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Good morning and welcome;
We went to Alaska last year and had a wonderful time. My first comment would be to make certain that your rig is in good shape. Good tires, spare filters, oil changed, etc. The route that you will take is not unlike other places, so there are available facilities for service all through Canada and Alaska. Be prepared but don't worry about it. To plan your trip, purchase the Milepost book and the Church's book about camping in Alaska. We did, and used both of them. Alaska is a long way off, so don't be in a hurry. Enroute to AK, you will pass through beautiful parts of Canada. Spend lots of time enjoying the wonderful sights and nice folks of Canada. It is journey in itself. We did Banff, Lake Louise, the Icefields Parkway and Jasper on the way north and the Yellowhead Highway all the way from Prince Rupert to Edmonton on the way home.
Now, about that article in Better Rving by Faith Todd. When I read it, I was going to write to the editor of the publication about it. While entertaining, it is grossly inaccurate. I through the magazine away, so I'm commenting from memory, so bear with me.
The article said that just past Dawson Creek, BC, the Alaska Highway becomes gravel and remains that way for a good portion of the way to Ak. Wrong! There are sections of the road that are gravel and are rough, but most of the Alaska Highway is a paved highway, not unlike roads in the lower 48.
The article also describes how their rig suffered broken axles and the efforts to repair and replace them. Not to be critical, but if one drives a rig so fast that axles and suspension parts are damaged, then it is not the fault of the roadway, rather the driver. I observed that all construction zones were marked and many of them had pilot cars and flaggers. The roads are worse in the spring and get better as they are repaired as the summer goes along. In my experience, the most difficult section to the Alaska Highway insofar as road conditions were concerned was the sections near Kluane lake and the bridge due to long stretches of roadwork. There were lots of frost heaves that we encountered. I drove slow, pulled a little to the right when oncoming traffic approached and had no damage or broken windshields for the entire trip. I must say that there was lots mud going north and lots of dust coming south. I noticed that most drivers drove according to the conditions but that sometimes, someone would come towards us in a cloud of dust or mud or pass us as we pulled off to the right side of the road. Maybe the person who wrote that article and broke their axle was one of those folks?
Anyway, going to Canada and Alaska is exciting and we can't wait to return. We're going to the maritimes this year and, Good Lord willing, bake to AK next year.
Bob
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2012 Tiffin Allegro 34 TGA
Ford V-10 22000 lb chassis
Brake Buddy Advantage,
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