ABC Motorhome rentals

sweetnoni wrote:
One question my husband has. Will we be able to navigate around with just the MH. Would renting a toad, help us? Would like to keep the rental fees down, but also want to make it as pleasureable as can be.

If your Anchorage time = Flyin + 1 night at hotel + 1 day to stockup at Costco/Sams >> touring >>> + 1 day/night on return (I'm assuming), you certainly don't need a toad for Anchorage and, while I've never RV'd around most of Alaska (taking the pickup or the signature airplane), most places you'll stop at are either walking accessible or can use local transport (i.e. @ Denali).

For the Los Anchorage stocking-up period, will be a bit of a PITA, but MH's end up at Sams/Costco all the time. If you want to see more of Los Anchorage, simply take a cab and/or there are various shuttles depending on where you're staying. I don't know if Uber or Lyft have made it to Los Anchorage yet but I suppose some might consider that an option.

One question my husband has. Will we be able to navigate around with just the MH. Would renting a toad, help us? Would like to keep the rental fees down, but also want to make it as pleasureable as can be.

Thanks all- we will be flying into Anchorage, did not find a hotel on site, so will have to spend 1st nite at one close, then shuttle back to the airport the next day because Rv place will only shuttle from there. The next thing we want to do is find a Sam's club or Costco to stock up on food, so we can get out of Anchorage and start our sightseeing 2 weeks. We understand by all that has been said, we will only see a smidgeon in that time period, but it's a start for us. Denali is must see, and would be open to other suggestions. Definitely would use the coupon book, as we want to do a glacier cruise. Thanks for all the info, keep it coming!

Sweetnoni: I don't think I can help much with Anchorage as we didn't do much there except stock up on groceries or parked easily and walked to where we wanted like the Visior Center or a restaurant. We preferred to see Alaska, not another city. :)

As far as the state campgrounds, we also found that not all have water/dump but there are many optional places to do so. Tonymull's post above stated it well. Denali Nat'l Park has an excellent water fill/dump area. The Meijers store in Soldotna also has one on their parking lot. So, yes, there are many places of all kinds including gas stations. Also ask at RV parks even if you're not staying there.

I'd suggest you purchase online Mike and Terri Church's 'Alaskan Camping' book. It will be your bible for campgrounds of all kinds and boondocking areas. They also give 'water and dump' suggestions.

Another good purchase is the 'TourSaver 2/1 Coupon Book'. One glacier cruise will pay for it and you'll want to do at least one.

I think some state campgrounds have dump stations but by no means all. Many gas stations do. Small fee. Just use the 'facilities' at the campground and minimize your need to dump. They do have water but in many cases it comes from a hand pump. There is good public transit in Anchorage and downtown is easily walked. Are you mostly sight seeing or fishing?

sweetnoni wrote:
2gypsies would like some more info on Alaska, and anyone else with tidbits of wisdom also. At the government campgrounds, are there water and dump stations? How easy is it to maneuver in Anchorage? We are TT people, first time with a MH, rented from GAH. Sounds like they are reputable. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Couple of points on "....maneuver in Anchorage?"

- If you're passing through Anchorage on the way to somewhere else, Anchorage is no better nor worse than any number of similarly sized towns; No interstate beltways run "around" Los Anchorage, but there are some major arterials that will allow you to transit through town OK;
- If you intend to see and/or spend time "in" Anchorage, suggest either taking a cab or otherwise not using the MH to get around Anchorage, particularly downtown. Yes, it can certainly be done; Yes, lots of folks do it; Yes, there are places (public parking lots, Wal-Marts, etc) to park a MH for a while

.....but if it were me, I just wouldn't do it. FWIW, last week (I was home for 2 weeks), when I went "downtown" in Los Anchorage, I elected to drive the Jeep Wrangler rather than the Chev 2500 Pickup just because the Wrangler was less of a PITA to maneuver around town...and that was in the winter time without hordes of tourists.

Suspect others will have differing views and anything can work, but for this nearly-lifelong Alaskan and denizen of Los Anchorage, I'd suggest avoiding downtown Anchorage with the MH: there's better options.

2gypsies would like some more info on Alaska, and anyone else with tidbits of wisdom also. At the government campgrounds, are there water and dump stations? How easy is it to maneuver in Anchorage? We are TT people, first time with a MH, rented from GAH. Sounds like they are reputable. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

2gypsies wrote:
This is a very popular one and their RVs are well-maintained.

https://www.greatalaskanholidays.com/

Have used this outfitter 4 times with excellent results. No HIDDEN fees at turn in time.

Lakeside

As mentioned above, in the last half dozen years I don't remember reading many bad reviews on any of the Alaska RV Rental companies. The two biggies, ABC and GAH are both also new RV dealerships and change out their fleets when they reach the two year old mark. Since the Alaska RV season is short, the units being pulled out and sold probably have only 10 or 11 months of use on them. Some of these units being sold, are sold to smaller mom and pop type rental places, to Alaska consumers, some are barged back to the lower 48 and some are driven back by seasonal summer workers in Alaska when they return home in the fall. Both ABC and GAH send up about 150 new units a year from the factories in the Lower 48 and both have a program where these can be rented at a reduced rate and driven up to Alaska for the rental companies. Many forum members have done this and seem to have a great time. Since there are going into the rental fleet, they can be used on the way up. The new ones being sold through the dealerships are sent up by rail-barge and will be brand new at the dealers.

So it is to all the rental agencies benefit to keep them well maintained as they will all be selling them in the near future and want to get top dollar for them. If I were to buy another Class C rig, I would consider buying one of the units coming out of the rental fleets of ABC or GAH and fly up, then drive it back to south Florida where we currently live. The ones rented out to the returning seasonal workers are also at a reduced rate and they have something like six or seven locations in the lower 48 where they can be turned in where they will be sold on the used RV market. I have seen this return trip advertised in the Anchorage papers only. Twenty per cent of the Alaska work force doesn't live there year around. So there are plenty of these people leaving the state about the same time as the RV rental season is coming to a close. No way the Alaska market can absorb 300+ used RVs being placed on the market each year, plus the ones bought new there or taken up there by people moving to Alaska.

The smaller family run/owned rental agencies tend to be a bit cheaper, rigs a few years older, less units to choose from but shouldn't be over looked, IMHO.

I used them a few times when I lived in Alaska and on two trips back. Excellent customer service, nice units.