How are the roads going up to Alaska? Do I need to make
reservations for campgrounds up there? What kind of upgrades
should I be investing in before I make my trip? Today, we are
doing 20 most asked questions related to RV travel in Alaska.
We just spent an entire summer in our RV in Alaska so we have
all the data for you. Things we wish we would have known before
going to Alaska. Ooh, Cassiar Highway or the Alcan Highway?
I love the Cassier Highway. It is the most scenic highway up
there, I feel like. You get to see so much wildlife. You're up
close to the mountains. The drive is spectacular. But the
Alcan Highway is also high up there. I think if we went back
and we were heading towards Alaska, we would take the Alcan
Highway. Do you remember the Canadian Rockies, how gorgeous
they were? Yeah. And we did see some wildlife on the Alcan.
That's true and there's a lot more resources to refer to when
you take the Cassier. It is actually a little more
desolate. Yeah. So the fuel stops are few and far between.
They're pretty much the same when it comes to travel time and
distance but I feel like you can get a little bit further
and travel a little bit faster on the Alcan because the roads
are slightly better but are they? We'll get to that
shortly. Should we rent an RV or bring our own rig? Ooh. I
would say it depends on how your current rig is. Like is it
up to snuff for long travel days and harsh road conditions?
I feel like if we've got a brand-new RV that wasn't paid
off, I would be very nervous to take it up there. That too. But
if we rented one of those small RVs and spent three months up
there, I would kind of go a little stir crazy in a smaller
living space. Well, let me ask you this. If we went back,
would you take our RV again or would you consider renting an
RV? I'd take our home back up with us. You would? I would. Go
for the gusto. How many days should I plan to drive through
Canada? I was so naive going up there. I did not fathom how big
those parts of Canada really are. If memory serves me
correctly, if you're to go from the border anywhere in Canada,
let's just say where we started in Washington all the way up to
Alaska. Wasn't it over 2, 000 miles? Yeah, something like
that. Ridiculous. That's almost the width of the United States
of America just flipped on the vertical spectrum. I would give
yourself at least two weeks especially if you want to stop
and see some stuff along the way. Liard Hot Springs, anyone?
Where we always run into rough situations is we don't allot
enough time to our trip. Dang, I wish we would have just gave
ourselves a little bit more time. Take some of that stress
off our shoulders. So, if I were you, I would just
overshoot in your planning. Ooh, this is a good one. Do I
need to make reservation for RV parks? No. This is our bread
and butter, baby. We are the last people to make
reservations. I swear, you take all the 11 million people out
there, that RV and the Hanks are at the bottom for making
reservations and going up there, we never need to make
any reservations. We did for some situations but for the
most part, I mean, there were so many open spots when we went
up there. And I noticed that some campgrounds were sold out
if you wanted to stay for a week but what we noticed when
we were there is there were so many cancellations and if
you're in one spot but they require you to move sites, they
usually will have some openings and they can move things around
and they'll be able to accommodate you. So, yes, we
did make reservations because we also didn't know. Yeah. Now,
the only caveat to this is if it's Fourth of July weekend or
if the salmon season is in full swing and you're really big in
to fishing and you must be there, then, I would consider
maybe making a reservation. Do you recommend a caravan or can
we travel alone? I would say you don't need to caravan if
you're going up north. We initially thought we did, we
thought strengthen numbers but it's just not the case. You're
able to make it on your own going north and I don't want
that to be the factor to hold you back and be like, well, I
need to wait for some friends to go up there with. Listen, so
many people do it solo all the time and you'll be just fine.
If your concern is driving through desolate areas of
Canada and you're like, what if I break down? Hold on. Listen,
we stumbled upon a motorcycle crash in one of the most
desolate parts of Canada and there was just an abundance
amount of help. People pulled over to help. So, with the
amount of people that are traveling on these desolate
roads back and forth, if you need help, you're going to be
able to find help. You're going to have strength in
numbers by default. What extra parts should I bring?
Definitely you're going to want all the things needed to change
a tire. A good breaker bar just in case your impact drill isn't
working. You want to have a jack that is going to be able
to jack up that RV nice and safely. Make sure you actually
have a good spare tire on hand. Make sure it's not from you
know the late 90s and it's been sitting up there and collecting
dust and just rotting away. Yeah, maybe take it down and
check it before your trip starts. For sure. Maybe bring
an extra spare tire. I don't know. Listen, you could bring a
million things on the trip. And just weigh yourself down. Bring
the whole house but that's not realistic. Oil filters, leaf
springs, everything you can imagine if you really want to
be prepared and that brings you extra peace of mind, heck, go
for it. But from our situation, just cover yourself with a
spare tire and then figure it out as you go along. Yeah,
because there's plenty of resources along the way.
Whitehorse is a really big city in Can, well, for the Yukon
territory, it's considered a big city and they had
everything there that we needed to get repairs done after we
had a blowout. The tool I would definitely bring with you that
goes along with the tires and needing to change tires up
there is the Viair. It hooks up to the 12 volt battery, gives
you compressed air on demand whenever you need it. So if you
don't have access to a gas station up there with
compressed air, hey, you have it in the back of your truck at
all times. Guys, you should have the Viair no matter what, no
matter where you're RVing. Are campgrounds in Alaska similar
to campgrounds in the lower forty-eight. Not quite. They
don't maintain em as well up there and to be honest, why
should they? I mean, they are such a seasonal destination.
So, there's really no need to go dumping a ton of money into
them. Yeah. What you can get for $80 in the lower 48 is not
the same as you would get for $80 in Alaska. Listen, there
are no hot tubs, there are no pools, there are no spas, an RV
resort in Alaska basically means they have a store and
some laundry and full hookups. And even full hookups, it's not
even 50 amp all the time. Sometimes you're only going to
have access to 30 amp or maybe even 20 amp at some locations.
We stayed at 12 different campgrounds. Something like
that when we were in Alaska and I was like one of these
campgrounds have has to have pave sites. No campgrounds had
any pave sites. You're dealing with gravel and dirt and that's
okay because you're in Alaska. You gotta feel like you're
there, right? Speaking of the roads inside a campground, what
about the road outside of the campground. How are the roads?
I think Alaska has a bad reputation for having the worst
roads but they're not as bad as you think. They do a really
good job maintaining them while dealing with the frost heaves
and the permafrost. They got a lot of road-related issues up
there but with the amount of construction they do every
season, they're always improving. That's interesting
because I was going to say they were worse than I thought they
were. There was so much construction out there. So many
frost heaves. Roads were non existent in certain areas. You
were driving on just dirt and up and down. It was bad. But
that's because they were doing construction on that section.
Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. How much construction
you're going to run into up there? It's just nonstop. There
are some rough roads up there but as I always say, take it
slow and you're good to go. Well, think about driving from
let's say Palmer to Anchorage. How are those roads? Cuz that's
Alaska. Yeah. Alright, Judge Judy. I mean, I guess we're
just going to turn this into a debate here. Aren't we all
entitled to our own opinions? Like I felt like those roads
were normal because you're in such a normal area. Mm hmm. But
I guess your answer is the more desolate you become, the worse
the roads can be. This kind of goes back to the whole should I
rent an RV or bring my own. Mm hmm. Because we had so much
time in Alaska and we spent the whole summer. We were able to
take it slow and I think if you have plans to take it slow, you
will be fine but if you only have a month up there and you
you know you have to boogie around Alaska for a month, then
maybe renting an RV is the better route to go. Which
upgrades are recommended before you go? Huh, that's another
situation where we're not upgrade people so we like to
just have the bare minimum and see how far that gets us. We
didn't even upgrade our leaf springs. A lot of people say
upgrade the suspension like the Morryde, not needed. Just take it
slow on the road. You don't need to be dumping thousands of
dollars into an already expensive trip. That's just my
opinion. What about having mud flaps though or or like those
rock tamer things. You know, our RV is used and we've
already taken a beating just on the normal roads down here in
the lower forty-eight. I didn't really notice a difference.
The front of the RV got some mud and stuff on it. I'm sure
there's a couple rock chips here and there and trust us, we
would know about it because we have massive tires on our truck
that has those big grooves that really catch onto those rocks
and then release em and fling em. So, if anyone's going to
really take some hits on the RV, it's going to be us. I
want to touch on the solar and the generator thing If you go
dumping thousands of dollars in solar, just know that Alaska
rains so much during the summer. We had so much rain up
there. Not a lot of sun exposure. So, we weren't able
to use the solar panels as much as we had hoped we would. Well,
what about the generator because we bought one when we
were up in Fairbanks knowing that the solar wasn't able to
charge your batteries. Depends on how much you want to get off
grid. If you want to do a lot of boondocking up there and
save some money on those expensive campgrounds then heck,
dish out some money for a generator. Best place to
Boondock in Alaska? Deadman's Lake Campground. Do you
remember staying there as soon as we crossed? Yeah. The
border. That was really cool. Yeah, that was cool. That was
nice. It was free. There were designated sites and we were
able to fit our thirty-five foot fifth wheel in
there. Here are some other places that were popular
through internet search for Boondocking in Alaska. Upper
Lake Trail Pullout, Susitna River Dispersed. That's
alongside the river so that's cool. And Stampede Road, I
think that one's near Healy. And we have all the coordinates there for
you so make sure you take a screenshot or a picture on your
phone. And while you're at it, if you enjoy this video make sure
you hit the like button and subscribe because we come out
with new videos every Thursday but let's go on to the next one.
Oh I love this next question because I don't really know
what they're asking but it's just bears, question mark.
They're there I think. We finally stumbled into a few a
mom and her cubs luckily not head on but from a distance
down the river. We were able to get some shots of them. That was
super cool. And I think we were pretty fortunate to be able to
see some bears because watching other people and listening to
other people's stories, it could be a big hit or a big
miss when going to Alaska. Yeah, they some people make it
seem like you'll be at the grocery store and there's a
bear down aisle five. Would we recommend bringing bear spray?
Well, once again, it's another peace of mind thing. Uh we were
out on some hiking trails. We noticed some fresh scat on the
actual hiking path and at those moments, we're like, oh, I wish
we had some bear spray So, we ended up getting some. Maybe
get some. Yeah, have some bear spray. Ooh, I like this one.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. How is the fuel situation? So many people told
me you need to have an extra fuel tank going up there. You
better get that upgrade on your truck, Carl and I was like,
well, listen. First of all, my name is Kyle. I'm just kidding
but the whole fuel situation is so blown out of proportion. I
just, I can't tell you. Mm hmm. If you've been through Death
Valley in the lower forty-eight, it's no different.
You're up there and it will say this is the last stop before
fuel, it will give you the distance until the next fuel
stop, make sure you fuel up. That's all you gotta do. Simple
instructions. If you have a basic fuel tank, you'll make it
just fine. And even on the Cassiar Highway, the distance
between the different fuel stops was maybe 30 to 60 miles.
Mm hmm. So, it's like you can frequently fill up to the point
where you're stopping every hour. Will I have internet and
cell service? The answer similar to the one I just said,
the more desolate the less options but if you go into all
the major areas like if you're in Homer or Seward if you're in
Kenai like the cell service is fantastic. There were spots
where we didn't have any Starlink internet but we knew
we were going into those desolate areas so we made sure
that we downloaded our maps before we were heading into those
areas. What are the best months to go to Alaska? December.
December? Just kidding. I say May and June right? Yeah, May and
June is when we would go back up and try to stay during those
months because you're less likely to experience the rainy
season. If you're looking to do some great fishing and you
want to be there for salmon season, then July is your best
option. What are some must-see places in Alaska or what places
should I visit? Where was your favorite? Valdez, obviously.
Yeah, Valdez was my favorite too. Would definitely go back?
It's just because if you're taking your RV up there, it has
the most beautiful scenic drive I've ever been on in my entire
life. Mm hmm. I think it's arguable you say that around
the world it's kind of on the top of that list as well. For
us at least. Yeah. The drive through Valdez one way in, one
way out but wow, it's incredible. Besides Valdez, if
you can't make it there, I would definitely hit up
somewhere in the Kenai Peninsula because that part of
Alaska is so different from the inland part of Alaska. The
weather is different. You get to see the mountain ranges
across the ocean. Fishing. The rivers are just such a deep
blue. Oh, that was so cool. And that is one place I wish we would've
stayed and hung out was Cooper's, Cooper landing. It was
so gorgeous and we didn't stay there and we should have. What
should I do to increase my chances of seeing Denali? Even
on a clear day. Isn't it like 30 or 40 percent chance that
you actually see it? Yeah, even if it's clear. It's hard to
see. So, I would say our best bet was taking that airplane
ride. Yes. Oh, that was cool. Talkeetna Air. Mm hmm.
Little pricey but it pretty much guaranteed us to see the
mountain. And they also include a glacier landing, we
were unable to land on the glacier due to weather but we
still got to see the mountain. It was so cool but if you don't
have the money because like we said, it's pricey, maybe
consider hanging out in the Talkeetna area or Denali State
Park or Denali National Park and spending like a good amount
of time there because there might be a day where it's clear
enough that you could see it from a distance. Get some good
boondocking in while you're at it. Oh, that's Stampede Road
near Healy. That's close to Denali so. Oh, nice. Yeah.
Maybe post up there for a few days and hope that you get some
clear views of the mountain. This question we have been
getting since we started our Alaska trip and we are finally
going to answer it. What? Are the mosquitoes as bad as they
say they are. I'm a walking magnet so I feel like if anyone
would know it would be me. Well, you have sweet blood.
Mine's like tart. I'm a sweetheart. Yeah, they they
bite me and they're like. The mosquitoes are not as bad as I
thought they were going to be but they were really bad. On
the eastern side of Alaska when you first cross over from
Canada into Alaska right around the Tok area. You know how we
just talked about that Deadmans Lake Campground? The
mosquitoes there, you remember we were going for a morning
walk but we had to almost like.. That's right. Walk really fast.
And they were right behind us you could literally turn around
and see like a group of them. It was the weirdest thing, it was
like being hunted by mosquitoes. Coolest excursion or experience
that we did in Alaska? Definitely the dog sledding. The
dog sledding for sure. Yeah. Oh, that was awesome. You take a
helicopter ride out of Girdwood, Alaska. Mm hmm.
Flies you up on top of a glacier and there's a whole
team of dogs like 50 dogs up there and they take you
around the glacier on a dog sled. Yeah, those dogs are
Ididarod champions and they hang out up there kind of to
keep up their training during the summer months. A good
backup, I'll just throw a little icing on the cake. Okay.
Is the Valdez like when we went with Fred. Mm hmm. What
was the name of that boat tour? Lulu Bell. Lulu Bell. You got
to see some amazing wildlife, whales, sea otters, and sea lions.
And best part is you're right up near glaciers. Oh yeah. Wow
that was worth it and little cheaper than the dog sledding
tour so budget is a important thing, because we stand behind
that, do that. Try to add some kind of glacier tour in your
Alaska stay. Which resources should I have on hand before
the trip? Mile Post. 100% the Mile Post book. They come out
with the new edition every year. And what's great about it is when you
don't have cell service driving through Canada or in Alaska,
that will give you details mile by mile of what to expect, how
the roads are, also what you could pull over and look at.
Another one that we refer to quite frequently for finding
the actual spots to say was RV LIFE. That's an app you can use
on your phone. You do have to pay for it so I wouldn't say go
out and get it. You must have it but if you are looking for
that, then we do have a discount code. You can use the
discount code, THANKSHANKS it will save you 25%. We'll put
that in the description below just to save you a little extra
money on the side. We are big when it comes to looking at
photos before we book any campgrounds and that's what's
great about RV LIFE is that you can see accurate photos and not
just rely on the ones that the website has. That's true. It's
actual people that stayed there and are unbiased and they're
like either it's really good or really bad. When it comes to
boondocking, we recommend Campendium and a newer app that
we discovered called iOverlander. Now, iOverlander
is more of like a quick pull off, like where can you just pull
off the side of the road and get sleep? It works really
great for us and it's a free app so I really enjoyed that.
Great pictures, great reviews. Yeah. So, that was really nice
to have on on hand. This is one of the biggest questions we see
online and it's a question we got a lot. How much does it
cost to RV Alaska? There's a lot to say about this and we
actually made an entire video and then you're going to be
surprised because the biggest expense was not excursions. We'll
leave that video linked right here for you. Go check it out
next and as always, we'll see you guys next Thursday. Love
you all. Bye guys.