Alaska Trip

[larry & kaye kepple]

Planning a trip from Redding Ca to Fairbanks Alaska and back (I hope) in
summer of 2000. Would appreciate any comments from anyone who has taken
their GMC on the Alaska highway. How much isn't paved? How hard is it on
the coach?
Larry ,73 GMC, Redding

 

[james bolick]

Larry, We drove our GMC to Alaska the summer of 1997. The first thing to
do after making sure your coach is in top mechanical condition is to go to
your local bookstore and buy the MILEPOST book. My experience on that
highway is: 80% of the highway is as good a road as you would want to
travel on, 10% is not so good but tolerable, the other 10% is god awful
horrible, beat the wheels right off your coach and bounce you right out of
your seat. This 10% is spread out over the length of the highway with 500
ft. here, 5 miles there, etc. Keep your eye open for anything that
resemble's orange/red on your side of the highway. The highway dept. tries
to mark all frost heave's with an orange/red cone, flag or if they don't
happen to have one they will break off a twig, spray paint it orange and
stick it in the ground. Not all heave's are marked and some will sneak up
on you and if you happen to be going 50 or so m.p.h. you will swear you just
left both front wheels behind you. The highway dept. is constantly working
on the road. It is paved all the way except where the workers have removed
the old pavement for repairs. My only damage was a torn cv boot and a small
chip in my windshield. The only super tall mountain is about 10 miles or so
north west of Fort Saint John in the Yukon Territory, it is a long hard pull
and I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see the top of it. Once you
reach the top it is "katey bar the door " going down the other side. It is
just as long and fast going down as it was long and hard pulling up the
other side. They did not chop one inch off the top of that mountain. There
is no problem finding campgrounds or gas stations, even out in the middle of
nowhere. Keep your eyes open because you will see all kinds of animals
along the highway and some in the highway, not every day or every mile, but
you will see them. It is an adventure. Be sure to go to the museum at the
University of Alaska in Fairbanks. It is worth the trip.

Jim Bolick
'73 Painted Desert

 

[david l greenberg]

On Mon, 15 Nov 1999 19:55:34 -0800 Larry & Kaye Kepple

>Planning a trip from Redding Ca to Fairbanks Alaska and back (I hope)
>in
>summer of 2000. Would appreciate any comments from anyone who has
>taken
>their GMC on the Alaska highway. How much isn't paved? How hard is it
>on
>the coach?
>Larry ,73 GMC, Redding
>
I can't answer the question but plenty on this Net can. I would suggest
you publish your planned itinerary and you might end up with a caravan
next summer. Safety in numbers, eh?

Dave Greenberg
GMC MOTORHOME REGISTRY
Seagate Towers 200 MacFarlane Dr PH4
Delray Beach, FL 33483-6829

 

[david l greenberg]

Thanks Jim Bolick for a very precise description of your trip!

You are the very reason why I won't take my old girl, with 579,400 miles
on her, to Alaska!

Dave Greenberg
GMC MOTORHOME REGISTRY
Seagate Towers 200 MacFarlane Dr PH4
Delray Beach, FL 33483-6829

 

[jeanne penrod]

Larry&Kaye,
Loaded up and headed North to I-10 West Thru Vegas and on to San Fran.North
thru Vancover east and North to Prince George East to Prince Rupert Ferry to
Haines Then on to Anchorage and Fairbanks.End of May to end of
July,1999.Vistas and roads very good until about 20 miles outside of Haines
on Hwy.3 10 miles of HEAVY CONSTRUCTION top speed about 10-20mph.Good to
Very good thru Anchorage and Fairbanks Heading back on Hwy 2 between North
Pole and Delta Junction 20-25 miles of 1 lane thru construction of new
road.Took about 2/3 hours thru due to Pilot car leads a group all the way
thru then turns around to lead another group in the opp.dirc.

When you hit dusty roads you will find out how baddly our coachs are
sealed.the dust is as fine as Talcum Powder.Super Tip CLOSE'R UP AND TURN ON
A/C MAX.TO PRESSURIZE INSIDE,OTHERWISE STOP EARLY TO WASH THE INSIDE OF THE
COACH OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Front stone chips,1 flat/drivers side rear bogie D B'stones 75# Coach wieght
12242# cause-drywall screw 2"long picked up at campground in
Anchorage.PLEASE don't beat that to death!!!!!!!

Larry if you and Kaye can take the Ferry out of Prince Rupert to
Haines.Breathtaking inside passage run for 1 1/2 day overnite in
Juneau,great muni.park by Mendenhall Glacier then on to Haines next day.If
you Hike Hunt or Fish upper Alaska would be great,We don't.Lower
Alaska,B.C.and Alberta are BETTER than advertised.

Get the Milepost Book go forth and enjoy THE BIGGEST CINNAMON BUNS IN THE
WORLD!!!!

Jim Penrod Jus hangin out an bein cool in Lake Placid, F. L. A.