Going To Alaska?

Going To Alaska?

Be prepared for this awesome journey.

Here are three daily log entries from our e-book “RVing Alaska”

==================================

The Beginning of Our Alaska Trip –
July 25 - Wednesday - Seattle to Cache Creek

Brookside Campground - $28.00
Pull-thru, 30-amp, water, sewer, Wi-Fi ($)
301 miles - 7 hours

We are on an Alaska RV trip. We'll try to update you at least once a week about our adventures.

It has been a few years since we last drove north on I-5 from Portland, Oregon. So, we were sort of surprised when we encountered very heavy traffic all the way from Portland, through Seattle and into Everett, Washington. Especially around Seattle.

Our first day's journey (on a clear, sunny day) took us from the Seattle/Tacoma KOA to the Brookside Campground in Cache Creek, British Columbia. We left I-5 at Exit 256 and followed Highways 539, 546 and 9 to the border crossing at Sumas, WA.

There was only one car in line when we arrived at Canadian Customs at 1:00 pm. The courteous officer wrote down our license plate numbers and entered them into a computer. Then he asked for identification (we gave him our passports). A number of questions followed: "Where do you live, How long will you be in Canada? Are you carrying any firearms? How much tobacco and alcohol are aboard? Any commercial products? Gifts for Canadians? Surprisingly he did not ask about food products, nor did he enter our RV.

We continued north a short distance and turned east onto Trans-Canadian Highway 1. Highway 1 is a pleasure to drive. As it leaves Abbottsford it crosses relatively level farmland, moves into tree-covered hills, and then through mountainous terrain with many curves and a number of brief 6 and 7 percent grades. The route follows the Fraser and Thompson Rivers. This is a spectacular scenic drive. The Fraser Valley is better described as a canyon with vertical, tree-covered cliffs. Building the highway and two railroad tracks along this route is an engineering marvel. Traffic on the highway was extremely light.

We arrived at the 97-site Brookside Campground in Cache Creek at 4:00 pm. There were only a few vacant sites when we arrived. The campground owner said we would take the last big-rig site he had available. A level pull-through site with 30-amp electric, water and sewer hookup cost $28.00. WiFi was also available for an additional $2.00. There were a lot of rental RVs in the campground. Most, if not all, were occupied by Europeans. All the Americans we spoke with were heading south. There were mixed reports about the condition of the Cassiar Highway.

============================

August 28 - Tuesday
Sunny - 68 degrees -

Tok to Haines Junction
Alaska Highway 1
290 miles - 8 hours

Kluane RV Park ($30.00)
Pull-thru, 30-amp, water, sewer, cable
WiFi,

After a breakfast that included sourdough pancakes and reindeer sausage we headed southeast from Tok on Alaska Highway 1. The 2-lane highway crosses rolling terrain with easy grades and curves. It is nicely paved for the 90 miles to the Canadian border. The next 90 miles or so, however, is frost-heave alley. This has got to be the roughest section of the Alaska Highway. There were times when our speed was reduced to 20 miles per hour and we never exceeded 40 miles per hour. Once we reached Destruction Bay on Kluane Lake the road surface calmed down. There was serious road construction going on at the south end of the lake but after that the road became real civilized. The good news was the scenery we enjoyed during the entire trip.

There is a fuel station on the highway just before you reach the Canadian border. Diesel and gasoline was priced at $3.19 per gallon. The same as in Tok. We topped off our fuel tank. A few miles later, in Canada, fuel was priced at $1.26 per liter ($4.77 per gallon)

The border crossing was no problem. A few questions, a look at our passports, and we were on our way.

John and Jodie kept us busy videotaping various sections of highway. They would drive a good distance ahead of us scouting out a good location, setting up their camera, and then filming us as we traveled over that particular piece of road. We want our DVD to show the variety of road surfaces one encounters in, and on the way to, Alaska. There are places where the RVer must deal with dust, mud, gravel and frost-heaves but the majority of the roads are nicely surfaced with easy grades and alignment.

Our campground for the evening was the Kluane RV Kampground in Haines Junction. It offers 30-amp electric, water, sewer, cable TV and free WiFi. The gravel campsites will accommodate large RVs.

The Aspens have turned gold and other fall colors are beginning to show. Last night the temperature in Tok dropped to 36 degrees. Another sure sign of fall is number of RVs heading south along the highway

=================================

The end of our Alaska trip.

September 6 - Thursday
Overcast, 65 degrees

Cache Creek to Everett, Washington
Highways 1, Exit 92, 9, 546, 539, I-5
268 miles - 6 hours

Lakeside RV Park - $35.00
50-amp, water, sewer, cable, no Wi-Fi
Dial-up modem in laundry room

There is a convenient, easy in-and-out Petro station located on the east side of Highway 97 just north of its intersection with Highway 1. We began our day by filling our fuel tank with $1.04 per liter ($3.94 per gallon) diesel and driving south on Trans-Canadian Highway Highway 1. This is a spectacular scenic drive. At first it crosses mountainous terrain with many curves and a number of brief 6 and 7 percent grades. The mountains give way to tree-covered hills and then to relatively level farmland. The route follows the Thompson and Fraser Rivers. Traffic, compared to what we had become accustomed to, was somewhat busy with more than a few big trucks towing tandem trailers.

Just outside the community of Abbottsford, highway signs advise motorists that Exit 92 to Highway 11 (Sumas Way) would lead to the U.S./Canada border crossing. Once there, we waited in line for a half-hour to cross into the United States. Some of the vehicles in front of us were searched, others checked by dogs, we lucked out. A friendly Customs Officer asked us a couple questions ... "Where do you live?" ... "What kind of things did you buy in Canada?" ..., gave us a friendly smile, said "Welcome home" and waved us through.

Traffic was heavy on Interstate 5. Cars zoomed, trucks tailgated, travel lanes appeared and disappeared. We were back in the "lower 48" where every lane is the fast lane.

It had taken four hours to get from Cache Creek to the border crossing and a half hour to cross the border. One and one-half hours later we pulled into the Lakeside RV Park in Everett, Washington ($35.00). Our paved, pull-thru site had 50-amp electric, water, sewer and cable TV (with 99 stations). Our satellite TV antenna had good reception and our cellular phone had a strong signal. Surprisingly, the RV park did not have WiFi but there was a dial-up modem in the laundry room.

Our Alaska trip began in Seattle, WA and ended in Everett, WA. It had taken 44 days. We drove 6,744 miles, purchased $3089.79 of fuel, and had a great adventure.

Note: Had we put our motorhome and car on the ferry from Haines, Alaska to Bellingham, Washington and taken a cabin for the journey, it would have cost $4,400.00 plus the cost of meals purchased on board. But we took the ferry from Haines to Skagway and then drove to Everett, Washington. It cost us $233.00 for the ferry, $769.00 for fuel, and $133.00 for campgrounds, or a total of $1,135.00. We left Haines the same day the ferry departed. We arrived in Washington two days after the ferry.


Read a detailed journal of our Alaskan journey in "RVing Alaska: Insights and Observations"

Read our article: Alaska! The Ultimate RV Adventure

Return to RV Know How

================================

Cold Weather Camping

Happy Holidays!

We haven't gone anywhere in our motorhome since last September. As a result we have not experienced anything worth writing about. But that will change very soon. After the Holidays we will be heading out of town and into the Arizona desert country.

In the meantime here is a column we wrote about cold weather campng:

Dear Joe and Vicki: We are fairly new to RVing. Our experience has been limited to fair weather trips to the California coast and mountains. We would like to drive our RV from California to Virginia about mid-January but are a little apprehensive about driving conditions should the roads turn icy. Your thoughts on this and any cold-weather RVing tips would be appreciated.

Joe: In the past, our January/February speaking circuit at RV shows has taken us (and our motorhome) from Tampa, Florida to Atlantic City, New Jersey, You might say we have some experience with cold weather driving and camping. We do our best to avoid driving in snow and we absolutely refuse to drive on icy roads. We have been known to spend an extra night or two in a campground waiting for driving conditions to improve. That’s one of the advantages of having your “house” with you.

Prepare you rig as you would for any long trip. Check the condition of your tires and their air pressure. Be sure your engine coolant has the appropriate mix of anti-freeze. Fill your windshield-washer reservoir and check your windshield wipers. Engines demand more electrical starting power during cold weather so check the battery’s electrolyte level, clean the terminals, and coat them with petroleum jelly. If you begin your trip with new engine oil and filters you shouldn’t have to change them again before you return home.

You will want a set of tire chains if you intend to drive on snow or ice. Practice putting them on at home while it is warm and dry. Motorhome owners should consider the damage a broken tire chain could inflict upon the fiberglass body of their rig. It might be better to avoid roads where chains may be required.

Your RV's built-in space heating system should be adequate for keeping the interior of your coach warm. Remember, though, that a forced air furnace, in addition to consuming propane, will draw up to seven amps of electricity while operating. This could represent a considerable drain on the coach battery if electric hookups are not available. Obviously, an electric hookup each night will prevent your furnace fan from draining your coach batteries. It will also allow you to operate the engine block heater if you have a diesel engine. Many RVers who do a lot of self-contained camping use catalytic heaters. Catalytic heaters combine propane and oxygen over a platinum-impregnated pad. The chemical reaction releases energy in the form of radiated heat. It requires no electricity and utilizes propane more efficiently than a forced-air heater. Most catalytic heaters are not vented to the outside. They consume oxygen from inside the RV and should only be operated when open windows and vents can provide adequate ventilation.

Vicki: Once we are hooked up to electricity, it is our habit to warm the interior of our coach with our propane furnace and then switch to a portable electric heater. The electric heater maintains a comfortable temperature and minimizes the time the furnace has to operate. If you intend to do this be sure the RV’s electrical hookup cord and any extension cord to the heater have a sufficient amperage rating to withstand the wattage of the heater. Divide the heater’s maximum wattage by 120 (volts) to determine the minimum rating of the electrical cord. A 1,500 watt heater, for example, would require an electrical cord with a minimum rating of 12.5 amps (1500 watts divided by 120 volts equals 12.5 amps).

I’m going to assume your RV’s plumbing, fresh-water tank and holding tanks are located in enclosed, heated compartments. As long as your furnace runs periodically, you shouldn’t have any problem with frozen plumbing.

We have installed two drop cords in our plumbing bay. One is near the water pump and sewer outlet. The other is on the opposite side of the compartment near the water heater. Each drop cord has a 40-watt light bulb. The heat from the bulbs keep the interior of the compartment warm when our furnace is not operating.

Remember to disconnect, drain and store your water and sewer hoses when temperatures approach the freezing level. Rather than deal with stiff or frozen hoses we prefer not to hook them up when there is any chance of temperatures dropping below 40 degrees. We only connect our hoses long enough to fill our water tank and empty our holding tanks. The rest of the time they remain in the storage cabinet.

Windows can be insulated against the cold with heavy drapes or curtains. You can also create an insulating, dead air space inside the windows by covering them with clear, heavy vinyl. Some RVers have been known to cut sheets of Styrofoam or foam-filled poster-board to fit the interior of some of their windows as insulation.

Condensation occurs inside an RV when the warm, moist interior air of the RV comes in contact with the cool surfaces of the windows and walls. We exchange humid interior air with dry outside air by opening a window about a quarter of an inch at each end of our RV and operating the roof-vent exhaust fan in the kitchen at a very slow speed.

Joe has a pair of warm, water-proof, boots he slips on when the ground around our campsite is wet or muddy (and it usually is at that time of year).

I take along a few old throw rugs. They provide insulation on tile floors and protect the carpeting against tracked in dirt and moisture. When a throw rug gets dirty enough, I just toss it in the trash and replace it with another.

Try to camp in a spot that is open to the heat of the sun and, if possible, protected from the wind. You can minimize cold drafts by facing the RV into or away from the prevailing wind. Keep in mind that snow accumulating on overhanging branches may eventually drop off in heavy clumps or perhaps bring down the brittle branches. And don't let snow block the refrigerator roof vent.

We enjoy our winter travels. Traffic is lighter. Campgrounds are not crowded. The air is clean and brisk. Winter RVing is a little different but certainly not difficult. With a little experience you’ll soon find yourself enjoying your cold weather journeys.

One of our most memorable travel days was spent driving across the gently rolling farmlands of Kentucky on Interstate 64. A light snowfall persisted most of the day. Traffic was almost non-existent. The snow melted on the highway and, at the same time, laid a soft white blanket over the sleeping countryside. We stopped several times, turned off the engine, and stepped outside, just to experience the stillness. Not something we could have done on a Southern California interstate.

Learn more about RVs and RVing by reading our how-to e-books.

Our Alaska DVDs can still be ordered online. Most of our customers take advantage of the two DVDs for $35.00 special.

Return To RV Know How

============================================

We’re Home!

In fact, we’ve been home for six weeks now. As usual, we hit the ground running. Unloading the motorhome, opening the house, reviving the lawn and a dozen other little but time-consuming chores have kept us busy. And, we took care of our Mexican food cravings at our favorite local cantina.

It was a great trip - 4 ½ months and 12,250 miles. We returned to the places we didn’t have time to visit on previous journeys, we spent time with friends and relatives all over the country. We particularly enjoyed the week we spent in Washington, DC with our grandkids.

Future destinations include our annual trips to Yuma to celebrate New Year’s Eve and St. Patricks Day with our RVing friends and, when most of the snow has melted, the National Parks in the Bryce-Zion area. Also Jasper and Banff National Parks in Canada.

People have asked us if we miss presenting seminars at RV shows and rallies. Actually, the only thing we miss is socializing with all our friends (vendors, seminar presenters, clowns, sales people, etc.) who also worked at the shows and rallies. Most of them were also RVers and we usually parked our rigs in the same area. It was fun pulling into a campground or show parking lot and seeing familiar RVs. There would be hugs and laughter and lots of catching up to do over adult beverages. We really did enjoy presenting seminars, but we do not miss the behind-the-scenes time and effort it took to be in the seminar business.

We’re not entirely out of the business though. We have a monthly column, "Life on the Road", in Motorhome magazine and we have another book in the works. And, our Alaska DVDs and “how-to” RVing e-books are available on our website.

Speaking about our e-books… if you haven’t already… check them out. They are full of practical, useful information about buying, operating and enjoying an RV. And don’t overlook our Alaska DVDs. “RVing Alaska” shows you what to expect and how to prepare for an Alaska journey. “Alaska: RV adventure of a Lifetime” shows you all the favorite visitor destinations. There is a special price if you purchase both DVDs.

More Later

Return To RV Know How

====================================

Emergency ID Card

From the ebook "RVing Tips, Tricks & Techniques"


Create an emergency notification card to carry in your wallet. Have it identify two or more people who can be notified in case of an emergency. Be sure they are at different addresses and telephone numbers (one of them might not be available). Try to make sure these people know how to reach you when you are camping so they can notify you in an emergency. Furnish them an itinerary if you can (even if its just a rough idea).

Your emergency notification card should also include the name of your traveling companion and the telephone number of his/her cellular phone. He/she might be sitting in your RV wondering why you have not returned.

Your emergency notification card should list any health problems, medications or allergies that paramedics and doctors should know about.

It is not a bad idea to have your telephone calling card number on your emergency notification card (but not identifying it as such). It might be convenient when you are under stress and want to place a call.

Some RVers carry a second emergency notification card that identifies their RV and the campground where they are staying. The card might even indicate if there are pets in the rig that need to be cared for.

Return To RV Know How

====================================