Bucket List Trip in Early Planning Stages

[empty_nest]

My dream (and now that of DW's) is an RV trip to Alaska. It's something I want to do real bad!

I've been following a lot of these threads for a long time and it looks as though just about every RV type is utilized to make the journey. We have a real nice 5'r but really aren't sure that's the best set up to travel some of the roads I read about.

While camping this past weekend, the discussion came up again about the trip and we thought maybe picking up a TC (probably used). I'm pretty sure I have the truck for it and could possibly tow our bug behind for side trips. We really don't want to drop $30K+ for something we may only use for this trip, so we're thinking even a fixer-upper.

Really don't know yet. We retire in a little under 2 yrs, so we have some time to investigate the possibilities and options.

Any thoughts from those of you who have made the trip?

[Turbo_Diesel_Du]

If I can manage to get my A_Fib under control, I'd like to go back next year. My DW keeps on telling me how bad my health is and I keep ignoring her, Only 76 years of experience. JMHO

[americanrascal]

Like you we have been going through the same thoughts and mental drills. We have not made the trip yet but will have to soon. Our son and DIL are moving to Anchorage this week and we thought we'd start working through our plans to visit.

We've been up to BC and AB visiting Lake Louise and Banff about 10 years ago and definitely want to go back. Having been there and seen that I (not the wife) am luke warm at best about doing the rest of the trip up to Anchorage on the Alaska Hiway. Frankly Alaska has never made my bucket list. But now with the kids there it will become a regular must do- probably once a year until we can no longer travel for age and health reasons.

We've looked at the travel from all view points. The only reason I will consider doing the drive at least once is because I want to see Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper again--- and since I'd be about half way there I'd take a deep breath and make the rest of the journey to Anchorage. That first part of the trip up to western Canada would really be fun. For some reason I just can't get to feeling good about the next half of the trip from Jasper to Anchorage.

My preference would really be to take the ferry up out of Bellingham,WA- but the cost is substantial and 4.5 days on the ferry would be really tough on our 2 canine kids.

We have a fiver, but because we were worried about the characteristics of the drive and expense of towing that far we thought it would be best if we did the Alaska Highway in a truck camper next year.So we added a Lance TC to the fleet. Our finding thus far with both units is that we like the TC to move at a steady regular pace with ease of set up,take down and at hi-way speeds. Get about 50% better mileage also. But the TC is no where near as comfortable living as the fiver. But we do sleep well in it and its tolerable and no complaints as it gets the job done. We like the fiver for going somewhere at a slow pace, setting up for at least 5 days, then taking down and moving on. Its a much slower exercise with the fiver, so we'd need a whole lot of time to use it.

If we go up to AK this coming year we will probably only drive it once-definitely in the TC- then move to the airways to get there and back.


I see all the description, excitement and thoughts of adventure here and elsewhere about the drive up to AK, but I just can not for some reason get excited about it once past Jasper- and I can't put my finger on why. I hope if we go ahead and do the full drive my mindset will be changed and that its a life long happy memory and experience.

Just trying to work it through in my mind.

[tonyandkaren]

I think that a truck camper would work well. The main road is one big loop so traveling and sightseeing along the way might work better than having a base camp - no need for a second vehicle. Side trips to places like Dawson in the Yukon and Salmon Glacier in British Columbia (which shouldn't be missed) are often on pretty rough dirt roads. You'll also find it easier to boondock in a truck camper.

But like you've noticed people travel to Alaska with all types of RVs. They all work fine. Since you have two years to go you could get a truck camper now and try it out for awhile. If you don't like it, sell it and use your 5th wheel.

[dbbls]

Like you, we thought a TC would be nice for the Alaska trip. After looking at a few my wife decided she did not want to crawl up into the bed like one has to. We pulled our 5er and had zero issues. It did get dirty but it cleaned up good after the trip. We saw lots of truck campers while in Alaska but not on the road to and from. FYI, the trip up and back was the most enjoyable part of the vacation