Winter ALCAN Trip

If it is necessary that you make the trip then I would grab a couple gallons of RV antifreeze to flush the toilet and a standalone heater like a little or big Buddy for emergency back-up.

Add some extra food, water and blankets in case of emergency. Keep your fuel tank and propane topped up as often as you can.

If the weather is crazy cold try and stop around fuel stops/people in case you have problems at night so you are around others.

I would only run heat during the day if you know that the TCer is air tight. No sense heating air that is being replaced by cold air all you are doing is wasting propane. Do stop 15 - 20 minutes before you are stopping for the night and turn up the heat and if you can get a 12v heater for the bed. It will at least take the bite off. If you do not have two group 31 batteries for the camper then it may not make it through the night running the heat.

Once you get where it is warmer then I would drain the waste tank and add water. This winter is suppose to be like a yo yo for temps


This will take you to a PDF of some tips for winter camping in extreme temps.

JimK, we are relocating to MI. Having a moving company taking our stuff in Jan. Mama is selling her car, and getting a new one in MI. She refuses to travel that road in the winter - is flying down:). I have another year left in my job, and have to decide if I want to be based up here, or in the lower 48, and commute, etc. I would much rather do the drive in the Spring, and enjoy it. I have to figure all that out. I do have a diesel truck. I drove up to AK twenty years ago in an old beat up Dodge with a slant six, developed a dead cylinder on the way, with all my possessions in the back, in Feb. Didn’t know any better. My truck finally broke down in Tok. Starter died. Didn’t really know what cold was until that trip. I’m in a much different position now, but 40 below plus is still 40 below plus. Now that I remember, I believe my propane tanks may be out of date. Have to look into that. Thank you all for the replies.

Double post

Having dealt with the Alaska highway in winter I would fly and use hotels. Camping ain't fun in those conditions and a breakdown can be life threatening.

Leave the heat on lowest setting while you drive. Do it all the time in temps down to 0* and have never experienced frozen tanks or waterlines. I do know none of my waterlines touch the outside walls. I only have 1 20# tank and can make it for at least 6 days before I need to refill with still about 1/4 tank.

I have also found that it makes it much nicer to stop about 15 minutes before I stop to turn the heat up. That or at least make sure all of my covers are thrown back off the bed. But if I was traveling everyday and had a good charge circuit to the camper, would put an electric blanket on the bed to keep off the chill from the bed and not worry about turning up the heat at all.

The most important things to take with you on a trip like you are proposing are mental toughness and good planning. It is not for everyone, but it is for some of us

Keeping the furnace lit while on the road shouldn’t be an issue from my limited experience.
Maybe consider night time heat with an electric heater supplement running off a genny.
Plus you have redundant heat sources then.
Bring a buddy heater as another source in a pinch. Propane can be warmed in the truck cab while you travel if needed.
Normal AK winter stuff.

But since you’re from AK, the rest is just dealing with the cold weather.

Cycle - I have travelled in temps down to -25F.

I drain and winterize then flush the toilet with rv antifreeze.
I carry water in jugs in the heated camper.
Carrying water and waste water in the tanks is fine if you are sure your camper can keep its basement warm.
There are charts available on line which will show you how cold a tempurature your propane cyclinders can supply vapor to the furnace before they need additional heat to keep the propane boiling.
Propane cylinder filling is available all through western Canada in winter.

Oh and cold air is dense so takes more hp to overcome aero load - up to 30% more at -20F. And if your truck is a diesel winter diesel has 20% less btu/lb than summer fuel. Fuel economy will be less than summer travel.

Have a great trip

I would consider using something like the Wave 3 or 6 catalytic heaters..They sip propane unlike the factory furnaces..I do a lot of winter camping and in milder winters the Wave 3 does fine but if it gets really cold,I would opt for the Wave 6..

In the older campers,truck or TT,I wouldn't trust the factory furnace driving down the road,but that's just me having had them blow out..