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Old 10-23-2016, 06:54 PM   #1
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Question on Preparing for Alaska in 2017

My wife and i are planning to work our way to Alaska starting in mid-April from NC. We have a 2016 Itasca Sunstar 30T. The general plan is to head west to Colorado and then spend some time in the National Parks and get to Alaska no earlier than mid-June.

I'm curious about being ready for getting caught in cold weather. I don't expect to get caught for a long time, but am sure we'll get caught in a cold snap at some point.

Any recommendations on protecting water hoses and tanks from freezing? I thought about getting an electric space heater in the compartment nearest the tanks. The dealer recommended getting tank heaters installed.

I assume the tank heaters will reduce the tanks capacity by some amount.

I'm interested in what others have done.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Take only photos, leave only footprints,

David




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Old 10-23-2016, 08:32 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doolinguy View Post
My wife and i are planning to work our way to Alaska starting in mid-April from NC. We have a 2016 Itasca Sunstar 30T. The general plan is to head west to Colorado and then spend some time in the National Parks and get to Alaska no earlier than mid-June.

I'm curious about being ready for getting caught in cold weather. I don't expect to get caught for a long time, but am sure we'll get caught in a cold snap at some point.

Any recommendations on protecting water hoses and tanks from freezing? I thought about getting an electric space heater in the compartment nearest the tanks. The dealer recommended getting tank heaters installed.

I assume the tank heaters will reduce the tanks capacity by some amount.

I'm interested in what others have done.

Any feedback is appreciated.
We go every year in early May with a towable. Some years we get snow and freezing overnight. We have not made any special arrangements, except we do run the heater overnight with the temp set about 55 to 60. No problems so far. You might call ahead to the lodge at Toad River, the Yukon Motel in Teslin, and Sourdough Campground in Tok to see if they are open. If weather is sort of normal they should all be in full operation by 10 or 15 May.

We have had to wait several times north of Ft Nelson for the road crew to clear snow, and since everyone traveling pretty much stopped at the same place, there was a bit of a street party for several hours.

Since your unit is new, did they use PEX for the waterlines? The cold will be blue and the hot red. It will not be harmed by freezing or excess pressure.

Enjoy the trip.
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Old 10-23-2016, 10:46 PM   #3
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Mid-April is early for Colorado. If you haven't done so already, why not head for Grand Canyon Nat'l Park, Arizona and then do the southern Utah national parks - Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands and also Monument Valley. Then work up to Grand Teton Nat'l Park, Yellowstone and Glacier NP in Montana. Then cross into Canada from Montana. By that time freezing temps are not going to last and you won't have to worry about hoses, etc.

Generally, in freezing weather folks fill their fresh water tank and run off it rather than keeping the hose outside. Leaving in the morning with a frozen water hose is not fun. You generally have to toss it in the shower while you travel to defrost it.

The same goes for a sewer hose. If you're going to have a cold night, don't leave the sewer hose outside and expect to store it in the morning. It will break with any handling. Keep it stored until you need to dump then re-store it.

When you finish your Alaska trip then you can head into Colorado to explore. The weather will be much better the end of summer/fall.

Once you're on your way to Alaska the end of May/June, you won't have any freezing problems. On one of our trips we had snow in Tok, Alaska the first week of June but it melted the next morning. In cases like that you just pull over and call it a day/night. You can't be in a rush for this trip. You can be delayed for various reasons including fires, road washouts, etc. but they're used to these things and get the roads open fast. It's an adventure. Keep that in mind!!!
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Old 10-24-2016, 06:44 AM   #4
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Great information from both of you. I'll check about the type of hoses. Sounds like the best thing to do is keep the fresh water tank full and don't leave hoses connected if it might go below freezing. I don't keep the sewage valves open until I need to empty a tank so that is no problem.

We don't plan to reach the Jackson area until mid-May. We're not in a hurry on this trip. We're coming home via the Pacific coast.


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Old 10-24-2016, 07:22 AM   #5
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We're from S.C. and wintered in AZ. before our Alaska trip. We went straight north to Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Yellowstone, then Glacier. Crossed into Canada at Sweetgrass/Coutts, MT. 3rd week of May. When we reached the Yukon, many rivers were still partially frozen as was a few lakes. But nighttime temps weren't cold enough to worry about, even hit a little snow storm outside Destruction Bay, but again not bad enough to make us stop. But the mountains were spectacular, especially the Wrangells, and Mt. Sanford. After spending the entire summer we worked our way south taking the Cassiar Hwy. to stop at Stewart/Hyder to watch the bears feeding on salmon. If you go to Stewart/Hyder I strongly recommend taking the towed up to Salmon Glacier. It's a good dirt road, but well worth the drive as you'll be high above the glacier to be able to see it winding it's way down the mountains. Then maybe hit the Ice Fields Parkway from Jasper to Banff. Here's a warning for you, the north country will get into your blood and you'll want to go back. We've been 3 times and are planning our 4th.
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Old 10-24-2016, 08:53 AM   #6
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Keep an eye on the weather. Keep the batteries charged. Keep the propane near full. In a freeze set the thermostat at 55-60 even while underway. I would think your RV is heating the a wet bays with the furnace. Read all of the supplied manuals so your on top or at least know where to look if a problem arises. Now relax and think about all you will see.

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Old 10-24-2016, 12:32 PM   #7
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Ramets.....what was the weather and crowds like when you went to Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands etc..... in May? We are thinking of leaving RI mid April, head to AZ and north to those parks and would like to be home by June 22 for reservations at the beach. This will be our first time in that part of our country.
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Old 10-24-2016, 04:24 PM   #8
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Thanks for the great information. It's why I joined the forum.


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Old 10-24-2016, 05:36 PM   #9
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This summer we entered Canada June 4th. Banff and Jasper National Parks were busy, but not crazy busy till July 1st. If you want a electric site in Banff or Jasper. I would reserve 3-5 months ahead. In Banff, one National Park campground had new full service sites completed a few years ago. Real nice mostly pull-thru level sites. But, the 2nd national park campground in Banff was going to close July 1st this past summer (2016) to upgrade the electric sites. So I'm not sure if it will be completed before next summer. Jasper has about 1300 total sites, but only about 200 electric and 120 full service sites. Went thru Dawson City YK. and Chicken AK. (June 18-23) where I made reservations 2-3 days ahead of time. If had not only dry sites would be available.

In Denali you will want to reserve ahead of time. By far for the true Alaskan experience the Teklanika Campground is the place to be. The other two campgrounds in the park have sites that can very tight for anything larger than a small class C.

We started our return Sept. 4th and took 12 days to make it back to OH. There was some fresh snow on the mountain tops in the Yukon, and hit a few wet snow flakes in MT. on the I-90 mountain passes.
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Old 10-24-2016, 08:01 PM   #10
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A dip in temps below freezing overnight for just a couple of hours won't cause any issues. Tank heaters do NOT take away any capacity - they are an adhesive heating pad that sticks to the bottom of the tanks. Make sure if you get them you get the 12V version, then you can use them without 110V hookup if needed (as a resistance heating device, they will quickly deplete your battery bank, but would work if the coach engine is running such as while travelling). We experienced a day or 2 of snow and sub-freezing weather near Whitehorse, and that was in early June. No tank heaters, and no problems. Simply leaving the HWH turned on will make a big difference, as will leaving cabinet doors open to allow warm air to reach hidden water lines. ST
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Old 10-24-2016, 10:53 PM   #11
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two gypsies are dead on about the hoses. We work off the tank and pump when traveling, and fill when we stop and put the hose away. Ditto the sewer hose. Also, be sure to have a rag to wipe your electric cord when you put it away. Lots of crud can build up and get ugly if you have a retractable.

Scenery. We lived in Alaska for 10+ years, so we like the views of the snow on the mountains and ice on the lakes and rivers. We prefer they not be on the road.... Try to get to somewhere that you can see and appreciate that. Icefields Parkway will do, but if you can see Muncho Lake or others with ice and the Liard River with ice remnants on the beach...... They are a bit different going south later in the year, and both views are worthwhile.

Fires. The fire season is late May into late July in the North. You may run into smoke in the air, and it may be a problem.

Weather. Have a look at Weatherbell.com. The full site is subscription, but the videos from Joe Bastardi are presently available, a daily update and a Saturday Summary. Also, 10 day forecasts are available on the web, check Ft Nelson and Toad River and Watson Lake for the likeliest trouble spots for snow and freezing.

Road Conditions. The Alaska Highway is a 2 lane road, mostly wide shoulders but narrow in the area from Summit Lake to Liard Hot Springs. Expect construction as they are re-aligning the road and removing some curves. The same will apply north of Destruction Bay toward Beaver Creek.

Red Flags. These are road repair warnings. Most have been fixed, but.... there are a few you will really need to respect. Do not get complacent. The road has improved so much since our first trip in the '60's, but those who drive the Interstates still claim portions are awful. Yeah, but you should have been there then....

Construction. Expect it. They are well marked. Expect a 1/2 hour delay waiting for the pilot car. The road surface will be wet and your rig will be filthy, and the washing will take two applications of brush and soap to remove. Later on will be paving, which involves a penetrating oil and a gravel top coat with a lot of fines, which traffic will remove via furious dust clouds. Pilot cars may be involved.

Fishing. Charters are available any time. Bank fishing is best in mid July and later. Saltwater bank fishing is available in Seward and Valdez. Hope has a Pink Salmon run beginning around 10 July. Grayling are mostly north towards Fairbanks.

Have a good trip.
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Old 10-26-2016, 10:23 AM   #12
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We live in Alaska 65 yrs; we travel South first of April and return by June. On the way down I usually just leave the motorhome winterized. On the way back in May I will leave the exterior shower winterized. May, winter is just about over it can still snow but it will be gone the next day. Early May in the morning after a rain or snow be careful driving there can be ice on the roads especially at shaded corners. We are usually at lower altitudes during April/May Southern Utah but two years ago in May Zion was in the 70s but Bryce had a snow storm weather is unpredictable.

We have tank heaters but rarely ever use them, they only heat the bottom of the tanks, it's the hoses that may cause problems. Just keep the out side shower and low point drains winterized. Leave the antifreeze in the tanks they won't freeze, maybe slush. If you are headed North in May watch the forecast for a cold snap other wise you shouldn't have a problem.

May, June and July are the best weather months in Alaska. The rest of the summer is ok but rain is more likely.
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Old 10-26-2016, 01:48 PM   #13
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Every summer in AK. is different. Could be rainy, cool, dry with forest fires...Even when it does rain, at least in my opinion it's a very light rain event compared to the rain storms we get in the Midwest.

Our AK. this summer we stayed a great deal in the Fairbanks area, where it was cooler than normal, and wetter than usual. Still was able to do everything I wanted to do. Maybe the only negative was two of our favorite berry picking spots you needed rubber boots to get past water filled ditches to get to good berries.
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Old 10-29-2016, 09:03 AM   #14
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I appreciate all of the responses. The information is really helpful.

We are going to start serious planning this month.

I plan to do a lot of photography on the trip, both wildlife and landscape.

This site provides great information.

Thanks again,

David


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