Traveling the ALCAN in Winter

Bill, thanks for getting back on your post. Always good when a well planned and thought out trip comes together. Sure wish more forum members would get back to post after their trip as you did.

After Action Report - - 5 months on the road in the winter
27 February 2015

First, I want to thank all contributors for their most helpful suggestions. You have contributed greatly to our planning that resulted in a great winter RV experience and safe travels these past 5 months.

I thought I might give you all a run-down on our winter trip, what worked and what didn't work for us, and the changes/upgrades we are planning.

After considering all of your recommendations and suggestions, before departing in October, we modified a 2013 Chalet Class C that we bought from Great Alaskan Holidays in Anchorage. The unit was a 26QR, 27’ 11’’ long, rear queen size bed and dinette slide-out on a Ford E450 chassis with a Triton 10 cyl 6.8 liter gasoline engine. I glued aluminum-sided bubble insulation to the basement walls and ceiling beneath the bedroom, cut panels from the same material to fit all windows, and installed insulated inserts into the two air vents (bathroom and overhead bunk areas). I also had an engine block heater installed and the 25 foot shoreline power cable replaced with 40 feet of 10 gauge Arctic Flex cable from Polar Wire in Anchorage. I had a full service oil change (blended synthetic) and lube done also before we left. I purchased and used a window/windshield cover which kept the blowing snow and frost that we encounter at Laird Hot Springs over night off the windshield and cab door windows. We winterized the fresh and grey water systems and carried water in two 3-gallon containers stored in the shower area which provided all water needs for the dog and our coffee and personal requirements. We used paper plates/bowls and plasticware to avoid the need for washing dishes. We installed a mattress heating pad to the bed and turned it on for thirty minutes on the cold nights before retiring. Also, I installed a small room dehumidifier to remove moisture when stationary. We carried an additional 1500 watt AC space heater for additional heat when generator was on or plugged in to shore power source to conserve propane requirements of the furnace. On our way home, we stopped at the factory in Indiana and had an Onspot Automatic Chain system installed on the RV…. not cheap, but the most effective and useful tire chain system I have ever used. The chains deploy with compressed air and are retracted by spring tension. It is the same system used by our school district and emergency vehicles here in the Mat Su Valley.

We also added a few upgrades not related to the winter season: a small Keurig coffee maker, a 12 volt DC flat screen TV with DVD play in the bedroom, a ScanGauge attached to the engine code reader socket, and a very loud bully horn. In every location we parked in a town or city, we were able to pick up direct digital tv stations varying in number from one to more than 15 in the larger cities. The ScanGauge allowed me to set and monitor 4 of 24 engine measurements simultaneously. This device let me monitor outside air temp (actually, air inlet temp to the engine), engine water temps, fuel consumption rates and particularly helpful, kilometers per hour while in Canada. The large air compressor that is installed with the Onspot Chain system also provides air for the bully horn and a quick disconnect extension fitting for an additional hose for servicing all tires, RV and trailer when towing.

The trip went well with minor issues. First event was the loss of all radiator fluid 50 miles north of Ft. St. John on the way south. The ScanGauge showed the temp rise well before the “check engine light” came on. A faulty gasket pinched during the installation of the block heater gave out. Thanks to a couple of Canadians with a cell phone booster in their truck, we were able to contact AAA and got towed into Fort Motors in Ft. St. John for repairs. We were back on the trail south two days later after block heater replacement at the Ford dealer. During a fuel stop on the way home in February, I noticed the left rear outboard tire was low, but hadn’t yet purchased the extra air hose to service it. A short stop and inspection at a truck tire service facility in South Dakota revealed a loose valve extension. Simple and quick fix. Later that day and settling in for the night, we noticed that the furnace was no longer providing heat. Checking the troubleshooting guide, I suspected that we were demanding heat faster than the recently filled tank could vaporize due to the negative 5 degree temps. So I cranked down the thermostat. These attempts provided no relief so we preheated the mattress, cranked up the space heater, added two more quilts and spent the night with relative comfort at temps above zero. Water in the dog dish froze that night. In the morning, I began to wonder if the guy who filled the propane tank the day before had not re-opened the valve to the appliances. Sure enough…. the valve was closed. Surprise.. Surprise… back comes the furnace heat as soon as I opened the valve! Wish I had thought of that the night before! We arrived in Dawson Creek a couple of days before the temperatures warmed up and could not dump our black water tank, the only one not winterized. We flushed with -50 degree RV antifreeze, but this did not prevent the dump valve from freezing,,. it wouldn’t budge. The manager at Tubby’s RV Park suggested we add a box or two of common table salt to the tank, drive around a bit and try again. Tubby’s has a truck and RV indoor wash station, so I sprayed the dump valve with warm water for 10 minutes to help the thaw. Back to the camping spot and another try to dump the tank was successful. We added two boxes of salt and a gallon of RV antifreeze to the empty tank and had no additional problems with that system in spite of the low outside temperatures.

We are home and all is well.  Three minor delays:  lost all air in one rear tire in South Dakota turned out to be a loose valve extension, frozen dump valve, freezing rain when leaving Dawson Creek and couldn’t keep windshield clear so stopped for the day/night in Ft. Saint John, then the left trailer tire went flat in Beaver Creek just short of the Alaska border but got the spare mounted in twenty minutes.  Most of the road was covered with ice and snow so we took it easy… five to ten mph under the limits.  Got home Tues the 17th of February.  That was 4 nights on the AllaskaHighway. …. Ft St John, Toad River, Whitehorse and Tok. Considering conditions, that’s not bad time at all. We monitored the weather at quite a few key locations and therefore were able to “scoot” up the Alaska Highway during a week when temps warmed above those frigid periods of negative temperatures.

There are a few things we’d like to add for convenience: a cell phone signal booster for the RV, a heated gate valve for the black water tank, an additional 110 AC outlet at the foot of the bed for the dehumidifier, a “keeper” for the dinette table latch which always released the table when we ran over those chuck holes and bumps we couldn’t avoid, 12 VDC Led light bulbs to replace the standard bulbs, and better mounting “shock” absorbers for the AC generator to dampen the sound and vibration when running. I am not sure the last modification is possible, but we did quite a bit of dry camping and we ran the generator all night (consuming about .5 gallons per hour). I had some difficulty falling asleep on those nights due to the din of the generator.

Would we do it again? Absolutely. Good planning, careful preparation, and common sense can provide an enjoyable and certainly memorable winter RV experience in Alaska ….. even on the ALCAN.

Bill & Peg
Wasilla, Alaska

As much as we love the North, traveling there in the winter is most definetly not on our bucket list.

I'll stay at home, even though I have to mow grass in the winter.

Maybe I shouldn't ask, but I'm wondering why you've elected to take what could be a dangerous trip?

I have family in Fairbanks and have heard some crazy stories about the cold and what it can do to a human body, or any kind of body, for that matter.

Are you just feeling adventurous? :) I admire your pluck, in any case.

When I was in the Boy Scouts, they had a badge called the 100 Below badge. Since it never got to -100, you had to spend enough nights out until they added up to -100 or more. There were lots of night at better than -50, so I couldn't see wasting time. We spent one night out at -62 and one at -57. No tents or heaters, just some lean-tos that we had build that fall for our winter camping.

The main thing I learned was to not sit around the fire drinking hot chocolate. The first night I had to get out of that sleeping bag twice to take a leak. After than, during the winter, I never drink anything after lunch. On our second night out, I didn't have to get out of the sleeping bag once.

Bill

FYI- Trackrig attended high school in Nenana, back before I moved there in 1976. The weather there, like many places, seems to run in cycles. Somewhat like the hurricanes do here. Here they appear to be on a 33 year cycle, give or take. The mid 70s were super cold through out the Interior of Alaska. Would be interesting to understand the weather cycles that led to the previous ice ages in North America, with glaciers as far south as Kansas.

I have heard people say that after -40 F, it doesn't matter, but I disagree with them. -70f is about impossible to dress warm enough to be outside for any length of time, IMHO. RVing in Northern Canada and the Interior of Alaska in the winter, just never appealed to me. LOL we usually parked our RVs at the end of September and got out the winter toys.

If -55 is as cold as it got in Nenana last winter, them global warming must be happening........

Bill

rockerbox, as far as I know, there are not any of the problems with motor vehicles and the water/oil separator (slobber bottle on diesels) on water cooled engines. As the OP is mentioning, on an air cooled aircraft engine, it is something that can be a potential problem of the most serious magnitude. When flying, the moisture leaving the engine as a by product of combustion, the water vapor given off has a tendancy to freeze the tube shut. Then the engine starts looking for other places to get rid of crankcase pressures. Once that tube freezes closed, then the engine will start blowing oil out any possible place on the plane. Doesn't take long to be out of oil in the crankcase and then engine failure. Many northern pilots, most likely the OP as well, will modify the hose with some extra holes cut into the top of the tube, up where the warmth of the engine should keep them from freezing shut. Also many northern pilots add a set of cowl flaps to keep the warmer air around the engine longer and to make the heater work more efficiently in the cold. You just have to remember when to open them and when it is OK to have them closed.

For windshield wash fluid, the regular premixed product you can buy in many stores, will freeze before it gets real cold. The best product I have ever used in is vodka (100 proof if you can find it) and mix a half cup of Dawn™ dish washing detergent. (makes it taste terrible though) LOL It is good down to about -70°F or a bit more. Plus it won't hurt your RV plumbing, as it has never hurt my personal plumbing, less the soap, in all the years I used it in Interior Alaska.

Just remember, the closer to the oceans you are, the less super cold weather you will find. This is why the Kenai, the Anchorage Bowl, Whittier, Skagway, the Whitehorse area is not subject to the super cold of Tok, Snag and Beaver Creek YT, Delta, Fairbanks, etc. I am not saying they have good weather in the winter, but not the super cold places like Tok and Glennallen have most winter. The place I lived that had the worst weather, IMHO, was in Nome, built on the beach of the Bering Sea. Minus 20 or 30°F is a cold day there, but the snow, the sea winds blowing salt water onto the houses, up to about 3 blocks in from the beach, will make homes look like giant ice cubes. When I first rented my small apartment in Nome in 1964, I asked why it had two doors, one facing the sea and one facing away from the sea. That winter I found out why as my front door that faced the sea, was frozen over with sea ice, probably a foot to 2 feet thick for several months. But you didn't have to plug your car in at night to keep the engine warm enough to start the next day.

Many of you have probably noticed the electrical plug ins mounted on poles in the parking lots of some businesses in Fairbanks. These are for the employees to use to keep their vehicle engines warm so they will start when the person gets off work. The ones at some of the big box stores are not really for RVs and most have an off/on switch located in the building. They may even rent out a few in the summer time. I often kept a parking spot, with a power plug in, leased at the Fairbanks Airport. Just like a seasonal stay with an RV at some campgrounds, a flat monthly rate for the site and the electricity was metered, on some of the parking sites.

A friend in Nenana sent me this photo last winter. This and colder is what the OP is hoping not to have to deal with.

Rockerbox,

I don't think keeping the battery charged on a tender will do what you want. My understanding is that the chemical reaction in the battery changes when the temp of the battery is reduced. A fully charged cold battery cannot put out as many CCA as a fully charged warm battery. A tender will keep the battery charged but not warm.

http://blogbattery.com/2013/11/cold-snaps-can-crimp-crank-extreme-temperatures-damage-car-batteries

With the synthetic oil, we've not used oil pan heaters on the cars. Not as essential. Although the diesel F-250 has the oil pan heater, battery blankets and block heater.

Synthetic in the tranny is very helpful. At -40 my car is a bit stiff in the morning but manages well enough. Steering is stiff too until things warm up a bit.