Hi,
We are leaving June 8 for our 1st trip to Alaska - YES!!! 35 days!!!! We will make stops at Glacier NP, Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper, then head to the Alaskan HWY.
We might do some boondocking along the ALCAN, not sure. How much water do you carry in your fresh tank? Would like enough h2o for boondocking, but don't want to carry unnecessary weight. We have a 105 gal tank, 2 adults(no kids). What would you do?
We have a 38' DP w/toad. Have you boondocked to/from Alaska? How did you find a "good spot"?
Thanks, Kathy
'02 KOUNTRY STAR DP
'04 PT CRUISER INFERNO RED
LUCKY THE TRAVELIN'BLACK CAT
How little water can you use for showers and washing dishes?
If your source of water is a hand pump* in a campground, and the pump spout does not fit a hose (even with the rubber sleeve), how can how can you get water into your tank?
*What we saw in some BC campgrounds.
I'm free of prostate cancer for 5 years now.
All men over age 50 should get an annual PSA blood test. Mine had a low reading, but the yearly jump was significant. The biopsy showed cancer just entering the aggressive stage. Dr. Hackenslash removed it.
in 2001 we boon docked from Anchorage Alaska all the way back to Missouri, look for gravel pits where their has been road construction, on the Alaskan Hwy their is pull outs you can stay all night at, we stayed at some county and city parks free also, they are their you just have to look for them, we also stayed at some Lions club road side parks in Montana, we also used a few Truck stops but not to many because of noise from the trucks at night,anyway have a good time, and about the water we just carried 20 gallon with us,,,,
Richard
1987 ford f250 6.9 diesel
1997 Innsbruck by Gulf Stream 28ft fifth wheel with slide
and the wife and co-pilot Trudy
You have a 38 ft DP and are thinking about weight issues? cripes....fill that thing up and go. The water weight is NOTHING compared to the rest of your rig.
To answer your question? you are good for 6 or 7 days easily. You have 100+ gallons..how big is your grey waste tank? You gotta learn to shower with water on/off...you get wet, soap, rinse..each time turning off the water. You do dishes once a day not after very meal. Stuff like that....
I apologise...I was thinking about your post and came to realize that this might be your first experience at boondocking...so....please do a 'search' on here. There are lots of threads on this topic. Following that, ask your questions...there are many of us that boondock everywhere...Alaska or New York and all roads here to there and coast to coast.
Gary Haupt
but I stand by my original comment...your water weight just shouldn't give you a moments pause.
With a 30 gallon fresh tank we were good for a week of boondocking. However, I think our water usage is a lot less than some other folks.
To save water, we:
- tend to bathe in lakes/creeks and not shower (when boondocking in remote places).
- carry drinking water (because free water sometimes isn't good tasting water).
- shut the water pump off at night so pee flushing doesn't use water.
- carefully wash/rinse dishes for minimal water usage (less greasy things first, rinse dishes over the sink you're washing in).
- use other toilet facilities whenever we can.
Most lodges & gas stations along the Alaska Highway are happy to share their water if you ask, and it is often good well water. Some campgrounds will let you top up your water without a charge. Some towns have community facilities where you can dump your tanks and get water at no cost (Watson Lake has a great community park with both these utilities available).
Our experience is that it's harder to find a place to dump your tanks for free than it is to get water for free. Most commercial campgrounds will let you dump for a small fee ($5-$10) though.
We always travel with our water topped up as we boondock or drycamp most of the time. When I see an opportunity to get good water, I take it because I don't know when the opportunity will come up again.
Think about how many gallons of water you use in a day, multiply that by how many days you want to boondock between filling your fresh tank, and that is how many gallons you'll need to carry.
We leave with a full 25 gal and top off at campgrounds when possible. We have a 5 gal water container to refill when we can't hook up the hose. I can go a week at the beach on 25 gal water. We use the restroom and outside showers available. Bring drinking water. Conservation is the key. Have fun...
I can camp for 2 weeks with 100 gallons of fresh water.
I would say fill the tank 1/2 full, and give it a try. If you run out, then try filling it 3/4 way. If you have dry camped 4-5 days in a row, then find a campground with still 1/4 tank, so you only used 25 gallons, then try filling only 1/3 full.
I think that you can take a navy shower dialy and only use about 50 gallons in 5-6 days. But practice makes perfect. 50 gallons is about 400 pounds. If you find a really nice dry camping place, like a lake or something, and will be taking the same route southbound in only 2 months, fill up full at the next northbound campground that you reach on the southbound side of the trip, so you can stay for up to 2 weeks!
Do you have a spare tire? I would suggest getting a spare tire, even if you never mount it, a roadside service station or mechanic can mount it if required on the road. But you might have to wait a few days to get UPS to deliver a tire if they don't stock your size along the road.
The biggest advantage to a DP is they usually use the same size tire as the delivery trucks - so they stock a few of them, but at really high prices due to shipping fees.
Fred.
Money can't buy happiness but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche or Country Coach!
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