Off to Alaska Soon YES in FEBRUARY

Tee Jay wrote:

fulltimedaniel wrote:
Thanks to all who posted so far and I hope you keep reading.

Keep in mind that the average temperature in Fairbanks in MID March is firmly in the 30's. and changing upwards rather quickly. I am hoping for "Average" weather. However the weather along the road will be very cold.

I will be leaving from Tucson before too long and in the interim I will be doing some things to my trailer.

My thoughts now are these:

Insulate the bottom using the 4x8 sheets of that pink insulation

Insulate all my exposed pipes using pipe insulation

I will also use the Pink insulation sheets to line my storage compartments.

Regarding my under trailer waste and water tanks I am not sure what I will do right now. I can think of many options but just not sure which way to go. Any suggestions out there?

As for my new Dodge Cummins by the time I reach the Canadian border it will almost be time for an oil change. I'll put in the Shell Rotella T6. And I will need to find the cord to my engine heater.

Don't get fooled by "average", as the extremes included in the average are pretty extreme. I've been snowed on from Tok to the Kenai on May 24.

Insulation is always a good idea. Keep in mind slush on the road will freeze on all parts of your vehicle when it hits it. I have had over 3" of slush ice on the fenders. Trucks can go way overweight in winter and spend a lot of time pounding off ice to get back to legal weights. Consider what the ice may do to your pink boards.

Toad River, BC and Contact Creek Lodge, YT are open all winter. Call them to see what their weather has been and will be.

Chains are needed for the trailer. Saw a truck with flatbed in the ditch where his loaded trailer put him when it slid down the supra on a slow uphill climb. The Canadians mostly chain every wheel when chains are indicated.

Carry a few gallons of water in the cab, provided your cab heater works.

There is a guy in Lake Havasu that does auxiliary fuel tanks. If you have the standard 30 or so gallon tank, consider that. I run a 60 gallon replacement tank, but it needs a long bed, and even then I wish I had more. The 60 gallon is Transfer Flow in Chico, CA.

Enjoy the trip.

Thanks for all your suggestions they are all good ones.

About averages: I too have been in Tok but in JULY when it snowed. I have been stationed, lived and worked in Alaska so thankfully I am not a stranger.

And while you are right about averages. They are the only real data one can go on. So while I am not expecting the average necessarily, math tells me my chances are pretty good.