Roll Call Alaska 2015

[trcgolf]

I know its early but we have been planning for the past 3 months. I know its another 15 months at least till we leave but we are just going crazy...
So here is our very rough plan overview. Leave mid June from western NY; travel west up through Ill., Wis., Min., ND, into Canada.
Diagonally across Saskatch. and Alberta, BC, and YT...
Our first destination is Fairbanks, via Top of the World Highway... thinking of doing the Dempster to the Arctic Circle. I know there will many stops... some short, some long but all will be great.
Fairbanks to Homer with the obligatory Denali stop for a few days.
Homer to Portland Or; Oregon to San Fran; San Fran to home via the Northern US.

We have so much planning yet to do but reading all the Roll Call posts in 2013, and 2014 just keeps us going. Started to plan finances which brings us to the first major question.
I have heard all the diesel advantages and draw backs of the gas engines. We invested in a 32' fifth wheel and 2013 GMC 2500 HD with 6.0L Crew 4x4. The fiver weighs about 8K empty, I would guess 10,500 loaded. ( I will get that checked for sure)Brand new to Rving

The truck is my every dayer.... need the 4 wheel drive here in winter. The decision with gas was pure economics. A Cummins diesel and matching tranny was $9500 more. Doing the math it was going to take a bunch of miles to save enough in mileage to pay for the increase in price. About 100000 mile by my calculation. We not going to be full timers; one long trip a year to Florida.
Traveling around NY and Pa and maybe Florida, that all makes sense but going on a trip like this, I am not so sure gas was the way to go. So I am asking for those who used a truck like mine to haul a fifth wheel through Canada...Alaska...et al... What kind of mileage can I expect? Sorry for the novelette...I will get better at this.

Edited to add 'Alaska' within the title.

[richarfg]

...add Scot and Carol Shaffer from Normangee, TX to the list. They are travelling in a 2014 Alpine 5th wheel.

[Ol_coot]

Maybe I should attach the picture before hitting send. Oops......

[Ol_coot]

Here's our Roll Call Sign in window. Be safe and hope to see ya up there.

Dave/Lynn (Chopper Hopper) out of wacky Waco, Tx.

[Uma___Papa]

No one on the list from SC? Just wondering

[hjeaton65]

Ca traveler...we are in! Lord willing! Robert & Jane from Elida, Ohio

[Ol_coot]

Go as far and as long as you can. And enjoy it as long as you can. Just be safe and know when to say when. Hope to see you up there in the last frontier. We're riding a white chev 2500 pulling white Springdale. Stop in for coffee if you see us. And that goes for anyone else who might happen up on us up there. Stop and say "Howdy" and we'll fire-up the coffee for ya.

Dave and Lynn

[richarfg]

Chopper Hopper wrote:
richarfg; Appears from first glance you will be doing some long days of driving to get from Wildwood, Tx to Sedona, Az (about 20 hours) then from there on up to Wa. (about 24 hours). And doing it all in 10 days. More power to you, but after 5 to 6 hours driving I need to stop for the night. As much as I hate to say it, beginning to slow down.
We were in Sedona last summer on way to Calif. Awesome place. Hope you enjoy as much as we did. Drive safe.

Dave

Thanks Dave! We love Sedona also! I know I will eventually get to the point where I can't travel as much in a day, but at the present time I seem to never get tired! I have rode back to back 1000 mile days on a motorcycle. I'm still a young 62, and when I travel my energy and life is wonderful! Take care, my brother!

[noteven]

[SBradley]

Joyce and I live in Alaska, Joyce 43 yrs and me 63 (born in Ak) we tvl to places that most people drive by; mostly because they don't know to stop.

If anyone is interested we are willing to share our insights, to help you make the most of your trip.
Send a private email with your plan, we may be able to help you make it a little more interesting.

Here is a little back ground on our interest, if you think we can help.
We hike, a lot, even in winter. Our favorite hike is 16 miles long (one way).
Joyce is a bear nut traveling to take pics. Her last trip was to Kaktovik on the Slope.
I am a little less adventurous I fly paragliders as my retirement fun.
I use to fly Cubs but since I don't hunt anymore just isn't cost effective.
We have been traveling to lower 48 to see National parks, Utah, Nevada, California in the last three yrs.
We are staying close to home this yr. but we will still be venturing out here and into Canada. Hope to see some of you on the rd.

[dahkota]

Add us to the list. We were supposed to go last year but life got in the way...

We left Washington, DC January 1 and are currently in CA. We plan to make it to Washington state to cross by May 15.

We mostly boondock and dry camp and plan to stay north of the US/CAN border until September. If you see Florida Plates on a black Jeep Wrangler, feel free to stop by and say "Hello!"

[Ol_coot]

richarfg; Appears from first glance you will be doing some long days of driving to get from Wildwood, Tx to Sedona, Az (about 20 hours) then from there on up to Wa. (about 24 hours). And doing it all in 10 days. More power to you, but after 5 to 6 hours driving I need to stop for the night. As much as I hate to say it, beginning to slow down.
We were in Sedona last summer on way to Calif. Awesome place. Hope you enjoy as much as we did. Drive safe.

Dave

[richarfg]

Count us in the Class of 2015. We will leave Village Mills, Texas on May 19th for Sedona, AZ; then on to Anacortes, WA from May 28th to June 3rd. From that point until September, we will be travelling by the seat of our pants. Our intent is to use the provincial parks and boondocking more than private RV Parks. We will be travelling in a 2001 Newmar Mountainaire with a White Honda CRV in tow, and TEXAS plates. Say "Howdy" and share your experiences with us.

[Joyceyam]

Hi. We will be going through the crossing at Sweetgrass the end on May. 30' Thor Ace w/ Alaska plates. We live in Alaska & are returing w/ our new motorhome. Direct email is joyce.minarik@gmail.com if our time frame works for you.

[rednpat]

We are in the process of getting our ducks in a row for a return trip to Alaska this summer. Spent the summer of '11 workamping in Juneau, now we want to go all the way North and come and go as we want when we want. We entered Canada at Sweet Water and had no problems. Came out on 75 South of Winnipeg. Don't recommend it as the last 5 miles before the border was a WASHBOARD,and the next 5 miles on I-29 was the same WASHBOARD! I noticed in one of the post's that they were thinking of going across US2 in Montana. If you are not in a hurry and like winding 2 lane roads have fun. We would like to hook up with someone to travel with. Much more enjoyable in my opinion if you got someone to share the experience with. Unfortunately, we can't leave until the end of May from Illinois. Any advice for boon docking? We will be traveling in Chevy 3500HD with a 39' Montana 5er. RednPat

[soos]

we also found "the Alaska App" to be extremely useful