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RE: ALASKA! Driving from California to Anchorage...
We wanted to do the entire Alaskan Highway so went up from Montana and back via BC. Anchorage? Not so interesting for us vs many other areas. Fuel stop distance was not a consideration for us, but be more conservative during the winter. Hours? No clue as the trip was 9,600 miles for 3 months.
okay, we'd go May/June.. Anchorage is just a meeting point, in that I may fly up with the kids and my husband may drive up and down....He'll have more time. We did look at the ferry from Bellingham, WA to Whittier but they quoted $7000 for him to take the travel trailer!
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jukes
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01/11/22 04:08pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: ALASKA! Driving from California to Anchorage...
Most of the driving directions sites (like Mapquest) give you driving time at that very moment. Get the same directions at a another time and the driving time will be different based on current traffic.
So you can "play" with it to figure out the best times.
oh so I can change it to May or June, when certain roads may be clear of snow for example?
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jukes
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01/11/22 04:07pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: ALASKA! Driving from California to Anchorage...
That would be under best driving conditions and not towing as it affects fuel stops.
okay it would be end of May, and yep, towing always slows us down!
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jukes
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01/11/22 04:06pm |
Roads and Routes
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ALASKA! Driving from California to Anchorage...
Hi!!
We are thinking to drive from Santa Cruz, CA to Achorage (and explore from there).. It's showing as 60hrs, is that winter hours, would it be a faster route in the summer (very end of May)?
Any other tips? a diff route to take on the return journey?
We'd be towing our 30' travel trailer with our 7.3L diesel Excursion....
Thanks!!
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jukes
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01/11/22 01:29pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: smaller MH with 2+ separate comfy sleeping areas?
We never had a TT. They look comfy but we found them more expensive with the price of a decent truck added and the Class C comes with a truck. But they are noisy. We have rattles in our newer coach and still tracking them down. Our Itasca 22e was actually 22 ft long but it only had the overcab bed and the flip out couch and dinette. Still we got a lot of grandkids and even a second couple into it a few times.
We expanded to a Minnie Winnie 25b this spring and it’s a little over 26’. It has a rear corner bed, a couch and dinette and a huge overcab bed that I reduced to a 3” queen foam topper to make the bedding fit. Some people don’t like sleeping just in the overcab bed but we didn’t mind. We now sleep in the rear corner bed and it’s fine. But many people hate having to crawl over the mattress to make the bed.
We bring the family whenever we can and love the space under the back bed for storage. We take an inflatable boat and trolling motor and camp chairs and tables and a pop up shelter etc. lots of stuff fits in there.
So we are loving the larger RV. We can still fit in most “hang over” spots in parking lots. Even though that was easier with 22’.
The Minnie Winnie layout looks nice... If my husband agrees to sleep in the overhead then it works for me to have the corner bed lol....He's 6' so it looks nice and spacious up there. He'd also want a topper...
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jukes
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10/28/21 09:55am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: smaller MH with 2+ separate comfy sleeping areas?
Great thanks everyone! pnichols, I am the same as your wife, I take over the comfy rear queen bed, for my bad back and better sleep lol. Hmm. so maybe the one above the cab could suffice for my husband, and dinette for the 9 yr old.. plus some tents just incase the older ones come along...
It's a catch 22, we now want to tow a boat sometimes, but then with a MH won't have a car for easy exploring! Although, I guess we could tow a car when not towing a boat!!
We do a variety of trips, everywhere from Yosemite, to Portland, to Shasta to Los Angeles to Olympic National Park next year we hope, and eventually Alaska!.. a real mix of towns and remote, although now the teens aren't coming we won't do LA in it again..
FWIW, just myself and my wife have traveled on two long trips across the U.S. (one of 9 weeks and one of 10 weeks) in our 24 ft. non-slide Class C and never needed a tow. However, our exploring and sight-seeing was not on remote/narrow forest roads, either, when on these trips.
In the western U.S. we sometimes tow our small fishing boat, and sometimes rockhound explore and boondock camp in the desert ... all with just the Class C. We carry a lot of equipment and tools with us and I have oversize tires on it's Ford E450 chassis to provide more ground clearance.
That's great to know, we were trying to imagine not having a car. some areas we will stay put at campsite but others we'd need a car, but then again a 24' is usually okay to park in most areas I'd assume, although there'd be the hassle of unhooking but then again we don't always need hookups... pros and cons I guess! We rented a 30' class C many years ago when visiting from England, before we lived here, before we'd ever had a TT. Even with that we found parking, bit did borrow a car and hitch a ride a big sur down to the beach area..Do you still have to level out and stabilize a 24' class C? that's a pain with our TT, and it's still a bit wobbly lol
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jukes
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10/27/21 04:25pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: smaller MH with 2+ separate comfy sleeping areas?
Great thanks everyone! pnichols, I am the same as your wife, I take over the comfy rear queen bed, for my bad back and better sleep lol. Hmm. so maybe the one above the cab could suffice for my husband, and dinette for the 9 yr old.. plus some tents just incase the older ones come along...
It's a catch 22, we now want to tow a boat sometimes, but then with a MH won't have a car for easy exploring! Although, I guess we could tow a car when not towing a boat!!
We do a variety of trips, everywhere from Yosemite, to Portland, to Shasta to Los Angeles to Olympic National Park next year we hope, and eventually Alaska!.. a real mix of towns and remote, although now the teens aren't coming we won't do LA in it again..
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jukes
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10/24/21 04:40pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: smaller MH with 2+ separate comfy sleeping areas?
At 9, the cab over bed should be viable for a 3-4 yrs, then it depends on when he hits his growth spurt.
As far as a full blown separate 2nd bedroom, not likely on a small MH.
makes sense.. or are there the sofa/pull out beds in living area that can have a decent mattress? They can be so awkward and uncomfy for an adult!
I guess when I say smaller I mean under 26', ideally under 24', with slide outs.. we love the 30'TT but it's so big and heavy and now we have a boat, can't tow that at same time lol
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jukes
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10/23/21 01:44pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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smaller MH with 2+ separate comfy sleeping areas?
considering downsizing. currently have a 2007 30' TT with the Queen bedroom and 2 sets bunks. These days it's usually just 2 adults and a 9 year old, the teenagers aren't so keen. But I've got used to space lol. Plus our 7.3 Excursion tow vehicle is getting old :)
Would like a smaller MH, but that can tow our old Boston Wailer boat. Also able to carry 3 or more bicycles.
Also want a separate full or queen bedroom area, plus another twin or full bed that can have a nice mattress (so not a couch pull out etc). The area above the cab is usually pretty small and awkward right???
Plus another bed suitable for a growing 9 year old..
Which MH's have this, good use of space? Best bang for the buck!? Thanks!!
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jukes
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10/23/21 01:30pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: seattle rv parks
We stay at the Gig Harbor RV resort. Would be good for moving to Port Angeles. Nice park, no pool.
Thank you for the suggestion.
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jukes
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02/19/21 10:57am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: seattle rv parks
I called the Seattle KOA lady said they are for sale and have a buyer, should know more end of Feb about reeopening etc..
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jukes
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01/31/21 07:08pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Adding Hitch for Bike carrier on rear??
Ok, so thinking to carry 2 bikes on front of the Excursion, then figure out the rest.. perhaps these, can also use the Bike Rack on my Mazda cx-9 when home ( i needed to get a bike rack anyways):
https://www.etrailer.com/fmr-2003_Ford_Excursion.htm?&Redirect=8
https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Bike-Racks/Thule/TH9044.html
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jukes
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01/30/21 12:01pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Adding Hitch for Bike carrier on rear??
Bottom line, don't do it. I had a 5 bike Thule rack on my 37' TT hitch and the bike rack itself broke.
The distance from the last axle to the hitch is greater than most bike racks are rated for, the bouncing is too much torque on the rack. Forget the bumper/hitch/mount itself, the rack will break.
Either get a rack on the front of your truck or top of the truck. Or this for a couple bikes: https://www.amazon.com/Swagman-80503-The-Straddler/dp/B07DVZML5X
Ok thx. Yes this confirms are thoughts! No bikes on back of trailer :)) will
Explore the other ideas. Thanks so much!
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jukes
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01/29/21 03:49pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Adding Hitch for Bike carrier on rear??
Not a great idea, the bikes will also cause sway on a smaller TT as well as take away fromt the tongue weight. What is your TV? Some use a front hitch on the TV to carry a few bikes or the double hotch bike carrier. Those options need a big TV. Can you put some in the TT? Or get smaller bikes, like fold up. Not really a good way to do this.
I’ll look into a front hitch perhaps for the diesel excursion we tow with...
Or even a roof rack one but they look awkward,?
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jukes
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01/28/21 09:40am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Adding Hitch for Bike carrier on rear??
Our TV is the 7.3 diesel excursion..
we’ve been putting them in the TT a pain dragging bikes in and out, made our last trip kind of annoying and the next trip we plan to stop at about 5 diff locations so would involve lots of dragging them in and out... fold up bikes won’t work for my family of mountain bikers....
Ideally a toy hauler would be useful! But soon our teens will be gone and we will downsize....
This is one of those simple but not not simple issues lol.
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jukes
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01/28/21 09:38am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Adding Hitch for Bike carrier on rear??
Here’s a pic of hitch for the rear of my current fiver that carries a home made 200 lb bike lift plus an 850 lb bike. Where there’s a will there’s a way. I built a hitch and six bike carrier for my first fiver.
https://i.imgur.com/DznWuZal.jpg
I am not sure our Jayco 'featherlite' has the frame to attach this too?? that's the issue, not sure it's strong enough to then add a hitch and carrier??
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jukes
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01/27/21 10:30pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Adding Hitch for Bike carrier on rear??
I have seen an add on receiver that attached to the trailer bumper with U bolts. I’ve thought about using one of these to hold one of those flat carrier things to carry fire wood. I don’t know much about them myself so maybe someone else can chime in with more information.
So we are thinking our travel trailer bumper isn't strong enough, at least to carry bikes... and we aren't sure if the frame is strong enough to weld something on to and then attach a hitch.......
For you I guess it depends on what your trailer is?? Although wood won't way as much as 4 bikes!
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jukes
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01/27/21 09:50pm |
Travel Trailers
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Adding Hitch for Bike carrier on rear??
WE have a 2008 Jayco Featherlight 30' TT. Want to carry 5 bikes...
What do we need to do to add a hitch, for a bike carrier (can carry 4 this way, other bike can go inside Excursion or TT..
Can a hitch even go on the rear, would it need something welded underneath first?
Or, I think we once saw a special hitch extension and bike rack at the front of TT over the existing hitch where Excursion attaches to the TT?
Thanks, we are so tired of dragging bikes in and out of the TT!
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jukes
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01/27/21 08:40pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: seattle rv parks
Would this place be convenient as a base to visit Seattle from for a day or two? And then head from there to Port Angeles? planning a trip for June... thanks!
Game Farm Wilderness Park, 2401 Stuck River Dr, Auburn, WA 98092
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jukes
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01/27/21 03:38pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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