My wife and I have traveled the ALCAN several times in the summer and twice by auto in the winter, but never in an RV in the winter. Our plan is to leave Alaska in early October and return in January, although the return time is flexible. I've picked up many of the tips for general winter travel from the Forum, but they were mostly comments about travel in the lower 48 and shorter trips.Do any of you have experience driving the ALCAN in an RV in winter?It should take us 10 to 12 days to get to our destination in PA.We plan to carry water in containers and keep the fresh water system winterized. We will flush the toilet with RV antifreeze if and when needed. Also planning to take along a small space heater to augment furnace when parked over night and a dehumidifier to keep condensation under control. I am concerned about the few very steep grades in the Rockies if snow covered so I plan to carry along a set of chains just in case. I also plan to make window covers to limit the ability of heat to escape. We will use the RV furnace as necessary to keep comfortable while driving.I have confirmed that Whitehorse, Toad River, and Dawson Creek have RV electric hookups during the winter and if the weather cooperates, we should be able to get to Dawson Creek in three days. We plan to keep a close eye on the weather and will stay put until the roads are again clear. With fewer daylight hours, more driving will have to be done in the dark. We do not intend to mix bad weather with night driving, particularly on the ALCAN.Are there any other considerations or recommendations any of you might have?BillWasilla, AK

We've made two trips in December 1998 and December 2001.http://yukonsights.ca/19981212_AlaskaHwy.htmlhttp://yukonsights.ca/20011215_AlaskaHwy.htmlYou'll see typical road conditions in the pictures.At the bottom of the page of the second link I have some info about how we coped with -40.In addition:Have your propane tank purged of moisture before leaving. Methanol Hydrate was used with our tank. Otherwise the moisture may freeze in the propane valve or regulator and stop the propane flowing.Have a 100W trouble light, or handwarmers, to help thaw moisture should the propane valve/regulator freeze. Also, the location of our propane regulator was a problem--the rear duallies of the motorhome kicked snow up on the regulator which would plug the air hole, which would also stop the flow of propane, so we built a little box around the regulator.Cut Styrofoam insulation to snug fit into windows and vents. This helps preserve a lot of heat at -30 to -40.Pile layers of area carpets onto the floor. There's a fair bit of heat loss through the floor.Our Class C developed ice within the cab area as the truck heater could not keep the area warm enough while driving. It was helpful to have a heavy blanket hanging down from the cab-over area to retain the heat in the cab area. Same blanket was used at night to retain the heat in the living area as the heat loss was significant through the cab windows.Be sure your block heater is working and expect to plug it in as well as the RV.We used our water (water tank and lines were inside the motorhome). The black and grey tanks simply froze whatever arrived. We tried to limit the amount of solids going into the black tank by using facilities along the highway. When we arrived on Vancouver Island, everything thawed and we dumped the tanks. Nothing broke or cracked.Driving the Alaska Highway in winter is a grand experience!

Further to all of the above...do stop by Liard River Hotsprings. In winter it is wonderful! Take something to stand on while you change after your dip though, or your feet will freeze to the boards! Also be sure to get your swimsuit off quickly if it is -40. I had to go back in the pool and take it off there then dash to the change rooms. fortunately no body else was at the pool.

Sue beat me to it.. she was the grand master!

I drove the highway once in 1983, it was better than -60 most of the way. Stopped to help a lot of people. Have a very good set of jumper cables with Arctic Flex cable from Polar Wire on the south side of the New Seward out by Dimond.Check that your antifreeze is mixed to the maximum. Ran into one poor guy by Tok whose radiator froze over. He got it thawed out, but his heater core was air locked and therefore no heat. At -60 he had to drive with his windows down so that his breath wouldn't frost up the windshield. Then about every 20 miles, he'd get out and run down the road for five minutes to warm up. He started traveling with us. When he got too cold, he'd hope in our truck to warm up instead of running down the road. Carry an extra gallon or two of Antifreeze and some cardboard for the radiator.Carry your arctic gear.I'd worry more about getting propane if it's really cold. You'll use a lot since your furnace will probably be going 24 hours a day. Buy fuel and propane where you can, a lot of the places are closed up tight during the winter.It's better to be prepared and not need it.Bill

Gasline antifreeze came in handy on our second trip. Motorhome would lose power on inclines, then go along fine on level ground. Eventually slowed to a crawl. Hubby was expecting the worst but I kept nagging about using the bottle of gasline antifreeze I had tucked away. He finally relented, and sure'nuff, after a few miles of running everything was fine. He bought another bottle of the stuff as we continued northbound through Watson Lake, but we didn't need it. Have used it since moving here though, as one of our cars seems to have an issue.Oh, we also carried a piece of Styrofoam with a hole cut similar to a toilet seat. Comes in handy if you're using an outhouse at -40. Lift the seat up in the outhouse and lay down your Styrofoam in place of it, makes it much, much easier on your butt. :B

Traveling the ALCAN in Winter | Good Sam Community

sue_t
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
We also did a March 2013 trip with the fifth wheel from Whitehorse to Liard Hotsprings and back.
http://yukonsights.ca/20130328_Whitehorse-Rancheria.html
sue_t
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
Gasline antifreeze came in handy on our second trip. Motorhome would lose power on inclines, then go along fine on level ground. Eventually slowed to a crawl. Hubby was expecting the worst but I kept nagging about using the bottle of gasline antifreeze I had tucked away. He finally relented, and sure'nuff, after a few miles of running everything was fine. He bought another bottle of the stuff as we continued northbound through Watson Lake, but we didn't need it. Have used it since moving here though, as one of our cars seems to have an issue.

Oh, we also carried a piece of Styrofoam with a hole cut similar to a toilet seat. Comes in handy if you're using an outhouse at -40. Lift the seat up in the outhouse and lay down your Styrofoam in place of it, makes it much, much easier on your butt. :B
Trackrig
Explorer II
Aug 03, 2014
I drove the highway once in 1983, it was better than -60 most of the way. Stopped to help a lot of people. Have a very good set of jumper cables with Arctic Flex cable from Polar Wire on the south side of the New Seward out by Dimond.

Check that your antifreeze is mixed to the maximum. Ran into one poor guy by Tok whose radiator froze over. He got it thawed out, but his heater core was air locked and therefore no heat. At -60 he had to drive with his windows down so that his breath wouldn't frost up the windshield. Then about every 20 miles, he'd get out and run down the road for five minutes to warm up. He started traveling with us. When he got too cold, he'd hope in our truck to warm up instead of running down the road. Carry an extra gallon or two of Antifreeze and some cardboard for the radiator.

Carry your arctic gear.

I'd worry more about getting propane if it's really cold. You'll use a lot since your furnace will probably be going 24 hours a day. Buy fuel and propane where you can, a lot of the places are closed up tight during the winter.

It's better to be prepared and not need it.

Bill
Artum_Snowbird
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
Sue beat me to it.. she was the grand master!
sue_t
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
Further to all of the above...do stop by Liard River Hotsprings. In winter it is wonderful! Take something to stand on while you change after your dip though, or your feet will freeze to the boards!

Also be sure to get your swimsuit off quickly if it is -40. I had to go back in the pool and take it off there then dash to the change rooms. fortunately no body else was at the pool.
sue_t
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
We've made two trips in December 1998 and December 2001.
http://yukonsights.ca/19981212_AlaskaHwy.html
http://yukonsights.ca/20011215_AlaskaHwy.html
You'll see typical road conditions in the pictures.
At the bottom of the page of the second link I have some info about how we coped with -40.

In addition:

Have your propane tank purged of moisture before leaving. Methanol Hydrate was used with our tank. Otherwise the moisture may freeze in the propane valve or regulator and stop the propane flowing.

Have a 100W trouble light, or handwarmers, to help thaw moisture should the propane valve/regulator freeze. Also, the location of our propane regulator was a problem--the rear duallies of the motorhome kicked snow up on the regulator which would plug the air hole, which would also stop the flow of propane, so we built a little box around the regulator.

Cut Styrofoam insulation to snug fit into windows and vents. This helps preserve a lot of heat at -30 to -40.

Pile layers of area carpets onto the floor. There's a fair bit of heat loss through the floor.

Our Class C developed ice within the cab area as the truck heater could not keep the area warm enough while driving. It was helpful to have a heavy blanket hanging down from the cab-over area to retain the heat in the cab area. Same blanket was used at night to retain the heat in the living area as the heat loss was significant through the cab windows.

Be sure your block heater is working and expect to plug it in as well as the RV.

We used our water (water tank and lines were inside the motorhome). The black and grey tanks simply froze whatever arrived. We tried to limit the amount of solids going into the black tank by using facilities along the highway. When we arrived on Vancouver Island, everything thawed and we dumped the tanks. Nothing broke or cracked.

Driving the Alaska Highway in winter is a grand experience!

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