Fuel Range

I always use 6 miles per gallon when I calculate fuel use for a proposed trip. If I end up getting more than 6MPG then I end up with a cushion in my budget for unexpected expenses.

kohldad wrote:
And which route would be the worse case?

Why would the route make any difference ?

I think something was lost in the translation.

Not interested in mpg, interested in how many miles one figures between reliable gas sources on the routes discussed in Mile Post.

It varies a lot depending on what routes you're talking about. At least my edition of the Milepost highlights long stretches where fuel is unavailable in the descriptions.

On the Dalton highway going all the way up to Deadhorse, there's a stretch of about 240 miles without any fuel availability. The road is listed in the Milepost, but that doesn't necessarily mean that many people travel it for pleasure.

If you can go 200 miles on a tank you should be able to find gas on any route. You may pay thru the nose for it, but you can get it. Also depends on how early or late you traveling. The earlier, April early May, or the later, after Sept 1, the stations start shutting down.

Not sure which routes you are considering but we did the Alaska highway and Alaska to the end of the Kenai peninsula and back including the top of the world highway from Dawson City to Chicken Alaska in 2009. Our diesel had a 600 km. range (360 miles) with reserve between fills and I kept a spreadsheet of fills on a fill by fill basis. I noted that I did 391 miles between Whitehorse and Dawson City, I probably could have gotten fuel in between but at higher prices.

Hope this is helpful

The OP can take a look at the sticky at the top of the opening page of this Alaska-Canada section. In talking to recent travelers over the different northern roads, the information appears to be fairly accurate. But changes do seem to happen from time to time. For the most part, 100 to 125 miles is about the most distance between fueling locations. Talk to the locals , especially those running roadhouses, where the next services are available as you refuel with them, or have a meal, etc.
plus you will meet some very interesting people.
One of my solo trips I stopped at a roadhouse for breakfast, the woman behind the counter asked me if I wanted breakfast? Giving an affirmative reply, she pointed to the coffee pot in the corner and went into the back. I kept waiting for her to bring me a menu, but after about 15 minutes of drinking coffee, she returned, set a plate of eggs, bacon and toast in front of me.
She told me that was what she was cooking that day for breakfast. It was very good. I paid and was on my way up the highway. After the meal.

When we did the North Klondike Highway in our non-diesel truck with a 19-gallon tank, we stopped at Pelly Crossing for gas--156 mi after our departure from Dawson City and 168 miles before our arrival in Whitehorse. But we generally tried to follow the conservative old Alaska Highway adage of fill up when your fuel gauge reaches 1/2 empty. That's just in case the next roadhouse-gas station happens to have closed since the Milepost was published, which happened to us twice.

I tried to make it from Watson Lake to Toad River (205 miles) before filling up, but got uncomfortable at Muncho Lake. So I bit the bullet and paid nearly US$8/gallon for enough gas to go those last 30+ miles without worry. Gas at Toad River was US$2/gallon cheaper than Muncho Lake, which I knew before I got there and is the reason I tried to go that distance.

On the Cassiar Highway we did the 150 miles from Bell2 Lodge to Dease Lake on one tank. We paid a lot at Bell2, but knew we couldn't make the full 248-mile leg from Stewart to Dease Lake. We didn't even want to try the 196-mile leg from Stewart to Iskut, just in case the Iskut native store-gas station happened to be closed (it wasn't). The 146 miles from Dease Lake to Watson Lake was easy because we stopped for gas at the Junction 37 station to fill up and camp for the night.

Sam Spade wrote:

kohldad wrote:
And which route would be the worse case?

Why would the route make any difference ?

I think something was lost in the translation.

Obviously you do not know what Milepost is.
:S:S:S

Thanks folks. Just checking to see if I needed to carry an extra 5 gal can when I went but sounds like I'll have plenty of fuel since my minimal range is 300 miles but more typical will be 360+ and that's keeping a 1/4 tank reserve. Will give me plenty to make some short side trips and exploring without fear.

When on vacation, I have no problems giving up my first born to top of the tank to make sure I don't have to worry about making it to the next stop. And if I don't know where the next fuel stop is for certain, I'll fuel up even at 3/4 tank.