Upgrade for Alaska?

[petrel]

Ok we are trying again to assemble a whirlwind trip(we only have 30-40 days) to Alaska. We purchased a TT a few years ago and did a 7000mi cross country trip towing it with our Excursion. We figured it would be a warm up to Alaska. However, as the Excursion began to flag under the load our hopes of an AK adventure slipped away as well.

Things have now changed and our budget will permit an upgrade. Which, from our perspective, brings AK back into range. We are a family of six, who don't like to sit shoulder to shoulder in a pickup truck for long trips. Since nothing else (stock) will seat six comfortably while towing a 10k plus TT or a fifth wheel, we have abandoned that approach and are leaning towards a C+.

Planning to go from VA to AK, would a C+ (with the big ISL Cummins or comparable) towing our Ford Excursion be a satisfactory setup for a 30-40 day Alaska adventure?

[tonymull]

4X4Dodger wrote:

bob_nestor wrote:
Is that 30-40 days IN Alaska, or 30-40 days for travel AND time in Alaska? The trip from VA is probably going to take 2 weeks each way and those will be long days. You might be able to reduce that to about 10 days travel one way, but those are going to long travel days. Assuming 2 weeks travel one way then your time in Alaska is going to be 0-10 days if your estimate includes travel time. Remember too that a lot of the hiways you'll be traveling in Canada have a speed limit of 100Kph or 62 Mph.

Washington DC to Anchorage is 4,346 miles. At a very reasonable 500 miles per day that is only 9 days of travel. Even if you cut the last 1200 miles down to 250 miles a day. (the highway) you are still nowhere near 2 weeks to get to Alaska.

Seattle to Anchorage is 2900 miles not 1200. If you're going to enjoy any of it that is a 10 day trip in itself in my experience. Sure you can do it in 5 or 6 but BC is just as great as Alaska, why miss it? And 45mph is a realistic goal once you pass Kamloops, that 62mph limit is irrelevant. I remember spending a whole afternoon just waiting for bison to get off the road.

[4X4Dodger]

bob_nestor wrote:
Is that 30-40 days IN Alaska, or 30-40 days for travel AND time in Alaska? The trip from VA is probably going to take 2 weeks each way and those will be long days. You might be able to reduce that to about 10 days travel one way, but those are going to long travel days. Assuming 2 weeks travel one way then your time in Alaska is going to be 0-10 days if your estimate includes travel time. Remember too that a lot of the hiways you'll be traveling in Canada have a speed limit of 100Kph or 62 Mph.

Washington DC to Anchorage is 4,346 miles. At a very reasonable 500 miles per day that is only 9 days of travel. Even if you cut the last 1200 miles down to 250 miles a day. (the highway) you are still nowhere near 2 weeks to get to Alaska.

[Grit_dog]

petrel wrote:
Thanks! We are very excited about our upcoming trip. Right now we are inventing reasons to take it for a spin every chance we get. Unfortunately, my dear wife likes to drive it as much as I do. She is cutting into my tiller time!

Well driving straight thru Katty corner across the continent she should get her fill!

[petrel]

True. This is already shaping up as an reconnaissance mission for future AK adventures. Thanks

[fanrgs]

Forget Alaska--your new rig could take you in comfort down the Pan-American Highway to Patagonia! Especially if your wife likes driving it as much as you do. That way you'll both get plenty of "tiller time." From there, it's just a hop, skip, and jump over to visit the penguins in Antarctica.

Just kidding and more than a little jealous too! If you had more time, that rig could easily carry you in style up the Dalton Highway to Deadhorse and the Arctic Ocean. But it also means you will definitely begin planning for the "next trip" while you are still on this one, since Alaska seems to call everyone who goes there back a second, third, fourth, etc., time.

[petrel]

Thanks! We are very excited about our upcoming trip. Right now we are inventing reasons to take it for a spin every chance we get. Unfortunately, my dear wife likes to drive it as much as I do. She is cutting into my tiller time!

[Grit_dog]

Wow! That's a serious rig! You'll be traveling in style. Have fun!

[zb39]

Awesome rig, your going to have a ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[petrel]

Thanks! We hope to fish out of homer and ninilichik. Bringing home some halibut would be a real treat.

[cgflyer]

Good luck on your trip, that's a great looking rig. We did the trip NC coast to AK in 2013 in our DP without a toad and took 11 days up and 9 down with 10+ days in AK. Great trip, we stopped at Custer's battlefield, Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone along the way. 40 days is plenty of time, as the journey is also part of the trip. I was the only driver with a wife and 5 kids, everyone is still talking about the adventure. My biggest recommendation is to go charter halibut fishing in Homer; half day trips are closer and cheaper, and everyone onboard caught 15-20 halibut 15+lbs each(you can only keep 2) you'll never look at fishing the same again.

[Tee_Jay]

The chains and studded tires wear ruts in the road, and going into or out of the ruts can throw you around pretty hard.

He puts added shims in to cant the axle forward, something like 2 deg left and 3 deg right. Net result is the truck still goes down the road straight even with the ruts, and when you make a turn if you 'release' the steering wheel it just snaps back to dead straight. The service folks at your local dealer may know all about it, but if not call Buddy and discuss it with him. It is an easy job with big results and you get a fresh alignment out it.

Have fun
Terry

[petrel]

Thank you for the advice. Would you tell me more about the steering issues? So far the rig goes down the road like it is on rails, but I've only been on good roads. What may I expect on rough roads?

[Tee_Jay]

petrel:

I had a FL 5 that did nice work, but on some roads was the pits to steer. Call Buddy's Garage in Soldotna, These trucks come with an axle shim, but it is like 1/2 degree, and Buddy's fix is more in the 2 and 3 degree range, which makes all the difference in the world on the northern roads. I think his work on my FL5 was around $300.

Nice looking rig, Enjoy the trip.
Terry

[petrel]

[zb39]

Give it another try......would love to see pic.