Howdy all.
Well this Feb I'm tying the knot with my gal and moving from Idaho to Eagle River, Alaska. I was hoping some folks on here could provide real world advice on what route would be best that time of year, what towns have gas stations open year round, any border crossing experiences you've had and just general preparedness or any other pertinent suggestions. I've already had enough people who have never driven it at all telling me what a bad idea it is etc., but come on, it is 2013, it can't be as risky as it was say, 30-40 years ago. So, am I under estimating or is there a legit need for 15 gas cans and 5 spares?(ok, maybe I exaggerate a tad, lol) I'll have all my winter gear so will be well equipped for cold weather etc. Driving a dodge cummins with 4 wheel drive, tire chains, block heater, etc. and have another driver willing to go too.
Anyway, if anybody has any experiences to share, I'd sure appreciate it!

Go for it!! Winter is the very best time to drive it, it is cold, traction is good and all the dam cracks in the roads are full!!
Take a little Fuel additive along(911), (power service)
Moose and Buffalo are black in the night and there eyes don't shine in the headlights!! Install some good driving lights, Like 4 of em so you have LOTS of LIGHT! Take a couple of extra headlights with you!! cheaper!
If you can score a 100 gallon fuel tank to put in the back, makes it alot easier.
Should not be a problem with good tires, Take a spare and maybe an extra tire just in case??
I have an Ex wife in Eagle River who is a real estate agent, if you need,I can give you her #, PM me.
Good luck and have fun, Have a fellow in Whitehorse you will want to stop and see when you go through. Great guy, He's a Mounty if you run into problems!!

Or, to save a lot of driving miles through BC, check and see what the cost would be if you shipped up on the Alaska ferry system from Bellingham to Haines or Skagway, and drove from there. Bet it's gonna be pretty comparable to what diesel would be along the road.

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/

Gump

Been up that way a couple times. Part of the way at least. If its in the winter then you have to stop at Liard hot springs. Beautiful. Did the trip a in Peterbilt with a liner and 33 horses. Road was pretty good.
If you come up through Alberta, I'm not far from Grande Prairie or Dawson Creek, and it would be fun to meet up.

Welcome (soon) to Alaska! Save a couple receipts from the trip as proof of settling here for the Permanent Fund.
Only time I drove it instead of flying was in January one year. Our thermometer bottomed out at -60F. Car door locks tried to retract closed when you'd be outside taking a pee! Didn't haul any extra fuel and did fine in a Toyota 4-Runner. Had to stay in a couple dives. The one joint in Watson lake was memorable.
Besides a block heater, an electric battery blanket and some cardboard in front of the grill are nice in those temps. Fuel stops should be planned for the daytime, as places may not be open late at night.
x2 on auxiliary lights and Liard Hot Springs. Border crossing shouldn't be much of a deal. If you enter Canada near Whitefish, MT, and catch the Kootenay Highway, it sets you up to drive through some beautiful country in several of the provincial parks, including Yoho, Kootenay, Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise. In Lake Louise, the youth hostel cost nearly as much as a room at the Chateau.
If the Fort Nelson gas patch is still booming, beware that it might be hard to roll into town and find a hotel room. We were lucky to get one of the last rooms in town on our trip.
Have a great drive.
-DP

Funny coincidence, I too am moving to Alaska this winter, January to be exact.

Ferry from Bellingham to Haines is $800 for vehicle, another $400 for a cabin. Shipping direct SEA to ANC for my 2003 Toyota Tacoma was quoted @ $1800.

I'm planning on leaving from Seattle right around the 7th of January direct to FAI, looking for any advice also.

I have a block heater and synthetic fluids, thinking about a pan heater and battery heat too.

If you are shipping stuff, get a quote from Pacific Alaska Freightways while you're at it.

You see lots and lots of military families doing the transfer on the ferry. I don't know if that's what the military recommends or if people just prefer that route. One can ride it all the way to Whittier if so inclined. It's a long boat trip.

I have not done the drive, except Haines to Fairbanks. Canada, at least along the ALCAN is notorious for poor diesel fuel quality, but we had no problems. I have flown the highway from lower BC all the way around to Skagway in March. Yes Ft. Nelson is quite a show when the drillers are pulling out of the bush!

I've driven that thing round trip in that very vehicle as best I recall about 8 times. I never worried about fuel or lodging but I'm one of those guys who drives many hours to get someplace. When I want to get to Alaska I get in the truck and I drive to Alaska. If you have passengers with mile limits in place it may require more planning. From Worshington state you can plan on 48 hours of driving no matter what. Use that as a rough guide. Three and a half days for me. I always found the Fraser River Canyon to be the most challenging part of the drive. I think from your direction you can avoid that. The rest of the drive is just hours. I agree that Winter is the best time to go. Keep the top half of the tank full. If you see fuel get some. Don't worry about trying to find a cheaper price. Just get it. Hotels are spotty in some stretches of road. Get up in the morning with your next night's stop in mind.

Most important: Get one of these! http://www.amazon.com/Milepost-2013-Kri ... e+milepost

Shotguns and rifles are a hassle at the border. Handguns must be shipped FFL to FFL. Animals must have vet records or you ain't getting through. The Milepost has all that data.

Oh, one more thing. Congratulations. Eagle River is a nice town.

Do not be complacent about that trip in the winter. Get the milepost, go to liaird hotsprings. But remember you are dealing with severe weather. Something as mundane as a flat, can turn serious quickly.

Thanks for the replies! I just put four new tires on and was planning on taking a case of power service diesel treatment. Now I'm checking into what aux lights I want on it, had no idea that moose and bison eyes didn't reflect light!

I checked into the ferry option, but I'm also pulling a 6x12 enclosed utility trailer behind me and the extra length really made it spendy. There's a possibility I might have a little extra room if anybody would like something brought up to them. I'll have to see what's left over once my stuff is all loaded up.

I already have the milepost, full of information. I was surprised at how detailed it is, almost a mile by mile report (hence the name milepost I guess lol). I too am a get in and get there type of driver, so I'm hoping for 5-6 days tops from Cascade to Eagle River. By the way, is the hiway known for getting dumped on with snow and being shut down, or is it kept open pretty well? I'll stop and get a room for a couple days if I gotta wait for the road to open up, but it'll drive me nuts lol.

I mostly wanted to make sure I wasn't being stupid by not heeding warnings of making the drive in the winter, mostly by folks who have no experience driving it at any time of year. From the other research I've done, it sounds like what M6RV6 said, all the potholes are filled in!

Student BCP wrote:By the way, is the hiway known for getting dumped on with snow and being shut down, or is it kept open pretty well? I'll stop and get a room for a couple days if I gotta wait for the road to open up, but it'll drive me nuts lol.

Highway is generally kept open. A couple years ago it was closed by snow for a few days and that was a major deal. Lots of freight to AK going up and down that route constantly.
Actually, one downside to the really cold weather is the ice fog from all the trucks. It can be a long ribbon that hangs over the highway, while the rest of the surrounding area is CAVU.

When I tow a trailer in the winter I like to have electric brakes on it. That way if you get sideways you hit the brake controller and the trailer goes back into trail. I suspect you've got experience with that coming from Idaho.

I just made the trip back south last month, drove the whole way. I made the trip north in Feb '12, but we ferried from B-ham to Haines. You're getting a lot of good advice so far but here's my 2 cents.

For perspective, this is also coming from a guy that hauled an 8.5x22' enclosed cargo trailer packed to the gills on the way up and about half full on the way down.

I'd recommend either about 5x 5gal fuel cans or just going ahead and putting an aux tank in your bed. I went with a 40gal aux tank and still use it all the time.

I'd recommend 2x spares for each tire size. Also, bring a trailer wheel bearing repair kit. Or two. And some axle grease. I lost a bearing on the way South.

Don't use battery heat. Just get a battery tender that's weather-proofed for mounting on your vehicle. Tons less current draw and won't cook your batteries over time. Charged batteries won't freeze.

Block heater is a must and a trans pan heater is nice. An oil pan heater will help speed up the warming process, but not necessary. Also, I'd call a Napa in Eagle River and see what wattages they recommend for your truck. I over estimated wattages a bit when I prepped my truck and ended up buying new heating pads to save electricity bills in the winter.

I missed if you said it, but synthetic fluids (oil, trans, both differentials) make cold weather easier on your truck, and don't forget to re-mix your antifreeze to protect to -50. If yours has a fuel cooler, check to see if it doesn't have its own coolant - my Powerstroke did and I almost missed it.

Good work with the power service. I forgot to treat my fuel coming out of Seattle on the way North and ended up gelling up in Beaver Creek at -40.

Military recommends the ferry in winter months for moving Soldiers, that's why you see so many on there. I actually was given a direct order to take it when I moved to AK, so there wasn't a choice in the matter.

If you shoot me your email address, I'll email you the route I took South. We came back in the states near Bonner's Ferry.

I am pretty much going to echo Mister701, have we passed each other a few times? I have also done 8 round trips, from Fairbanks to Texas, now and have learned some things...

Don't be fooled by the dire warnings about the Cassiar Highway, It has consistently been faster than the other way and I highly recommend this route.

Invest in a 100 gallon transfer tank. You will save a ton of money by being able to plan your fuel stops. I also have a Dodge with a Cummins, and can make it from Tok to Washington state without a fuel stop (with no trailer attached). Im sure there is bad fuel at some locations, but there is lots of heavy truck traffic, stop where they stop. Then you can use the tank to fill your airplane up here, Suburban Propane in Anchorage has cheap fuel, Birchwood does not...

The mention about 48 hours through Canada is about right, my best from Fairbanks to Washington is 46 hours.

I have never blown a tire, and I am comfortable with just the spares that are already on the truck and trailer. I have, however needed a rebuild kit and grease for a trailer axle and did not have it...

Having just moved to Eagle River from Fairbanks, I was surprised to learn that winterizing your vehicle here is no more involved than putting different tires on if you are so inclined. The first time I asked where I could plug my truck in at work I got strange looks.

It sounds like you already checked, but I will chime in that the economics do not work out when comparing driving with taking the ferry. Even just the truck is far more expensive than the fuel would cost.

Enjoy!

I have done the trip 6 times in the last 8 years. I would also echo Mister701. You will have a great adventure. - If your tank is half or below, stop and fill up.
- Have your overnight spot figured out when you hit the road in the morning.
- bring the guns up on an AK airlines flight at a later date.
- Milepost is a must.
- Call your credit card company and let them know you are doing the trip so they don't shut off your card at the first fill-up.
- call your cell phone company and buy some minutes in Canada before you start using it up there. Or just don't use it up there.. They will rob you.. Have friends that came back from a trip with a $2k cell phone bill...

Also, long guns were a non-issue across the border. I brought all mine with me on my way south. Had a friend carry the handguns to me later in his checked bags.

Just have the paperwork done before you reach the border.

And as far as tires, my wife and I went three years on both of our vehicles on Goodyear Duratracs with great success. They work great in all conditions and don't require seasonal tire changes.

Used to drive the road a lot. It is much nicer than in the past, but if it is -40 you dont want to screw around. One trip in the winter my old datsun pickup just never warmed up (even with the radiator front completely blocked with cardboard). Seals on the engine started to give way and leak oil (it had 200,000+ miles on it). I noticed this funny film on the windshield, it was oil slowly oozing out. It shorted out the alternator. We made it to Beaver for the night. I got a charge on the battery. Next day drove to Haines with no heat, no lights (followed another car's taillights), no wipers. The alternator was still dead. It was -40F until we started the descent to Haines. Never so happy as then to see a border guard. Later in BC the retaining nut on the air filter holder came loose and dropped through the carb into a cylinder. Things were banging all over, then silence. Pulled all the plugs and found it.

Have fun, but do think about where you plan to stop each night and be prepared to sleep outside.

Sean

My goodness! The same advice I got in 1970--deja vu all over again! That is, some who think it's the wilderness personified and that you need to carry an extra vehicle for the spare parts, and those who say "put fuel in it and go." My 4 times (2 up, 2 down, last one down 40 years ago) were on the old gravel version in Spring, and the secret was keep the speed down. That meant an average of 33 mph for the gravel portion in a motorhome; it's 3300 miles from Cheyenne to Anchorage or vice versa, so it took awhile. Even now that it's paved, I'd say keep the speed down--it's not exactly an Interstate.

My choice is to drive in the daylight, and the days are short in the winter, so I suspect you'll be in the dark a lot more than we were. It cost us one windshield, no tires, no other damage of note--and remember that was on gravel, 4 trips. The only prep I did to the motorhome was to put gravel guards over the headlights. I had several friends who drove it in the winter (made it smoother), and their advice was as you've heard, stay warm--proper clothing, boots, gloves, that sort of thing. A block heater was essential; the rest of the stuff is just good winter planning. There's plenty of fuel along the way, with "road houses" every 25-30 miles, but fuel was/is expensive, as were/are parts and tires. But if you take it easy, the chance of you needing anything but fuel is slim. Our tanks held 43 gallons total, 25 in the main and 18 in the aux, and we also carried 10 gallons in 2 Jerry cans but never needed them. At 8-10 mpg, we never felt short of fuel, normally refilling at the next available stop after switching tanks from the main to the aux.

It's a beautiful drive, so the best advice I could give is to do as much in the daylight as you can--it's a shame to miss so much beauty in the guise of "I've got to get from A to B." Like flying, a good chunk of the trip is the joy of the journey. The hot springs, sure--definitely worth a stop But don't forget to look at the scenery--the deep blue of Kulane Lake, the stark white of glaciers, and on and on. Truly tremendous.

I have friends in Eagle River, too. It's a nice "bedroom community" for Anchorage, without the hustle and bustle of the big city but within an easy drive.

Cary

We've been having the best luck with Howes Diesel treat. And better to use too much than not enough.

Also, most all of our rigs have fuel tank heaters. Not sure if there's an option for pick up truck fuel tank heaters, though.

If your trailer have LED tail lights, stop often the brush the snow off the lights.

And also with pulling the trailer. If you stop for a while and then get going. Make sure you can see all of the tires on the trailer roll. You can check easily by zig zagging. Not uncommon for ice to lock up the wheels just after parking.

Probably wouldn't hurt to have a CB in case you need help? I dunno.

Congrats and good luck!! Have a safe trip.