AK caravan tours

There have been numerous threads on this. Use the search feature and get a cup of coffee.

Been road tripping to Alaska since 1969. I had a slow leak tire once about 1996, got it fixed in Whitehorse. Got a chipped windshield, but that was on the Oregon Coast.

Campground fees run about $35 per night, but there are pricier ones. Most electric is 30 amp. Some have on-site sewer, some have a central dump.

Look at the itinerary for a clue as to what they consider interesting and worthwhile. Also look in any copy of the Milepost, it does not matter how old it is, a Library discard from 5 years ago will do. Match them up to see if the tour is all that interesting to you.

There are very few road choices in western Canada and Alaska. The big decision is to go around Alaska clockwise or counterclockwise, take the Alaska Highway north and the Cassiar south, or the other way around.

It is a simple road trip on decent roads. The places you stop will have civil people who will be friendly and helpful. They all speak english, and all accept US dollars and credit cards.

If you like caravan travel, do it. If you are comfy on your own, skip the caravan and just take the trip.

We do it with a 40' 5th, and have used other RVs such as a FL50 carrying a car and towing a toy hauler. Easy trip, good roads, nice folks and good scenery.

I did the trip from central Al. last year. We did it in 2 months but the next time we'll take much longer.

We saw some caravans along the way. They were gone way to early for us. Your daily itinerary may be your own, but when they leave you've got to go.

The only place we needed reservations was in Banff and Jasper because we were there over a long weekend. We usually called the day we were going to arrive unless we knew the cell service was awful, then we'd call the day prior.

I took some spare parts,(filters, belts, etc.) but no tire. I did blow a tire in Duluth going up, it was fixed that day. Further North tire availability may spotty if you have a bigger, special size for your rig. I didn't use any spare parts but I did need a couple parts I couldn't get till I got back home. That's the way it goes.

I would lean towards flat towing just because of the wear and tear on the dolly axle. The roads are generally good but some places not so much. I saw dollies being pulled with no known problems. I've done both and preferred flat towing.

Enjoy the trip!

Obviously the choice is yours, but we would never tie ourselves down to a caravan. We are amazed at how many there are especially in Alaska. I think Tee Jay pretty much nails it,>> There are very few road choices in western Canada and Alaska. The big decision is to go around Alaska clockwise or counterclockwise, take the Alaska Highway north and the Cassiar south, or the other way around.

It is a simple road trip on decent roads. The places you stop will have civil people who will be friendly and helpful. They all speak english, and all accept US dollars and credit cards. <<

The ability to go where you want, when you want, for how long you want wins out for us.

I just searched this Forum for `fantasy tour' and got one response. Searching for `Adventure caravan' yielded 7 responses. This Forum apparently is made up of independent thinkers and not of the guided tour group.
I'd next try Googling `Fantasy Tours Alaska' and see what comes up.

I went on a Fantasy 48 day tour of Alaska last year. I had a great time meet some very interesting fellow RVers who still communicate with each other. This was the first caravan we have done and would do it again. The roads in Alaska are good most of the time. Expect construction work which means gravel and pilot cars but drive slow and you want have any problems. We got a cracked windshield, had it fixed in route. Carried spare filters but never needed them. If you want more information on Fantasy tours give me a PM. Have a great time in Alaska and drive slow and see the sites.

Leave the motorcycle home. In the expected construction areas (as much as 20 miles long) you will get dirt, mud, clay, on any thing behind the motorhome that is difficult to wash off. Many of the roads off the main highways are gravel based roads.

sh410 wrote:
Leave the motorcycle home. In the expected construction areas (as much as 20 miles long) you will get dirt, mud, clay, on any thing behind the motorhome that is difficult to wash off. Many of the roads off the main highways are gravel based roads.

Take the bike! I put thousands of miles a year on my VStar 1100 from my home in Whitehorse, and will be getting a hydraulic lift soon so I can take it south with me.

WE toured AK on our own ( several years ago) and had a great time. 3 months and only made one reservation (the July1-4 weekend in Dawson City).
We also took a Fantasy tour to Churchill Manitoba to see the polar bears. Fantasy did a great job. having nightly destinations/cg 'reservations' were great and fantasy left the daily travel /stops/speed etc. up to us. For that destination we really enjoyed the arranged trip.
All our other travels, over 20 some years of Rving, was on our own.

We took a Fantasy tour in 2014 to see the polar bears in Churchill, MB; had a great time and the staff went overboard to make sure everyone was having a good tour and that all personal needs were handled. We're sold on the Fantasy tours, will take one in 2016 to the Maritimes in eastern Canada. Prices were reaonable and they handle all the permits, fees, etc so you don't have to worry about such.