Dog Blog . . . Our Arctic by RV Challenge

Introduction

After several years of discussions about doing something special to celebrate their 25th anniversary, Mom and Dad decided to go back to Alaska instead of taking a cruise around Cape Horn.  (Was there any other choice?  We couldn’t go on a cruise!)  This time they are upping the ante by combining the usual RV trip to Alaska with their goal of circumnavigating North America by RV.  (We don’t know what that means but we’re always up for a car trip!)  They say that means that we're going to drive all of the northern roads in addition to the usual Alcan/Cassiar Highways.  The difference isn't trivial.  The usual trip going up the Alcan Highway & returning on the Cassiar is about 6,000 miles.  We've added roughly 4,000 miles to the route and much of that is on gravel roads, some of them very remote and primitive.  (Yipee!  Places for us to run free.) 

They drove the Alcan/Cassiar route in 2004 in a brand new Ford F350 pulling a light-weight 1994 27' Holiday Rambler travel trailer.  (Bo’sun was there but not Gracie).  It was their maiden voyage in that rig; in fact, the truck was only six days old as our '97 Suburban died shortly before leaving.  Preparation for that trip was extremely limited: we rebuilt the suspension and put new tires on the trailer.  The truck got stainless fender flares to protect the paint from the gravel, a CB radio and had a loaner canopy. 

Preparation for this trip, however, is extensive.  Dad and Mom (but mostly dad) have been working on the itinerary, the truck and the trailer for over six months to get ready for the rigors of bad roads.  Hopefully, our preparations will be adequate and we won't discover too many holes in our planning.  Dad provides detailed info on the truck and trailer, including the modifications and upgrades at the links near the top of this page.
Bo'sun

Truck & trailer during the last week of preparations.