Wanderer 5
Sacramento,Ca. USA
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Joined: 02/22/2003
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I am going to leave the pace arrow home and just drive my pickup
to see alaska and what I can of canada. I am planning on about $100
a day for rooms and was wondering if anyone knows if this will be
enough. Gas is what it is and food should not be a problem, but
the room rate is an unknown to me. Plan on leaving July 1 for
about 30 days.
2001 Pace Arrow and 2008 HHR
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tandkj
Full timer
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Joined: 08/04/2003
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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.
08 Camelot
07 Ranger Toad
One lost Golden Retriever
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JCGibson
Anchorage, Alaska
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Joined: 08/01/2006
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I don't think 100/night will get much up here in Alaska in the summer. I suggest going on a site like expedia.com and getting an idea of what hotel rates are up here.
DH and I
2 teenagers
Buddy (dog) and Boo (cat)
'08 Dodge 3500 Megacab w/Cummins Diesel
'09 Heartland Big Horn 3400RE
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explorenorth
Whitehorse, Yukon
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Joined: 02/21/2004
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$100 won't do it in Alaska in the summer ($130 is closer) but will on the way to Alaska if you shop around and aren't too fussy.
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427435
Rochester, Mn
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Joined: 11/12/2005
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The $100 a night for motel rooms will probably be enough, but restaurant food is a lot higher than in the states. Two pcs of KFC in Dawson Creek were $4 (no sides or biscuits). Hamburgers will also run you $10 along the Alaska highway. If the DW and I were eating 3 meals each a day, I figure it would run close to $100 a day with tips. Plus there's no carrying suitcases or unpacking and re-packing with a MH.
On the other hand, a car or light truck would be a lot easier to drive on these roller coaster roads.
Mark
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U on a Ford chassis
2003 Ford Explorer toad with US Gear brakes,
ReadyBrute tow bar, and Demco base plate.
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alaskan-rver
Anchorage, AK
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Joined: 09/25/2005
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Have you considered tent camping or borrowing/renting a popup trailer?
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junmy3
Warner Robins GA
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Joined: 02/03/2004
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We had some friends that went to Alaska a few years ago with just a camper shell on the back of their truck. That option will let you stay in CG and hotels.
Jim & Junnie
2005 Sunline Solaris T-2553
Our Web Site
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turninghawk
Gatlinburg, TN
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Joined: 09/11/2003
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tandkj wrote: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!!
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alaskan-rver
Anchorage, AK
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Joined: 09/25/2005
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turninghawk wrote:tandkj wrote: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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turninghawk
Gatlinburg, TN
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Joined: 09/11/2003
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alaskan-rver wrote:turninghawk wrote:tandkj wrote: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.
Then maybe the thing to do would be to fly up and rent a CAR when he gets there, because you better than anybody should know that the $150 per day I quoted to rent an RV is LOW. RVing is great but it's not always the way to go if $ is an issue.
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