Alaskan Camper Accessory Questions
In '99 I bought an 8 ft. Alaskan Camper from the factory and used it extensively for 10 years, selling it when my lady had knee surgery and had difficulty with the climb up to the back door. Not long after I sold it I realized I had made a terrible mistake and began obsessing over another one. Now that the lady is no longer in my life I am about to rectify my blunder.
A few months ago at the factory in Chehalis WA I determined that the 8 1/2 ft. front dinette model would do nicely and selected a list of options. Among them was a $900 awning. I live and boondock often in the Southwest and shade is important. I realize the Alaskan comes with an "awning rail" that allows you to mount a tarp with little brackets, which then must be supported by poles with rope supports attached to the ground but after hassling with that a few times I found it to be cumbersome and hardly worth the trouble. Would like to know if anyone has had experience with this new Alaskan add-on awning and if it is worth the extra dollars.
Also, I like to take along a bicycle when I travel but with the entrance to the Alaskan in the rear directly above the spot where you would normally mount a bike rack, when you are on the road it is necessary to deal with the bike every time you want to get in and out of the camper. I've seen RVers who mount a bike rack on the front of their pickup but I am reluctant to do that. Has anyone come up with a clever way to mount a bike on an Alaskan Camper that would alleviate this problem?
Any other advice or constructive comments regarding the Alaskan would be appreciated. Yes, I know they are expensive, but in the 10 years I owned my previous one I never once regretted paying premium dollars for what I learned is a very high quality product.
Thanks ahead of time for your helpful thoughts.
Saguaro
A few months ago at the factory in Chehalis WA I determined that the 8 1/2 ft. front dinette model would do nicely and selected a list of options. Among them was a $900 awning. I live and boondock often in the Southwest and shade is important. I realize the Alaskan comes with an "awning rail" that allows you to mount a tarp with little brackets, which then must be supported by poles with rope supports attached to the ground but after hassling with that a few times I found it to be cumbersome and hardly worth the trouble. Would like to know if anyone has had experience with this new Alaskan add-on awning and if it is worth the extra dollars.
Also, I like to take along a bicycle when I travel but with the entrance to the Alaskan in the rear directly above the spot where you would normally mount a bike rack, when you are on the road it is necessary to deal with the bike every time you want to get in and out of the camper. I've seen RVers who mount a bike rack on the front of their pickup but I am reluctant to do that. Has anyone come up with a clever way to mount a bike on an Alaskan Camper that would alleviate this problem?
Any other advice or constructive comments regarding the Alaskan would be appreciated. Yes, I know they are expensive, but in the 10 years I owned my previous one I never once regretted paying premium dollars for what I learned is a very high quality product.
Thanks ahead of time for your helpful thoughts.
Saguaro
