valhalla360
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thomas201 wrote:
For the 5er, an extra spare tire would be good.
Alaskans don't go thru a couple dozen tires per year. Yes, have a full size spare tire but you don't need multiples.
Lots of paranoia on this subject. If you don't feel the need for multiple spare tires in the lower 48, you don't need them for Alaska.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
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MDKMDK
Free(er), for now, until the next "variant"
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Honestly, pulling a 7+ ton fiver, with a gas powered pickup truck, would be the last way I'd try the Alaska journey. Too many possible points of failure. Rent a class C motorhome, instead.
We did it in a B van (Roadtrek) and there were many possible points of failure for us. Thankfully, none happened, except a windshield replacement on the way back.
Mike. Comments are anecdotal or personal opinions, and worth what you paid for them.
2018 (2017 Sprinter Cab Chassis) Navion24V + 2016 Wrangler JKU (sold @ ????)
2016 Sunstar 26HE, V10, 3V, 6 Speed (sold @ 4600 miles)
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thomas201
Eastern Panhandle WV
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Quote:Alaskans don't go thru a couple dozen tires per year. Yes, have a full size spare tire but you don't need multiples.
Lots of paranoia on this subject. If you don't feel the need for multiple spare tires in the lower 48, you don't need them for Alaska.
I always carry two mounted spares for the 5er. Hard to find the right tire on a Sunday morning in a small town. On a long journey, I carry a second mounted spare for the truck. My 5er is still just barely 15% of its weight on the pin. That way, I can wait and buy tires at my convenience. Tools, antifreeze, window wash, tires, oil and filter, grease, bearings, yada, yada, and I am still light on the pin. I love an extra spare, yep I have seen two popped at the same time. I think a wedge is the best way to jack one up.
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happycamper1942
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
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I made a 9040KM trip from my home on Vancouver Island through BC, Yukon and into Alaska in 2017. I took an extra spare for my 5th wheel and for my truck, a 20" which weighed a ton, and I carted them around with me for10 weeks and never needed them.
We were off the tarmac quite a bit, including driving the Dempster as far as the Arctic Circle sign at Eagle Plains. By the end of the trip I was cursing them, but I realize "what if....?"
If I did it again I might take an extra for the truck, If I needed one for the 5th wheel I could always unhoohkand go for help.
2008 Ford F350 crew cab short box PSD, 2021 TravelAir 90W camper
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valhalla360
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happycamper1942 wrote:I made a 9040KM trip from my home on Vancouver Island through BC, Yukon and into Alaska in 2017. I took an extra spare for my 5th wheel and for my truck, a 20" which weighed a ton, and I carted them around with me for10 weeks and never needed them.
We were off the tarmac quite a bit, including driving the Dempster as far as the Arctic Circle sign at Eagle Plains. By the end of the trip I was cursing them, but I realize "what if....?"
If I did it again I might take an extra for the truck, If I needed one for the 5th wheel I could always unhoohkand go for help.
Just finished the dempster yesterday, all the way to the arctic ocean and back (1100miles of dirt roads).
Unless you are on a tight schedule, I don't see the point of carrying multiple spares. Yes, we have a full size spare for truck and trailer but worst case, we'll hold up for a bit while we get a new tire ordered. Maybe 40-50yrs ago it was a bigger deal but we've seen plenty of tire shops along the route to and around Alaska.
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thomas201
Eastern Panhandle WV
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One thing Sidehillsoup said on the other thread. Bring some Canadian cash. His reason was the credit card machines were down at some Petro Canada stations. Mine is that the isolated Yukon campgrounds have a cash only box, with no host. So, a little cash is good.
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SideHillSoup
South Eastern British Columbia
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It’s not just the Yukon campgrounds that only take cash, a lot of the BC Parks Campgrounds also only take cash, unless you book and pay on line with reservations.
In 2016 when we were up to Whitehorse on the way up power outages from fires had knocked out the internet and again you needed cash to buy fuel. So out of 5 trips up north over the years, twice we needed cash.
As for spare tires, my truck already has a full size spare so I don’t pack a second spare. And when I had my 5th Wheel it also had a spare. I do carry a small spade shovel, a 24” spud bar, a 20 ton bottle Jack and some short chucks of 2x6 for Jack blocking. I always carry a 12 volt compressor and a tire repair kit as well, as we are always off on some logging road fishing, and up in the bush, there is usually no one.
My kids also bought us an Garmen Inreach 2-way communicator GPS just because we are always out in the bush on our SXS or our snowmobiles. Saw a lot of the local guys who work in the bush around Stewart last weekend with those Gramen Inreach clipped to their belts
2018 Northern Lite 8-11 EX Dry Bath
2017 Sierra SLE, 3500 HD / 4x4 / Duramax with a 6 speed Allison Trans
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PA12DRVR
Back in God's Country
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1976-ish, getting ready to head (on that trip) up from Helena to Los Anchorage involved: full mechanics set of tools on the 1-ton, 40 gallons of gas (in 5-gallon cans) between the 1-ton and the deuce and a half, 1 spare for the 1-ton (on rim) 2 spares for the deuce and a half (not on rims), headnets, 10 gallons of water (for drinking), a couple of shovels, bottle jack(s), hand saw, ax, 2500 in cash that was converted into Cdn as soon as we crossed the border, 1000 in reserve USD, telex code, and both Visa and MasterCharge. Lost two tires on the deuce-and-a half, fortunately not both at once, so we could limp to the nearest place to get the replacements mounted. Lost a hub gasket on the deuce-and-a-half...fixed that by wrapping kitchen string around the bolts until we could get to (IIRC) FSJ. Spent most of the 2500, missed getting dragooned into fighting fires by 1 hour....it was actually a great trip.
Fast forward to 2018....leaving from Idaho this time: check that Visa and Mastercard are paid off, check that the spare in the Sequoia is full. Drive.
In the 20+ trips in-between, the only flat I had was when I picked up a load of airplane parts from a construction site...grabbed a nail. It makes sense to carry a spare for whatever rig you have, but the road doesn't chew tires like it used to.
The scenery is still spectacular and it's a nice drive; some of the character of the old Alcan is lost in the improvements though.
CRL
My RV is a 1946 PA-12
Back in the GWN
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DancinCampers
Louisiana
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We had a great trip in 2014, including Top Of The World Highway. Canada was really good about putting out the cones on frost heaves, Alaska not so much. We found that keeping an eye out for tire skid marks was a good indication to slow down.
Mike and Terri Church Alaska book was a great asset, along with the Milepost.
Dan & Sharon (Kasey, Our Yorkie, RIP 9Jan'05-26Jul'17)
2012 Winnebago Journey 36M
2020 Chevy Equinox, Blue Ox Aventa II, Air Force One
If You Obey All The Rules, You Miss All The Fun
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happycamper1942
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
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thomas201 wrote:One thing Sidehillsoup said on the other thread. Bring some Canadian cash. His reason was the credit card machines were down at some Petro Canada stations. Mine is that the isolated Yukon campgrounds have a cash only box, with no host. So, a little cash is good.
I agree, bring some Canadian cash. You are in a foreign country for several days at a minimum, who knows what situation you may find yourself in where cards etc. cannot be accepted for whatever reason, and US cash is not a universal currency.
I wouldn't dream of traveling anywhere out of Canada without taking some local cash with me.
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