RV in Alaska

[Emeritus]

Ok We've used RVs before and been to Alaska before but never both at once.
We have an RV for 8 days in August
Probably going down to Homer from Anchorage and Seward.
Anyone done that? Any special traps?

 

[RonBoyd]

Perhaps related:

Check out that RV rental company first - RV Home Yet?

 

[audreyh1]

We will go one of these days. It's a long way from TX . I think I've been waiting for our motorhome to get a little older so we don't cry too much at the inevitable wear and tear. We know a LOT of people who have gone. Some recommend taking an extra freezer with you (for all the seafood you will catch).

I believe the "bible" of RVing in Alaska is "The Milepost". Everyone swears by it. I know we'll get our copy when it's time. The MILEPOST: Alaska Travel Guide and Trip Planner

Audrey

 

[Nova]

We took our RV to AK several years ago. We bought the Mile Post and it was most helpful. You can use it as a tour guide...at milepost #XX on Hwy #XX watch for beluga whales, dall sheep, or...frost heaves." If you have not been to Delali NP and want to go, make reservations in advance, especially if you will be there in "high season". Homer is unique and the drive there from Anchorage is beautiful. Be sure to have a cold one at the Salty Dog in Homer...everyone will ask if you were there!

Unless they have changed, state park camping spaces are too small for a large RV. We were going to buy an annual pass (we were there for 4 months) and they asked about the size of our rig...don't bother, too big to fit. They told us we could "camp" anywhere that didn't have a "no parking" or "no camping" sign. So we did. BTW, Fred Meyer in Soldotna has (may be had) an area striped off in their parking lot especially for RVs (no hook-ups but they had a "no fee" area to get fresh water and a dump station).

Homer is unique and the drive there is beautiful. We didn't do a lot of tourist stuff...we are really into scenery and wild life. The Denali Hwy (not in the NP) provides a lot of the latter...actually, so does the NP if you can tolerate the crowds!

I might add that if you take a September trip, it will be cold but the mosquitos and tourist will all be gone! We flew up in '92 for three weeks, rented, and had the whole place to ourselves...almost.

Hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[NW-Bound]

Some RV'ers do not care for Milepost. See this.

Anyway, I saw a recommendation from a site that was the same as Nova's, that is in September, the mosquitoes (which are the Alaskan state birds) will be gone! And yes, Alaska is boondocker's heaven! Park and camp anywhere! Whoo hoo! But what about bears? Even a moose can hurt you badly.

When I surfed the Web for info, found a blog of a class B Sprinter owner couple who made this trip from California. I saw something interesting there, and thought I bookmarked it. Just now, wanted to post it to share but couldn't find it!

 

[Nova]

Some RV'ers do not care for Milepost. See this.

Anyway, I saw a recommendation from a site that was the same as Nova's, that is in September, the mosquitoes (which are the Alaskan state birds) will be gone! And yes, Alaska is boondocker's heaven! Park and camp anywhere! Whoo hoo! But what about bears? Even a moose can hurt you badly.

When I surfed the Web for info, found a blog of a class B Sprinter owner couple who made this trip from California. I saw something interesting there, and thought I bookmarked it. Just now, wanted to post it to share but couldn't find it!

The Ranger in Denali gave a talk to campers who had never been to the park. I remember one of his comments well. Wanna know the difference between a bear and a moose...the moose won't eat you after it kills you. I have equal respect for both. Never were bothered by bears, but we did have a moose gallop by our RV at a full run when we were camped along the Kenai River...were there for a month helping our friends build a cabin.

I gather you don't care for boondocking...so don't. And gees Louise, no one is going to make anyone buy the Mile Post...just pointing out that it is a good tool for gathering info before one goes, and even to refer to after one gets there. Not trying to convert anyone or sell anything. This OP just reminded me of some wonderful times we had in Alaska...both times we went.

 

[Emeritus]

Thanks, we've been to Denali and Seward, and will drive a car to Denali in August from Anchorage. Then we pick up the RV and drive to Homer. I love cooking and eating seafood but I'm not much on catching it. We are photography types.

 

[Tesaje]

I took a trip in. Mid Sept. In AK. Besides the small crowds, all the stuff is at least half off as they try to get rid of it at the end of the season. A warning, tho - all the locals talk about the Termination Snow. Its about Oct 1 and marks the end of tourist season & the start of winter when travel is difficult to impossible.

My brother did a long RV trip up there. He used a 1 ton 4wd truck with camper. There are roads where it is needed & he wanted to explore every road, not just the paved ones. He still had some interesting truck issues especially with tires. They did a lot of boondocking but could. Only last 3-4 days.

 

[In-control]

How were the Bugs!

 

[Nova]

How were the Bugs!

If there is a breeze, not too bad, but if there is no breeze, the bugs are bad, especially if you are off the beaten path. Bug spray is somewhat helpful. Mesh-head-nets look dorky, but they work...so do long sleeves, long pants, and gloves. BTW, when trekking through buggy areas, tucking your pants into your socks keeps the bugs from climbing up... Lesson learned the hard way. Tundra spiders are potent...don't feel a thing when they bite, but the resulting sore is painful and can take a long time to heal. I had one bite at the top of each sock line which took 6 months to heal and left 1/4" scars for about 2 years. Got the bites while I was bird watching. Tons of bugs...that's a major attraction for the birds. Great birding!

 

[Charlotte]

I am aquainted with a couple who spent the entire summer in their RV in Alaska last year, moving around every few days, basically for almost 3 months. The toll on the RV was hard, as the roads were not good in general. I am pretty sure that a full set of new tires and shocks were in order for their RV after the trip and a myriad of tiny paint touch-ups from rocks/gravel being thrown up. They were also caught off guard by what fresh groceries cost up there! Sometime in the neighborhood of $7 or $8/pound for fresh fruit or veggies.

Despite the above, I believe they regarded it as a trip-of-a-lifetime and completely worthwhile. The pictures they shared with me were truly breathtaking - I can't wait to go myself one day.

Charlotte

 

[NW-Bound]

Once again, I got myself misunderstood. I LOVE boondocking, though I have not actually had a chance to do it. People who have been on this forum a while know that [-]50[/-] 90% of the time, I am facetious with my posts. I was just reminding city dwellers like myself that while nature is cool and interesting, nature can be really harsh and cruel. We have all known or seen tourists oohing and ahhing at sight of wild animals and throwing all their caution to the wind.

I do not have a definite plan yet to take the trip this year or next. Before I do, will buy a guide to get myself a better overview of the itinerary than the casual Web surfing I have done. Milepost appears to be as good as any, and even a cheapskate like me wouldn't mind spending what amounts to a small portion of the entire trip expense anyway. I just thought that the comments of some fellow RV'ers were interesting, don't you?

 

[NW-Bound]

I have heard comments about rough roads from an acquaintance. Yet, plenty of people take their large class As. I guess it all depends on how far off the main roads one likes to wander off. We with our middle-of-the road class C probably will not be too adventurous. One of my nieces, upon hearing of our plan, laughed and said she had seen on the Web the tale of a couple who drove up to Anchorage in their RV, couldn't hack it no more, so sold their RV up there and flew back.

She has not sent me the link, but I think there's more to that story, don't you think?