Community Forums

tankcj · 11-16-2015, 05:01 PM

Has anyone taken the Fantasy RV Tours '60 day Premier Alaska Caravan'? If so, what did you think? I know that there are some people that don't like the tours and I respect that but I am looking for people that have taken the tour...not whether or not I should...

Ok now for everyone that's been to Alaska in a class A - After searching the forum, It seems that I can expect some gravel on the 'Top of the World' hwy. I plan to tow my jeep on an open car hauler and I will probably remove the large mud flap across the back. Will that along with the jeep being up on the car hauler be enough to minimize rocks and debris flying up on the jeep? How bad is my trailer tongue and sides going to be hammered? I've also read where people with a DP and side radiator are putting some sort of mesh or guard under the radiator fan to keep from sucking up small rocks into the radiator. This seems a little strange since the air would be coming from the outside blowing in towards the engine and down.

Am I making too much of this?

bigben · 11-16-2015, 07:55 PM

We have traveled the Top of The World Highway in our large SUV but not in our coach. Gotta say - that will be a real challenge. When you leave Dawson City you cross the Yukon on a ferry then it is dirt road almost all the way to Tok. As I remember there is a short patch of paved road around Chicken. We did that on the second trip, first trip stayed on Al-Can. I guess you can do the Top of the World but SLOWLY!!!

I've attached a couple of pics to show you the Dawson Ferry, the beautiful wild life (momma moose and calf), Poker Creek Border Station and the great city of Chicken (not so much). I do see that the itinerary includes the Dawson City Ferry. I stick with the recommendation to go SLOW on the Top of The World!

We loved our trips there - 2 years in a row. I'll be tracking the responses - I'd love to do it but reluctant because of the wear and tear on our coach.

You will not believe just the beauty of it all. We put up our sign post in Watson Lake. Will post that so you can get a look and maybe take something to hang up there!!!

bigben · 11-16-2015, 08:05 PM

Here is our sign amongst the thousands already there.

Oh yeah - make sure you get a copy of Milepost. Best travel guide you will ever buy.

tankcj · 11-17-2015, 08:54 AM

Nice pictures BigBen. Thanks!. I hear nothing but good things about trips to AK but your comment "I'd love to do it but reluctant because of the wear and tear on our coach" scares me....

**CLIFFTALL** · 11-17-2015, 08:59 AM

We did the Top of The World Highway towing a car. Here's what my toad looked like .

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It was an experience I'll never forget or regret.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigben

We have traveled the Top of The World Highway in our large SUV but not in our coach. Gotta say - that will be a real challenge. When you leave Dawson City you cross the Yukon on a ferry then it is dirt road almost all the way to Tok. As I remember there is a short patch of paved road around Chicken. We did that on the second trip, first trip stayed on Al-Can. I guess you can do the Top of the World but SLOWLY!!!

I've attached a couple of pics to show you the Dawson Ferry, the beautiful wild life (momma moose and calf), Poker Creek Border Station and the great city of Chicken (not so much). I do see that the itinerary includes the Dawson City Ferry. I stick with the recommendation to go SLOW on the Top of The World!

We loved our trips there - 2 years in a row. I'll be tracking the responses - I'd love to do it but reluctant because of the wear and tear on our coach.

You will not believe just the beauty of it all. We put up our sign post in Watson Lake. Will post that so you can get a look and maybe take something to hang up there!!!

tankcj · 11-17-2015, 09:15 AM

Cliff - How fast were you driving?...is all that from your motor home kicking the rocks up on your toad?

**CLIFFTALL** · 11-17-2015, 09:21 AM

Severe washboard conditions mostly prevented anything over 20 MPH. I don't care what type of rock guard protection you have , it'll most likely look like mine when you're done. A fair amount of those rocks were from opposing traffic. All the others I saw were similar. Unfortunately most didn't have the toad cover I had. This trip was in 04. Things may have improved.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankcj

Cliff - How fast were you driving?...is all that from your motor home kicking the rocks up on your toad?

OLYLEN · 11-17-2015, 09:32 AM

Oh is getting on the ferry fun, I towed my 4runner on a trailer behind the A so very close to your setup. I got there first in line. Was last to load, maybe they think with the bigger rig your the better driver, had 4 guys dirrecting me on boarding, so all went well but a inch from those $$$$$ mirrors. As to the trailer and towed, they were very very very dirty, big wash job in Tok, but we're unharmed. Take your time on the road there is a lot to see and be prepared for the tour bus' s coming at you. The road was paved on the Canada side (as in years ago) but is mostly gravel so slow and easy and the US side was gravel. You will have all the day light in the world so a longer slow drive worked for me. Don't know what your tour stops are but we spent two nights on the Top of the World.
If you don't know how to power brake(do a little practice) makes tight spots like ferry easier.
LEN

bigben · 11-17-2015, 06:38 PM

tankcj - First off DO ALASKA - we have thousands of pictures from our trips. You will not believe what you will see. The Al-Can through BC and Yukon Territory and into Tok for me was so magnificent it was almost a religious experience - so beautiful and so undisturbed. Sights like Muncho Lake that is that is a vivid turquoise green underscore this. In our two trips we probably logged about 30,000 miles between getting to and coming home - we saw it all. All the way up to the Arctic Circle, to the far southwest end of Kodiak to see bears and their cubs fishing for salmon, to seeing the Summer Equinox Celebration in Fairbanks and I could go on and on.

Please note the that the road with the mamma moose and calf was just a short ways out of Dawson City on the Top of the World Highway. THAT IS THE ROAD. And it had recently been resurfaced.

I looked at the itinerary and there is nothing on there I wouldn't want to see. BUT - I'd might consider leaving your coach in the Walmart parking lot in Whitehorse (literally hundreds of travelers there) and drive the toad to Dawson City, take the ferry across and see Dawson City from the western shore line (where we saw the moose). So much to take in along that stretch of road (might even get to see the caribou migration). I'd return to my coach then follow the Al-Can on to Tok. Again, leave the coach in Tok and drive the toad to Chicken and maybe all the way to Eagle to see the mighty Yukon.

A couple of more pics. The first pic below is taken at Five Finger Rapids on the Dawson Highway. The second is looking out across the Yukon at Eagle, Alaska. (You cannot take your coach out along this road.) The third is looking back at Dawson City.

The caravan idea would probably reduce the issues with being stranded in the middle of nowhere - a beautiful nowhere - but still nowhere.

PS: My windshield was hit and broken both times. Not shattered but cracked. We drove that way all the home. There are lots of windshield repair shops along the way because flying rocks are a fact of life on the Al-Can. But if it isn't a driving hazard - leave it alone until you back to the lower 48.

Cannot say enough about - you gotta see it to believe it.

powercat_ras · 11-17-2015, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankcj

Has anyone taken the Fantasy RV Tours '60 day Premier Alaska Caravan'? If so, what did you think? I know that there are some people that don't like the tours and I respect that but I am looking for people that have taken the tour...not whether or not I should...

Ok now for everyone that's been to Alaska in a class A - After searching the forum, It seems that I can expect some gravel on the 'Top of the World' hwy. I plan to tow my jeep on an open car hauler and I will probably remove the large mud flap across the back. Will that along with the jeep being up on the car hauler be enough to minimize rocks and debris flying up on the jeep? How bad is my trailer tongue and sides going to be hammered? I've also read where people with a DP and side radiator are putting some sort of mesh or guard under the radiator fan to keep from sucking up small rocks into the radiator. This seems a little strange since the air would be coming from the outside blowing in towards the engine and down.

Am I making too much of this?

Went to Alaska with Adventure Caravans in 2014, I think you should consider their trips, too. Was very satisfied with the experience. It was great to have the Adventure Caravan staff support and pre-planning of travel and events on my first trip to Canada and Alaska via RV, and the company of 40 other travelers. I went on their 59 day Canadian Rockies + Alaska trip from mid June to mid August.

There was not that much gravel road, less than 150 miles out of over 6,000 driven on the trip. Risk is minimized by obeying the 35 MPH speed limit on the gravel road sections and slowing down when vehicles approach from the other direction and keeping appropriate separation from vehicles ahead of you.

There were 24 rigs on our trip and 2 had winshield damage (rock chips or rock initated cracks) to their RVs. No toads had winshield damage. No with a DP had problems with rocks impacting the operation of their motor coach power trains. One DP had a problem with one air spring bag springing a leak but no indication that this was gravel road related as it happened on a portion of the trip without gravel roads.

There are some roads where there are major frost heaves and pot holes so your coach should have its suspension and tires in good condition. Taking your time and driving at an easy pace is the best mitigation for those situations.

twogypsies · 11-17-2015, 10:48 PM

Keep in mind that if you have vehicle problems the caravan is not going to stay with you until repaired. It'll be the same as if you drive yourself.

You'll be meeting up with many of the same folks continually as you travel. They're all going to the same places.

Also, we didn't make any reservations for the whole summer except for July 4 weekend (Alaskans like to camp, too) and for 5 nights in Denali's farthest campground, Teklanika. For those we only made them a couple weeks prior when we could better judge when we'd be there.

As it turned out, we were near Denali earlier than our reservations so on a whim we boondocked nearby at a lovely spot and pulled into Denali early morning as folks were leaving. We easily secured another 5 nights for our 40' motorhome in Denali's front campground, Riley Creek. So we spent 10 nights in Denali and our days were full. We saw 'THE' mountain 7 of 10 days and saw every one of the big animals over and over again.

Arch Hoagland · 11-18-2015, 12:41 AM

What does a 60 day trip cost...Ballpark figure?

tankcj · 11-18-2015, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland

What does a 60 day trip cost...Ballpark figure?

From their web page....You can go to 60 Day Premier Alaska to see what it includes.

twogypsies · 11-18-2015, 09:27 AM

2 people for $22,000!! We traveled from Arizona and back on less than 1/2 of that price and that included fuel, all food, campground fees, entrance fees. Everything on the itinerary is very easily done on your own. It really is a simple trip to do.

I noted that you only have one day for the Denali bus ride. If it's pouring rain and that happens, the animals won't be out and the mountain won't be out. The same goes for any other activity. It's on the schedule so you'll be out there doing it. Going on your own you can work around the weather, stay longer if you really enjoy an area or leave fast if it's not for you. It is so nice to be able to be flexible for this long, probably once in a lifetime trip. Just something to think about.