Alcan Hwy

Some of the Canadians do not like it called the Alcan.
It maybe their age!

Joe, you have way with words!

Must be your age??

It doesn't really matter, IMHO, to whether you call it the Alcan or the Alaska Hwy as we all know what a person is talking about. I tend to use the terms interchangeably. When the OP mentioned 30 years ago, I started thinking that was about 1985, and that was not that long ago. Funny how when you reach my age, 73 currently, the oldest I have ever been, 30 years doesn't seem all that long ago.

I have been driving the highway to Alaska for the last 54 years, since the summer of 1962, then 1964, 1965, 1966 and then 1969 plus about 15 or 20 more trips but only 13 round trips by RV. The Highway is now a few miles shorter, due to the relocation projects by the highway departments, lot more of it is paved, but much of the paving doesn't last very long due to permafronst and the shifting soil under the roadbed. It is much more civilized these days, than it was in 1985, with lots of cell service, TV in some community RV parks, many more private owned campgrounds, etc. But it is still a grand adventure for most travelers. Nothing terribly difficult about the trip, just more long days of driving, sequentially, than most RVers are used to doing. And I lived in rural Alaska for just over 25 years, starting in Nome in 1964. Guess Nome could be considered to be rural, even though it was about the same size of the town in Oklahoma where I attended high school.

Vehicles have improved greatly over the years so mechanical problems seem less and less. Trailers still seem to have the most under carriage problems, with tires, brakes, axles, springs, etc. There doesn't appear to be many requirements for what a trailer builder has to use under their rigs. Class As, Bs and Cs have to meet all the regulations of the US and Canadian governments, as do tow vehicles so very few problems there. Be careful with a trailer, especially the 5th wheels as they have so much room to haul stuff and it is easy to get more weight in them than a person should. We currently have a 5th wheel and a truck camperm using the same pickup with both.

For tires on our 5th wheel it came with ST biased ply tires C rated. I didn't like the way the trailer rode with them, some tail waggle when going down the highway and they had a 50 psi air max. So I swapped them out for a set of ST radial ply tires in an E rating, 80 psi in the same size wheel, 15 inch. Maxxis 8008 tires and I have been very pleased with them. Very durable, trailer tracks well with them, no tail waggle and a lot more weight supporting capacity available. Our last 4 round trips have been with the truck camper but we are considering taking the 5th wheel next summer back for what will probably be a last go at driving to Alaska. All good things must end.

There are probably fewer functional roadhouses now than there were 30 years ago, but most modern vehicles can make it easily between fueling stations with their standard fuel tanks. If you can make it about 100 miles, then you should be in good shape. The lakes, the mountains, streams and rivers are just as beautiful as they have always been, the northern people just as great and hospitable as ever, still the trip of a lifetime for most of us, each time we make the trip.

top1953 wrote:
We drove the Alcan 30yrs ago we have heard it is much improved, we want to take another trip with our trailer but we want to know if anyone has driven the Alcan lately and if anybody can recommend tires for the trip?

We drove it this pass summer (2015), the road itself was pretty decent for the most part but do drive to road conditions.

top1953 wrote:
We drove the Alcan 30yrs ago we have heard it is much improved, we want to take another trip with our trailer but we want to know if anyone has driven the Alcan lately and if anybody can recommend tires for the trip?

It is a fabulous road. Drove it in 1969, and there is a world of difference. Drove it in 1996, 2001 and 2002 and 2003 in a PU using motels. Big improvements. We do it annually since 2007, big improvements over those years. Have towed a trailer since 2007, and have had one rock puncture on the trailer tires when we had ST tires. Our current tires on the 5th are 17.5" rated at 125 lbs. No problems with them.

The road failure can occur anywhere, and one of the worst was near Pink Mountain about 2010. The worst sections have been west and north of Whitehorse, and particularly from Destruction Bay to Tok. Almost all of that road has been re-built in the last 10 years, some sections more than once.

If your trailer will accept them, go with 17.5" tires and rims. Else, some people prefer LT tires and most use ST tires. If they are relatively recent(under 5 years old) and have decent tread they should be good.

Have a great time.

I drive the Alaska Highway every day, pretty much. :B

And we tow a fifth wheel around when we go camping. Never do the speed limit when we're towing; instead we drive for the road conditions which vary from excellent to very poor.

In summer, on my way into and out of Whitehorse, it isn't uncommon to see broken RVs and trailers. Drive to suit your equipment and capability.

I agree with all the above. Drove it this summer with a 40' MH towing a jeep and had no problems, but move over, go slow, watch for the flags and skid marks where the frost heaves are.
The TOW we did at 25 mph tops, again no problems, but by taking our time, no rush. It's dusty and when it rains it gets messy. Would and will do it again

Yes, it should have been Can 97!

enblethen wrote:
The Alcan no longer exists.

Excellent summary!

enblethen wrote:
It is the Alaska Highway. Can 1, Can 97, and Can 37.

It's actually BC Hwy 97, YT Hwy 1, and AK State Route 2. Hwy 37 is the Stewart-Cassiar.

I agree with 2gypsies regarding big rigs going the opposite direction from you. What I noticed was when I lowed and moved right was that the big rig would do the same. Alaska Troopers are pretty tight when it comes to cracked or broken windshield. They write them up. A newer tractor windshield costs as much any two piece bus windshield and those truckers can't afford to replace them very often. I drove TOTW on a rainy day and once was enough. I'd stay a day or two in Dawson City and explore.

About slowing down, do it on the first day. There is so much to see that wasn't there or you were too busy dodging potholes to see 30 years ago and the difference between 35 to 55 and 45 to 65 is just and a couple of hours or so, one end to the other on the Alcan(it was the Alcan when I read my first copy of "Alaskan Hunter" back in 1949 and it still is as far as the DW and I are concerned.