Things we learned while driving through Canada to Alaska
The following was provided by my wife (and edited by me):
Things we learned while driving through Canada to Alaska
(not in any particular order)
• None of our three US cell phones worked in Canada. A Walmart techie said that two of our phones use network technology that Canada no longer uses. And the plan provider of our third phone does not have service in Canada.
• We bought a smartphone with changeable SIMM card and a month of service at Walmart.
• If your US cell phone has a changeable SIMM card, you can buy a Canadian SIMM card ($10) and service with a provider (maybe $30 for a month).
• Don’t expect the service to be available all over the Yukon. It is available in the cities. But out in the boonies, not so much.
• Canadian propane tanks are larger in diameter than US tanks. The Canadian ones would not fit in our camper. The strap to secure the tank is about a quarter of an inch too short. We had to get our tank refilled, not exchanged.
• Canada has restrictions on the age of a propane tank to be refilled. Go with really new tanks if you don’t think you can put a larger (Canadian) tank in your rig.
• Costco in Canada does not take VISA (not even the US Costco VISA card). The only charge card they take is MasterCard.
• Registers at Costco and Walmart can convert Canadian dollars into US dollars (or visa versa). At Costco, I paid for our propane with US dollars. I don’t know if you can use US dollars in Walmart. We charged everything in Walmart without any problems.
• The Grande Prairie Costco is the cheapest place in town to get a propane tank refilled (according to the staff at Walmart).
• The Grande Prairie Walmart parking lot is small and chaotic. The store is fine.
• We exchanged $20 US into loonies and toonies at a Canadian bank without any fees. For the last purchase we made before leaving Canada, we used the balance of our Canadian money to make a partial payment and paid the rest with our no-fee VISA card.
• There were free RV dumps everywhere we went. Ask at the Visitor Information Centers.
• There’s a free RV dump in the city park in Watson Lake (the city with the Sign Post Forest). The Visitor Information Center let us use the potable-water spigot on the side of their building. There’s free WiFi in the Visitor Center – ask for the password.
• The Fort St John’s Walmart does not have bulk water to fill jugs. Safeway, a few blocks away, does.
• Diesel fuel is easy to find. It is about the same price as regular gas.
• Water to refill your RV tanks is easy to find. No one charged us for this water. Ask at gas stations and visitor centers.
• We took citrus fruit from the US into Canada. But were not allowed to take citrus fruit or avocados from Canada into the US – even though they were grown in the US.
• Expect to sign for all your credit card purchases.
• The Walmart in Whitehorse does not have groceries or bulk water and does not exchange propane tanks. The Save-on-Food grocery store within easy walking distance from the Walmart has both water and groceries. There is a gas station between the Walmart and Save-on-Food. This gas station refills propane tanks, and has diesel fuel and a free dump station with potable water.
• There is a paved walking/bike path along the river across the road from the Whitehorse Walmart.
• To exchange propane tanks in Whitehorse, Tags (4421 4th Ave, 867-667-2203) will exchange if the tank is less than three years old. Tags does not refill.
• My GPS converts kilometers/hour into miles/hour. However, that was no help when I arrived at a construction zone and the speed limit went from 100 kph to 70 kph. But if I multiplied the speed limit by 0.6, I’d be pretty close to the speed limit in mph. Example, 100 kmh is close to 60mph (10x6). 70kmh would be close to 42mph (7x6). These speeds are less than the correct speed but shouldn’t displease the Mounties.
• (This is not Canada but Wyoming): There are free RV dumps at the Wyoming Visitor Information Centers at both the north in Sheridan and the south in Cheyenne.
Enjoy your trip!!
Things we learned while driving through Canada to Alaska
(not in any particular order)
• None of our three US cell phones worked in Canada. A Walmart techie said that two of our phones use network technology that Canada no longer uses. And the plan provider of our third phone does not have service in Canada.
• We bought a smartphone with changeable SIMM card and a month of service at Walmart.
• If your US cell phone has a changeable SIMM card, you can buy a Canadian SIMM card ($10) and service with a provider (maybe $30 for a month).
• Don’t expect the service to be available all over the Yukon. It is available in the cities. But out in the boonies, not so much.
• Canadian propane tanks are larger in diameter than US tanks. The Canadian ones would not fit in our camper. The strap to secure the tank is about a quarter of an inch too short. We had to get our tank refilled, not exchanged.
• Canada has restrictions on the age of a propane tank to be refilled. Go with really new tanks if you don’t think you can put a larger (Canadian) tank in your rig.
• Costco in Canada does not take VISA (not even the US Costco VISA card). The only charge card they take is MasterCard.
• Registers at Costco and Walmart can convert Canadian dollars into US dollars (or visa versa). At Costco, I paid for our propane with US dollars. I don’t know if you can use US dollars in Walmart. We charged everything in Walmart without any problems.
• The Grande Prairie Costco is the cheapest place in town to get a propane tank refilled (according to the staff at Walmart).
• The Grande Prairie Walmart parking lot is small and chaotic. The store is fine.
• We exchanged $20 US into loonies and toonies at a Canadian bank without any fees. For the last purchase we made before leaving Canada, we used the balance of our Canadian money to make a partial payment and paid the rest with our no-fee VISA card.
• There were free RV dumps everywhere we went. Ask at the Visitor Information Centers.
• There’s a free RV dump in the city park in Watson Lake (the city with the Sign Post Forest). The Visitor Information Center let us use the potable-water spigot on the side of their building. There’s free WiFi in the Visitor Center – ask for the password.
• The Fort St John’s Walmart does not have bulk water to fill jugs. Safeway, a few blocks away, does.
• Diesel fuel is easy to find. It is about the same price as regular gas.
• Water to refill your RV tanks is easy to find. No one charged us for this water. Ask at gas stations and visitor centers.
• We took citrus fruit from the US into Canada. But were not allowed to take citrus fruit or avocados from Canada into the US – even though they were grown in the US.
• Expect to sign for all your credit card purchases.
• The Walmart in Whitehorse does not have groceries or bulk water and does not exchange propane tanks. The Save-on-Food grocery store within easy walking distance from the Walmart has both water and groceries. There is a gas station between the Walmart and Save-on-Food. This gas station refills propane tanks, and has diesel fuel and a free dump station with potable water.
• There is a paved walking/bike path along the river across the road from the Whitehorse Walmart.
• To exchange propane tanks in Whitehorse, Tags (4421 4th Ave, 867-667-2203) will exchange if the tank is less than three years old. Tags does not refill.
• My GPS converts kilometers/hour into miles/hour. However, that was no help when I arrived at a construction zone and the speed limit went from 100 kph to 70 kph. But if I multiplied the speed limit by 0.6, I’d be pretty close to the speed limit in mph. Example, 100 kmh is close to 60mph (10x6). 70kmh would be close to 42mph (7x6). These speeds are less than the correct speed but shouldn’t displease the Mounties.
• (This is not Canada but Wyoming): There are free RV dumps at the Wyoming Visitor Information Centers at both the north in Sheridan and the south in Cheyenne.
Enjoy your trip!!
