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We are in beginning stages of planning an Alcan Highway camping trip. We will be pulling a nice little 20 foot camper with an F150 V8. Retired, so our time is unlimited. We haven't met anyone yet that has done the road trip, but everyone tells us to carry spare tires, extra gas, and lots of food and water. We would likely enter Canada via Peace Gardens, North Dakota and work our way west.
Since we are in WA, several of our neighbors run the Alcan every yr for work and fishing and RV, including a few college students who go to AK for inexpensive and low student / teacher ratio university.
My 96 YO retiree friend drove it in a MH and a Pickup camper a few times in his 80's.
Plan on taking your time. He would stay a few days if he found good fishing and a pretty campground.
We are in beginning stages of planning an Alcan Highway camping trip. We will be pulling a nice little 20 foot camper with an F150 V8. Retired, so our time is unlimited. We haven't met anyone yet that has done the road trip, but everyone tells us to carry spare tires, extra gas, and lots of food and water. We would likely enter Canada via Peace Gardens, North Dakota and work our way west.
Don't forget that Canada is super strict about firearms. You can't take a handgun or AR-15 type rifle at all or certain types of knives, or pepper spray(certain types of bear spray are ok), and have to declare any other firearms or potential weapons.
I would carry a decent tool kit, a spare shock absorber, an assortment of small spares like filters, some rope, some ratchet straps of varying sizes, a good first aid kit, fire starters and matches, a small air compressor, tire repair kits, 2 5 gallon jugs of motor oil, etc. Have your vehicle fully serviced before leaving.
Don't forget that Canada is super strict about firearms. You can't take a handgun or AR-15 type rifle at all or certain types of knives, or pepper spray(certain types of bear spray are ok), and have to declare any other firearms or potential weapons.
We met a couple on a cruise who told the story of crossing into Canada in their RV and it being searched stem to stern, which took several hours. They didn’t find anything, and these people sure didn’t look like anything except common upper middle class retirees (yes, I know appearances don’t count for anything).
We met a couple on a cruise who told the story of crossing into Canada in their RV and it being searched stem to stern, which took several hours. They didn’t find anything, and these people sure didn’t look like anything except common upper middle class retirees (yes, I know appearances don’t count for anything).
We went in our SUV & had it completely emptied by Canadian border patrol, then spouse & I were separated & asked strange questions like how much money we were carrying. Other than that, the trip up the Alcan was great. Just be prepared as posters stated previously.
Another cool thing was taking the Alaskan ferry from Haines to Prince Rupert. It’s the same route as cruise ships, but cheaper & no problem bringing the dogs.
We are in beginning stages of planning an Alcan Highway camping trip. We will be pulling a nice little 20 foot camper with an F150 V8. Retired, so our time is unlimited. We haven't met anyone yet that has done the road trip, but everyone tells us to carry spare tires, extra gas, and lots of food and water. We would likely enter Canada via Peace Gardens, North Dakota and work our way west.
My neighbor who is 89 has done it for years. The past few years after his wife died he had done it in a conversion van that he made. His last trip with his wife was in a Class A that broke down and had to be scrapped. He ended up making the trip to Alaska in his mini cooper toad but he got a guy who needed to come to Florida to bring it back for him and they flew back. He has a daughter up there so he goes every summer. Lots of water, make sure you fill even if you are only half full whenever you see a gas station because it maybe the last one for a while. You should be fine so long as your F150 is in good condition. Take it slow, don't rush things as that is usually what makes people wreck their RV's. Oh and make sure you have your passports for going through Canada.
We met a couple on a cruise who told the story of crossing into Canada in their RV and it being searched stem to stern, which took several hours. They didn’t find anything, and these people sure didn’t look like anything except common upper middle class retirees (yes, I know appearances don’t count for anything).
Never been searched the few times I have crossed into Canada but did on the return this year. All they did was check the bathroom (stowaways my guess) and the fridge but not the freezer. Just report everything you have, no fruit, chicken unless frozen, guns or CBD even if prescribed. Also no wood for fires. Buy local and get rid of it coming or going. Just answer the questions, no commentaries. If they don't ask don't say anything. If you can't bring it in but you tell them about it when asked they will just throw it out. If you lie and they find it, there are repercussions.
Carry a compressor and a tire repair kit with a GOOD jack... not the one that comes with the vehicle. I keep a small floor jack in the trailer. Is the trailer double axle? Keep all the tire stuff where you can get it without unloading anything. Have an battery powered impact gun. Tires are a biggie.
We are in beginning stages of planning an Alcan Highway camping trip. We will be pulling a nice little 20 foot camper with an F150 V8. Retired, so our time is unlimited. We haven't met anyone yet that has done the road trip, but everyone tells us to carry spare tires, extra gas, and lots of food and water. We would likely enter Canada via Peace Gardens, North Dakota and work our way west.
The Alcan Highway is I-5 without off-ramps and on-ramps and only two lanes. It is just the towns that are spread out.
We carried nothing extra. But we always had food since we were camping. There is plenty of water along the route. Get a water filter.
We stopped at a commercial campground in a town every seven days to dump our tanks and do laundry. That worked well.
BTW, the best camping sites are all Provincial campgrounds. We ended up camping much less on our own than we expected. In Alaska, there were more nice boondock sites outside the campgrounds.
I made sure our cell phone amplifier was working and that allowed us to camp farther away from towns. The towns are the only spots with cell service in most cases.
Be sure to get a copy of the guide post.
I would carry a very extensive first aid kit. Like the ones wild land fire fighting crews have for the ENTIRE crew.
We did the Cassier Highway, which is much more isolated than the Alcan. Ran into a really bad wreck along side of the road as we were headed NORTH. Lots of folks had stopped to help so we did not stop.
Over an hour later we ran into the ambulance headed SOUTH to the scene of the accident. I estimated that it took FOUR hours after notification for the ambulance to arrive at the scene of the accident. That is probably your biggest risk. BTW....it was in an area with NO CELL SERVICE.
These days many RV'ers carry StarLink dishes and you can make a wifi call with a cell phone connected to StarLink. Remember that in an emergency. You can also get a InSpot receiver.
I would have good tires, get a good service check of the F150 and camper. Just because if you need something fixed it might take a day or two to get the repair parts.
I would carry EXTRA credit cards. Alaska is a prime spot for credit card theft. Your out of cell service for lots of the time, so a stolen credit card can be used for days in many cases before you get notification.
Don't let anybody see the three digit code on the back. I actually blacked it out after the trip.
And we did get one cards data stolen, and they contacted us just as we were leaving a cell reception area for days!!
We took two cards. I would probably get a third and NEVER use it until I needed it.!!
BTW....we took TWO months to do the Alcan and Alaska. We came up the Cassier Highway. It was RUSHED, but we wanted to avoid bug season. I would plan on spending the summer.
Mosquito's you need to have clothing particularly a head net. We bought all lots of stuff, but most of it didn't work. The netting clothes are the best bet. AND we missed the real bad bug season.
If you have not been to the Canadian Rockies before, spend a few weeks there. That is an incredible place and few spots come close to matching the grandeur on the Alcan.
Just report everything you have, no fruit, chicken unless frozen, guns or CBD even if prescribed. Also no wood for fires. Buy local and get rid of it coming or going. Just answer the questions, no commentaries. If they don't ask don't say anything. If you can't bring it in but you tell them about it when asked they will just throw it out. If you lie and they find it, there are repercussions.
Beware the Canadian Fruit Gestapo! I crossed the border a few years ago with a snack bag that had a couple apples in it. When I was asked if I had any fruit I said yes, and the border agents went on a rampage, completely emptying my car, searching through all bags, separating my friend and I, and detaining us for almost two hours while our IDs were checked and thoroughly questioned. The border station looked severely overstaffed with heavily armed guards who looked like they were ready for battle, mostly milling around with nothing to do until I came by. I was sternly warned to never bring any fruits with seeds, or seeds of any kind, into Canada.
It sounds funny, but honestly I don't think I ever want to go back. I'm probably on their "fruit smuggler" list and will be detained every time I try to enter.
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