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.
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!
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.
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!!!!🎉🎉🎉
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.
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. 😊
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.
Love your videos. I lived in Alaska (Eagle River) and worked the summers in Prudhoe Bay for a couple years when I was just out of high school. Back then people drove to Alaska out of necessity (moving in or out of the state) not for fun. I always say Alaska is a wonderful place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there (again). It just isn’t for everyone. And that’s ok. That’s what makes it a special place and the amazing people that choose to make it their home. Flying in and then renting an RV or van is the way to go. Just makes more sense from a time and cost perspective. Just want to say I appreciate how authentic y’all are. You don’t have to love everything and every place you visit. You’re letting people know what they can expect at least from your experiences not just painting a pretty picture to gain followers. Have fun and stay safe!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
We have been watching all of your Alaska videos. The title of this video scared me because we are planning to leave next May to go to Alaska. This was terrific and really helped us. Thanks so much for covering so many aspects of the trip.
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.
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.
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 ✌️
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!
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'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!!
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!
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'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!)
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
We also traveled from Florida to Alaska in our Brinkley this summer about the same timeline as you although we started in Fairbanks for the Summer Solstice and then went counter clockwise. Love your videos but I feel sad you didn’t enjoy it as much as we did. I agree, it’s expensive , you definitely have to drive slow and wildlife isn’t as plentiful as you imagine but when sought out, we had some of the best wildlife viewing ever! We had so many adventures from jumping in the Arctic Ocean, watching the locals dip net for salmon, camping in Denali when it was closed by a wildfire, learning about birch syrup, chasing the boar tides near Girwood, having to hike into McCarthy to stay, watching all the cargo planes fly into Anchorage where they seemed you could almost touch them and so much more! It was so beautiful! I wish we could have collaborated and got you a bit better experience 🙌🏻. Agree with all you did enjoy though and we were totally sad we didn’t make the drive for the car launch as well!! That and we just missed Chicken Stock Music Festival😊. Hope you enjoy your continued travels!
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.
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😀
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 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.
We rented a class C 11 years ago mid August and loved everything we did. Salmon fishing in Valdez, to camping in Denali National Park. Renting was the way to go.
Hey there. We love your videos and look forward to them every week. My husband and I are thinking of full time RVing so it great to see the pros and cons. We did our one and only cruise last year to Alaska and though it was beautiful you really just scratched the surface and I was definitely left wanting more. We hope to RV there in a couple years. Thanks for the tips and letting us come along on your adventures. All the best and safe travels 😊❤
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.
Best boondocking is done with Overland vehicles. We were up there for two weeks in July in a Lexus GX460, we found amazing spots not accessible by Sprinters and up. We will be back next year for the summer in our Ekko RV or possibly an Overland vehicle we may build. We're located in Jacksonville Florida as well.
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.
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!
We drove our new 2022 Dutch Star to Alaska 6 months after we bought it. 13,500 miles from central Virginia. Our 6th trip, but first drive. Lived every mile, but like you, would not drive it again. The Alcan and Canada had just opened after covid and it was pretty tough. Thanks for the great video.
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.
We rented a class on each trip to Alaska and enjoyed the smaller Winnebago 25B than the bigger ones. Last trip the sun only came out 4 days out of 30. Luckily one was a Valdez while we kayaked the glaciers. We actually enjoyed Banff much better, it was the same scenery with better weather. Just lots of people. We camped at Tunnel Mountain on the edge of town.
We were there two years ago, mostly in August and experienced a couple of weeks of rain, mostly on the Kenai peninsula. The locals said, “you should’ve been here in July! Lots of sunshine then!” So I guess it changes. We were in a van and had good luck finding boondocking, so it helped to be small. We loved the trip and plan to go back.
Went on my first cruise in Aug 2023 to Alaska (it was just the Inner passage). Absolutely breathtaking. Excursions were fun. I definitely want to go back and see Denali more of the inner areas. So happy you did the journey. Enjoyed watching it. Congrats on hitting the 50K 🙌🏻
I also live in S Fl and when I was growing up my father would take our family camping every yr and one yr he drove us all the way to Alaska and back and I’ll never forget it, but would also never drive that far again lol 😝 I will definitely fly there and do the Alaskan cruise lol.. thank you both for sharing all of the info! ❤❤
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.
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!
Very nice recap of your Alaska trip! Following y’all and Joe and Kalyn through Alaska was a good way to see all Alaska has to offer. We have been following y’all forever love your channel.
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.
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!
What’s funny is that I agreed with all your points till you got to the whether it was worth it or not. I’d go back in a heartbeat tomorrow, my summer there was amazing. Between the Yukon and Alaska it was my favorite road trip location.
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.
I was laughing about that as well, go all the way up to Alaska and even some of the towns that would have had higher prices than Anchorage ... yet still cheaper than California, which begs the question ... what the heck is it with California !.
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.
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 ❤
I have been to Alaska on a cruise. I would go again but I have no desire to RV it. I read that you and your family in North Carolina are safe after the storm. Good to hear.
Stumbled across your channel. I doubt we will ever take our rig to Alaska. I have been to Alaska but chose to go with another couple and share expenses renting AirBnB's all around the whole loop of the state. We stayed 2 mos and rented different types of housing from places on sea plane lakes, warehouse district housing, light houses, hotels, tiny houses, log cabins etc. Our rental vehicle was THE most expensive thing at the time we went! We figured with fuel and all traveling with our rv we would only save about $500 total rving vs. staying in airBnb's. I think it was worth it doing it the Airbnb route.
Interesting to hear your perspective, I lived there for 25 years (Homer/Seward) starting when I was 12. Planning on flying back and renting an RV for 2 weeks next year and playing tourist. Looking forward to showing my Girlfriend and 12 year old son the last frontier.
Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska! I live in near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho now. You did a phenomenal job with your Alaska videos and summarizing your trip! 👏 We were up there too right around the same time visiting my family this summer. I was actually watching the air show from their house on the mountain (with binoculars). 😅
Thanks so much Victoria and Craig for your thougts on this wonderful trip, loved watching you but probably if we go, for sure we will take a cruise 🛳 🤗💛💛
Lived here in Alaska most of my life, over 57 years. Love it here and won't leave. Love to visit other states and get some warmth. We RV all over Alaska, would never want to RV in the states i don't understand how you do that. To each their own.
It is all about expectations and weather luck in Alaska. You guys made the best of everything on your trip. You didn’t mention the advantage of traveling with another couple which added security and fun.
Hi! I loved your vids on AK. We were there ourselves June thu Sept. We traveled in a truck camper. We had no problem boondocking. We figured we saved $5600 on campgrounds. We loved the trip and experience. Wife would love to go back but I too can't imagine making that drive again. Safe travels!
We really enjoyed watching you guys tour our state. I actually feel bad for not commenting and giving local advice for boondocking and best “bang for your buck” tours. Still love your videos!!! Love from Soldotna, Alaska.
I really enjoyed watching you two tour Alaska. You room a trip of a lifetime. Will my wife and I do it? We hope so. Seeing it threw your eyes was wonderful. Thanks you for all of your videos on your journey. I will say, Craig, your a hell of a mechanic. Well done doing all the repairs on that trip.
that rainforest goes all the way to Oregon ,and i believe its the world largest tempered rainforest . your life is based on driving and travelling .great job, thanks
Yay! Congrats on 50K subscribers. I know that number will continue to grow. Our daughter is one of those people who went there years ago and ended up staying. She loves it! She is in Fairbanks. Have some friends in North Pole Alaska too. We have tentative plans for Summer 2026. So thanks for all of the great and entertaining information! ❤
All good guys, I agree 👍 one time is plenty. I went one time loved, great memories but NO that was first and last.... Keep us up to date on RV repairs... You should get money from Brinkley for all repairs because they can use your data first building better and low cost.... Call them you never know...😮
I live in WA state so driving to AK is way closer. I have driven that hwy 13 round trips in everything from a pickup to a VW camper and last trip in a 32' class A motor home. The Class A went well as you have your generator when you need power, also no need to get out in the rain to hook up. Travel trailers have such crappy springs and wheels they break easily. The VW use to be the best way to travel up there till I got too old to camp like that. In the Class A I drive usually no more than 45 and we saw lots of wild life. We would meet up with people who passed us going faster and they would always say they never saw any thing. In the Class A you sit up high and the front windows are huge which is a big advantage in spotting wild life. Now days the roads are pretty good compared to the early 70s when the Alcan was all dirt.
![Broken RV Suspension In The Remote Yukon [No Cell Service]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iFjV388BczA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Broken RV Suspension In The Remote Yukon [No Cell Service]](/img/tr.png)
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.
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!
MAY GOD BLESS YOU BOTH FOR HELPING WITH HELENE WITH SAMARITANS PURSE LOVE YOU
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.
You guys and Open Roading were my trip to Alaska. I really enjoyed it. Thank you.
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!!!!🎉🎉🎉
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.
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. 😊
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 really enjoyed following your adventure. Thanks for bringing us along!
Love your videos. I lived in Alaska (Eagle River) and worked the summers in Prudhoe Bay for a couple years when I was just out of high school. Back then people drove to Alaska out of necessity (moving in or out of the state) not for fun. I always say Alaska is a wonderful place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there (again). It just isn’t for everyone. And that’s ok. That’s what makes it a special place and the amazing people that choose to make it their home. Flying in and then renting an RV or van is the way to go. Just makes more sense from a time and cost perspective.
Just want to say I appreciate how authentic y’all are. You don’t have to love everything and every place you visit. You’re letting people know what they can expect at least from your experiences not just painting a pretty picture to gain followers.
Have fun and stay safe!
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.
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.
We loved following your journey through Alaska. Very impressed with your skills doing repairs. Thank you for documenting your travels.
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.
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.
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!
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
We have been watching all of your Alaska videos. The title of this video scared me because we are planning to leave next May to go to Alaska. This was terrific and really helped us. Thanks so much for covering so many aspects of the trip.
Love how upbeat, yet chill you both are. Very genuine and fun! Thank you for taking us to Alaska. 🥰
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.
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.
Nice job doing the summary. Wish you all the best. Be safe as you help with the North Carolina recovery. 🙏
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 ✌️
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!
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!
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!!
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!
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'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!)
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
We also traveled from Florida to Alaska in our Brinkley this summer about the same timeline as you although we started in Fairbanks for the Summer Solstice and then went counter clockwise. Love your videos but I feel sad you didn’t enjoy it as much as we did. I agree, it’s expensive , you definitely have to drive slow and wildlife isn’t as plentiful as you imagine but when sought out, we had some of the best wildlife viewing ever! We had so many adventures from jumping in the Arctic Ocean, watching the locals dip net for salmon, camping in Denali when it was closed by a wildfire, learning about birch syrup, chasing the boar tides near Girwood, having to hike into McCarthy to stay, watching all the cargo planes fly into Anchorage where they seemed you could almost touch them and so much more! It was so beautiful! I wish we could have collaborated and got you a bit better experience 🙌🏻. Agree with all you did enjoy though and we were totally sad we didn’t make the drive for the car launch as well!! That and we just missed Chicken Stock Music Festival😊. Hope you enjoy your continued travels!
would you be willing to share what you loved and did in Alaska? We are planning a trip for 2025 and would love your input!
@@kerrigavin3147 Love the name "Chicken Stock Music Festival" that put a big ole grin on my face. Thanks for sharing it.😀
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.
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
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 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!
We rented a class C 11 years ago mid August and loved everything we did. Salmon fishing in Valdez, to camping in Denali National Park. Renting was the way to go.
Hey, loved seeing Alaska with you!
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
I enjoyed following you and Open Roading through this adventure.
Hey there. We love your videos and look forward to them every week. My husband and I are thinking of full time RVing so it great to see the pros and cons. We did our one and only cruise last year to Alaska and though it was beautiful you really just scratched the surface and I was definitely left wanting more. We hope to RV there in a couple years. Thanks for the tips and letting us come along on your adventures. All the best and safe travels 😊❤
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.
Best boondocking is done with Overland vehicles. We were up there for two weeks in July in a Lexus GX460, we found amazing spots not accessible by Sprinters and up. We will be back next year for the summer in our Ekko RV or possibly an Overland vehicle we may build. We're located in Jacksonville Florida as well.
I hope you guys are safe if you are in the Carolinas. It was fun watching your trip to Alaska. Stay safe and healthy.
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.
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!
We drove our new 2022 Dutch Star to Alaska 6 months after we bought it. 13,500 miles from central Virginia. Our 6th trip, but first drive. Lived every mile, but like you, would not drive it again. The Alcan and Canada had just opened after covid and it was pretty tough. Thanks for the great video.
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.
We rented a class on each trip to Alaska and enjoyed the smaller Winnebago 25B than the bigger ones. Last trip the sun only came out 4 days out of 30. Luckily one was a Valdez while we kayaked the glaciers. We actually enjoyed Banff much better, it was the same scenery with better weather. Just lots of people. We camped at Tunnel Mountain on the edge of town.
I will definitely have it on my bucket list. You guys are awesome.
We were there two years ago, mostly in August and experienced a couple of weeks of rain, mostly on the Kenai peninsula. The locals said, “you should’ve been here in July! Lots of sunshine then!” So I guess it changes. We were in a van and had good luck finding boondocking, so it helped to be small. We loved the trip and plan to go back.
Went on my first cruise in Aug 2023 to Alaska (it was just the Inner passage). Absolutely breathtaking. Excursions were fun. I definitely want to go back and see Denali more of the inner areas. So happy you did the journey. Enjoyed watching it.
Congrats on hitting the 50K 🙌🏻
I also live in S Fl and when I was growing up my father would take our family camping every yr and one yr he drove us all the way to Alaska and back and I’ll never forget it, but would also never drive that far again lol 😝 I will definitely fly there and do the Alaskan cruise lol.. thank you both for sharing all of the info! ❤❤
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.
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!
Has den such a fun experience watching this series. Thanks for the run down.
Very nice recap of your Alaska trip! Following y’all and Joe and Kalyn through Alaska was a good way to see all Alaska has to offer. We have been following y’all forever love your channel.
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.
Great to see your perspective. Our trip there got postponed in 2020 and we've never managed to get there since
thank you for sharing your expenses. I especially wondered about the fuel costs. I choked a bit at the overall cost but totally understand it.
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!
What’s funny is that I agreed with all your points till you got to the whether it was worth it or not. I’d go back in a heartbeat tomorrow, my summer there was amazing. Between the Yukon and Alaska it was my favorite road trip location.
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.
Love you guy's and the video. I wish I was with you on this trip. Keep up the good work
@@DavidPetersen-w5n thank you so much!! And thank you for coming along virtually 😄
The line about California at the end... I felt that viscerally. 😂 Never have I ever been so slowed down by fuel prices. -J
I was laughing about that as well, go all the way up to Alaska and even some of the towns that would have had higher prices than Anchorage ... yet still cheaper than California, which begs the question ... what the heck is it with California !.
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.
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 ❤
I have been to Alaska on a cruise. I would go again but I have no desire to RV it. I read that you and your family in North Carolina are safe after the storm. Good to hear.
Stumbled across your channel. I doubt we will ever take our rig to Alaska. I have been to Alaska but chose to go with another couple and share expenses renting AirBnB's all around the whole loop of the state. We stayed 2 mos and rented different types of housing from places on sea plane lakes, warehouse district housing, light houses, hotels, tiny houses, log cabins etc. Our rental vehicle was THE most expensive thing at the time we went! We figured with fuel and all traveling with our rv we would only save about $500 total rving vs. staying in airBnb's. I think it was worth it doing it the Airbnb route.
Interesting to hear your perspective, I lived there for 25 years (Homer/Seward) starting when I was 12. Planning on flying back and renting an RV for 2 weeks next year and playing tourist. Looking forward to showing my Girlfriend and 12 year old son the last frontier.
Thanks for all your info on the Alaska trip.Making the journey in 2026 with friends also...
Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska! I live in near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho now. You did a phenomenal job with your Alaska videos and summarizing your trip! 👏 We were up there too right around the same time visiting my family this summer. I was actually watching the air show from their house on the mountain (with binoculars). 😅
Great video layout! This was very helpful for people completely lost at where to start…like us! 😁
Thanks so much Victoria and Craig for your thougts on this wonderful trip, loved watching you but probably if we go, for sure we will take a cruise 🛳 🤗💛💛
Lived here in Alaska most of my life, over 57 years. Love it here and won't leave. Love to visit other states and get some warmth. We RV all over Alaska, would never want to RV in the states i don't understand how you do that. To each their own.
Thank you for showing us the Alaska videos and can’t wait to see what is next for WILD RV Life !!
Might be on our bucket list a few years from now.
Thanks for your honest opinion and report on your Alaska trip, very informative! Love the videos too! Keep up the good work!
It is all about expectations and weather luck in Alaska. You guys made the best of everything on your trip. You didn’t mention the advantage of traveling with another couple which added security and fun.
Hi! I loved your vids on AK. We were there ourselves June thu Sept. We traveled in a truck camper. We had no problem boondocking. We figured we saved $5600 on campgrounds. We loved the trip and experience. Wife would love to go back but I too can't imagine making that drive again.
Safe travels!
Since you guys are aways on the move, you should look into getting a DC to DC charger so you can meaningfully charge your RV when you are driving.
We really enjoyed watching you guys tour our state. I actually feel bad for not commenting and giving local advice for boondocking and best “bang for your buck” tours. Still love your videos!!! Love from Soldotna, Alaska.
We were there in June. But we toke a cruise. It was ok but I think we would have enjoyed it more if we drove.
I really enjoyed watching you two tour Alaska. You room a trip of a lifetime. Will my wife and I do it? We hope so. Seeing it threw your eyes was wonderful. Thanks you for all of your videos on your journey. I will say, Craig, your a hell of a mechanic. Well done doing all the repairs on that trip.
i have traveled from Florida to alaska in a wanderlodge 3 times,its awesome,i would go every year if i could.
that rainforest goes all the way to Oregon ,and i believe its the world largest tempered rainforest . your life is based on driving and travelling .great job, thanks
Congrats on 50k subscribers - you are both adding real value and this was a great video!
Thw winters here are long. Glad you had some good times while your family was here!
I bet it’s amazingly beautiful though! We are glad we came, thanks for coming along for our adventure!
Yay! Congrats on 50K subscribers. I know that number will continue to grow. Our daughter is one of those people who went there years ago and ended up staying. She loves it! She is in Fairbanks. Have some friends in North Pole Alaska too. We have tentative plans for Summer 2026. So thanks for all of the great and entertaining information! ❤
Thanks for sharing your trip with us
All good guys, I agree 👍 one time is plenty. I went one time loved, great memories but NO that was first and last.... Keep us up to date on RV repairs... You should get money from Brinkley for all repairs because they can use your data first building better and low cost.... Call them you never know...😮
I live in WA state so driving to AK is way closer. I have driven that hwy 13 round trips in everything from a pickup to a VW camper and last trip in a 32' class A motor home. The Class A went well as you have your generator when you need power, also no need to get out in the rain to hook up. Travel trailers have such crappy springs and wheels they break easily. The VW use to be the best way to travel up there till I got too old to camp like that. In the Class A I drive usually no more than 45 and we saw lots of wild life. We would meet up with people who passed us going faster and they would always say they never saw any thing. In the Class A you sit up high and the front windows are huge which is a big advantage in spotting wild life. Now days the roads are pretty good compared to the early 70s when the Alcan was all dirt.
Thank you for sharing your journey and for all the detailed information. Much to think about when planning our trip there.