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.

[CA_Traveler]

fireman93514 wrote:
Alaska is DW's home state but no relatives still there.

Hope she'll post how it was and her impressions of the changes.

[crazynot22]

We are planning on 2015 now. Count us in.

[bjohns]

Count us in, along with our two friends and traveling buddies. We're heading out with our Arctic Fox truck campers in 2015. None of the four of us has ever been to Alaska, so we're really excited about doing the big trip. We're all retired, and so we can start whenever we feel like it and stay until we can't stand it any more. We're looking forward to the trip as well as the destination, and probably will take our time going through the Yukon. Look for two "Foxes" on the road. We'll give you a wave and some fresh coffee!

[2gypsies1]

April 30 is still a bit early to cross the U.S. border. Many businesses will still be closed, including campgrounds and there will still be ice on the lakes and possibly a late season snow storm. The 3rd week of May would be much better.

[fanrgs]

GGeorge wrote:
Iope to still be able to hit Glacier before 30 Sept.

The Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier NP closes for the winter on Sept. 21, 2014.

[GGeorge]

I am looking forward to a 2016 trip. I have been planning it for 3 years already and I figure I will only make it once so I will try to see everything I can on the first visit.

I figured hitting the WASH/BC border about 30 April and going north. Arriving back in the US (MT/ALBERTA)around 20-25 Sep. Hope to still be able to hit Glacier before 30 Sept.

[CA_Traveler]

We're going back in 2015!

For those that think the other half is "nuts" for this trip: Our 2013 was the once in a like time cross it off the bucket list - ie lets just do it. But along the way we looked at each other and both said "This is a fantastic adventure and we're coming back!"

[Takemeanywhere]

Count us in! Last trip was in 2009...waaaay too long ago. I've been eager to head back but DH was a little reluctant. But at last, next year's the year.

First time we went from southern Wisconsin to the Alcan, into Alaska and swung north to Fairbanks then came south to Talkeetna (my favorite little town), Anchorage. Then went to Valdez, back to Haines Junction and down to Haines where we used the Marine Highway to slowly travel south to Bellingham. (Obviously there were many more places, but this is getting long.) The whole trip was maybe six weeks. In 2015 we'll probably take the Cassiar, but who knows. We'll take three months. Just know the anticipation is part of what makes this such a great trip.

[imamech2]

I'm glad to see the 2015 class starting. I was planning on going in 2014 but financial obstacle got in the way. So I ended up getting a job and will keep it until I leave for Alaska in May 2015. So I've been planning since 2013 and now I think that my mother will be going with me ad my two small dogs, should be a trip of a life time. Will have my brother make me a sign for the spare tire of my mom's scamp trailer that we will be pulling. Can't wait.

[fireman93514]

Just got my 2014 milepost. Now the planning can begin in earnest.

[fanrgs]

DaveKirby wrote:
I think we will leave Nevada end of May and plan for a couple months.

When you are planning the length of time for your Alaska trip, be sure to consider the distance and the speeds you will be driving. Last summer, we spent nearly 3 months and drove 9,000 miles from Denver through BC and Alaska. On the way back, we did the Top-of-the-World Highway to Dawson City, then hit Whitehorse, and down the Alaska Highway to Dawson Creek. We came home through Jasper and Banff NPs to save some of our favorite scenery for last.

Although some of the people we met were trying to do the entire trip from the Lower 48 in 4-6 weeks, that is a pretty short time to really enjoy the sights. If you drive 9,000 miles in 6 weeks, you would have to average 200 miles a day, every day, rain or shine, tired or rested. But there are few places on the Alaska and Cassiar Highways where you can drive 65 mph, much less 75. In fact, the frost heave is so bad in one 100-mile stretch near Beaver Creek that we barely got up to 40 mph towing our trailer and frequently had to go even slower. So, nearly half of a 6-week trip would be spent driving, which doesn't leave much time for "seeing."

And, after all, "seeing" is the reason for going to Alaska. When you work up your trip budget, you will quickly understand that fuel likely will be your biggest expense (especially in Canada). Then you will realize that the fuel cost for the trip is the same no matter how long you stay. So, staying longer will actually reduce your average daily cost.

But, no matter how long you stay or how many cruises or fly-and-drive trips you have taken to Alaska, your RV trip will be the one you'll remember for the rest of your life!

[DaveKirby]

We are looking forward to our first Alaskan trip, spring of 2015. I have no hard plans at moment! most camping will be state/gov camp sites or boon docking. I think we will leave Nevada end of May and plan for a couple months.

[Kidoo]

Have a wonderful trip

[Kidoo]

It's never too early to plan, it's never to early to go! Just go as soon as you can, you never know when you will be forced to stay. My uncle was suppose to come with me this year but have to go for surgery so he cannot make it, he waited for years before deciding.

[turtle58]

We are going in 2015.