Caravan Trip to Alaska

Can any one give the Alaska/Canada forum I can't find it here.. Going next year with a few couples maybe but taking my time.

I would suggest this as a rule of thumb about caravaning.

ONLY choose to caravan IF you are willing to give up near total control over where and how long you stay, what you see and in what order you see it, drive at the same speeds and like the leader, Dont ever want to take that road off to the right to the viewpoint that isnt on the itinerary, waste much more time getting organized, getting fuel, eating etc etc, and maybe most importantly if you are alright with traveling day in and day out for a long time with some people that you may truly dislike or find exceedingly irritating. Then the caravan may be a good fit for you.

Otherwise go ALONE. It's easy, it's rewarding, you cant get lost and everything you might need is available.

PS. Get a Milepost its ALL you really need.

soren, I agree and my comment wasn't meant to be casual. Rather things break regardless of where you are located and while on a caravan the results can result in missing part of the prepaid tour.

One possible way out is to book a early tour with a group that has multiple tours with the understanding that you could join a later tour if you break down.

There are potential downsides to a caravan. But as I posted earlier there are upsides as well. I've never been on a caravan but we saw the advantages on our Alaska trip as we met up with the same Caravan 5 times.

CA Traveler wrote:
While the caravan will try to help in the end it moves on. With the caravan we met one member spent 10 days in Fairbanks and the rest moved on.

We met a non caravan couple in Dawson Creek that was on their 19th day getting repairs.

Stuff happens.

It sure does. In the case I wrote of, the couple was on a once in a lifetime bucket list trip. Once they dropped the 7-8K for a entire new rear, they were debating on continuing the trip and spending twice for everything they wanted to see, and had already paid for, and lost, when they fell behind the caravan. If you are of modest means, and lost seven grand in fees, for a trip that you have saved up for, "stuff happens" is a bit too casual to cover the loss. I can appreciate why some folks are most comfortable with caravans, but this is just one of several negatives that needs to be considered.

While the caravan will try to help in the end it moves on. With the caravan we met one member spent 10 days in Fairbanks and the rest moved on.

We met a non caravan couple in Dawson Creek that was on their 19th day getting repairs.

Stuff happens.

We are in the middle of our forth trip from Pennsylvania to AK, all done independently. There is one thing that never gets mentioned when this question comes up. We only learned of it while camping next to particularly unlucky couple, stranded in Whitehorse. They had been there for three weeks, and were not even close to getting back on the road. They were part of a caravan, and had a catastrophic failure of the rear axle on their dually pickup. They had fallen too far behind their group to catch up, and the tour company had no interest in their plight. The wife was real sharp, and had already retained a lawyer, and started the process of suing the national brake and muffler chain shop, in Idaho, that caused the problem. At that point their summer was shot, and they were out over $15K in lost caravan fees, repairs and expenses.

We are in Seward Ak. now with a caravan. It has been a great experience for us. Yes we could have done it on our own and thought about doing so. We are with Fantasy RV Tours and it isn't follow the leader. We leave from the campground when we get ready and have a log telling about the sites along the route. You have the choice of what you want to see and the length of time you would like to stay. In the evening you have a camp site to stay in whenever you get there. Plenty of cookouts and things to do when you get there if you want. I will say it has been more than we expected. Yes it was expensive but what they provide, insurance, tours, shows, discounts on fuel and campgrounds it has really been nice. If you are thinking about going with a caravan you should look at there web site.

Moosehead05...

The book he referred to is the best guide to campgrounds in Alaska, the Yukon, BC, and the Alaska Highway. It was written by Mike and Terri Church and is titled 'Traveler's Guide To Alaskan Camping'. On our three motor home trips to Alaska and back we found it to contain much more honest and accurate descriptions of the campgrounds you will find along the way than other publications. Search Amazon for it and you should have no trouble finding it. It is relatively inexpensive at less $25. Make sure you get the latest edition (6th edition) which I believe was published in Jan 2014. It is updated about every two years.

Mike

Alaska Camping by Church.

Luke Porter wrote:
I have been on 3 caravans trips---all to Mexico. For me, the caravan was a really good fit. A great way to see a lot of Mexico. Pretty sure I won't be back.

I have also made 6 trips to Alaska---all solo. I suggest you study the caravan itineraries, get the "Church" book and The Milepost and start planning your trip.

Luke, what is the "church" book? have a milepost but haven't heard of it, headed there next spring . thanks