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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Where to stay on the Kenai Penninsula.
Places to consider:
Seward for Exit Glacier, boat tours, SeaLife display.
Cooper Landing for fishing.
Soldotna for fishing and local things and shopping.
Clam Gulch, Deep Creek, Ninilchick, Anchor River for being right on the inlet. Also to watch the tractor launch and recovery of the Halibut charter boats.
Homer for the scenery and the fishing.
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Tee Jay
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05/07/12 09:52am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Mud flap on motorhome
If your flap hits the road at maximum spring action you will have a hailstorm of rock on the towed. And you will not slow down soon enough to prevent it. No reflection on you, some just come too suddenly. But the section from Destruction Bay to the border is definite slow down country.
I am told an underskirt solves this. But loose the hangy-downy flap or raise it to eliminate the issue.
Rocks happen. We have been hit several times in Oregon, but not so much to and from Alaska.
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Tee Jay
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04/06/12 10:24pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: best town for 4th of July
Seward has the Mt Marathon race, straight up the mountain and straight down, no trails needed. Lots of folks seem to enjoy it.
The Troopers series is focused on problems and if there are none they junk the footage. Ignore it.
In the years we lived there the quietest place was Anchorage because everyone who could went somewhere else, and there are not that many choices. Probably applies to Fairbanks as well.
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Tee Jay
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03/22/12 09:43pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Trip to Alaska
Here is a link on the Alaska Outdoor Forum on bear spray vs. firearms. Bear Protection
There is a section on fishing as well. Also a firearms buy/sell/trade section.
Canada allows Bear Spray as long as it is clearly marked as Bear Spray. They quiz us a lot at Canadian Customs as we summer in Alaska about our presumed huge cache of firearms, and are reluctant to believe we don't carry any. Given the Canadian attitude, it is much simpler to buy what you need in Alaska and sell it when you are done. Last I looked the transport permit was $50 each way. YMMV. Enjoy the trip.
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Tee Jay
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03/18/12 06:14pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Free parking in Alaska!
So does Kenai. The Sterling Elementary did not have anyone last year. Close to the Swanson River Canoe Trails, upper and middle and lower Kenai River.
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Tee Jay
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03/15/12 07:41pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: GAH Spring Adventure - anyone else going?
Sure hope you enjoy the trip.
Sounds like the annual motor home rental fleet delivery to Alaska. Best wishes.
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Tee Jay
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03/12/12 10:15pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Can't decide which fuel tank to buy
I had that argument with myself and opted for the replacement tank at 60 gallons. That is a once-a-day fill when towing, and leaves the entire bed open. It also adds minimal weight, and gains 25 gallons of useable fuel. That gives a 500 mile range towing and 900 miles empty. Just my thought, yours may differ.
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Tee Jay
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03/10/12 08:25pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: leaving in a month or so for Alaska Which Route?
You may want to cross around Sweetgrass MT, then to Calgary. Head West on the TrqansCanada to Lake Louise, then north on the Icefields Parkway to Jasper, then east toward Hinton, then north on 40 to Grand Cache and Grand Prairie, then west to Dawson Creek. From there it is the Alaska Highway to Tok. Return could use the Cassiar, then east to Prince George, then south on 97 to Hwy 1. Cross at Sumas, WA (Huntington on the Canada side), follow the signs to Bellingham, south on I5, over to Klamath Falls at the point you choose.
We do it in 5 days each way, plus one day to Klamath Falls. Better allow around 10 days each way, more if you care to.
Have found most if not all campgrounds above Dawson Creek are open in May. Some may not have water to each site but will tell you so you can tank up. It is possible to encounter snow in the northern Rockies between Ft Nelson and Watson Lake in May.
Enjoy the trip.
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Tee Jay
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03/05/12 07:16pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: 2011 /2012 dodge 3500 fuel milage
A 2012 dually 4WD LB CC. Around 16 empty, with a variation between 14 and almost 17 depending on speed and wind. Around 11 towing a 14,000 5er from Boise to Portland over the Blues at 4200', little wind. Would expect to level out around 16 empty and 11 loaded.
The '07 5.9 would do around 20 empty and 12 loaded, SRW 4WD 2500, 10,000lb trailer.
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Tee Jay
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02/28/12 11:16pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Trip to Alaska
Hey Bone Idle
I've driven the road off and on since 1969, and once and sometimes twice ayear from 2007 to present. Huge improvements have been made, but it is not as good in some sections as the freeway.
Actually put some miles on a Unimog on the Denali some time back. The drive from here to Alaska takes 5 days, 2750 miles, don't exceed 60mph. No truck or trailer damage. Enjoy the trip.
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Tee Jay
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02/01/12 08:18pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Are duallies much more stable than singles ?
Marty, I do believe the axle widths are the same on a dually. Saw a Chevy in SoCal running super singles front and rear. Believe it was a 4500, anyway a tall truck with a p/u body. Was over in Kellog the other day. Some of the mountain folks only run the inner dual in winter. Better winter traction and braking and a really funny look, sort of like hoop skirts on a truck.
Back to the question, yes they are more stable. They use a heavier spring and suspension than the single rear wheel. They are no wider than your mirrors. They eat a lot more fuel. Park them where you have a lot of room. A crew cab long bed dually can run to 23'. They need a lot more ground to turn around. Take corners wide and square.
Lastly, whatever tire you have on the SRW, and I assume an E rating, see about going to a G or H rating. The sidewall flex makes a difference with lateral loads.
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Tee Jay
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01/31/12 08:27pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Trip to Alaska
Roads to avoid:
Any Alaska road ending in Dawson City
The Denali Highway between Paxson and Cantwell
Roads to use with S-L-O-W speed and caution
The Alaska Highway from Destruction Bay to the US border. From the border to Tok the road has been mostly rebuilt in the last few years, but winter can do some terrible things. Any road out of Tok may have marked or unmarked frost heaves and road damage. You need to be able to slow to as little as 5-10mph in the distance from when you see the wavy road and the red flags on the side or the road until you get there. Put another way, you can see the flags at maybe 300'. Plan for an average travel speed in the red-flag areas of around 30. However, if you frequently drive over the mall speed bumps at 60 or more, don't worry about it.
NOTE: I have seen severe to moderate road damage/frost heaves from just north of Ft St John onward. Generally but not always good road all the way to Whitehorse, some stretches of road damage from Whitehorse to Haines Junction, good from Haines Junction to Destruction Bay.
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Tee Jay
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01/31/12 08:08pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: tow bodies
Highway Products has a tow body. Check their web site for pics and specs. IIRC it does not weight mush more than the standard bed. Around 1,000lbs. They have some pretty responsive sale people over the phone. You may not buy from them but you can get a quick education. Another option is check the builder specs for weight for standard dually vs a C&C. That should approximate the bed weight.
You may want to seriously research the differences between a standard 1-ton dually and a chassis cab. Creature comforts are one issue, and de-rated engines and possible speed limitations are another. Just sayin'.
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Tee Jay
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01/30/12 10:44pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Time to travel to Alaska
Crossing the Border at Blaine, WA on or near May 1 the past several years we had no problems finding open campgrounds, although some did not yet have water to every site.
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Tee Jay
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01/09/12 06:51pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: what's the best cold weather TT non-5th. wheel around 36' ?
Have a 36' x 12' park model in Alaska. When temps run 40 overnight and 55 daytime the 6" walls and double pane windows don't need much help from the propane heater. In fact, I don't even light the pilot light. Just being there and cooking and showering are enough, along with the sun, clouds or not. Drop the temps 20 and the heater is needed.
Get a park model built like a modular, no tip outs, block it up properly and skirt it and it will be good for about 10 months a year. The only issue will be insulating the water and sewer lines. May want to put heat tape on both under the insulation.
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Tee Jay
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11/23/11 11:41pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Best ways to protect tow vehicle and trailer from gravel?
A fiberglass trailer will not be dinged by the road gravel tossed by your tires, or at least mine has not suffered noticeably in the last 3 years. I have seen others with pretty severe damage from mud flaps and other low-hanging rock throwers. You will bottom out your suspension at least once and all the low hanging freeway spray suppressors will spray rocks all over whatever is behind you.
AS alaskan-rver says, avoid the bras. They will just wear off the paint beneath them.
A piece of window screen in front of your radiator can be helpful if bugs are especially thick, but is not essential or required.
All the roads you are most likely to travel are paved. Road construction involves gravel. Most but not all pothole repair involves an asphalt mix until the patch gets too big, then it is road reconstruction. Look for the red flags on the shoulder. Slow down. But if you usually take the speed bumps at the Mall at 65mph, don't worry about it. You will need axles long before you hurt the paint.
Think of it as a trip on county roads, no freeway available. Enjoy the trip.
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Tee Jay
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10/30/11 05:21pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Diesel fuel in Alaska
Look at the bright side, snowbear. Along about March the AK real estate market gets real liquid.
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Tee Jay
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10/19/11 09:05pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: How is the 3G coverage in South Central Alaska
I have "made do" with a Palm Pre Plus the last 2 summers, and used the mobile hotspot application for both the wife and I for email and browsing in Sterling on the Kenai. It includes 5G of data, we use about half that. Your data needs may be a lot more than that, but I would note that you cannot activate a Verizon device in Alaska, but if you activated it on Verizon's network it should work perfectly in Alaska. Best wishes for a pleasant and successful trip.
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Tee Jay
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10/18/11 09:31pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: How is the 3G coverage in South Central Alaska
"I am concerned about data, not just voice. Are you meaning data too? So, from your experience, I should trust Verizon/ACS?"
Not to worry if you are camping in the cities mentioned. You should consistently see 4 to 5 bars and a 3G icon. Not to say you can't find areas with poor service outside those mentioned locations, but coverage is pretty complete in what they call the Railbelt.
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Tee Jay
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10/17/11 10:16pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: How is the 3G coverage in South Central Alaska
Coverage in Seward is good, and lasts mostly all the way to Anchorage and Talkeetna. There are some dead spots in the mountains. Talkeetna to Fairbanks also has reasonable coverage. All comments based on Verizon/ACS. Yes, there are dead spots but unless you are strictly boondocking in the far remotes it won't much matter.
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Tee Jay
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10/16/11 05:06pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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