were like a thrill ride...lol
As for firearms in Canada they are fine, get the required permit. Just don't bring a handgun. We have goofy laws in that regard. (IMO, you won't need the gun, but if you feel better with it...go ahead)
Powerscol had an unusually tough time with DEF here. That's not the norm though. Yes, bring a couple jugs for backup, but don't expect it to be scarce.
Ill second the drive from Banff to Jasper - beautiful scenery. I was not a fan of the CG in Banff, but the area was great. I'm thinking there may be firearm restrictions in Banff and Jasper...I could be wrong..you would need to check into that

 

[Riverbug]

Will be following this thread as we will make the trip in 2024. I'm not on Facebook but understand that you can join groups that are set up for people traveling in real-time so they give heads-ups on road conditions and such. Considering joining Facebook for that reason but haven't taken the plunge yet.

 

[el Rojo]

We went in 2014. We spent 3 months there. If I had it to do over I would spend more time in Yukon and BC. Didn't take a gun...didn't need one. As far as bears go, just don't surprise them, make noise so they can hear you. Make sure you give the moose (especially a cow and calf) plenty of room. Roads can be rough, go slow.

As for truck damage, I got door dings out the wazoo in parking lots. And I believe on purpose. Not sure all Alaskan's like all the tourism.

When you first get to the Alcan hi-way and are at an RV park, grab a beer, go out and make friends. Exchange phone numbers with them...You will be traveling with them your entire trip. Once we did that we were able to help each other as travelling companions.

Red