Moving to Alaska

[rojeck]

Hello Guys!

After four years of full-time living in my 2011 Roo 21SS in northeast Ohio, I have accepted a job in Alaska. Work starts in January.

While I know my Roo is a three-season travel trailer, I'll still be attaching it to my 2016 Toyota Tundra for the trip. My plan is to sleep in it every 2 of 3 nights with a motel stay each third night. My solar panels give me 100-200W of power and I have a generator.

I am being given a place to stay, but plan to enjoy my camper all summer in the adjacent Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and other locales. So, if you don't mind, I have some questions and welcome your advice.

Would you go on the trip with some agua in your fresh water tank and apply a tank heater and use heat tape for the 'dangly bits' or should I winterize and empty my water before departure? One factor is the mountain driving on the Alaskan Highway. A full tank of water increases the weight towed, but more poundage could be helpful if there are slick highways.

My goal is to find an indoor facility to store the Roo over the winter and bring it out in the spring, but I may have to keep the rig outside. Any advice for outdoor storage in Alaska?

Thanks in advance for your always excellent advice.

Dave

 

[rk06382]

Hello Guys!

After four years of full-time living in my 2011 Roo 21SS in northeast Ohio, I have accepted a job in Alaska. Work starts in January.

While I know my Roo is a three-season travel trailer, I'll still be attaching it to my 2016 Toyota Tundra for the trip. My plan is to sleep in it every 2 of 3 nights with a motel stay each third night. My solar panels give me 100-200W of power and I have a generator.

I am being given a place to stay, but plan to enjoy my camper all summer in the adjacent Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and other locales. So, if you don't mind, I have some questions and welcome your advice.

Would you go on the trip with some agua in your fresh water tank and apply a tank heater and use heat tape for the 'dangly bits' or should I winterize and empty my water before departure? One factor is the mountain driving on the Alaskan Highway. A full tank of water increases the weight towed, but more poundage could be helpful if there are slick highways.

My goal is to find an indoor facility to store the Roo over the winter and bring it out in the spring, but I may have to keep the rig outside. Any advice for outdoor storage in Alaska?

Thanks in advance for your always excellent advice.

Dave

Winterize
Frozen water pipes can cause more damage than frozen water tanks. I drove up the Alaskan Highway in November '86. Temps where down to -20F.

What part of Alaska are you heading to?

The View of the Wrangell Mountains from Glennallen.

Sanford, Drum, Wrangell & Blackburn.

 

[5picker]

We live in SW PA. It's already getting cold enough to have some concerns.
Looking at the short/long term forecast and your plans to put the rig into storage when you get there, I would winterize. Use bottled water and some antifreeze in the grey/black tank and then dump as needed.

 

[Grimace73]

After four years of full-time living in my 2011 Roo 21SS in northeast Ohio,

Wow, I'm still trying to process this! I wonder how many midwest full-timers are out there in a Roo. I don't have any advice, but best of luck! Sounds like quite the adventures ahead.

 

[bikendan]

As a former owner of a Roo 23SS for 10 years, there's NO WAY I'd take it on the Alaska Highway nor live in it in Alaska. Even if I always was "turtled".

 

[Chuck_S]

What Dan posted!

Summer camping in Alaska sounds wonderful but I have severe doubts a Roo 21SS (or my 23SS) would survive the pounding of a 3,700 mile road trip partially thru NW Canada's rural roads especially this time of year. New tires all round would be prudent.

It's been working for you in NE Ohio. Curious where and what temperatures you've experienced and what you did for heat. Propane gets used quickly. Will shore power be available enroute? How are you sleeping "down here?" Turtled or tents out? Or just slide out. I slept in my turtled 23SS one (1) night. My back still hurts from trying to fit on the sofa.

-50° (C or F, it's the same) is much different from any NE Ohio temps. Unlikely to get that cold for a couple more months but I'd still go full winterized.

For those unfamiliar with the 21SS. Very roomy with the slide out and tents deployed:

-- Chuck

 

[rojeck]

Chuck -- I will go full winterization, this weekend as a matter of fact as we just hit 35 degrees today. Tires are a year old. While I've boondocked for the last years nine months a year, I have been attached to shore power each winter, sleeping in the 6' dinette with slideout out, tents closed. A 20 lb propane tank gets me 3-5 days in the winter depending on the Ohio winter temps.

No shore power en route. I'm gonna stay at motels mostly but will try the furnace with Lil Buddy heater while I can, with 2 inch foam insulation on each wall until it is absolutely too cold.

Employer's telling me to take my time getting there, not to drive when roads are slick.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[glen1971]

I'm about half an hour-ish north of the Montana border and it's a balmy 12°F here. We're under a snowfall warning and are expecting 4-6" of snow tonight, and more over the weekend. A mere 100 miles up the Alaska highway in British Columbia it's-13°F. I just saw where one town, of many in Alaska, just saw their final sunset for the next 60 days.
My point being, winter is here in much of the land north of the 49th. Your solar will do little if anything on your trip. The night time low temperatures will tax your heating system. Forget about water on your trailer unless you're skirted in, and even then you may not be out of the woods.
Be ready for black ice, blowing snow with near zero visibility at times, and roads that are struggling to be maintained.
Good luck, and safe travels!

 

[MillMitch]

I would winterize first. I live in Burnsville, MN and have 2 brothers in Alaska (Anchorage and Kenai). Our parents live in Delaware OH. I keep all those locations on my phone weather app. I can tell you that MN and AK are considerably colder than OH. You will want to take the Alcan Highway slower than lower 48 highways; it's pretty rough. And be prepared for occasional Highway shutdowns depending on season. As in, the close the highway in both directions and you spend the night in your car, kind of shut down. Good luck and enjoy your new adventure. I've been up to Kenai the last couple years at Memorial Day for a month with my parents. My parents (90 and 84) have been going up there for about 30 years now and spend the summer at 'fish camp' on the Kenai River (2 connecting lots w/ 5er, lower cabin, bath house, upper cabin, couple sheds and portable garages, electric and septic systems, and 150' gravel pad up top for my brother's motor home. Basement freezer in MN is still full of salmon and halibut

 

[rojeck]

Mitch,
Thanks! I won't be counting on my solar at all. I'll be winterizing this weekend. I'll be going very slow, taking my time. Getting a Mr. Buddy heater for the cabin but will stay in motels if it's too much to bear. Appreciate the advice. Great to know your family history there. I have friends in Anchorage who are chiming in with advice, too.
Dave

 

[rojeck]

Glen,
Thanks! I won't be counting on my solar at all. I'll be winterizing this weekend. I'll be going very slow, taking my time. Good advice. Will get a Mr. Buddy heater for the cabin but if its too cold, I'll be checking in at motels.

 

[D W]

Just be advised that you are going to hit sustained freezing temps in the Yukon and probably snow as well. Maybe 7 hours of total daylight per day, too.

 

[glen1971]

Glen,
Thanks! I won't be counting on my solar at all. I'll be winterizing this weekend. I'll be going very slow, taking my time. Good advice. Will get a Mr. Buddy heater for the cabin but if its too cold, I'll be checking in at motels.

Remember as well, that propane and about -30 aren't really good friends any more.

 

[Aussieguy]

wonder if we can sell Alaska back to the Ruuskies...
sounds like a lot of work in that cold stuff


thinking I might look at adding some socks to my feet soon ... getting a bit chilly here

 

[kenandterry]

thinking I might look at adding some socks to my feet soon ... getting a bit chilly here

What…..
So it might go below 60 tonight?

 

[aceinspp]

wonder if we can sell Alaska back to the Ruuskies...
sounds like a lot of work in that cold stuff


thinking I might look at adding some socks to my feet soon ... getting a bit chilly here

Probably got the long johns on also. Later RJD

 

[Aussieguy]

not gonna say much more... we got enuff snowbirds already





where is that sock drawer?

 

[timfromma]

I spent 3 years at Ft Richardson which is in southern AK right next door to Anchorage and the winters there are no joke. First significant snowfall usually occurs in mid October and usually winds down in late April. Typical winter time temperatures are in the -10F to -30F range. There's probably 2 or 3 months where camper existence is tolerable but I definitely would not use one as long term housing up there.

 

[markb5900]

I was up there last spring. Go up the Alcan there are more towns. Stop in Dawson Creek at the mile 0 sign. If they are open in the winter, go in the building there, they have a sheet of paper with all the fuel stops are, and about anything you want to know about the highway.
Don’t count on being able to get help. Make sure you have a spare and a jack for your truck and trailer! Bring tools also.
I would call ahead to check if fuel stops are open and/or if they have gas.
Good luck

 

[Wes12345]

Lived in Alaska for 25 years and the first rule of thumb is buy yourself a copy of the Alaska “Milepost”. It will give you info on every mile of all roads in AK including the west side of Canada. You will soon learn that services are generally 300 miles apart, some more, some less. That will determine your timetable. If you break down, your on your own unless your lucky to have someone drive by. By law, they are required to stop and render aid. Wind chill, black ice, blowing snow and road closures are all possibilities so make sure you’re fully prepared. If it was me, I would winterize the camper and stay at motels along the way.