Alaska By Car?

[DCTENT]

I have 43' Dynasty, towing 26' Trailer, We want to travel Alaska HOWEVER being 70' Feet long I cannot get thru Canada, So we want to travel via Auto, Has anyone Gone by Auto durng July & if So how hard is it to get Motels rooms? as We are not make any Travel plans other than winging it as We go.

[Old Trucker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCTENT I have 43' Dynasty, towing 26' Trailer, We want to travel Alaska HOWEVER being 70' Feet long I cannot get thru Canada, So we want to travel via Auto, Has anyone Gone by Auto durng July & if So how hard is it to get Motels rooms? as We are not make any Travel plans other than winging it as We go.

Alaska by car; We went tp Alaska In July 2009 w/2006 dodge Mini van. No problrms. roads are nearly all blacktop. Top of the world Hwy from Dawson City Yukon Territory to Tok, Alaska is an excception, its all gravel, a 35 mph. road Economy is down, so tourism is down and motels are not a problem, jusr have plenty $$$$$. $75 motel becomes a $150 motel. chain motels hardly exist, nearly all mom and pop. Most motels up there would be $45 to $60 here. Not real fancy. The same is true for resturants. Gas is high in Alberta, BC and yukon. Alaska about the same as home. Gas; do not leave town with a half tank. Many places it is 200 miles from one station to another. It is big wide open, desolate country from Dawson Creek Ab on.
Plan on leaving by Sept 1st for home.
We were up there July and August 2009. I am surprised that your length is a problem in Canada. Trucks pull 53 ft trailers with a 48 ft behind it. We would be happy to share our knowledge on some things you may want to see. I hope you are planning a minium of 6 weeks for this trip. Thats minimum 8 would be nice. We called it a trip of a lifetime, but probably will not repeat it. If we can help, call us' Don Robinson, 314 610 2622. We always like to talk about Alaska. Safe travels, the old trucker.
PS; do not forget Glacier National Park in Montana ans Banff & Jasper Parks in Alberta. These are maybe even more spectacular than Alaska scenery.

[DCTENT]

Thanks For the Info, Appreciate Phone#, We will be contacting You, I checked With Canada they only allow I believe it was 60 feet conbination I would hate to Try it & get thru going up but get parked on return trip. Who did You truck for? I'm also old Trucker, Made all 48 States by truck By age 35. That was 40 Years ago When trucking was Fun, Would'nt want to do it now.

[LindaH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCTENT I have 43' Dynasty, towing 26' Trailer, We want to travel Alaska HOWEVER being 70' Feet long I cannot get thru Canada

So why not leave the trailer in the Lower 48 for the trip?

[DCTENT]

Would'nt We need a car when We get up there?

[Clifftall]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCTENT Would'nt We need a car when We get up there?

Absolutely. We put quite a few miles on our tow car to see things that a MH couldn't get to, besides you really don't want to break camp each day. Do you?

[DCTENT]

Really have NO idea how much time we would spend in any given area, Of course We want to see everything. Time we spend is pretty much open, We have someone that will mow My three acres of grass while gone.
Then Again We have heard stories that we would not be wise driving 43' MH up there.. Guess that's another reason we would Drive Auto instead of MH. We just don't know.

[texnet]

Some provinces now allow 75.4593 feet (23m) for overall length. Others are limited to 65.6167 feet (20m). Check RVDA of Canada - Provincial RV Regulations for current regs.

We drove a 34' MH up there in 2009 and I do not remember any place that I couldn't fit a 43' MH except most provincial parks. I guess we will find out in 2013 because we plan on making the trip again but in a 42' MH.

[Clifftall]

I ran into ( not literally ) a Prevost Caravan up there , so I would think you're ok as we'll as all the tour busses are 45' as well. You will probably have some battle scars if you travel all over as I did. By that I mean cracked or chipped windshield and paint chips/mars from the gravel roads. About 10% of the roads were gravel in 2004.
Personally, the next time we go we will rent a class c in Anchorage for 2 months. I am glad that I made the trip once in my MH and would suggest others to do so as well. Your other option of course is to tow you car with a tow bar.

[DCTENT]

I just Googled RV Rental In Anchorage, at Minimum $260.00 Per Night, rather spendy.

[Possum]

I know of a person who regularly tows a combined 70+ feet twice annually and he always runs the route through BC to Alberta late evening when the highway transport people do not work. He has told me the gendarmes in the Yukon and Alberta seldom pay any attention to you if you travel below the speed limit and keep 0out of the way of following traffic.

I know I am passing along secondhand information but I have to believe the guy because I have camped beside him and I have seen his length and I know he's from Alaska.

The Greyhound buses all pull trailers (courier stuff) all through western Canada, so there has to be some way of circumventing the rational of the length rule.

[DCTENT]

Hey Possum, Sounds Like I would be going back to my old days of trucking when constantly had to dodge scales, could be fun!!!!!

[garym114]

Who gave you the 70 feet limit?
Have a friend that pulled a boat up to alaska behind his Monaco, total length was 76 ft. He had to have a permit for BC but that was no problem.

[DCTENT]

I Know Alaska is no problem, I contacted BC they gave me Info of 63' Feet total with trailer