joe_b_
Explorer II
Joined 23 years ago
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Re: Soft Side Truck Campers in Alaska
Put your trash in a sealed bag in the pickup cab at night. Have never seen a bear break into the metal cab of a truck. Could happen, I guess but I would prefer a bear in the cab over a bear in my camper. LOL. I had an acquaintance in Ouray Colorado that had a bear get into their kitchen while the had gone shopping in town. That kitchen looked like a tornado had gone through it.771Views0likes0CommentsRe: Soft Side Truck Campers in Alaska
The best way to avoid bear problems is to keep a clean camp. As PA12 mentioned, once you have seenwhat a brown bear can do to a solid wood cabin door, you don’t want anything in any RV that a bear might want. In the game of bears versus joe b., the score stands at joe b. - 5, bears -0. After living in rural Alaska for 25+ years, I have, like others done many nights in tents, and both soft and hard sided RVs without a major problem with bears. There are basically two bear groups, dump bears and wild bears. Dump bears have been around people too much and associate humans with food. I used to enjoy solo camping out of my Piper Super Cub on gravel bars along the rivers on the south slope of the Brooks Range. I always set up two tents, one a cook tent and the other for sleeping, about 100 feet away. Made sure no food was in my airplane at night as it was a long walk to anywhere. Lots of good advice given by others. I carry a can of bear spray when hiking in bear country. Plus the spray is good on tacos if you want extra spice. I don’t like having a dog with me as they love to harass bears and then run to their person for protection.770Views0likes0CommentsRe: Diesel on Cassier Highway
They last few trips we have made on the Cassiar Hwy have been in diesel powered vehicles. There are 4 or 5 stations that carry diesel. Northbound I usually fill up at the intersection at Kitwanga. Also a nice restaurant attached to the station. If you are going to take the side road into Stewart, BC, they also have diesel. Dease Lake has been a stop for us several times in the past. Several nice campgrounds in the area, plus the gas station - grocery store has an excellent deli. Bell II, roadhouse has diesel, as does Iskut and then at the far end where the Cassiar joins the Alaska Hwy about 13 miles north of Watson Lake.414Views0likes0CommentsRe: Your customs experiences re-entering the US from Canada?
One thing I have found that helps is to keep your answers honest and simple. Don’t elaborate. Have only the driver do the talking unless a question is directed to a passenger. Have also found that cooked and frozen food items are much less of interest to the agents if Brian had cooked his bell pepper in with some ground meat and had it in his freezer, he probably could have enjoyed it that night for dinner. For some odd reason, once my information starts coming up on their computer screen, food is never mentioned. If the agent asks a question of you that you answer, yes or no, just sit quietly and let the agent break the silence . They are just doing their jobs and having a sense of humor, is not one of the job requirements for agents from either side of the border.573Views0likes0CommentsRe: Ericks red truck n trailer...or what's left of it.
Thanks GW. Was just curious as his red truck looks a lot bigger than our Lance truck camper, which we used for the last 4 round trips to Alaska. Had everything we needed for two of us except for a comfortable place to sit inside. LOL I do like my recliner in our current class A. Liking to tinker seems to be a big motivating factor for those into converting old buses into RVs, be they schoolies, or hounds637Views0likes0CommentsRe: Treated water and dump stations in the Yukon
I don’t remember ever having a problem with either. Sometimes there is a small charge to dump or fill up. Some gas stations will allow you to fill up with water when you fill up with fuel. Some commercial campgrounds will allow, for a fee, either or both. We always stay commercially in Whitehorse as we are normally there for 3 or more days enjoying the town and the history of the place. We try to stay at the Hi Country CG if there is space. We try to call a day or so ahead for a reservation. .164Views0likes0CommentsRe: Boondocking tips on the way from Denver to Alaska
There are normally many impromptu places to spend the night other than the parking lots of the big box stores. Some of the Northern rest areas allow, downside are the trucks also use them, coming and going all night. Many creeks, lakes, etc will have pull offs that will work. Most of the provincial parks are low cost and in beautiful setting so we often use these. I won’t camp within 5 miles of a town or village unless at an organized campground. A couple of times a week we will stay commercially to shower, do laundry, buy groceries, take care of vehicle maintenance, etc. fuel is normally our biggest expense and doesn’t vary based on where we stay.293Views0likes0CommentsRe: Best time to travel to Alaska
The years we lived in Nenana, SW of Fairbanks an hour or so, we could count on the first sticking snows of the winter arriving on or about October 5. From this point on till the January thaw. Tthe temperature will be below freezing, night and day . Even if you are in the Alaska Banana Belt, the area around Anchorage, you still have to drive back through parts of the Interior of the state, be it through Fairbanks, Tok, Delta or Glenn Allen where it will be cold during the first week of October forward. If driving on snow or temperatures below freezing doesn’t bother you, then it is very doable.364Views0likes0CommentsRe: Big rig driving in Alaska
I would suggest that the OP make sure of his actual height. He indicated he was at 13” 8’ which is, I believe close to what the US Interstate highway system claims is the minimum which is 16 rural and 14 urban. Sometimes it is a two person job to get an accurate measurement of rig height. With any tall rig be especially careful when pulling into gas stations that have an overhead cover. I like to put a post it note on my dash, showing my height in feet and inches as well as metric for when I am in Canada. One trip we were in Fairbanks and one of the Prevost RV Clubs from the Lower 48 was at the campground. Those H-45 rigs are pushing the height limit. LOL Also watch out for low hanging limbs in campgrounds or boon dock areas. The trip is very doable, just be watchful.391Views0likes0Comments
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