Alaska trip in a cab-over-camper

[DBF]

An effective way to do it is take a thin sheet of 3/8 ply wood or even heavy card board and cut it out to the shape + 1" around the window and then take it to a boat yard/marina storage type place and have then shrink wrap the front third of the the camper. It might take a litte bit of duct tape to hold cut out over the window while they apply the shrink wrap.



Cut out the window for the pass through window when all is said and done cut the shrink wrap off when your done with your travels and you will have a like new (minus all the bugs and grime) front end.

What a great idea! This is really good for fifth-wheel types like me; shrink-wrap the whole front end ahead of the windows and forget about bug clean-up.



We still have to protect the lower front of the 5er, but that's easy.



Tx, DBF

 

[RWMilgate]

We made the Alcan trip twice, in '69 road unpaved screened radiator and covered gas tank with conveyor belting, got 32 holes in windshield and all paint and undercoating removed from undersides but tank and radiator ok, went in '86, road paved, not a single windshield chip. However did lose camper overhead window on gravel road in Oregon when passed by hot rodder spinning his wheels. Camper window shattered completely into thousand pieces as not as tough as windshield safety glass.

 

[Grizzly]

Wow, this sounds like a trip I would like to be doing!!

Do you want to go? This gives me an idea. Maybe we should start a TDR group trip for anyone that want to make the trip. We can call it a TDR caravan.

 

[JWRowe]

Books

Grizzly,

When you leave for this trip I would suggest you look at two other publications besides Milepost. One is The Next Exit which covers facilities, services, malls, stores and eating places at virtually every exit of the Interstate Highway System in the U. S. This can be found in a number of places like Camping World and major book stores.

The other is a publication called The RV'ers Best Friend and lists other major highways in the U. S. and Canada. The focus of this book is businesses and other facilities and locations that are RV friendly. Those that are especially so are highlighted in RED. This is a really useful book.

The nice thing about a slide in truck camper is that if you can find a space big enough to park your truck you have also parked your living quarters in the same space. You will find many places in the north country where you can just find a wide spot at the side of the road and park for the night. My wife and I were gone for 9 1/2 weeks and 14K miles and loved every minute of it. Good luck and enjoy.



Best regards, John



P. S. Take a digital camera instead of a film one. Much less expensive for developing costs.

 

[Grizzly]

Grizzly,

When you leave for this trip I would suggest you look at two other publications besides Milepost. One is The Next Exit which covers facilities, services, malls, stores and eating places at virtually every exit of the Interstate Highway System in the U. S. This can be found in a number of places like Camping World and major book stores.

The other is a publication called The RV'ers Best Friend and lists other major highways in the U. S. and Canada. The focus of this book is businesses and other facilities and locations that are RV friendly. Those that are especially so are highlighted in RED. This is a really useful book.

The nice thing about a slide in truck camper is that if you can find a space big enough to park your truck you have also parked your living quarters in the same space. You will find many places in the north country where you can just find a wide spot at the side of the road and park for the night. My wife and I were gone for 9 1/2 weeks and 14K miles and loved every minute of it. Good luck and enjoy.



Best regards, John



P. S. Take a digital camera instead of a film one. Much less expensive for developing costs.

Thanks John, good advise there. We are taking two digital cameras, one 35 mm film camera and one camcorder. In addition we are taking a 60 GB FlashPac card reader, to download our xD cards. I agree with you on the cab-over. It may be the best RV for the trip. I made the trip in 95 with my 95 Dodge/Cummins and a 29' HR 5er. I had axle and tire problems with it and I was strongly advised to get a cab-over camper if I wanted to make that trip again.

 

[JUeckert]

dont forget about them dually fenders griz. some mini front mudflaps or a protective film over them might be in order to prevent rock chips. .

 

[jeepit]

Do you want to go? This gives me an idea. Maybe we should start a TDR group trip for anyone that want to make the trip. We can call it a TDR caravan.

Thanks for the invite Our son will be headed off to college about that time so it won't work for us. I appreciate the offer. A TDR group trip does sound like a lot of fun for a future event!!

 

[Grizzly]

dont forget about them dually fenders griz. some mini front mudflaps or a protective film over them might be in order to prevent rock chips. .

I have mud flaps at the rear wheels, front wheels and front of rear wheel, which is part of the box boards. I didn't have them on my 95 when we started off to Alaska pulling my 5er in '95. While in Montana I decided I need them at the rear wheels because I was pitting the corners of the 5er. I bought some that said, "Montana" on them. I had tools and installed them. For the next 10 years people always asked me if I was from Montana. I very proudly said, no, but I wished I was. I love Montana.

 

[DKlimas]

Our last trip was in the fall of 2004. This was our fifth trip to Alaska and each trip has been just as enjoyable as the first.



As many times as we have made the trip the #1 thing to do is get a current copy of the "Milepost". It will get you primed prior to the trip and keep you on track once you start. It also covers much more than the Alaskan Highway.

Some personal observations; Make alternate plans and watch the weather - go where the weather is best and go the other direction on the way back.



Our favorites include; Banff & Jasper via the Icefields Parkway (good campground at Jasper NAtional Park). Cassiar Highway - lots of beautiful country [watch your fuel - not many places and some may be quite high]. Take the side trip to Hyder, very interesting town. Along the highway will be Bear Glacier. Once in Hyder if the season is right you can watch bear catching salmon just outside of town.



At Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, you can head north to Dawson City - the old "Gold Rush" town. Take the free ferry across the Yukon River and travel the Top-of-the-World Highway to Chicken, AK. This is a gravel road but usually maintained quite well.



Once in Alaska, from Tok you can choose which direction you want to go first, Fairbanks - Anchorage or Anchorage - Fairbanks.



We always try to make it to Homer neat little town and good place to get a fresh halibut dinner.



I would recommend the Denali Highway, but it is all dirt and gravel [roughest road we have encountered].



On the way back go where you didn't on the way up. Have a safe and enjoyable trip. - Dave



PS I will try to pm you some more info...

 

[Grizzly]

Our last trip was in the fall of 2004. This was our fifth trip to Alaska and each trip has been just as enjoyable as the first.



As many times as we have made the trip the #1 thing to do is get a current copy of the "Milepost". It will get you primed prior to the trip and keep you on track once you start. It also covers much more than the Alaskan Highway.

Some personal observations; Make alternate plans and watch the weather - go where the weather is best and go the other direction on the way back.



Our favorites include; Banff & Jasper via the Icefields Parkway (good campground at Jasper NAtional Park). Cassiar Highway - lots of beautiful country [watch your fuel - not many places and some may be quite high]. Take the side trip to Hyder, very interesting town. Along the highway will be Bear Glacier. Once in Hyder if the season is right you can watch bear catching salmon just outside of town.



At Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, you can head north to Dawson City - the old "Gold Rush" town. Take the free ferry across the Yukon River and travel the Top-of-the-World Highway to Chicken, AK. This is a gravel road but usually maintained quite well.



Once in Alaska, from Tok you can choose which direction you want to go first, Fairbanks - Anchorage or Anchorage - Fairbanks.



We always try to make it to Homer neat little town and good place to get a fresh halibut dinner.



I would recommend the Denali Highway, but it is all dirt and gravel [roughest road we have encountered].



On the way back go where you didn't on the way up. Have a safe and enjoyable trip. - Dave



PS I will try to pm you some more info...

Thanks Dave, I'm still enjoying all the photos and Information from your PM.

 

[Grizzly]

How bad are the frost heaves in August and September. Have they been improved since my last trip in 95?

 

[DBF]

Those frost heaves have been fixed, but there are always new ones. They get attention fairly soon.



IMHO, the worst paved road is fifty miles of the Tok cutoff from Mentasta Pass to near Chistochina, the result of an earthquake three years ago. The worst non-paved road must be a toss-up between the old Denali Highway and the Elliot Highway out toward Manley Hot Springs.



DBF

 

[Grizzly]

Thank you to all who have provided all the good and helpful information. Do you (who have made the trip) have "Points of Interest" that you would like to share. I know that many of you already have. This will be a slow trip and we want to see as much as we can and take as many digital photos as we can. We have a 60 GB Flash Pac in which to store them.

 

[DBF]

You won't have any problems finding good pictures to take.



DBF (Alaska 2001, 2003, 2005)

 

[CWheeler1]

Hey Griz, no one has said any thing about Valdez, we sure liked it also go to Skagway either going or coming out of Whitehorse.



The best way to see upcoming rough places and frost heaves is watch for the black marks that the 18 wheelers leave when they go airborn and land, you can see them much father down the road then you can see the little flags.

Also you will see all the shocks,mufflers, bumpers,drive shafts and other assorted junk out in the ditch,that all the tourist leave that are driving too fast.



So take it easy and you will have a great trip. caw

 

[viper700]

Grizzly

That earthquake damage mentioned on that highway is not a factor. It was fixed a long time ago. I had some info last week on The Texas Diesel thread of Going to Alaska. Next week, 15th, will be my 7th trip in the last few years. The road is REALLY good. I took one goodsized rock in the center of the windshield behind the mirror. Glass chips inside but that was the first one ever from the Alcan travel. A few small chips are inevitable but as others have commented you can get them anyware anytime. I have not done the Cassiar run but many have told me it's a fine trip it will save about 175 miles, traveling down to Yuma in October we are in the hurry to get down to a warm place and in March we are chomping at the bit to get home to Anchorage. You will be wasting your time with all the covering up the front end. You will get a chip or two no matter. The horror stories from long ago about a terrible rough road are not valid today. The Alcan is all paved except in the construction areas. I can tell when I pass someone that has never been on the Alcan or someone that has not traveled it in a long time,they are the ones with all the guards fixed to the rigs. If you are hauling a trailer 2 spares is not a bad deal and make sure your tires have the right load rating and pressure. I have not had any tire problems with my truck and no problems since my early trips with a travel trailer with mobile home tires and axels on it, '73 and '75. You can run 65/70 most of the time and that stretch of about 100 miles before the Alaska/Canadian border is the worst with frost heaves. They fix them each year and new ones pop up next year. The permafrost is a never ending problem.

 

[RMachida]

Thank you to all who have provided all the good and helpful information. Do you (who have made the trip) have "Points of Interest" that you would like to share. I know that many of you already have. This will be a slow trip and we want to see as much as we can and take as many digital photos as we can. We have a 60 GB Flash Pac in which to store them.

You should consider McCarthy and Kennicott mine. Kind of off the beaten path but well worth it.

 

[Grizzly]

Hey Griz, no one has said any thing about Valdez, we sure liked it also go to Skagway either going or coming out of Whitehorse.



The best way to see upcoming rough places and frost heaves is watch for the black marks that the 18 wheelers leave when they go airborn and land, you can see them much father down the road then you can see the little flags.

Also you will see all the shocks,mufflers, bumpers,drive shafts and other assorted junk out in the ditch,that all the tourist leave that are driving too fast.



So take it easy and you will have a great trip. caw

Been to Valdez in 95 and intend to go again this year. Aren't those water falls awesome as you are going into Valdez? We have not been in Skagway, but intend to this year.



Thank you:



CWheeler1,

DBF,

viper700,

RMachida,

JRowe,

Rman,

SBall,

GDollenger,

RCook,

tanersen,

Jeepit,

dcoffman,

MABurns,

RWMilgate,

JUeckert,

DKlimas,

Nate

and to all who have provided such great information on Alaska and the Alcan Highway. I will welcome anything else anyone has to offer. Grizzly

 

[tandersen]

We will be expecting a report when you get back. Tom.

 

[Grizzly]

We will be expecting a report when you get back. Tom.

You got it! I wish I could post while in route when my wife is driving. She loves driving that CTD, with or without the camper. She must have a little diesel in her blood. We have been toying with the idea of taking a satellite laptop with us, but towers are needed. Does anyone know if such towers are available on the Alcan Highway and across Canada? Are there Libraries that we could use a computer to sent e-mail and post to TDR?