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Forum
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RE: On The Road To Alaska
For those of you heading up the highway, what kind of RV traffic and crowds at the campgrounds are you seeing? Up here in Anchorage, is seems like we're seeing fewer out-of-state RVs and I haven't personally seen a single caravan yet.
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alaskan-rver
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06/23/08 12:11pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Airless Valve Stem Extensions
I'm glad to hear everything turned out OK in your case. The bottom line is that putting extenders on rubber valve stems is just asking for trouble--you need to use the metal (such as brass or steel) truck-style valve stems. If you get the right length metal stems, you may not even need extenders anymore. Either way, only the metal ones are strong enough to support extenders.
I've been through this myself, shredding out a new tire thanks to the slick new valve extenders I mounted on my stock rubber stems several years ago. Unfortunately, there are plenty of similar stories on these forums.
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alaskan-rver
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06/21/08 11:47pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Scangauge/OBD-II port problem
OBD port shares fuse with cigarette lighter in the E-series
...we have a winner! That solved the problem--I spent far longer tracking down my owners manual to figure out which fuse it was than I did in the actual repair.
Bryan, I owe you a cold beer when you come up this far north.
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alaskan-rver
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06/18/08 11:21pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Anyone know of anyone that tried this stuff?
There is an airplane on a run way. The run way is like a conveyor belt, and can detect the speed of the wheels of the airplane. When the run way senses the wheels moving, the run way will move match the speed of the airplane's wheels but in the opposite direction.
Can this airplane take off?
What if the propeller is attached to a hydrogen generator?
(Just trying to lighten the mood.)
It depends...who's at the controls--the rabbi, the priest, or the duck?
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alaskan-rver
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06/17/08 02:19pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Scangauge/OBD-II port problem
Is there a fuse for the OBDII port? I know the scangauge gets it's power from the vehicle...
I was wondering the same thing, or at least how to probe the OBDII port for signs of life...
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alaskan-rver
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06/17/08 09:58am |
Tech Issues
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RE: RV park with hookups near the Sheraton Anchorage?
Why worry about a campground, when you can urban boondock it? Stay at a Fred Meyer parking lot (the closest one is in midtown, less than 2 miles from the Sheraton). You can dump holding tanks and get fresh water periodically at many local gas stations (particularly the Holiday chain), and possibly even catch your dinner in Ship Creek (barely a mile from the Sheraton). Don't be a mere conventioneer, be a pirate! There is adequate street and lot parking for a rig your size near the Sheraton (which is on the edge of downtown).
Or, since we get ridiculously little darkness at that time of year, you could drive around and sightsee all night, and sleep during the conference!
Lots of visiting RVers stay in Fred Meyer lots (as we're pretty much turned all our campgrounds into shopping malls), all the locals use the dumps at the gas stations. You won't need shore power, since it's not warm enough to require an air conditioner (or dark enough to need many lights). As you've probably discovered, hotel rooms are ridiculously expensive during tourist season. And, yes, salmon do run up Ship Creek, which runs right next to downtown Anchorage.
Just bring some warm clothes, so that you can see the colors change in September, since you won't want to return home!
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alaskan-rver
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06/17/08 01:09am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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Scangauge/OBD-II port problem
This past weekend my Scangauge II quit working on my E-450 motorhome, but continues to work fine in other vehicles (I tested it on two Dodges). On the motorhome, it acts like it isn't even connected (nothing comes on, etc.). Any idea what the problem might be?
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alaskan-rver
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06/16/08 11:00pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Atwood water heater - no hot at taps
Do you have a bypass system for winterizing it? Look at the water lines running to and from the water heater--are there valves on them, and another line with a valve connecting them, running in parallel with the water heater? If so, make sure that the valves to and from the water heater are open (which usually means that the valve is in line with the water line), and that the valve on the cross-connect (the water heater bypass) is closed (the handle, if straight, would be perpendicular to the bypass line.
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alaskan-rver
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06/10/08 08:53am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Motel it to and thru Alaska
I would consider renting an RV in Anchorage and paying the $30 or so a night for a camp ground site. Also, there is a two for one book that gives you two nights for the price of one. The book is at www.toursaver.com.
A small Class C is going to cost a minimum of $150 per day, plus a mileage charge unless you pay extra for unlimited mileage. Then there's the fact that it will get less than half the mpg's of a pickup. Doesn't sound like all that good of an idea to me!!
The big difference is that the renter can save weeks of travel time, as well as the expense of the drive up here and back.
Let's say that the round trip between CA and AK is 6500 miles
At 13 mpg (a fair estimate of pickup truck mileage), the fuel to transit alone would be 6500/13 = around 500 gallons.
Gas is presently around $4.10 in Anchorage, and as usual, higher in remote areas of Canada. Figure $4.50/gal average on the trip--those 500 gallons would cost around $2250--just to get up here and back. Then there's the separate issue of wear and tear on the truck.
Now, compare that $2250 to around $1000 per person for airfare.
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alaskan-rver
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06/10/08 08:43am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Motel it to and thru Alaska
Have you considered tent camping or borrowing/renting a popup trailer?
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alaskan-rver
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06/09/08 11:07pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Is a toad a must for this trip?
Is a toad a must...no.
The Cassiar and Alaska highways are major trucking routes, so the roads and pullouts are roomy. The towns (a term used loosely, as you will see) up north tend to be sprawled out, with wide streets and plenty of curbside parking. Also, given the low population density up here, there are precious few side roads to explore.
Admittedly a 35-footer is a big rig. If you're the kind who typically only spend one night at each stop before moving on, then I think you could safely leave the toad at home. However, if you are more the "homesteading" type--where you stay several days at one site while exploring with day trips--then you'll get more benefit out of the toad. Also, if you want to fish a lot (remember that each state and province requires a separate license), then having the toad could help to reach more streams and lakes.
Finally, a toad with some ground clearance capable of driving off-road (or at least down dirt logging roads) is going to be far more versatile up here than a lower-riding pavement-only one.
About the only destination where your rig simply won't fit will be downtown Anchorage (which covers only about a square mile). For here, you could either rent a car, or park at a nearby shopping center then use either public transporation (we've recently upgraded from communal dog sleds to municipal buses), or simply calling a taxi for the few mile trip from your parking lot to downtown.
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alaskan-rver
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06/07/08 10:40am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: How late is too late to go to Alaska
If you're going to stay much after Labor Day, you'd better be prepared to boondock, as most commercial (and even public) campsites close for the season. However, you get to enjoy all the benefits previously mentioned in this thread...and possibly even see the Alaska State Fair.
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alaskan-rver
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05/30/08 12:48am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Where's the MHs?
I think that Memorial Day is a little early benchmark the season, particularly when the out-of-staters don't really arrive in mass until mid-June. For what it's worth, we drove between Anchorage and Talkeetna this weekend, and the campgrounds had plenty of activity, consisting of area residents and rental rigs.
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alaskan-rver
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05/25/08 10:35am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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Butyl Tape Cleanup
What's a good chemical to get butyl tape residue off of metal tools? My putty knives are all gooped up with the stuff. Thanks.
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alaskan-rver
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05/21/08 08:38am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Atwood water heater leak
Are you sure the tank didn't burst, and that you're now seeing the leakage running down from the sides of the tank? Look at the foam at the top at the tank--if it's broken or deformed, I've got some bad news for you...
I just purchased a replacement tank for mine today--around US$220 up here.
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alaskan-rver
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05/19/08 06:29pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Any Tips for Cleaning Awning
If your awning has legs, another trick is to extend the awning, release the bottom of legs from the side of your rig, and then tuck the legs under the unit. This way the awning lays relatively flat against the side, so you can scrub it easier.
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alaskan-rver
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05/19/08 09:36am |
General RVing Issues
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Hot water heater tank replacement--how difficult is it?
Apparently I failed to properly drain my water heater before winterizing last year, and the tank split. So, you can disregard any reports of volcanic activity in the north Pacific--it was just me venting hot gases and fumes when I discovered this!
The unit is an Atwood 6 gallon (G6A-8E). Can anyone share their experience in either replacing the entire unit, versus scavenging the components off the old one and mounting them to a new replacement tank. I'm trying to evaluate if this is a realistic do-it-yourself job.
From now on I'll be also removing the nylon plug when I winterize, just to be absolutely sure that the damned thing is empty!
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alaskan-rver
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05/19/08 12:24am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Camp gear rental Alaska
Lawn chairs: Buy some cheapies at Fred Meyer, WalMart, or Costco. If they survive your trip, drop them off at a thrift shop on your way out of town.
Cooler: Bring one from home, and pack you clothes etc. in it for the trip up. With all the fishing going on, hardside coolers and plastic totes are more common at Anchorage airport than hardside Samsonites!
Good axe: You might want to rethink this one. I'm presuming from your list that you'll be car camping. Campgrounds will be picked pretty clean of downed kindling, and they don't take kindly to people chopping down their trees. Remember, it doesn't get dark up here in the summer, so a campfire doesn't have the same dramatic effect you get further south where it actually provides light as well. Just plan on buying a few precut bundles of firewood instead. FWIW, to get descent firewood up here, most people use a chain saw and log splitter, and then dry it for several months before trying to burn it. You can check one in your luggage (if you're space constrained, consider bringing the axe blade up from home, and then buying a handle up here). Don't worry about TSA freaking out about it--they routinely see far weirder stuff (trophy animal heads, etc.), and lots of hunters check their firearms.
Tarps: We've got blue tarps EVERYWHERE up here--just look behind pretty much any house, and you'll see a woodpile or old vehicle covered in one! In other words, you can easily get them cheaply in just about any size you want.
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alaskan-rver
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05/15/08 09:06pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: verizon phone coverage and cost in Alaska
While Verizon doesn't directly serve Alaska, they do have roaming agreements enabling service up here. As far as cost, your best bet would be to contact Verizon directly and discuss your plan's options.
In general, roaming in Alaska is considered the same as off-network roaming in the rest of the country, when it comes to billing policies.
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alaskan-rver
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05/13/08 08:37am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Teklanika compground at Denali ice bound
Damn...what's a budding glacier got to do to get a break nowadays?
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alaskan-rver
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05/12/08 02:57pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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