Dempster Hwy in winter

The gov't has announced that an all-weather road will be constructed to Tuktoyaktuk. So ... if we're gonna get it done on the ice road we'll likely have to make it in 2014.

There's also some planning being done to put a road into Old Crow YT, presently only accessible by air.

Hi Sue and all. Just a sidelight to your bucket list to Tuk. In about 1990 or so I was visiting our daughter in Phoenix. She and I went to an RV show just looking. There were a couple of guys with a table and a computer set up so we stopped. They were showing off their new program called "Auto Map" I said if that thing can show me the way from Phoenix to Tuktayuktuk I would buy it! Well - I had to spell it for them then the machine ( remember this was a long time ago- took about 20 minutes and then spit out a dot-matrix map - sure enought it showed the road to Tuk. But it did n't know there was only the winter road! I bought it! The next year or so Bill Gates bought them out and Auto Map became Trips and Streets. And yes - I still use it for our annual(and more) trips!!

Eventually did the Dempster to Inuvik then flew (on a tour) to Tuk for a day. Even have a certificate signed by an Elder/ Chief attesting that I swam/waded in the Arctic. Janet has one also. That trip was one of the best we have had in 15 years of RVing. Sorry I can't take you up on the offer. Age has caught me - but we still RV down south! Have a blast!

Generators can also struggle with the cold temps.

Honda's little suitcase gennies (EU1000 or EU2000) are fairly reliable in the cold. This we learned this past winter when the power went out at our cabin for 12 hours at minus 40. The "Cold Climate Technology" of the Hondas is a good thing.

When we lived on the "Island", we made two winter trips to Yukon to spend Christmas with my Dad who was living in Beaver Creek, my home town.

- http://suethomas.ca/19981212_AlaskaHwy.html
- http://suethomas.ca/20011215_AlaskaHwy.html

See the summary at the end of the page for the 2001 trip for how we handled winter camping then.

Hi jehunt,

I use my RV "wet" in cold weather--but I've made LOTS of modifications to be able to do so. I choose to use 10 liter containers for my drinking and cooking water, even in warm weather.

Some folks do use antifreeze to flush the toilet. Windshield type is ok for that purpose if it is rated to -40.

I have tented in -40 +wind chill but a camper pressents all sorts of aspects that I never had to consider before. Including the water storage. from what I've read the best (and cheapest) way is to pour antifreeze down the drains and toilet and bring up drinking water in jerry cans, and if your flush the toilet just add more antifreeze. Any thoughts on that?

Hi jehunt,

Consider some way to warm the propane tanks, and keep the outdoor part of the fridge warm enough, too.

Here is a thread on winter camping that covers "all the bases" winter camping

I really appreciate the feedback btw!

That's very good to know, Thanks! I'll focus my efforts on a camper then. I've heard the horror storries of trailers tipping over along hurricane alley though i'm not sure how true they are. I will be installing a block heater as well as a second batter as a sure start but I hadn't thought of a generator for the block heater, Thanks again! The island is gorgeous but I love the north, I'm really looking forward to showing my girlfriend a blizzard lol. We have ~1 month so our schedule is pretty flexible but I see your point. We'll stay in touch and if the stars allign and we're going at the same time I'd appreciate the added security of fellow travellers. My F250 is gas so with some conditioner it should run fine in the cold weather. I think.

Hi jehunt,

There is a reliability factor to consider. An old class C was not likely intended to be run at the sort of temperatures that sue.t has experienced. A break down in the south is an unfortunate happening. A break down on the Dempster, with no cell phone service, might be life threatening.

It could be done--but I sure would make more than one "shake down" trip in extreme cold before I tried the Dempster.

I would rent or purchase a satellite phone if I were going to attempt such a magnificent trip.

sue.t and photo mike are the cold weather champs having boondocked at -40. I'm in a (distant) second place at -37 C. I did do five days of boondocking at high of -27C, in blizzard conditions.

You need to "hear" and "understand" what sue.t is saying. BTW sue.t is one of my "heroes".