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Quadcab's avatar
Quadcab
Explorer II
Jun 25, 2023

First Trip through Canada & into Alaska - Many Questions!

Wife & I are planning our Alaska Adventure starting in June of 2025. I am all gung-ho, but my wife is reluctant to commit without asking those of you with experience how we should plan & what to look out for. BTW, we have a newer 2022 F-350 7.3L Gas Lariat SRW Supercrew 7.5' bed with 4:30 Axle & a 2021 Alliance Paradigm 310RL 35' 5th wheel with a smaller Solar package. 5th Wheel will be upgraded to the MorRyde IS and Disc Brakes before we leave.
Questions:
1) Elevation - any concerns pulling with our gasser? Any mountain passes or other higher elevations we should avoid? 5ver weighs about 15,000lbs. fully loaded. Our truck handles it nicely here in the lower 48.
2) Any experience joining an RV Caravan & travelling as a group? Any thoughts about doing that verses winging it alone?
3) Should we carry extra auxiliary gas cans just in case?
4) Will (2) smaller dogs be a problem? We know about having their shots & papers with us when crossing into Canada. They usually love car trips.

All responses would be helpful & appreciated!
  • RICK-ards_Red's avatar
    RICK-ards_Red
    Explorer
    Jun 25, 2023
    Did this trip last summer, GMC 1500 pulling a 27' Catalina. Roads are good with plenty of hills in northern BC and Yukon but just take it easy and should be no issues. Book the busier camp areas early before your trip ie Dawson Creek, lots of caravans take the campgrounds. Ones I didn't pre book I arrived at a decent time around 4pm. Cell coverage is very sparse so make sure your units are well maintained. Gas I never had an issue with except on the Yellowhead Hwy in Saskatchewan
  • MDKMDK's avatar
    MDKMDK
    Explorer
    Jun 25, 2023
    About cell phone coverage and towers. For emergency calls/contact.
    Check with your US cell phone service provider, and ask about Canadian roaming, and who they partner with for coverage in Canada. If they pair up with Bell/Telus, you should have some sparse connectivity between Dawson Creek, BC and Tok, AK. If they are partnered with Rogers, you'll be pretty much offline for that same stretch of highway. Rogers has few if any towers in that area along the AlCan Highway.When we did the AlCan in 2016, we had to get a Virgin Mobile SIM card in Whitehorse, YT to get coverage along there.
    Map of cell towers....
    https://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/cancellsites.html?lat=59.085739&lng=-106.172381&zoom=4&type=Roadmap&layers=a&pid=0&ds=0
  • enblethen's avatar
    enblethen
    Nomad
    Jun 25, 2023
    One item is set up a chart
    1) Monetary exchange rate at the time you leave home
    2) Height show your rig in feet and in meters
    3) Speed conversion miles to kilometers.
    4) Show gallons to liters
    Make sure your credit or debit card has banking system in Canada
    We have used The Milepost Magazine for several trips. It has good map and information. More recent ones have a lot of advertising.
    Your rout will determine elevations. Your rig should be able to handle it.
    Don't over purchase food. There are stores all along the routes from Lower 48.
  • CA_Traveler's avatar
    CA_Traveler
    Explorer III
    Jun 25, 2023
    1) No concern
    2) It's expensive and you follow their plan and pre made arrangements. The caravan doesn't wait if you have a issue. We talked to several folks about their caravan and it was a good experience for them. We had family stay with us for a week and we were the Kenai Peninsula tour guides!
    3) Yes, never drive below 1/2 tank full and plan on the next fuel station 200 miles away to be closed.
    4) No problem. When we went the bigger problem was entering the US. Vets can supply travel papers. Be sure everything is current a few weeks before departure.

    Do an advanced search on alaska above. Be sure to select the archive option.
  • PartyOf_Five's avatar
    PartyOf_Five
    Explorer
    Jun 25, 2023
    Those are nice questions, and unfortunately I don't have any answers.

    We went in 2019 with a 31-ft C Class and pulled a Honda Accord on a tow dolly. No issues other than a crack in the windshield that insurance took care of, and a couple tires.

    I hear the roads have gotten better since then but your best bet is to take it nice and slow so that your suspension and tires take less of a beating.

    British Columbia deserves just as much time as Alaska does, and we enjoyed the whole 10,000 miles to and from Chicago.

    There are plenty of gas stations and amenities of all kinds, and perhaps the most eye opening thing is that there are all kinds of people going to alaska. Bicycles, motorcycles, small cars, minivans, small RVs, Big A's, etc. Her worry we had, they were doing the same thing and we all made it.

    Have a great trip!

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