First Trip to Alaska

Trip of a lifetime bud!
Yes to the precautions like spare tires, tools etc.
presuming time is on your side, I'd totally make the drive up and back outside of the tourist season. Ie be in AK before Mem Day and leave after Labor Day or at least late August. But fall is awesome in AK and the Yukon as well.
I don't recall any butt puckering stretches of road, but the frost heaves get old after a while and be prepared to drive in snow. Low likelihood in May/Sept. Greater in April/Oct.

You will also want to see Seward and Homer. The Seward Highway to Seward was our favorite drive when we were stationed in Anchorage for 8 years.

johnna wrote:
May I suggest that you consider visiting Valdez. This was one of the most beautiful drives in Alaska.

Yes and also the Top of the World Highway to Dawson, Yukon

Everyone heading to Alaska should look at the 'Sticky' Helpful Ideas for Alaskan Travelers' at the top of this forum page. It lists things to take, to do, to stay, etc. It was compiled by a very energetic group going that year.

Thoughts:

- As noted above, take your time;
- The more time one can spend in AK, the better, but don't neglect Canada, particularly BC and YT. BC is beautiful and YT is the North, can't beat it (except in AK :) )
- I drove the Alcan 20+ RT's and never had a flat on a passenger vehicle, but always carried a spare. Had several flats on trucks without spares. Go figure. Karma or something, but I like to have spares.
- As mentioned above, once you get to AK, don't miss the road to Valdez. A very scenic drive.

Joyce and I live in Alaska, we are heading to S Dakota from Rhode Island at the end of April. We'll be spending a week in the Black Hills then up to Sweetgrass Monanat May 1st. On into Canada.
This time of year is a little quieter not so much traffic, things are just openning up so some services aren't always open. Generally better weather, can be alittle cool, lakes and rivers frozen and the Ferry out of Dawson didn't start running until the end of May last year. We check the weather every chance we get deciding if we want travel or explore. If it rained or snowed be careful, wait for it to warm up to make sure any ice on the road is melting. We are planning on 7 days from Montana to Tok, three days in Tok.
Just take you're time enjoy the trip up, there is plenty to see on trip N.

We made the trip in 2013 from Georgia with our fifth wheel. We had new tires on both the truck and fifth wheel and carried a spare for each. Thank goodness we didn't need them but we were happy to have them.

Our was original plan was to leave in April but we didn't want to miss the birth on a new grand child so we left about the middle of May. We took our time getting there and arrived in Canada June 2 and Skagway on Father's Day.

The only thing I would do differently is get there faster and spend more time in Alaska. The link in my signature is to my blog where I posted about our trip. At the top of the page are tabs with a list of campgrounds where we stayed and maps of our trip.

Just go and have a wonderful time! You will love it!

Here's an awful lot of info for you to read. As far a road conditions, if you've been to California and can drive on their rough roads, you can handle the Alcan - just SLOW DOWN, don't get in a rush. There are frost heaves and after you bounce all of the clothes off of the clothes rod in the closet once or twice, you'll pay more attention when they mark the frost heaves.

This years Roll Call Alaska 2016

Roll Call Alaska 2015

There's also a Roll Call Alaska 2014 & 2013, but the forum isn't working properly so you can't recall the older ones.

Bill

Rascal and the others seem to have answered the OP's questions in good fashion. The only thing I would add is to take a small air compressor and some tire plugs with you on your trip. I carry them on all long trips, be it to Alaska or elsewhere. (except for the one time I really needed it for a flat on the Top of the World Hwy. Even a spare tire that is not mounted will give a traveler a way to get a tire fixed. Fixing/mounting a tire is normally not a problem in the norther parts of the Alaska Hwy, but locating the correct size at anything approaching a reasonable price can be a problem.

I like to get out of Florida about mid May to the first of June. We normally figure on about 10 driving days to get to Fairbanks. With stops thrown in, usually works out to be about two to three weeks getting there. Have done Anchorage to Houston, Texas in six (6) days before, solo in a car, but that is a bit of a rush and I don't recommend it. LOL You have to run 800 mile days to do it. Aw, but to be young again. LOL

On any of our longer trips, such as to Alaska, we take one day during the week, off, to take care of house keeping chores, such as getting propane, shopping for a week's supply of groceries, doing laundry, getting an oil change (if needed), washing the rig if needed, and just checking the RV from top to bottom .

Takes the feeling of being rushed, out of the trip.

I saw some big motorhomes going real slow (5 mph) on the frost heaves near Destruction Bay. You'll feel it if you don't. Also, the Hwy from Tok to Glenallen has some bad potholes. The Milepost will list the bad sections. I got my windshield cracked coming back on a gravel stretch north of Ft. Nelson, though it was cracked when I went up, couldn't see any point in replacing it until I got back.

Be sure to get some Canadian cash for your trip, as it will save you from having to go inside and wait at some of the smaller gas stations if you can just hand the guy cash, like at Coal Creek. I got $1,000 and had plenty for food and gas both ways, but I was driving an SUV.

Don't get compulsive to get there, take your time and enjoy it. Lots of beauty and wildlife.

Search on Island Girl Walkabout for a really nice blog about the trip, taken by a couple in a big rig and pulling a car. Nice photos, too.