Road trip to Alaska

I drove up there in 03, but i did it in a 40 ft DP. I also took 5 weeks. From w PA it was a shade over 10k miles. Best trip ever and i will do it again. More time would be a good thing. Alaska hwy is decent but look out for frost heaves. Fuel in Canada is pricey. Scenery is awesome everywhere. GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you are in good medical condition, and I am not messing with you.
Your back will take a beating. Your legs will get real sore in the cramped cab. I travel some long distances in my m35 just to go moose hunting, I have to stop every 120-150 miles just to get circulation back in my legs. Your foot will be almost glued to the floor just to travel at 50mph.
In the next couple of days I will leave Soldotna and drive almost to Tok Alaska this is about 400 miles one way in one day in the deuce. I think you will have a wonderful trip, but you will have to give the body some rest. these rigs drain you on those days you do 400 to 500 miles. You are welcome to stay at my place if you are ever down on the Kenai Penninsula.

If you keep talking about this you may end up with quite a long convoy following you. If money isn't an issue you could consider one of m-35tom's overdrive upgrade kits (if they are ready). I don't know if you save a ton of fuel but your engine wouldn't have to be revved to high if you kept your speed to 55mph.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-...ing/14728-overdrive-gears-available-soon.html

zb39 mentioned Canadian fuel prices. Right now it is running at well over $4/gallon. Fill up everything that holds fuel before you enter Canada.

Also, you might consider adding sound proofing insulation to quite the cab. The deuce was never meant to be a long haul truck.

currently $4.00 CDN = $3.675 USD

Mike

WM, good info...glad you have experience in that area. Guess you are the guy to handle the fuel.

I'm jealous...if my winning numbers come up, I'll put my name in the hat for the trip for sure! Its just crazy enough to be a blast.

Jim

Frenchfry, me thinks you are on to a great plan, like sw bradley said, Ohio is a good place to circle, count on me to help, free lodging, and a shop if needed.

When you get into northern BC, Yukon, and Alaska, fuel or gas will be closer to $4.50 in the "out of the way" spots. Its about $3.80 in Fairbanks. A more accurate way to estimate fuel costs is to double the price, for what you think you will need. Its always more then what you can imagine!

Lee in Alaska

Veggie oil is great, but use it smartly, for example, you don't want it in the system in the morning when it's below 60 degrees. My dual compartment fuel tank worked great with one heated and I'll post more as your plans come together based on my own 6,000 mile trip.

When selecting tires, think wet pavement, OPCOM (Patrick) has a good setup for the highway.

Of all mods, way up there should be a clean and reliable fuel system, reliable as in the correct valves and filters for the job and a totally rustfree tank.


More later.

Hey Guys, great thoughts and suggestions, thank you.

WM, I'd love to have you tag along! We may have to start planning this out as a convoy. I would love to have someone along, even if they aren't in the same truck.

Yes, I have 4 brand new 'dog bones' I was going to take too. Fuel costs are being tallied, but with a liberal use of vegi and WMO, I think I can do it reasonably. Current planning is 6 weeks, and I already sort of have a blessing from where I work, I just have to promise to stop at an AFB up there and take pictures for our Wing Commander.

Bjorn, I will be picking your brain through PMs and the phone I'm sure. I am working hard on adding another tank, possibly building a kim-hotstart type of generator to keep the engine and tanks warm (much less me) when I stop. I haven't really decided on what time of year I will go, I figure I won't even be ready for a year from now.

It's a lot of planning and work, but I feel it can be done and will be a trip of a lifetime.

I was thinking about getting a picture of the deuce with the front wheels in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans.

Any idea of your route? I see you in SC so you could cross the boarder in many locations? International Falls would be a good central point unless you wanted to veer over toward Montana and Washington ? Or up through Michigan and cross into Ontario and then work your way N and W? Just thinking here how to meet up with you.. LOL.. Another idea for sponsorship and participation would be contacting the MVPA or Maple leaf Up to create a Alcan highway recreation trip kind of like the one they just did across the lower 50. The more I think about this the more I want to be involved.. This would be a trip of a lifetime for sure and there are safety in numbers. "We got our self a convoy!".. well maybe only if your up for the Steel Soldier family having some fun with you.
Lane..

Man, no need to kill your azz and legs. I'll donate one of my charter bus seats and a vernier cable or two. Gotta keep our members safe! I know Ohio will be out of the direct route, might have to bring these things to Ga rallly huh? Cheaper than shipping to ya.

I think I will start in SC at the Atlantic somewhere- probably Charleston. Easier to start here in Columbia, and drive to Charleston to get started, then Columbia to Miami.

Google maps would have me making most of the trip across Canada, going through Winnipeg. While I love the view up there, I would rather see more of America that I haven't been to. So I'm planning on driving across to Seattle, then going up through Canada to Alaska. I have looked into the ferry, but then it isn't 'driving' to the Arctic, is it?

So far my route will have me going like this- SC, NC, TN, KY, IL, MO, IA, SD, WY, MT, ID, WA, then Canada, BC, Yukon, then back to AK.

This is 5,700 miles. If I go up to Canada and cross near Winnipeg, it is only 4,900. I may go up through the U.S., then come back through Canada if my time is looking short.

Gimpy, I would love to have a better seat.

Lane, come on buddy! the more the merrier!

Mi casa(shop) es su casa Ferro!

Being halfway between Seattle and Portland, OR, I may be 100 mi south of your route. You are more than welcome to a warm shop for repairs or just a place to rest.

I'll be watching this thread!

Aaron

Oh man, I would love to do this!

Thanks Aaron. I may just do that. I would love to swing by many SS 'compounds' on my trip, but I feel I won't be able to make too many sidetrips of much length.

I plan on taking a laptop with WiFi, as you can find that most anywhere nowadays. So I can upload pics and video's, and also keep a running trip log, incase you guys want to swing by my route to say hi, get/send parts, or even convoy for a few miles with me.

Right now, if I can get all the upgrades to the truck done and funds saved up, I plan on leaving in one year, in early September 2010.

Stuff I'm looking for the truck:
11x20 XLs, 14 of them. 10 on the truck, 2 on the M105, and 2 spares. Going to carry 4 extra tubes as well. I'd love to have brand new, but I figure 90% tread or better should surfice.

Electric wiper kit

3 lockout hubs

M109 box fuel fired heater.

At the moment that's all I can think of. Unless I can find a decent LDS and get it tuned up and installed before the trip.

I want to make sure I have a heater in the box, as I plan on staying in it. The temperature can be in the teens in September where I'm going. I will be installing my coolent cab heater this week.

Wish I could convoy with you but I can,t. Enjoy the trip. I drove down in 1969 when I got out of the Army and then it was 2500 miles of gravel. Good luck to you both

Here are a couple of images of Patrick's tires configuration, which I think is most sensible for a highway trip. With proper wheel alignment etc, they should last the whole trip.

I may go with Patrick's idea. Anyone have 11x20 NDTs out there? I'll go price two new 11x20 street radials today. If I was going to keep it 9x20, I have two 95% tread tires on the front of my old school bus I could 'borrow'.

I was going to put whatever I put on the truck on the trailer as well, so I can rotate tires around without issue. I suppose if I go with Patrick's idea I should get 3 of the front radials. But then that's one more spare to carry.

Good idea on tires