I drove to Alaska three times, 2015, 2019, and 2022. Half of the experience is the drive up to Alaska from Florida. There is plenty to see and do. If you have the time, drive. On a cruise you are on someone else's schedule. Driving up you can make your own schedule and adjust it if desired. If you drive there is much more planning and preparation to do, but for me it was worth it.
As one who visited Alaska 22 years ago and now have lived here for over 16 years I can say I love it. Winters the most. Mostly because all the RVs are gone. We love the income tourists bring into the state, but not the traffic. We live and work right right near the Matanuska Glacier. I feel like your description was on point. Alaska has opportunities that no other place has to offer. The highway is rough, and long. RV rental is the way to go.
Lived at the edge of Anchorage for years: the view out my dining room window: bears, wolves, moose, fox, Lynx, eagles, cranes, ducks, geese, porcupine.
I was born in Spenard Alaska in 1958. Lived in anchorage and palmer growing up. Mat valley all my adult life. This is a very accurate description of what to expect. Thank you
With a rig like the one you used (big pickup with big 5th wheel) , the limitations you encountered with boondocking are almost by design. Most interresting areas are accessible either by minivan, van, truck camper, or small trailers.
As a Canadian living in south western British Columbia, I just wanted to say, even before watching this video, I've travelled (driven) to Alaska twice, and absolutely loved it both times. Yes, some things don't work out perfectly, but we had absolutely no breakdowns on either trip, and the very first trip was 30 years ago, where we went up the Dempster Highway to Inuvik, looking for the Arctic Ocean. The wildlife was immense back then, the scenery absolutely gorgeous, and the fishing was phenomenal. Now...as the years pass, I'm a senior now, and can't wait to go again! To add to your list, boon docking - we had a truck (F450 and Arctic Fox slide in camper) so we could easily fit in many of the spots you couldn't of course, as I remember driving down a short road to a small river, where we camped right alongside the river where it was super peaceful, with beautiful scenery. We didn't find it on a map, we just where driving along, and happened to see a road heading toward the river and decided to take it...and it worked out beautifully!
Two years ago my wife and I flew to Homer and spent two weeks. Everyday for the past two years my wife has told me what the temperature is in Homer. She would move there today. And though I thought the summer was great. I'm not so sure about spending the winter there. I should add that currently my wife is in the back of the motorhome with the AC running watching tv, and I'm up front with the heater on my feet watching UA-cam videos. So she is much more excited about Alaska than I am.
I grew up in Alaska and moved to Florida when I was 22 years old, I have now come back to Alaska to care for my 93 year old dad. There are two types of people who live in Alaska, those who will never leave and those who can’t wait to leave. Alaska is a great place to visit but personally I wouldn’t trade Florida for anything in the world, just my dad. I dream of St. Augustine every chance I get until I go home again. Peace ✌️
Odd because I spent 35 years in Florida, and came to Alaska in 2017. And I wouldn’t go back to Florida for 10 million dollars. I still own a home there but it’s nothing like what it used to be
My house was in Palm Coast, between Daytona and Jacksonville. I was ten minutes away from Princess Place Preserve, some of the greatest fishing in North Florida and I was there every chance I could get. Between that and the Beaches not to mention St. Augustine it’s heaven to me. Location Location.
I just drove across Alaska this week and the roads, attractions and prime camping spots were totally empty. Not a soul in sight. There was nobody. Not a single RV on the road. You should totally drive back and try it again. No rain. It won’t rain again for the next 4 months. No bugs either.
We too were in Alaska last summer. Trip of a lifetime for sure. Loved Chicken, Alaska. Stayed at Chicken Gold Camp and heard the Cannon go off one night at the bar. Highlights were the bus ride into Denali, where we saw the Denali big five wildlife. From Fairbanks we flew across the Article Circle to Coldfoot with Artic Air Adventures. They took us to talk with an Off-gridder to learn about how he lives and survives. Yes we would do it again.
I’m glad you all went to Alaska, that’s where I’m from. But……. You all talked only about your excursions and what you did in Alaska from Florida, but never gave enough praise to Canada and making that part of your trip to and the fun and not so fun parts of that. To me, it’s not about how fast you can make the trip, to me it’s about what you do ALONG the trip. If your full timing like the wife and I are, you really have to consider the maintaining of your Rv anyway. Life is an adventure. Loved the video….. keep it up Buck and Donna
I drove from KY to Alaska three times. The first time was in 1976 when the Alcan Highway had 900 miles of gravel. That was a REAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE, especially since I did not have air conditioning and was in lots of DUST with the windows partially open! I was in a 1973 VW Beetle and had six flat tires, one broken windshield and a few other incidents along the way. The next times were in 2007 and 2008 when the roads were vastly improved. I saw lots of wildlife on all three trips. My tip for travelers wanting to see lots of wildlife is to get on the road by 5AM. The wildlife viewing declines somewhat by 7AM, in my experiences. Good luck!
HEY! Y'all have no idea how much I appreciate the realistic and practical info you've shared in this video. I am planning to retire in a couple of years, and traveling to Alaska is on my bucket list.
We made the trip up in the summer of '23 and really enjoyed it. Our route was almost identical to yours but we started in Fairbanks and went backwards. We have good friends who live in Anchorage so that was our base. We probably boondocked in their driveway for 3 weeks or so. My friend and his wife are both pilots so we paid rental on a 172 and they flew us to Danali for about $600. Pretty sweet deal for a personal pilot. My next favorite excursion was a boat trip out of Homer for a day of bear watching in Chinitna Bay for about $1200. We pulled a 31' Reflection 5th wheel and our camping experiences were very similar to yours. We pulled slow and careful and still broke two axle spring hangers off of the frame so we had a simple welding repair in Calgary on the way home. It was a great experience and I told my wife if gas was $1.00/gal we would go back! I still have one small chip in my pickup windshield as a souvenir. As far as wildlife goes, you will see more moose in town in Anchorage than anyplace else you will go.
This was a great follow-up video. Thank you for being candid and transparent. Please don’t worry about stepping on a bunch of softies toes. We can all have our own opinions and respect those with different. Looking forward to your future endeavors.
Watching your videos makes me want to go back to Alaska. I am 75 now and hope to get back there next year, God willing! I am resourceful and frugal (some people say cheap). My last two trips I "car camped" in my Honda Civic. Some places, like in Deadhorse and Inuvik, this was more a necessity than a choice. In 2007 and 2008 I was lucky enough to take sightseeing flights over Denali National Park with Ray Atkins Outfitting in Cantwell. Ray was very personal, experienced, and reasonably priced. He was a great pilot and also a hunting guide. I would HIGHLY recommend contacting him to see if he is still operating his business because he must be in his 70s and could have retired by now.
I'm also a Floridian & I've visited Alaska 5 times. The last time was the longest cruise (10 nights) this past July. All but one of the visits were by cruise. Although one of the cruises was coupled with a land tour (1 week cruise & 1 week land tour). If any of you do a cruise + land tour I strongly recommend you opt for the land tour to be 1st followed by the cruise. Princess cruises does them both. The reason to do the cruise last is because the land tour is exhausting. I wish we had the cruise afterwards so that we could relax before heading back home. The one visit that was not a cruise was a self-guided tour around the Anchorage area. We rented an Air BNB house, rented a car, & did our own touring & sightseeing. We loved that because we got to see an area of Alaska that you don't get to see on the cruises or even on the land tour we went on. I have a travel trailer too as you do but a much smaller one (a Casita Liberty Deluxe) but I don't think I would want to go from Florida to there & back with that. I imagine it being too much work plus too much wear & tear on both my camper as well as my truck. My camper is basically for camping around Florida where I live. (I'm hoping it as well as my home survives hurricane Milton that seems to be headed straight towards us. Say a prayer for our state!)
At 71 years of age I will never visit Alaska. Seeing what you accomplished was very inspiring. I have experienced Alaska because of you two. Keep doing what you’re doing. 😊
We live in North Pole Alaska! I have been here 23 yrs! We make videos about living here, love your videos. There isn’t a lot of people that live here, you were definitely here in tourist season. we go to Valdez every year and it’s our favorite place. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ if you lived here, there is a lot of free places to camp. I have only seen 1 bear living here and it was in Valdez. Moose are very common in our yard. Living here is totally different from visiting. It’s hard to live here , but it makes you strong! but it’s worth it🎅🏼🎅🏼🎅🏼North Pole & Fairbanks are interior & we typically don’t get much rain & we have the hottest summers. Alaska has no mercy, it will chew you up & spit you out, only the strong survive 😂
Aww yay!! First off, it really makes me happy that as an Alaskan you’ve enjoyed our videos ❤️ North Pole was so cute! I still cannot fathom living there lol. I would love to visit in the winter sometime (for a short time lol) because I bet it is like a whole other world. And we would definitely enjoy the fewer crowds! Thanks for watching!
@@wildrvlifeI love your videos, if you come back again get ahold of me and we can take you up the rivers for free & to some great places. We would love to show you around ♥️I wish I found your channel sooner
@@wildrvlifeif you know of Maria with UA-cam Roaming Reckless, watch her 6 months of winter in Alaska videos. Amazing experience of Alaska in the winter, living in her Land Rover......
I couldn’t agree more. The I live in Two Rivers, just east of Fairbanks and North Pole. Living here has nothing to do with visiting. Before I moved here 10 years ago I visited for 18 years. Living here is a totally different story. It is an adventure and the only place I can imagine to stay. Come in the winter. It is a different world. It is beautiful. Ditch Anchorage (it is close to Alaska, though) and experience the Interior. Meet locals. The people here are extremely friendly and will show you what they love about our beautiful state.
This was your experience and this is how you felt about it. You can ask 21 travelers who when to Alaska and you will get 21 different experiences. Glad you enjoyed it. Loved following your adventures.
I drove to Alaska from NC right after college graduation. I saw TONS of wildlife. Herds of caribou crossing the road. Moose everywhere, even downtown Anchorage. Brown bears, black bears, bald eagles, seals, walrus, orkas, black and white porpoises, elk, mountain goats, etc. And this was just driving around on my own, no paid excursions. The boat trip I worked on the boat. It was definitely my best trip ever.
All that effort and you saw only a fraction of Alaska! That’s just mind blowing. I like your honestly and straightforwardness about your experience. I’m done a lot of things l wouldn’t do again but enjoyed most aspects of it and am glad l did those things. Just because something isn’t perfect doesn’t make it bad. I’ve been debating about going to Alaska for a trip and working part time to help defray costs. I’m impressed you spent less than $5k in gas considering you drove from Florida. I live in Colorado so l don’t know if l would be as blown away by the scenery, wildlife, attractions as many are because we have a lot of that here where l live. I have a 20 year old Jeep Wrangler and tow a small 5x8 off road/off grid trailer and have no interest in camping in FHU campgrounds. Boondocking is what l would want to do. The main concerns l have aside from cost is: The weather. I hate rainy, grey, damp weather. The crowds: l hate crowds. Seems a lot of people go there in the summer and with the limited road network they get funneled into common areas. 3. The insects. I hate mosquitoes. Fortunately l find this the least objectionable of the things that concern me. 4. The distance and wear and tear on my vehicles. A 20 year old Jeep always needs something and spending money on preventive maintenance, an extra spare and perhaps a gas generator all add to the cost. I’m inclined to go at some point. I would probably want to get there at the end of May to avoid the rainy season as much as possible.
Great video. We've gone 2x now, drove both times in 2022 and this year 2024 from OR early May ...over 100 days each trip. We did Alcan and Cassier hwys both trips. We are the types where the journey is the destination. We love the driving part most actually and stays along the way. We think Canada has way more wildlife and actually more scenic perhaps. We didn't do any tours either trip. We ate out once on 2nd trip but enjoyed fresh salmon daily as we caught/came home with 40+ Sockeye from fishing on the peninsula. We paid for full hookups maybe twice... 2022 was in 1 ton diesel pickup and Airstream....this year we went in 39' Super C motorhome and Jeep. Already thinking about when we want to go again. Everyone is different... We've also wintered in FL 3x now and can't figure out why so many people love it so which lol when there is no much inclimate weather that erases communities what seems like yearly. Different strokes for different folks. Great video and enjoy your content. We are approaching our 9th year of FT RVing. Cheers. @WingingIt.Fulltime
Just gave you a follow on IG. I dream of an Alaska trip, but that includes the Canada part. I don't see us racing up through Canada and racing back down. Agree, different things for different people. I appreciate your comment.
Expectations ! Some people develop the “big picture “ in their mind, how things SHOULD be. I would never take a rig the size of a small house, with all the modern fixings on a trip and complain that I was lied to because my experience wasn’t like what someone else experienced. I don’t do tours, I don’t expect to pay for an excursion and experience anything more or less that what I saw, the world is a fluid place, that bear that ran through that meadow yesterday might not be there today. When I fish the enjoyment is the act of fishing, catching a fish is just a bonus. It’s a Disney Land world , everyone thinks they are guaranteed something special just because they bought an “E” ticket. If i wanted the picture perfect experience I would just stay home and watch a travel blog on the TV.
@@jlr3636.. am not fan of houses on wheels either and don’t consider parking in a big lot 10 feet away from your neighbor “camping.” Keep it simple and small is my motto.
We did our Alaska trip in an 18wheeler many years ago. Drove up Alcan to Tok to Anchorage, delivered then waited 2 weeks to move a park ranger to AZ. Great trip. Put the tractor in an RV park in Wasilla and rented a car. Incredible trip. Do it again in a 5th wheel? Probably not. Only if we had another couple or 2 go with us. More fun, more safety in case of emergencies / mechanical junk. Correct - Timing is everything and bring money.
My RV trips to Alaska are done vicariously through other RV'ers on UA-cam. I have been to Alaska three times, once via a cruise and then twice I flew in. I enjoyed them all and find Alaska a very exciting place to go. My problem is I am a full time working slob who lives in NC so the time it takes to get to, and back from Alaska, would consume most of my vacation time, so Alaska as an RV trip is not plausible. So, I really enjoyed your trip to Alaska and thank you for taking us all along. On a side note, I moved to NC to be with family and friends and enjoy the mountains I enjoy so much. Hurricane Helene has brought a stark reality to how quickly all this can be disrupted and turned upside down. I am on the fringe of the devastation area, but family and friends are smack in the middle of that. The REALLY sad thing is that ALL of us are X-Floridians who have all endured Hurricanes first hand...and none of us were prepared for what happened in Western North Carolina. Closest thing for me was Hurricane Andrew in the level of complete destruction...be Andrew was devastating but for a much smaller area....Helene's damage is massive and far reaching...from Florida to WNC......
We went to Alaska for our honeymoon 22 years ago. We did a 2 week cruise and land tour. Even flying in, it was a long flight and it was beautiful and we did a lot of cool things but... I would not go back. We panned for gold too, on an excursion and got enough flakes to put in a little glass thing for a necklace. Oh I found the native totem pole making place super interesting. Same for Hawaii. Long flight, we were there for three weeks and island hopped to see everything. It was beautiful and expensive. We stayed with a cousin who was in the military there so we were rent free while on Oahu... still expensive. Anyway, go if you can. We rode a submarine and a helicopter over the Volcano on the big island before it erupted but it was cool to see down inside and see the molten lava. We did a luau and all the museums. We truly enjoyed but I wouldn't fly back. Love your videos! You are real people! Thank you for helping in North Carolina! You are good people. Safe travels!
Lived in Alaska for 8 years & I absolutely MISS IT! Loving life in Oklahoma, we farm & ranch here. But, if I ever had the chance to go back, I would in a heartbeat. So many great memories. Thank you for sharing y’alls adventures with us
After watching so many UA-camrs going to Alaska and wear and tear on the RV we decided to go on a cruise to Alaska. We probably won’t see as much as you did, but we will see. Thank you for sharing your trip and congratulations to the 50k. You deserve it ❤️🎊🎉🍾
We drove over 11,000 miles in 2015 making our first trip to Alaska. In 2023 we went back and this time took the ferry from Bellingham to Haines which cut our driving to 6,400 miles. The trip thru Canada was great, but we felt one time was enough. It is an amazing state and probably will go again. The best part for us was getting away from the crowds and talking with the locals. The flag train out of Talkeetna was a perfect time to meet and talk with folks that lived off the grid. We saw lots of wildlife both trips. Can't imagine taking a large rig like yours. We have a 14 ft Lance and could go places the big rigs couldn't go. Loved the videos and it brought back some good memories. Thanks!
Yep! In many cases less is more. I have an off road teardrop and can go almost anywhere and while it’s not as comfortable it’s definitely more versatile
We went to Alaska in 19. The roads were far better than expected. In over 9000 miles we never had one flat tire or any mechanical issue whatsoever. We enjoyed your videos and they gave us more ideas for our next Alaska trip in 26.
Great review! I think you guys hit the nail on the head. Fly here & rent an RV for places you want to have an RV, and just use a rental car & hotels or BnB's, and do day trips/excursions. If you're a Van living type person, that's the way to go. You can reach so many more places in a smaller vehicle. I agree with most of what you said, if I were driving up here and being in a big rig. The only thing I disagree with is the Anchorage stuff. I'm biased toward Anchorage, because I grew up there when it was a great place to live, and now it's a hell hole imo. You are right though, you have to drive through it a lot so may as well gas & dump and grocery shop. And then flee lol. No staying in creepy Cabella's/Walmart parking lots 😂. If you ever decide you want to come back, just fly and rent a vehicle. I suggest May 15 - July 1 for the best sunny days & July - September for the least snow in the mountains. September is the best month for hiking. It's usually sunny (not the last couple years), and 50 degrees. Perfect hiking temperatures & sunny scenery. Tourist season is May 15 - September 15. The out of the way places start closing between Sept 15 - 30. Valdez is my favorite place to go, but we always boondock in the pass and drive to town on day trips. I'm with you guys, Valdez is an unforgettable vacation. Love it there! Now that I've written a book... thanks for the rundown. I hope lots of people see this video, because you kept it real. A LOT can happen driving/towing an RV around Alaska. It can be rough, but it's a once in a lifetime trip! You either love it so much you move up here, or you have memories for life. Those that come back, usually come by air. You guys fully get that logic. Totally enjoyed the Alaska videos and the review. Can't wait to see what's next, hope your sister is doing well ❤
We've been four times since 2018 with our 30' Airstream trailer. Every trip was different but loved Alaska, costal BC and Rockies, Yukon, all the same. The smaller and more off-grid capable you are, the easier things will be. The roads vary from year to year and from month to month. Denali Highway was horrible one year but the Dalton decent. The next year, it was reversed. Take as much time as you can, go slow, be flexible, be prepared and you should be fine.
Thank you for your honest assessment as most people are not. I like to vicariously look at things and you sharing Alaska with us means I just experienced it. Much appreciated
I'm so glad that I was able to watch your trip! You showed the reality you experienced. I think your wrap up was extremely helpful! Thank you for sharing your trip with us!!
My son and I spent the summer in Denali / Glitter Gulch area working for some hotels. I think you nailed the list of ten . , Great video. I loved my experience there and I committed to a second year of work starting next April. I found everyone i met to be incredibly nice and adventurous. I found a second family up there. I did well financially but as you said expect you wallet to come out often and the money to fly away fast. Solidly 30-40% more expensive outside of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Wasilla
While this video is a week behind. For sure praying for you as you both serve with BGEA & Samaritans Purse. Thanks for setting an example and serving those in need during a difficult time.
Pacific salmon species spawn at different times. The order is generally as follows: Sockeye, Pink, Chinook, Coho, and Chum. Not all rivers have all species present. The two weeks you refer to are merely the times between species. Once a pacific salmon enters the river to spawn, they do not leave. After spawning, they remain until they die which only is measured in days, not weeks. Salmon return to the same location where they hatched. Even hatchery raised salmon return to the part of the creek or river where they were released as smolts as they can somehow imprint to the location. Atlantic salmon on the other hand can and do return to the ocean after spawning. Here in BC, I know of rivers that have 4 species and there are up to two species present at certain times of the fall. In Alaska, spawning starts earlier, but in all cases, salmon do not enter the rivers until they are ripe and there has been sufficient rainfall. Otherwise they pool at the river mouths and wait for rain.
I also just returned from a 3-1/2 month trip to Alaska from Florida in mid September and I have to generally agree with just about everything in this video. 15K miles total.
Very informative thanks. I'm planning to try RVing for the first time, and do it as a month long trip to Alaska next year. My late dairy farmer uncle started going to Alaska in the early 70s and he did the longggg drive there and back from near Toronto every other year until he died in 2018 in his Class B. He just loved it for some reason, and never got on a plane once in his life (he wintered in Florida). We did a cruise to Alaska this spring but of course that barely scratches the surface.
Enjoyed following your trip. Years ago we flew into Anchorage in early May, rented a car, and stayed in hotels or resort motels before the high season. 1400 miles up to Fairbanks, Denali National Park to way down to Seward. Awesome, 10 days. Best time to go.
We drove to AK in 2016, I bought a used Casita camper for the trip. It weighed only 2500 lbs, one axel and 15” tires. You could park it anywhere, we pulled it a total of 16,847 miles and when we got home we sold it …. I now have a 30ft travel trailer I wouldn’t do a trip like that with it. I’ve already had 3 broken springs with it just from pulling it cross country 7 times. I don’t think it would hold up to well for a trip like that. Maybe I would if I were younger like you guys…. Watching you brought back memories and it looked like y’all had a lot of fun. Keep up the good work.
We lived in Alaska for 27 years. My wife dragged me out of there kicking and screaming so we could be nearer our kids and grandkids who moved to the lower 48 eight years prior. While it's great being near the "FAM", I'll never forget the awesomeness and beauty of Alaska and all it has to offer. But then again, humorously, it's common to hear the phrase... "Alaska is home to only two types of people... "escapists" or "escapees"." In regards to tourists and the congestion they cause in the summer months, the phrase "Welcome to Alaska, now go home." is commonly said in a kidding way. This video is spot on. I would stress planning at least a minimum of three weeks once you get there. Make reservations well in advance. Wear layered clothing. Don't rely on goretex to keep you dry in heavy rain. Make sure to take a quality set of binoculars. Wildlife viewing is best in late spring or early fall. Have a great trip!!
I watched your and Open Roading's series on Alaska and really enjoyed both. (Actually, I have watched every one of your videos because you are so open, honest, and uplifting.) I have taken two cruises to Alaska and had amazing excursions. We didn't see much wildlife though. I thought I wanted to RV to Alaska but your videos took me there so I'm taking it off my bucket list. As for cruises, I say if you are only going to take one cruise, then cruise Alaska! Keep enjoying your journeys, and know that you are appreciated by many!
My son and I flew to Alaska and rented an RV. It was great. Our trip was super short and we had no idea what we were doing, but we enjoyed every minute. We can’t wait to go again. I totally get the idea to fly and rent.
I drove from Prince Rupert, up the Cassiar Stewart Highway and on to Alkaska via Atlin, Dawson, the Top of the Wortld Highway and such, in 1977. Only three places in Yukon where unleaded gas was available then. Nothing much was paved. But ir was gorgeous.
I am so glad to hear your opinion on Alaska. I too am one of those people who have visited and am now done. It was nice, unique, and an amazing experience. It was not my favorite place, but I am glad to have had the opportunity to spend every moment I had there.
Ok, after watching all the videos so far about your trip to alaska and watching Open Roads channel, we are definitely going to Alaska but probably taking the ferry from Seattle, hopefully renting a car and flying around to excursions. I don't wanna risk messing up the axles and alignment on our rigs. Thank you so much for taking us along with you and CONGRATULATIONS on 50k!!!!🎉🎉🎉
Thanks for giving your review of the trip and for taking us along with you. Thanks, too, for giving us your thoughts on your trip. Have been to Alaska 4 or 5 times, however, did not camp or RV. Would go back whenever the opportunity arises. Go with no expectations and with flexibility. You will not be disappointed!
As a retired Army Scout type, everywhere people pay the big bucks to visit, we get to get paid to be there. Everywhere, Germany, Norh Caroline, Georgia, California and Hawaii, there are those who cannot wait to lever. I loved each location and played with assignments to get to those touristy places. Of course wherever we live, the day to day paying bills, get groceries, maintain the house, maintain the vehicles, going to work versus visiting with no worries is a big difference.
We spent June and July in Alaska and had great weather! We were in Valdez when we ran into you guys and loved it there also! Agree about the roads and mosquitoes. We must of been lucky with the wildlife! Tons of bears, moose, bison, elk on the Alaskan Highway. Reindeer herd on the way back from Chicken. Moose on the Dalton Highway, Lynx on the McCarthy highway! Gas wasn’t as expensive as I thought it would be if you were near towns. We also did a Halibut charter and an all day sea life boat cruise.We only had only one thing break on our 5th wheel. We loved it so much we’re planning to go back in ‘’26 also from from Florida.
Coming from Florida, my version is "With the exception of truly violent weather, there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing". That said, I often travelnurse in the Pacific Northwest and I can always dress warm and dry enough for the WA winters, but I can't undress enough for the Florida summer heat. Even if I do, folks look at me weird and sometimes they call the cops
1999 we towed our travel trailer from VT across the TransCanada to Alcan, drove about everywhere we could in Alaska except up to Arctic Circle, back down Cassiar to Vancouver and into Washington and Oregon and then back across the northern tier of states. 14,000 miles in 2 1/2 months trip of a lifetime and total costs then for everything just under $3,000!
I loved your entire series of videos of your Alaska summer. I follow Roaming Reckless and Truck House Life on UA-cam and have seen a lot of Alaska in the winter.....following you folks and Open Roading has given me the summer Alaska experience. I now feel like I've seen all of Alaska without leaving my home 😅. Thank you for your honest presentation of the costs involved and realistic expectations on RV travel through Alaska and Canada, which you didn't touch on, but I feel was pretty similar. So thank you!
I moved to AK in 64 then moved to the states in 85. I've driven the Alcan 12 times and that road is better than the roads on the east coast. We spent the month of August in AK this year and we didn't see much in animals like we did in the 60s to 80s. I did enjoyed your videos.
You should take a cruise now to see all the places that were not available via the roads. I was able to do so back in 2016 Rv trip and 2017 cruise from Seattle to Alaska one way and flew back to Orlando. Both trips wonderful and different
Love watching you guys. I dream of RVing to Alaska someday. Appreciate your honesty and being yourselves. Keep up the adventures. I live vicariously through this channel😀
Went on a 7 day cruise to Alaska and 3 day land tour the last week of July-first week of August 8 years ago. Weather was perfect-not one rainy day! We loved our time there--gorgeous scenery, but so many other places to see and things to do now that we are retired and semi living in our motor home. Just can't do full time and give up our home! Thanks for the memories of our time there--halibut fishing was great-sent home 92 lbs! Can't wait to see your next travels
I think that has been a common issue over the years with the typical RV as in a slide in camper or trailer ( hopefully they wire a motorhome better but no guarantee of that either ), the wiring is way too light for the distance the low voltage current has to travel for one thing. Then these newer so called smart alternators that some vehicles have are even more useless from what I gather but in either case the vehicles alternator is designed to charge the starter battery"s", but not some other battery with piddly wire routed to it. So I have seen some RVers with videos of installing a DC to DC charge system with heavy copper cable from the alternator back to near where the house batteries are, then that heavy wire is connected to that DC-DC charge unit which in turn is attached to the house batteries near by. That DC to DC charge unit takes the voltage and boosts it to a proper charge level and in so doing that takes away some of the amperage being fed to it but with a high capacity alternator or a secondary alternator like some pickups can be ordered with, its possible with todays equipment to feed some pretty good amps into the house batteries unlike the aforementioned small wire sending power through the typical 7 pin RV plug which may be more useless than the smallest of typical 120 volt trickle chargers to charge anything. So I imagine their truck/trailer is rigged up to charge the trailers batteries but their battery bank is so large and if the typical wiring is being used and no DC to DC charger, its all but almost useless.
My wife and I drove to Alaska in 2016. We left MN in early June and returned late August. We decided to drive up the Cassiar Highway and returned on the Alcan. Like you, Valdez was our favorite location. Many have asked us if we would do it again and my response is similar to yours. If touring Alaska is your only goal just fly up there and rent a Class C. That said we took our time and enjoyed Canada also. Doing that makes the drive more worthwhile. Thanks for the great series!
Now. I would definitely move to Alaska. In a heartbeat. But I agree. I fly in. The drive is hard. Fly in, rent a van, tour around, then go home. Or stay. ❤
I was stationed at Ft Richardson, Alaska for 2 years while I was in the Army, driving 1 ton through 10 ton tow trucks. (So, I saw a lot more of Alaska than I had expected.) The first year, it took some adjusting. Both with the long days (arrived in early July), then the long nights in the winter. By the time my tour of duty was over, I was ready to become a citizen of Alaska, and live up there full-time. At the time, they had a program going where, if you had citizenship in Alaska for 6 months to a year, you could buy a 'large' plot of land (I 'think' around a hundred acres) for something like 2 to 5 dollars per acre... as long as you invested $500 per year into making improvements. To "really" appreciate Alaska, you need to live there for a year, just to experience all the richness of the state. The odd feeling of 'days' where, if you didn't go outside for lunch, you could wind up going "weeks" without ever seeing the sun. Not to mention the Northern Lights in the winter. Then the spring when the snow "finally" starts melting, and you finally see actual 'grass' for the first time after six months of snow just piling up, week after week until the snow was as deep as your knees or thighs, unless you were on well traveled paths, or frequently cleared sidewalks. And then, finally, summer when 80 degrees was considered a heatwave, and things turned SO GREEN... well, you saw what 'that' was like. Oh, I forgot to mention what it was like after a fog had rolled in (winter) before the sun came out to burn it off, leaving delicate Chrystal structures, surrounding the tiniest of branches on trees, turning the landscape into a winter wonder land that 'felt' like fairies had sprinkled their fairy dust all over the place. That was "truly" magical. I had 'soo' many 'wonderful' experiences while I was up there, that I can't list them all here, but living there, you would be able to experience all the things you had expected, and MORE. But... that is 'quite' a commitment, and I most definitely NOT recommend you try it in an RV. It was 'such a joy' to see it again through your trip, that it almost felt like being there. So, THANK YOU for sharing your experience with us.
My comment on solar for my wife and I we have experienced in the Smoky Mountain National park has been great. We have on our 30' Campfire Sprinter all Victron equipment with 1,900 watts of solar, 600 amp hours of lithium batteries. 16 days solid dry camping in one spot. No genartor first 3 days great. However the next 13 days we pulled our Generator out about every other morning. We can go almost 5 days to about 25, to 35% battery capacity. We just topped off ever 2nd morning running gen about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Now we ran freg on propane and water heater when we needed it. We do have a OGO Toilet with 35 gallons black for urine. 70 gray and 75 gallons fresh water tank. We've gone a total of 18 days before needing water before. But hauled maybe 12 gallons of gray water in buckets to restroom to dump during that time. Between us both we can go roughly 28 to 30 days before having to dump our black tank. We showered every other day using our waterpix shower head at 0.2 gallons per minute with plenty of water force to shower, 5 minute shower is 1 gallon. ...just our experience other people will vary.
That's very interesting about your shower head as my brother has talked about how much water he uses by himself for just a few days in his slide in truck camper and I think a lot of it is from taking showers. How does it have good water force with such little water volume as typically the RV water pump is weak on building pressure.
@@charlesb4267well it does, I was surprised too. I looked on Amazon and thru local stores. Found this waterpik for about 22 dollars at Walmart. It stated 0.2 gallons per minute on eco mode. In short here's what I did, on a empty tank with valve open outside and a 5 gallon bucket pre marked for volume set under gray waste opening. I took a normal shower with timer counting. Let gray drain till it stopped and measured. 5 minutes 1 gallon. I did this 3 times at different times per shower. Now the same waterpik as all models doesn't show the 0.2/min. on box with eco mode anymore. ? ....I bought 2 to use one in house because I like the other modes over many expensive brands. The one called oxi something uses way to much water dry camping. ....I might mention I save the cold water coming out of shower till it starts to warm up witch is about 2 liters. Use it dishwashing, water for pets etc. .....and yes it sprays a stream about 2" dia. circle to shower. Beware showering in soft water cause it's hard to know when all soap is removed on your body. Lol
@@jeff67mustang Well you certainly tested it to make sure they were not pulling your leg with the .2 gallons a minute. So the question is I wonder if they changed the unit and got rid of the eco mode, thinking no one was using it, hard to say unless one bought a current one and tested it as well. I can see where such a low volume water use would be a struggle with any volume of soap with soft water. Would have to be very careful with how much one dispensed onto yourself LOL.
Hubby and I grew up on the east coast of Florida and will be moving to Kenai, Alaska in 2025. I do ministry and missions there and Nome. Love, love, love it!!!
Wonderful video. We went to Alaska in 2017 in our truck camper. And yes, you are correct, it was easier to find Boondocking with a small rig. But I’m sure happy you had a wonderful time and we loved following you along Open Roading. Safe travels.
One recommendation I would give if you are still on 12v, setup a 4awg wire from your truck to the rv for power and ground, then install a DC/DC charger. with my previous setup I ran dual 50A DC/DC chargers and could run 1200w off of the HD alternator on my Cummins Ram. In regards to the travel time. My family travels around 20k a year in the 3 weeks + long weekends I have from work. The wear and tear on the rv is a good point. we have went through our second set of tires in 3 years due to miles more than age. suspension and everything is getting renovated since ours is a 2008. Many people do not realize how "cheaply made" rv's are. Lastly, in regards to solar. Its really depends on how your setup is. Ever since I switched to 48v, I get much better solar collection but I also wired my panels so they are 190v with 10 in series and two sets in parallel currently. Running parallel only is nice for partial coverage but not great for limited light since they do not reach a functional voltage for the MPPT system quick enough. our MPPT system requires 120V before the chargers start but we hit that basically as soon as the sun crests the horizon (when in a clear sky with minimal trees). On our next setup we will be changing to higher speed Victron MPPT's and splitting them to individual strings. I have noticed in the east that we need a lot of solar to be able to run the HVAC due to dehumidification, so it is a great test for rest of America. we previously had 800AH of 12v, but changed to 200AH of 48v and we are able to run our inverter systems much more efficient. The only drawback is we no longer have that capability of 1200w from the truck right now, i'm working on a fix but don't currently have one.
This 2024 has been the top 2 most rainy ever. I live in anchorage. We almost got 3 inches in 24 hours beginning of September glad y’all enjoyed your visit The 1990’s and the 2000’s it used to be sunny from mid April to mid Sept, but then about 17’ noticed it started getting windy at end of May June then started raining early and earlier in September then into august. In 23’ summer we only had 13 days of sunshine. Think only reached 70’ 0 times 60’s 16 times. It sucked i umpireLL, Highschool and legion here in anchorage. So remember almost every summer lol. Plus played softball. Anyways.
Love following your journeys, we are full time on the road also. We went to Alaska last summer for 3 months and what your reporting for your spending is spot on! Also in agreement with your ten items. We spent a lot of camping in the large pullouts, camping in a campground about once a week. Looking forward to seeing more of your adventures. God bless and may his hand of protection cover your journeys.
As an Alaska resident I will say that there are tons of boondocking spots throughout the state but most aren’t on the apps I use either. I’ve found them through making friends and talking to longtime residents / natives.
So enjoyed this week’s episode! But, wanted to express our concern for you & your loved ones in North Florida. Hope you’re safe & your hometowns are as intact as they can be. Best wishes for you & your families♥️
I totally agree with you. We went to Alaska in 2023 and our experience was quite similar. We did not do any high cost expeditions because I hate to reserve ahead of time and the one expedition that I wanted was sold out. We stayed at the same campground in Homer as you did and got to see otters and many sea birds from the beach. We've seen many whales over our travels but did miss out on the glacier calving. You are bang on for the wildlife viewing. We loved Steward/Hyder and so glad we didn't skip that part of the trip.
Alaska is hit-and-miss on weather and wildlife. This year was wet because of El Niño. I live in Alaska, I love it here. It is a big state with few roads and lots of tourists. I live off-grid in the bush and the wildlife is hit-and-miss for me.
I wonder if y’all just caught a really wet summer. A couple of years ago it was pretty dry and they had several big fires. I think sometimes it’s the luck of the draw. I still enjoyed watching y’all and we still plan on going at least once.
It varies. Summer 2023 it rained most of the summer. Even our garden and greenhouse didn’t get much sun. Summer 2022 it was hot and dry till the end of July and then it rained almost everyday till it changed to snow. I’ve lived in south central 45 years and have traveled to many places in Alaska for different companies.
Loved watching you guys as well as Open Roading....I've been subscribed to both of you for a while now. The Alaska trip was AWESOME. THANKS for taking us along.
I’m a lifelong Alaskan and this is pretty accurate! We live near Hatcher Pass and hike there all summer & ski there in the winter. I hike in Palmer all winter too. We love it & I’ve survived over 50 winters here so far! 😂 I’m glad you went to Dawson City. I went there a lot as a child- my dad loved it there so we would RV there often in the summer. It’s a magical place for me. If you were here last July- it was rainier than usual- sorry it wasn’t better weather, but yes, even in the summertime we have sunless days.
I lived in Valdez Alaska for 4 years and I loved that place. I could tell you stories for days about that place. I lived there during the Valdez oil spill. Going during your time is when a lot of tourists go but you missed so much.
I never thought i would like to visit Alaska, but my husband always wanted to. However, after watching so many videos, I think I would definitely do it.
excellent trip summary. Very fair and very fun. Bottom line is the chance to RV travel anywhere on this beautiful continent is so much fun. Every area has its challenges, and its beauty. We need to roll with the punches as we go along (as you guys did so well).... continued safe travels...
I’m Alaskan and we owned a couple of RVs over about 4 years. I hated the wear and tear. The maintenance and repairs stressed me out! Over that several years we found our favorite area then bought a cabin there and sold the RV. I don’t miss the RV at all as a resident!
To have the best Alaska trip, go with no itinerary and zero need for internet. Keep your dates open-ended. We made all kinds of reservations. Early in our trip we realized weather was not cooperating with our itinerary. We wound up cancelling all but three nights of campground reservations. We then followed the weather. Did we backtrack? Absolutely. Was it worth the extra gasoline? Absolutely! We just didn't want to spend our once-in-a-lifetime trip stepping in puddles or cooped up in our RV. We did the trip in a campervan. It was, in our opinion, the best vehicle for such a trip. Do we plan to go back? Lord willing, yes!!
I lived in Alaska from 1975 until 2002 and my wife and I have visited dozens of times since 2002. We love it and have many great experiences meeting people, seeing wildlife, going on hikes, eating the best fresh salmon and checking out hot springs. We don’t drive a big rig nor tow a big trailer. We have a four wheel drive pickup with a lightweight four season camper. We do dress for weather extremes. We’ve visited Alaska in Winter, Spring, Late Summer and Fall when tourism is waaaay down as well as biting bugs. Alaska is a big state covering four time zones. If you picked up Alaska and put it over the Lower 48, Alaska would stretch from Florida to California! The Tongass National Forest is the largest temperate rainforest on the planet. That’s in Southeast Alaska, a beautiful place y’all missed. It’s best to see aboard the Alaska Marine Highway System (ferries) or flying and then taking the ferries to see many of the ports. You’re right about one thing towing a big gas guzzler all the way from the east coast is insane. Better to fly to Alaska and rent an RV. After watching a video of y’all in Alaska, it looked to us like you had a great time. We then watched this video where the woman seemed to recall the fun and good times, but the man seemed to have no recollection of anything positive. If you want to see bears either go early in the Spring, April/May when they’re everywhere along the roads eating their favorite springtime delicacy, dandelions! When the salmon are running in the creeks and rivers would be another great place to view bears, like at Anan Bear Observatory near Wrangell or Pack Creek on Admiralty Island nearer Juneau. Also going in late August/September is a much better time to see the aurora/northern lights. We think you need to plan more and go again.
Great video! We watched your travels. We lived in Wasilla for 11 years. Sold the house at the end of June and stayed in Palmer at the Springer RV Park. Great place to stay as long as you don't mind airplanes taking off. Great people but very hard to get a site. We were blessed. Retired on Aug. 1st and left on the 2nd. Took the same route you did but arrived in Chicken on Friday night. Crossed into Canada over the weekend and had no traffic or Constuction workers working until we were past all of it. No mud either. The 8 dollars a gallon for diesel was the worst in Canada plus the fires in Jasper. Great trip back to the lower 48.
Really enjoy watching you guys each week and appreciate you sharing your adventures! Right now, I’m particularly grateful for your work with Samaritans Purse! We are very close to the area. While our area was hit hard from Helene, we didn’t suffer that level of devastation. Thank you for serving. Stay safe!
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I drove to Alaska three times, 2015, 2019, and 2022. Half of the experience is the drive up to Alaska from Florida. There is plenty to see and do. If you have the time, drive. On a cruise you are on someone else's schedule. Driving up you can make your own schedule and adjust it if desired. If you drive there is much more planning and preparation to do, but for me it was worth it.
As one who visited Alaska 22 years ago and now have lived here for over 16 years I can say I love it. Winters the most. Mostly because all the RVs are gone. We love the income tourists bring into the state, but not the traffic. We live and work right right near the Matanuska Glacier. I feel like your description was on point. Alaska has opportunities that no other place has to offer. The highway is rough, and long. RV rental is the way to go.
Lived at the edge of Anchorage for years: the view out my dining room window: bears, wolves, moose, fox, Lynx, eagles, cranes, ducks, geese, porcupine.
I was born in Spenard Alaska in 1958. Lived in anchorage and palmer growing up. Mat valley all my adult life. This is a very accurate description of what to expect. Thank you
With a rig like the one you used (big pickup with big 5th wheel) , the limitations you encountered with boondocking are almost by design. Most interresting areas are accessible either by minivan, van, truck camper, or small trailers.
As a Canadian living in south western British Columbia, I just wanted to say, even before watching this video, I've travelled (driven) to Alaska twice, and absolutely loved it both times. Yes, some things don't work out perfectly, but we had absolutely no breakdowns on either trip, and the very first trip was 30 years ago, where we went up the Dempster Highway to Inuvik, looking for the Arctic Ocean. The wildlife was immense back then, the scenery absolutely gorgeous, and the fishing was phenomenal. Now...as the years pass, I'm a senior now, and can't wait to go again! To add to your list, boon docking - we had a truck (F450 and Arctic Fox slide in camper) so we could easily fit in many of the spots you couldn't of course, as I remember driving down a short road to a small river, where we camped right alongside the river where it was super peaceful, with beautiful scenery. We didn't find it on a map, we just where driving along, and happened to see a road heading toward the river and decided to take it...and it worked out beautifully!
Two years ago my wife and I flew to Homer and spent two weeks. Everyday for the past two years my wife has told me what the temperature is in Homer. She would move there today. And though I thought the summer was great. I'm not so sure about spending the winter there. I should add that currently my wife is in the back of the motorhome with the AC running watching tv, and I'm up front with the heater on my feet watching UA-cam videos. So she is much more excited about Alaska than I am.
The phrase goes: “there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing”😊
Also, 'There are no stupid comments, only stupid people'
As a Scout leader I use to tell the boys that all the time
I grew up in Alaska and moved to Florida when I was 22 years old, I have now come back to Alaska to care for my 93 year old dad.
There are two types of people who live in Alaska, those who will never leave and those who can’t wait to leave.
Alaska is a great place to visit but personally I wouldn’t trade Florida for anything in the world, just my dad.
I dream of St. Augustine every chance I get until I go home again.
Peace ✌️
Your a great son!!
I can’t wait to leave lol
I’m trading in nine months of winter for nine months of summer instead very soon.
Odd because I spent 35 years in Florida, and came to Alaska in 2017. And I wouldn’t go back to Florida for 10 million dollars. I still own a home there but it’s nothing like what it used to be
My house was in Palm Coast, between Daytona and Jacksonville.
I was ten minutes away from Princess Place Preserve, some of the greatest fishing in North Florida and I was there every chance I could get.
Between that and the Beaches not to mention St. Augustine it’s heaven to me. Location Location.
I just drove across Alaska this week and the roads, attractions and prime camping spots were totally empty. Not a soul in sight. There was nobody. Not a single RV on the road. You should totally drive back and try it again. No rain. It won’t rain again for the next 4 months. No bugs either.
We too were in Alaska last summer. Trip of a lifetime for sure. Loved Chicken, Alaska. Stayed at Chicken Gold Camp and heard the Cannon go off one night at the bar. Highlights were the bus ride into Denali, where we saw the Denali big five wildlife. From Fairbanks we flew across the Article Circle to Coldfoot with Artic Air Adventures. They took us to talk with an Off-gridder to learn about how he lives and survives. Yes we would do it again.
I’m glad you all went to Alaska, that’s where I’m from. But……. You all talked only about your excursions and what you did in Alaska from Florida, but never gave enough praise to Canada and making that part of your trip to and the fun and not so fun parts of that. To me, it’s not about how fast you can make the trip, to me it’s about what you do ALONG the trip. If your full timing like the wife and I are, you really have to consider the maintaining of your Rv anyway. Life is an adventure. Loved the video….. keep it up
Buck and Donna
I drove from KY to Alaska three times. The first time was in 1976 when the Alcan Highway had 900 miles of gravel. That was a REAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE, especially since I did not have air conditioning and was in lots of DUST with the windows partially open! I was in a 1973 VW Beetle and had six flat tires, one broken windshield and a few other incidents along the way. The next times were in 2007 and 2008 when the roads were vastly improved. I saw lots of wildlife on all three trips. My tip for travelers wanting to see lots of wildlife is to get on the road by 5AM. The wildlife viewing declines somewhat by 7AM, in my experiences. Good luck!
HEY! Y'all have no idea how much I appreciate the realistic and practical info you've shared in this video. I am planning to retire in a couple of years, and traveling to Alaska is on my bucket list.
We made the trip up in the summer of '23 and really enjoyed it. Our route was almost identical to yours but we started in Fairbanks and went backwards. We have good friends who live in Anchorage so that was our base. We probably boondocked in their driveway for 3 weeks or so. My friend and his wife are both pilots so we paid rental on a 172 and they flew us to Danali for about $600. Pretty sweet deal for a personal pilot. My next favorite excursion was a boat trip out of Homer for a day of bear watching in Chinitna Bay for about $1200. We pulled a 31' Reflection 5th wheel and our camping experiences were very similar to yours. We pulled slow and careful and still broke two axle spring hangers off of the frame so we had a simple welding repair in Calgary on the way home. It was a great experience and I told my wife if gas was $1.00/gal we would go back! I still have one small chip in my pickup windshield as a souvenir. As far as wildlife goes, you will see more moose in town in Anchorage than anyplace else you will go.
You guys and Open Roading were my trip to Alaska. I really enjoyed it. Thank you.
This was a great follow-up video. Thank you for being candid and transparent. Please don’t worry about stepping on a bunch of softies toes. We can all have our own opinions and respect those with different. Looking forward to your future endeavors.
Watching your videos makes me want to go back to Alaska. I am 75 now and hope to get back there next year, God willing! I am resourceful and frugal (some people say cheap). My last two trips I "car camped" in my Honda Civic. Some places, like in Deadhorse and Inuvik, this was more a necessity than a choice. In 2007 and 2008 I was lucky enough to take sightseeing flights over Denali National Park with Ray Atkins Outfitting in Cantwell. Ray was very personal, experienced, and reasonably priced. He was a great pilot and also a hunting guide. I would HIGHLY recommend contacting him to see if he is still operating his business because he must be in his 70s and could have retired by now.
I'm also a Floridian & I've visited Alaska 5 times. The last time was the longest cruise (10 nights) this past July. All but one of the visits were by cruise. Although one of the cruises was coupled with a land tour (1 week cruise & 1 week land tour). If any of you do a cruise + land tour I strongly recommend you opt for the land tour to be 1st followed by the cruise. Princess cruises does them both. The reason to do the cruise last is because the land tour is exhausting. I wish we had the cruise afterwards so that we could relax before heading back home. The one visit that was not a cruise was a self-guided tour around the Anchorage area. We rented an Air BNB house, rented a car, & did our own touring & sightseeing. We loved that because we got to see an area of Alaska that you don't get to see on the cruises or even on the land tour we went on. I have a travel trailer too as you do but a much smaller one (a Casita Liberty Deluxe) but I don't think I would want to go from Florida to there & back with that. I imagine it being too much work plus too much wear & tear on both my camper as well as my truck. My camper is basically for camping around Florida where I live. (I'm hoping it as well as my home survives hurricane Milton that seems to be headed straight towards us. Say a prayer for our state!)
At 71 years of age I will never visit Alaska. Seeing what you accomplished was very inspiring. I have experienced Alaska because of you two. Keep doing what you’re doing. 😊
We live in North Pole Alaska! I have been here 23 yrs! We make videos about living here, love your videos. There isn’t a lot of people that live here, you were definitely here in tourist season. we go to Valdez every year and it’s our favorite place. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ if you lived here, there is a lot of free places to camp. I have only seen 1 bear living here and it was in Valdez. Moose are very common in our yard. Living here is totally different from visiting. It’s hard to live here , but it makes you strong! but it’s worth it🎅🏼🎅🏼🎅🏼North Pole & Fairbanks are interior & we typically don’t get much rain & we have the hottest summers. Alaska has no mercy, it will chew you up & spit you out, only the strong survive 😂
Aww yay!! First off, it really makes me happy that as an Alaskan you’ve enjoyed our videos ❤️ North Pole was so cute! I still cannot fathom living there lol. I would love to visit in the winter sometime (for a short time lol) because I bet it is like a whole other world. And we would definitely enjoy the fewer crowds! Thanks for watching!
@@wildrvlifeI love your videos, if you come back again get ahold of me and we can take you up the rivers for free & to some great places. We would love to show you around ♥️I wish I found your channel sooner
@@wildrvlifeif you know of Maria with UA-cam Roaming Reckless, watch her 6 months of winter in Alaska videos. Amazing experience of Alaska in the winter, living in her Land Rover......
very well said ...
I couldn’t agree more. The I live in Two Rivers, just east of Fairbanks and North Pole. Living here has nothing to do with visiting. Before I moved here 10 years ago I visited for 18 years. Living here is a totally different story. It is an adventure and the only place I can imagine to stay. Come in the winter. It is a different world. It is beautiful. Ditch Anchorage (it is close to Alaska, though) and experience the Interior. Meet locals. The people here are extremely friendly and will show you what they love about our beautiful state.
This was your experience and this is how you felt about it. You can ask 21 travelers who when to Alaska and you will get 21 different experiences. Glad you enjoyed it. Loved following your adventures.
I drove to Alaska from NC right after college graduation. I saw TONS of wildlife. Herds of caribou crossing the road. Moose everywhere, even downtown Anchorage. Brown bears, black bears, bald eagles, seals, walrus, orkas, black and white porpoises, elk, mountain goats, etc. And this was just driving around on my own, no paid excursions. The boat trip I worked on the boat. It was definitely my best trip ever.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU BOTH FOR HELPING WITH HELENE WITH SAMARITANS PURSE LOVE YOU
All that effort and you saw only a fraction of Alaska! That’s just mind blowing. I like your honestly and straightforwardness about your experience. I’m done a lot of things l wouldn’t do again but enjoyed most aspects of it and am glad l did those things. Just because something isn’t perfect doesn’t make it bad.
I’ve been debating about going to Alaska for a trip and working part time to help defray costs. I’m impressed you spent less than $5k in gas considering you drove from Florida.
I live in Colorado so l don’t know if l would be as blown away by the scenery, wildlife, attractions as many are because we have a lot of that here where l live.
I have a 20 year old Jeep Wrangler and tow a small 5x8 off road/off grid trailer and have no interest in camping in FHU campgrounds. Boondocking is what l would want to do.
The main concerns l have aside from cost is:
The weather. I hate rainy, grey, damp weather.
The crowds: l hate crowds. Seems a lot of people go there in the summer and with the limited road network they get funneled into common areas.
3. The insects. I hate mosquitoes. Fortunately l find this the least objectionable of the things that concern me.
4. The distance and wear and tear on my vehicles. A 20 year old Jeep always needs something and spending money on preventive maintenance, an extra spare and perhaps a gas generator all add to the cost.
I’m inclined to go at some point. I would probably want to get there at the end of May to avoid the rainy season as much as possible.
Great video. We've gone 2x now, drove both times in 2022 and this year 2024 from OR early May ...over 100 days each trip. We did Alcan and Cassier hwys both trips. We are the types where the journey is the destination. We love the driving part most actually and stays along the way. We think Canada has way more wildlife and actually more scenic perhaps. We didn't do any tours either trip. We ate out once on 2nd trip but enjoyed fresh salmon daily as we caught/came home with 40+ Sockeye from fishing on the peninsula. We paid for full hookups maybe twice... 2022 was in 1 ton diesel pickup and Airstream....this year we went in 39' Super C motorhome and Jeep. Already thinking about when we want to go again. Everyone is different... We've also wintered in FL 3x now and can't figure out why so many people love it so which lol when there is no much inclimate weather that erases communities what seems like yearly. Different strokes for different folks. Great video and enjoy your content. We are approaching our 9th year of FT RVing. Cheers. @WingingIt.Fulltime
Just gave you a follow on IG. I dream of an Alaska trip, but that includes the Canada part. I don't see us racing up through Canada and racing back down. Agree, different things for different people. I appreciate your comment.
Expectations !
Some people develop the “big picture “ in their mind, how things SHOULD be. I would never take a rig the size of a small house, with all the modern fixings on a trip and complain that I was lied to because my experience wasn’t like what someone else experienced. I don’t do tours, I don’t expect to pay for an excursion and experience anything more or less that what I saw, the world is a fluid place, that bear that ran through that meadow yesterday might not be there today. When I fish the enjoyment is the act of fishing, catching a fish is just a bonus.
It’s a Disney Land world , everyone thinks they are guaranteed something special just because they bought an “E” ticket. If i wanted the picture perfect experience I would just stay home and watch a travel blog on the TV.
@@jlr3636.. am not fan of houses on wheels either and don’t consider parking in a big lot 10 feet away from your neighbor “camping.” Keep it simple and small is my motto.
Love how upbeat, yet chill you both are. Very genuine and fun! Thank you for taking us to Alaska. 🥰
We did our Alaska trip in an 18wheeler many years ago. Drove up Alcan to Tok to Anchorage, delivered then waited 2 weeks to move a park ranger to AZ. Great trip. Put the tractor in an RV park in Wasilla and rented a car. Incredible trip. Do it again in a 5th wheel? Probably not. Only if we had another couple or 2 go with us. More fun, more safety in case of emergencies / mechanical junk. Correct - Timing is everything and bring money.
My RV trips to Alaska are done vicariously through other RV'ers on UA-cam. I have been to Alaska three times, once via a cruise and then twice I flew in. I enjoyed them all and find Alaska a very exciting place to go. My problem is I am a full time working slob who lives in NC so the time it takes to get to, and back from Alaska, would consume most of my vacation time, so Alaska as an RV trip is not plausible. So, I really enjoyed your trip to Alaska and thank you for taking us all along.
On a side note, I moved to NC to be with family and friends and enjoy the mountains I enjoy so much. Hurricane Helene has brought a stark reality to how quickly all this can be disrupted and turned upside down. I am on the fringe of the devastation area, but family and friends are smack in the middle of that. The REALLY sad thing is that ALL of us are X-Floridians who have all endured Hurricanes first hand...and none of us were prepared for what happened in Western North Carolina. Closest thing for me was Hurricane Andrew in the level of complete destruction...be Andrew was devastating but for a much smaller area....Helene's damage is massive and far reaching...from Florida to WNC......
We went to Alaska for our honeymoon 22 years ago. We did a 2 week cruise and land tour. Even flying in, it was a long flight and it was beautiful and we did a lot of cool things but... I would not go back. We panned for gold too, on an excursion and got enough flakes to put in a little glass thing for a necklace. Oh I found the native totem pole making place super interesting. Same for Hawaii. Long flight, we were there for three weeks and island hopped to see everything. It was beautiful and expensive. We stayed with a cousin who was in the military there so we were rent free while on Oahu... still expensive. Anyway, go if you can. We rode a submarine and a helicopter over the Volcano on the big island before it erupted but it was cool to see down inside and see the molten lava. We did a luau and all the museums. We truly enjoyed but I wouldn't fly back. Love your videos! You are real people! Thank you for helping in North Carolina! You are good people. Safe travels!
i always use my generator every day that I'm on the road with no problems , it is a 4500I Cummins remote start , love it along with my Starlink
I really enjoyed following your adventure. Thanks for bringing us along!
Lived in Alaska for 8 years & I absolutely MISS IT! Loving life in Oklahoma, we farm & ranch here. But, if I ever had the chance to go back, I would in a heartbeat. So many great memories.
Thank you for sharing y’alls adventures with us
After watching so many UA-camrs going to Alaska and wear and tear on the RV we decided to go on a cruise to Alaska. We probably won’t see as much as you did, but we will see. Thank you for sharing your trip and congratulations to the 50k. You deserve it ❤️🎊🎉🍾
I have taken 2 cruises to Alaska and it was beautiful! Take a cruise that goes to Glacier Bay National Park. AMAZING!
We drove over 11,000 miles in 2015 making our first trip to Alaska. In 2023 we went back and this time took the ferry from Bellingham to Haines which cut our driving to 6,400 miles. The trip thru Canada was great, but we felt one time was enough. It is an amazing state and probably will go again. The best part for us was getting away from the crowds and talking with the locals. The flag train out of Talkeetna was a perfect time to meet and talk with folks that lived off the grid. We saw lots of wildlife both trips. Can't imagine taking a large rig like yours. We have a 14 ft Lance and could go places the big rigs couldn't go. Loved the videos and it brought back some good memories. Thanks!
Yep! In many cases less is more. I have an off road teardrop and can go almost anywhere and while it’s not as comfortable it’s definitely more versatile
We went to Alaska in 19. The roads were far better than expected. In over 9000 miles we never had one flat tire or any mechanical issue whatsoever. We enjoyed your videos and they gave us more ideas for our next Alaska trip in 26.
Great review! I think you guys hit the nail on the head. Fly here & rent an RV for places you want to have an RV, and just use a rental car & hotels or BnB's, and do day trips/excursions.
If you're a Van living type person, that's the way to go. You can reach so many more places in a smaller vehicle.
I agree with most of what you said, if I were driving up here and being in a big rig. The only thing I disagree with is the Anchorage stuff. I'm biased toward Anchorage, because I grew up there when it was a great place to live, and now it's a hell hole imo. You are right though, you have to drive through it a lot so may as well gas & dump and grocery shop. And then flee lol. No staying in creepy Cabella's/Walmart parking lots 😂.
If you ever decide you want to come back, just fly and rent a vehicle. I suggest May 15 - July 1 for the best sunny days & July - September for the least snow in the mountains. September is the best month for hiking. It's usually sunny (not the last couple years), and 50 degrees. Perfect hiking temperatures & sunny scenery.
Tourist season is May 15 - September 15. The out of the way places start closing between Sept 15 - 30.
Valdez is my favorite place to go, but we always boondock in the pass and drive to town on day trips. I'm with you guys, Valdez is an unforgettable vacation. Love it there!
Now that I've written a book... thanks for the rundown. I hope lots of people see this video, because you kept it real. A LOT can happen driving/towing an RV around Alaska. It can be rough, but it's a once in a lifetime trip! You either love it so much you move up here, or you have memories for life. Those that come back, usually come by air. You guys fully get that logic.
Totally enjoyed the Alaska videos and the review. Can't wait to see what's next, hope your sister is doing well ❤
We've been four times since 2018 with our 30' Airstream trailer. Every trip was different but loved Alaska, costal BC and Rockies, Yukon, all the same. The smaller and more off-grid capable you are, the easier things will be. The roads vary from year to year and from month to month. Denali Highway was horrible one year but the Dalton decent. The next year, it was reversed. Take as much time as you can, go slow, be flexible, be prepared and you should be fine.
Thank you for your honest assessment as most people are not. I like to vicariously look at things and you sharing Alaska with us means I just experienced it. Much appreciated
I'm so glad that I was able to watch your trip! You showed the reality you experienced. I think your wrap up was extremely helpful! Thank you for sharing your trip with us!!
My son and I spent the summer in Denali / Glitter Gulch area working for some hotels. I think you nailed the list of ten . , Great video. I loved my experience there and I committed to a second year of work starting next April. I found everyone i met to be incredibly nice and adventurous. I found a second family up there. I did well financially but as you said expect you wallet to come out often and the money to fly away fast. Solidly 30-40% more expensive outside of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Wasilla
Good info here. I didn't know about July,&August as rainy. I think i'd take a large Van onto the ferry from Seattle to Alaska.
My wife was born in Alaska and neither of us have any desire to go there, but the videos were awesome. Thank you for your time.
While this video is a week behind. For sure praying for you as you both serve with BGEA & Samaritans Purse. Thanks for setting an example and serving those in need during a difficult time.
We loved following your journey through Alaska. Very impressed with your skills doing repairs. Thank you for documenting your travels.
Pacific salmon species spawn at different times. The order is generally as follows: Sockeye, Pink, Chinook, Coho, and Chum. Not all rivers have all species present. The two weeks you refer to are merely the times between species. Once a pacific salmon enters the river to spawn, they do not leave. After spawning, they remain until they die which only is measured in days, not weeks. Salmon return to the same location where they hatched. Even hatchery raised salmon return to the part of the creek or river where they were released as smolts as they can somehow imprint to the location. Atlantic salmon on the other hand can and do return to the ocean after spawning.
Here in BC, I know of rivers that have 4 species and there are up to two species present at certain times of the fall. In Alaska, spawning starts earlier, but in all cases, salmon do not enter the rivers until they are ripe and there has been sufficient rainfall. Otherwise they pool at the river mouths and wait for rain.
I also just returned from a 3-1/2 month trip to Alaska from Florida in mid September and I have to generally agree with just about everything in this video. 15K miles total.
Very informative thanks. I'm planning to try RVing for the first time, and do it as a month long trip to Alaska next year. My late dairy farmer uncle started going to Alaska in the early 70s and he did the longggg drive there and back from near Toronto every other year until he died in 2018 in his Class B. He just loved it for some reason, and never got on a plane once in his life (he wintered in Florida). We did a cruise to Alaska this spring but of course that barely scratches the surface.
Enjoyed following your trip. Years ago we flew into Anchorage in early May, rented a car, and stayed in hotels or resort motels before the high season. 1400 miles up to Fairbanks, Denali National Park to way down to Seward. Awesome, 10 days. Best time to go.
We drove to AK in 2016, I bought a used Casita camper for the trip. It weighed only 2500 lbs, one axel and 15” tires. You could park it anywhere, we pulled it a total of 16,847 miles and when we got home we sold it …. I now have a 30ft travel trailer I wouldn’t do a trip like that with it. I’ve already had 3 broken springs with it just from pulling it cross country 7 times. I don’t think it would hold up to well for a trip like that. Maybe I would if I were younger like you guys…. Watching you brought back memories and it looked like y’all had a lot of fun. Keep up the good work.
We lived in Alaska for 27 years. My wife dragged me out of there kicking and screaming so we could be nearer our kids and grandkids who moved to the lower 48 eight years prior. While it's great being near the "FAM", I'll never forget the awesomeness and beauty of Alaska and all it has to offer. But then again, humorously, it's common to hear the phrase... "Alaska is home to only two types of people... "escapists" or "escapees"." In regards to tourists and the congestion they cause in the summer months, the phrase "Welcome to Alaska, now go home." is commonly said in a kidding way.
This video is spot on. I would stress planning at least a minimum of three weeks once you get there. Make reservations well in advance. Wear layered clothing. Don't rely on goretex to keep you dry in heavy rain. Make sure to take a quality set of binoculars. Wildlife viewing is best in late spring or early fall. Have a great trip!!
I watched your and Open Roading's series on Alaska and really enjoyed both. (Actually, I have watched every one of your videos because you are so open, honest, and uplifting.) I have taken two cruises to Alaska and had amazing excursions. We didn't see much wildlife though. I thought I wanted to RV to Alaska but your videos took me there so I'm taking it off my bucket list. As for cruises, I say if you are only going to take one cruise, then cruise Alaska! Keep enjoying your journeys, and know that you are appreciated by many!
My son and I flew to Alaska and rented an RV. It was great. Our trip was super short and we had no idea what we were doing, but we enjoyed every minute. We can’t wait to go again. I totally get the idea to fly and rent.
I drove from Prince Rupert, up the Cassiar Stewart Highway and on to Alkaska via Atlin, Dawson, the Top of the Wortld Highway and such, in 1977. Only three places in Yukon where unleaded gas was available then. Nothing much was paved. But ir was gorgeous.
I am so glad to hear your opinion on Alaska. I too am one of those people who have visited and am now done. It was nice, unique, and an amazing experience. It was not my favorite place, but I am glad to have had the opportunity to spend every moment I had there.
100% this is exactly how we feel as well!
You should try a trip to newfoundland, Canada. Wonderful trip. That is where I'm from, going back this up coming summer. Amazing views, area
Ok, after watching all the videos so far about your trip to alaska and watching Open Roads channel, we are definitely going to Alaska but probably taking the ferry from Seattle, hopefully renting a car and flying around to excursions. I don't wanna risk messing up the axles and alignment on our rigs. Thank you so much for taking us along with you and CONGRATULATIONS on 50k!!!!🎉🎉🎉
If you're not taking your own car, don't waste time on the ferry, fly.
We love you and open road! Living through your experiences! I’m so glad you all went during your younger years and had such amazing experiences!
Thank you for a real life vedio about cost. I'm planning on going, but I'm going in a truck camper. I'm hoping it will be easier.
You will definitely be able to get into some better camping spots than we could!
God bless you and thanks for the info. Have fun and be safe.
Thanks for giving your review of the trip and for taking us along with you. Thanks, too, for giving us your thoughts on your trip. Have been to Alaska 4 or 5 times, however, did not camp or RV. Would go back whenever the opportunity arises. Go with no expectations and with flexibility. You will not be disappointed!
As a retired Army Scout type, everywhere people pay the big bucks to visit, we get to get paid to be there. Everywhere, Germany, Norh Caroline, Georgia, California and Hawaii, there are those who cannot wait to lever. I loved each location and played with assignments to get to those touristy places. Of course wherever we live, the day to day paying bills, get groceries, maintain the house, maintain the vehicles, going to work versus visiting with no worries is a big difference.
We spent June and July in Alaska and had great weather! We were in Valdez when we ran into you guys and loved it there also! Agree about the roads and mosquitoes. We must of been lucky with the wildlife! Tons of bears, moose, bison, elk on the Alaskan Highway. Reindeer herd on the way back from Chicken. Moose on the Dalton Highway, Lynx on the McCarthy highway! Gas wasn’t as expensive as I thought it would be if you were near towns. We also did a Halibut charter and an all day sea life boat cruise.We only had only one thing break on our 5th wheel. We loved it so much we’re planning to go back in ‘’26 also from from Florida.
Coming from Florida, my version is "With the exception of truly violent weather, there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing".
That said, I often travelnurse in the Pacific Northwest and I can always dress warm and dry enough for the WA winters, but I can't undress enough for the Florida summer heat. Even if I do, folks look at me weird and sometimes they call the cops
1999 we towed our travel trailer from VT across the TransCanada to Alcan, drove about everywhere we could in Alaska except up to Arctic Circle, back down Cassiar to Vancouver and into Washington and Oregon and then back across the northern tier of states. 14,000 miles in 2 1/2 months trip of a lifetime and total costs then for everything just under $3,000!
I loved your entire series of videos of your Alaska summer. I follow Roaming Reckless and Truck House Life on UA-cam and have seen a lot of Alaska in the winter.....following you folks and Open Roading has given me the summer Alaska experience. I now feel like I've seen all of Alaska without leaving my home 😅.
Thank you for your honest presentation of the costs involved and realistic expectations on RV travel through Alaska and Canada, which you didn't touch on, but I feel was pretty similar. So thank you!
I moved to AK in 64 then moved to the states in 85. I've driven the Alcan 12 times and that road is better than the roads on the east coast. We spent the month of August in AK this year and we didn't see much in animals like we did in the 60s to 80s. I did enjoyed your videos.
Congrats on 50k subscribers - you are both adding real value and this was a great video!
You should take a cruise now to see all the places that were not available via the roads. I was able to do so back in 2016 Rv trip and 2017 cruise from Seattle to Alaska one way and flew back to Orlando. Both trips wonderful and different
Love watching you guys. I dream of RVing to Alaska someday. Appreciate your honesty and being yourselves. Keep up the adventures. I live vicariously through this channel😀
Thank you so much! It will surely be a trip you never forget with adventure guaranteed
I live in south Florida I lived in the mnts of Pennsylvania there's no way I'd go to Alaska co rainy in the summer 3 mo ths snow all the rest
Went on a 7 day cruise to Alaska and 3 day land tour the last week of July-first week of August 8 years ago. Weather was perfect-not one rainy day! We loved our time there--gorgeous scenery, but so many other places to see and things to do now that we are retired and semi living in our motor home. Just can't do full time and give up our home! Thanks for the memories of our time there--halibut fishing was great-sent home 92 lbs! Can't wait to see your next travels
you need a charge circuit from your truck, that way when ever you drive your batteries are full when you get there.
I think that has been a common issue over the years with the typical RV as in a slide in camper or trailer ( hopefully they wire a motorhome better but no guarantee of that either ), the wiring is way too light for the distance the low voltage current has to travel for one thing. Then these newer so called smart alternators that some vehicles have are even more useless from what I gather but in either case the vehicles alternator is designed to charge the starter battery"s", but not some other battery with piddly wire routed to it. So I have seen some RVers with videos of installing a DC to DC charge system with heavy copper cable from the alternator back to near where the house batteries are, then that heavy wire is connected to that DC-DC charge unit which in turn is attached to the house batteries near by. That DC to DC charge unit takes the voltage and boosts it to a proper charge level and in so doing that takes away some of the amperage being fed to it but with a high capacity alternator or a secondary alternator like some pickups can be ordered with, its possible with todays equipment to feed some pretty good amps into the house batteries unlike the aforementioned small wire sending power through the typical 7 pin RV plug which may be more useless than the smallest of typical 120 volt trickle chargers to charge anything. So I imagine their truck/trailer is rigged up to charge the trailers batteries but their battery bank is so large and if the typical wiring is being used and no DC to DC charger, its all but almost useless.
Vacationed all over, But Alaska is my favorite vacation destination, Cruising this coming may !
My wife and I drove to Alaska in 2016. We left MN in early June and returned late August. We decided to drive up the Cassiar Highway and returned on the Alcan. Like you, Valdez was our favorite location. Many have asked us if we would do it again and my response is similar to yours. If touring Alaska is your only goal just fly up there and rent a Class C. That said we took our time and enjoyed Canada also. Doing that makes the drive more worthwhile. Thanks for the great series!
Now. I would definitely move to Alaska. In a heartbeat. But I agree. I fly in. The drive is hard. Fly in, rent a van, tour around, then go home. Or stay. ❤
I was stationed at Ft Richardson, Alaska for 2 years while I was in the Army, driving 1 ton through 10 ton tow trucks. (So, I saw a lot more of Alaska than I had expected.) The first year, it took some adjusting. Both with the long days (arrived in early July), then the long nights in the winter. By the time my tour of duty was over, I was ready to become a citizen of Alaska, and live up there full-time. At the time, they had a program going where, if you had citizenship in Alaska for 6 months to a year, you could buy a 'large' plot of land (I 'think' around a hundred acres) for something like 2 to 5 dollars per acre... as long as you invested $500 per year into making improvements.
To "really" appreciate Alaska, you need to live there for a year, just to experience all the richness of the state. The odd feeling of 'days' where, if you didn't go outside for lunch, you could wind up going "weeks" without ever seeing the sun. Not to mention the Northern Lights in the winter. Then the spring when the snow "finally" starts melting, and you finally see actual 'grass' for the first time after six months of snow just piling up, week after week until the snow was as deep as your knees or thighs, unless you were on well traveled paths, or frequently cleared sidewalks. And then, finally, summer when 80 degrees was considered a heatwave, and things turned SO GREEN... well, you saw what 'that' was like. Oh, I forgot to mention what it was like after a fog had rolled in (winter) before the sun came out to burn it off, leaving delicate Chrystal structures, surrounding the tiniest of branches on trees, turning the landscape into a winter wonder land that 'felt' like fairies had sprinkled their fairy dust all over the place. That was "truly" magical. I had 'soo' many 'wonderful' experiences while I was up there, that I can't list them all here, but living there, you would be able to experience all the things you had expected, and MORE. But... that is 'quite' a commitment, and I most definitely NOT recommend you try it in an RV.
It was 'such a joy' to see it again through your trip, that it almost felt like being there. So, THANK YOU for sharing your experience with us.
My comment on solar for my wife and I we have experienced in the Smoky Mountain National park has been great. We have on our 30' Campfire Sprinter all Victron equipment with 1,900 watts of solar, 600 amp hours of lithium batteries. 16 days solid dry camping in one spot. No genartor first 3 days great. However the next 13 days we pulled our Generator out about every other morning. We can go almost 5 days to about 25, to 35% battery capacity. We just topped off ever 2nd morning running gen about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Now we ran freg on propane and water heater when we needed it. We do have a OGO Toilet with 35 gallons black for urine. 70 gray and 75 gallons fresh water tank. We've gone a total of 18 days before needing water before. But hauled maybe 12 gallons of gray water in buckets to restroom to dump during that time. Between us both we can go roughly 28 to 30 days before having to dump our black tank. We showered every other day using our waterpix shower head at 0.2 gallons per minute with plenty of water force to shower, 5 minute shower is 1 gallon.
...just our experience other people will vary.
That's very interesting about your shower head as my brother has talked about how much water he uses by himself for just a few days in his slide in truck camper and I think a lot of it is from taking showers. How does it have good water force with such little water volume as typically the RV water pump is weak on building pressure.
@@charlesb4267well it does, I was surprised too. I looked on Amazon and thru local stores. Found this waterpik for about 22 dollars at Walmart. It stated 0.2 gallons per minute on eco mode. In short here's what I did, on a empty tank with valve open outside and a 5 gallon bucket pre marked for volume set under gray waste opening. I took a normal shower with timer counting. Let gray drain till it stopped and measured. 5 minutes 1 gallon. I did this 3 times at different times per shower.
Now the same waterpik as all models doesn't show the 0.2/min. on box with eco mode anymore. ?
....I bought 2 to use one in house because I like the other modes over many expensive brands.
The one called oxi something uses way to much water dry camping.
....I might mention I save the cold water coming out of shower till it starts to warm up witch is about 2 liters. Use it dishwashing, water for pets etc.
.....and yes it sprays a stream about 2" dia. circle to shower. Beware showering in soft water cause it's hard to know when all soap is removed on your body. Lol
@@jeff67mustang Well you certainly tested it to make sure they were not pulling your leg with the .2 gallons a minute. So the question is I wonder if they changed the unit and got rid of the eco mode, thinking no one was using it, hard to say unless one bought a current one and tested it as well. I can see where such a low volume water use would be a struggle with any volume of soap with soft water. Would have to be very careful with how much one dispensed onto yourself LOL.
Hubby and I grew up on the east coast of Florida and will be moving to Kenai, Alaska in 2025. I do ministry and missions there and Nome. Love, love, love it!!!
Wonderful video. We went to Alaska in 2017 in our truck camper. And yes, you are correct, it was easier to find Boondocking with a small rig. But I’m sure happy you had a wonderful time and we loved following you along Open Roading. Safe travels.
Im planning a cruise to Alaska
One recommendation I would give if you are still on 12v, setup a 4awg wire from your truck to the rv for power and ground, then install a DC/DC charger. with my previous setup I ran dual 50A DC/DC chargers and could run 1200w off of the HD alternator on my Cummins Ram.
In regards to the travel time. My family travels around 20k a year in the 3 weeks + long weekends I have from work. The wear and tear on the rv is a good point. we have went through our second set of tires in 3 years due to miles more than age. suspension and everything is getting renovated since ours is a 2008. Many people do not realize how "cheaply made" rv's are.
Lastly, in regards to solar. Its really depends on how your setup is. Ever since I switched to 48v, I get much better solar collection but I also wired my panels so they are 190v with 10 in series and two sets in parallel currently. Running parallel only is nice for partial coverage but not great for limited light since they do not reach a functional voltage for the MPPT system quick enough. our MPPT system requires 120V before the chargers start but we hit that basically as soon as the sun crests the horizon (when in a clear sky with minimal trees). On our next setup we will be changing to higher speed Victron MPPT's and splitting them to individual strings. I have noticed in the east that we need a lot of solar to be able to run the HVAC due to dehumidification, so it is a great test for rest of America. we previously had 800AH of 12v, but changed to 200AH of 48v and we are able to run our inverter systems much more efficient. The only drawback is we no longer have that capability of 1200w from the truck right now, i'm working on a fix but don't currently have one.
This 2024 has been the top 2 most rainy ever. I live in anchorage. We almost got 3 inches in 24 hours beginning of September glad y’all enjoyed your visit
The 1990’s and the 2000’s it used to be sunny from mid April to mid Sept, but then about 17’ noticed it started getting windy at end of May June then started raining early and earlier in September then into august. In 23’ summer we only had 13 days of sunshine. Think only reached 70’ 0 times 60’s 16 times. It sucked i umpireLL, Highschool and legion here in anchorage. So remember almost every summer lol. Plus played softball. Anyways.
Love following your journeys, we are full time on the road also. We went to Alaska last summer for 3 months and what your reporting for your spending is spot on! Also in agreement with your ten items. We spent a lot of camping in the large pullouts, camping in a campground about once a week. Looking forward to seeing more of your adventures. God bless and may his hand of protection cover your journeys.
As an Alaska resident I will say that there are tons of boondocking spots throughout the state but most aren’t on the apps I use either. I’ve found them through making friends and talking to longtime residents / natives.
So enjoyed this week’s episode! But, wanted to express our concern for you & your loved ones in North Florida. Hope you’re safe & your hometowns are as intact as they can be. Best wishes for you & your families♥️
I totally agree with you. We went to Alaska in 2023 and our experience was quite similar. We did not do any high cost expeditions because I hate to reserve ahead of time and the one expedition that I wanted was sold out.
We stayed at the same campground in Homer as you did and got to see otters and many sea birds from the beach. We've seen many whales over our travels but did miss out on the glacier calving.
You are bang on for the wildlife viewing.
We loved Steward/Hyder and so glad we didn't skip that part of the trip.
Alaska is hit-and-miss on weather and wildlife. This year was wet because of El Niño. I live in Alaska, I love it here. It is a big state with few roads and lots of tourists. I live off-grid in the bush and the wildlife is hit-and-miss for me.
I wonder if y’all just caught a really wet summer. A couple of years ago it was pretty dry and they had several big fires. I think sometimes it’s the luck of the draw. I still enjoyed watching y’all and we still plan on going at least once.
It varies. Summer 2023 it rained most of the summer. Even our garden and greenhouse didn’t get much sun. Summer 2022 it was hot and dry till the end of July and then it rained almost everyday till it changed to snow. I’ve lived in south central 45 years and have traveled to many places in Alaska for different companies.
2019 was abnormally dry
Loved watching you guys as well as Open Roading....I've been subscribed to both of you for a while now. The Alaska trip was AWESOME. THANKS for taking us along.
I’m a lifelong Alaskan and this is pretty accurate! We live near Hatcher Pass and hike there all summer & ski there in the winter. I hike in Palmer all winter too. We love it & I’ve survived over 50 winters here so far! 😂
I’m glad you went to Dawson City. I went there a lot as a child- my dad loved it there so we would RV there often in the summer. It’s a magical place for me.
If you were here last July- it was rainier than usual- sorry it wasn’t better weather, but yes, even in the summertime we have sunless days.
I lived in Valdez Alaska for 4 years and I loved that place. I could tell you stories for days about that place. I lived there during the Valdez oil spill. Going during your time is when a lot of tourists go but you missed so much.
I never thought i would like to visit Alaska, but my husband always wanted to. However, after watching so many videos, I think I would definitely do it.
Try Novascoha,Canada summer Time only,St. Martin above Quebec is Gouregous.
Just remember $$$$$$$$$ Just as Expensiveas Alaska.
excellent trip summary. Very fair and very fun. Bottom line is the chance to RV travel anywhere on this beautiful continent is so much fun. Every area has its challenges, and its beauty. We need to roll with the punches as we go along (as you guys did so well).... continued safe travels...
I’m Alaskan and we owned a couple of RVs over about 4 years. I hated the wear and tear. The maintenance and repairs stressed me out! Over that several years we found our favorite area then bought a cabin there and sold the RV. I don’t miss the RV at all as a resident!
Thank you for showing us the Alaska videos and can’t wait to see what is next for WILD RV Life !!
To have the best Alaska trip, go with no itinerary and zero need for internet. Keep your dates open-ended.
We made all kinds of reservations. Early in our trip we realized weather was not cooperating with our itinerary. We wound up cancelling all but three nights of campground reservations.
We then followed the weather. Did we backtrack? Absolutely. Was it worth the extra gasoline? Absolutely!
We just didn't want to spend our once-in-a-lifetime trip stepping in puddles or cooped up in our RV.
We did the trip in a campervan. It was, in our opinion, the best vehicle for such a trip.
Do we plan to go back? Lord willing, yes!!
I lived in Alaska from 1975 until 2002 and my wife and I have visited dozens of times since 2002. We love it and have many great experiences meeting people, seeing wildlife, going on hikes, eating the best fresh salmon and checking out hot springs. We don’t drive a big rig nor tow a big trailer. We have a four wheel drive pickup with a lightweight four season camper. We do dress for weather extremes. We’ve visited Alaska in Winter, Spring, Late Summer and Fall when tourism is waaaay down as well as biting bugs. Alaska is a big state covering four time zones. If you picked up Alaska and put it over the Lower 48, Alaska would stretch from Florida to California! The Tongass National Forest is the largest temperate rainforest on the planet. That’s in Southeast Alaska, a beautiful place y’all missed. It’s best to see aboard the Alaska Marine Highway System (ferries) or flying and then taking the ferries to see many of the ports. You’re right about one thing towing a big gas guzzler all the way from the east coast is insane. Better to fly to Alaska and rent an RV. After watching a video of y’all in Alaska, it looked to us like you had a great time. We then watched this video where the woman seemed to recall the fun and good times, but the man seemed to have no recollection of anything positive. If you want to see bears either go early in the Spring, April/May when they’re everywhere along the roads eating their favorite springtime delicacy, dandelions! When the salmon are running in the creeks and rivers would be another great place to view bears, like at Anan Bear Observatory near Wrangell or Pack Creek on Admiralty Island nearer Juneau. Also going in late August/September is a much better time to see the aurora/northern lights. We think you need to plan more and go again.
Great video! We watched your travels. We lived in Wasilla for 11 years. Sold the house at the end of June and stayed in Palmer at the Springer RV Park. Great place to stay as long as you don't mind airplanes taking off. Great people but very hard to get a site. We were blessed. Retired on Aug. 1st and left on the 2nd. Took the same route you did but arrived in Chicken on Friday night. Crossed into Canada over the weekend and had no traffic or Constuction workers working until we were past all of it. No mud either. The 8 dollars a gallon for diesel was the worst in Canada plus the fires in Jasper. Great trip back to the lower 48.
Really enjoy watching you guys each week and appreciate you sharing your adventures! Right now, I’m particularly grateful for your work with Samaritans Purse! We are very close to the area. While our area was hit hard from Helene, we didn’t suffer that level of devastation. Thank you for serving. Stay safe!
Thank you for sharing your experience and thank you for doing so in a fun and respectful way! 👍