Building for Alaska/ TransCanada Adventure

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:steer: x2 on the Books on tape (CD)!

By the way...

Just wanted to give a :flipoff2: to everyone since I'm the FNG!:)
 
:steer: x2 on the Books on tape (CD)!

As others have mentioned in other threads. Rip it all to MP3s and put it on a MP3 player. Either jack that directly into your stereo or use one of them FM transmitter thingies. If you have a tape deck there are adapters to feed into them.

Heavy road vibration and CDs usually don't mix well.
 
Eleblanc- Tu parle francais, non? Was that your 40 that was showcased in a winter edition of 4WDToyotaOwner? That was a great looking rig. I think Ibycus is going to be very useful up there. I would have never found it without you guys. I'll look into the Metro Guide as well.

Absolument, je parle Français. Yes it was my BJ42. If you come around Montreal, buzz me!

I would love to get this unit. It has everything the hand held has and that the "on the road" units don't.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=148&pID=14893
 
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does Sirius XM work up there?
Their transmit antennas on the satellites are rather directional, saves power. So I'd think they would fall off in signal rather rapidly the further you go up in CA.
 
I did the trip in 1993 from Nebraska on a stock 4-Runner. I took an extra spare, a jerry can (never filled it up), a log chain (never used it), fishing pole (used it almost every day) and a credit card. It was not a big deal as other people pictured it.

If I were you, I would change the oil and filter, get a high-lift, an extra spare, log chain, canoe and fishing pole, $9,500.00 in your pocket and go... .

It is an awesome trip. Make sure you bring a very good mosquito spray, a blue tarp to sleep under and a therma rest pad. The military issue 90% DEET stuff worked great.

Have a great time!
 
I did the trip in 1993 from Nebraska on a stock 4-runner. I took an extra spare, log chain, jerry can, fishing pole, blue tarp and therma-rest sleeping pad.

It is a great trip and the road was not as extreme as others described it to me. I never used any spare tires, nor jerry can or log chain. I used the blue tarp to sleep under and the therma-rest pad to sleep very comfortably.

If I were you, I would change fluids on your rig, get an extra spare, hi-lift jack (so it looks cool on your roof rack), canoe, fishing pole and mepps spoons.... and go!!! Of course, do not forget the extra $9,500 you will have, at home.

Have a great trip!! I spent 2 months in Alaska traveling around.

As to the firearms, have your gun dealer ship it up there for you and you can pick it up at the gun shop it was shipped to along the way. I had my hand gun shipped and just took my bow.
 
First off: you could probably do your trip with the rig as-is.
Ask yourself: "Could I get more out of 10K worth of fuel and provisions and more time to travel?" then decide what it is that you "need" to modify.

Since you have lockers already, the things that I would prioritize are:

good tires. you could go with 285/75 and save some $$ on suspension mods. But a suspension does more than just clear your tires. To save some $, look for a used OME setup and you'll be golden.

Bumper is probably good in case of deer, but isn't going to help vs. a moose anyway.

A hand winch (a good one) will save you many hundreds of $. and will work just fine for 90% of what you'll be seeing.

Sounds like a fun trip!



What I need:
ARB front bumper
Warn M8000(considering fitment of M12000)
Superline Synthetic Winch Line
F.O.R. Lift- Considering FOX shocks though (any input?)
ICOM IC-706MKIIG CB Radio
CDL Switch
MULE Rack- not sure if its made it to production yet
Eezi-Awn Rooftop Tent
National Luna Dual Battery Setup
Slee Step Sliders
Engel Freezer Fridge-considering size still
Pull-Pal
Kaymar rear bumper-because of the versatility of setup and
better rear view due to tire placement

Items I would like more input on:
Delorme Topo USA 7.0
Lowrance GPS-it wont be leaving the vehicle
Toyo Open Country MT/ Goodyear Wrangler MT 315s (6)
Snorkel with prefilter
Mean Green Alternator (Man-A-Fre)
Driving Lights-Lightforce, IPF, PIAA, Hella (I am aware of build
quality issues with some of the Hellas)
Ive seen various storage setups, but looking for whats best for me

Ive already PM'd most of the vehicle:
Axles, Fluids, PHH, etc. More ideas welcome.

Again thanks for all the input and I am really looking forward to this build. I'll be in Afghanistan from May of this year until May of the next, so I'm still deliberating on leaving it with someone to be worked on, or just waiting and doing it all at once when I get back. But I look forward to all the input while I plan this trip.:cheers:
 
[/quote]As to the firearms, have your gun dealer ship it up there for you and you can pick it up at the gun shop it was shipped to along the way. I had my hand gun shipped and just took my bow.[/quote]

Milkwagon, that's a great point.

Blue Phoenix, you can do a Federal Firearms Transfer through a firearm retailer with a Federal Firearms License (FFL).

You'll have to complete the Firearm Background Check before they'll hand over the rifle.

In fact, I just picked up my new varmint rifle today from Boondock's in Eagle River that was sent to me from my Uncle in Kansas.

It cost me $50.00 to complete the transaction-which seems to be the going rate here in Anchorage.
 
Possible Change of Plans

Yay Army! Well it looks like I could maybe possibly be staying in a the Army longer than I anticipated because of a wonderful program know as STOP-LOSS. I am not one to complain though and at any rate, I am still going to take one h#%$ of a trip. The only problem is, it looks like now I will not be taking it until late in the year, possibly around the holidays. September at the earliest, which as all of you know not the peak time to be travelling as far north as I had planned.

Now before all of the Alaskans rip me to shreds and call me a pansy, which may very well be true, keep in mind that I will have spent a year (or more) at high elevation. So I think I will have had my fair share of cold and the likes.

So no sh@$ there I was moping around the house realizing my trip was slipping away, when I looked up at a picture of Canyonlands, Utah hanging over our mantle. I realized then that another trip was meant to unfold so I have begun planning on a Continental Divide Trip of sorts.

Here is a general map of sorts of the directions and areas I would like to visit. It will take me everywhere from canyons to mountains, from forests to deserts.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...46714,-109.995117&spn=31.109844,112.5&t=p&z=4
 
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I know this is a huge change (sorry for all of the time you guys spent helping, it wont go wasted though), but I don't think it will be any less rewarding.

The list of items on my want and need list are pretty much the same, but now I feel more confident in going with all terrains rather than perusing all of my old Toyota 4WD Owners magazines and Overland Journals and seeing what everyone else is running for hardcore trails.

I am very interested in taking dirt roads as much as possible also and I know there are alot of people who are familiar with these routes in places such as Nevada and Utah especially if anyone cared to chime in.

Again, I am grateful to all of you for your contributions on this, but the military once again dictates a change of plans.
 
I just moved from AK a couple of years ago. The following was standard gear for summer/fall travel which I kept in the truck...so here are a few things you might want to consider:

--Consider Bringing a fire arm with you (.44 or larger). Just remember to mind the rules for transporting a firearm in Canada. Storing, Transporting and Displaying Firearms
--Get some good Bear Pepper spray if you decide against the Fire Arm. Those roads in the summer are thick with fearless Bears thanks to dumbass tourists from the Outside (Counter Assault Bear Keg at REI.com)...
--I would bring fishing gear-- Rods, reels, etc. Consult with local sporting goods shops for what tackle, flys, etc. which are working at that time.
--If you do go fishing without a guide **Bring a Gun** I carried a Taurus .454 everywhere we went, especially when there are fish in the rivers.
--Get a good Satellite Phone (you can buy or rent them). That run on HWY 11 (Dalton) pretty remote, especially once you get N. of the Yukon River. Besides there are a TON of really cool side roads off the Denali HWY (if you choose that route) which have no cell or radio coverage.
--It might not be a bad idea to get an Emergency Locator Beacon. I have the ACR Terrafix 406 (ACR Electronics Terrafix 406 GPS I/O Personal Locator Beacon at REI.com) Just in case you get into some serious trouble.
--Food storage containers to keep the aforementioned carnivores away from you and your rig (Counter Assault Bear Keg at REI.com)
--Mountain House Freeze Dried food---- MMM...Good.
--Jet Boil Stove--Boils 12oz water in about 30 seconds, perfect for the Mountain House, coffee, etc. (Home Page | Jetboil)
--Get LightForce 240s. Pretty much every truck stop, gas station, etc carries bulbs for them.
--Bring plenty of Bug Dope. (Deep Woods Off in the Green Can is what we used to carry with us. Its cheap and works very well). Supplement with 100% Deet as needed.
--Get a real good set of Binoculars which are water proof. I have a set of the 10X42 Swarovskis-- they are worth every penny.
--Get a VERY GOOD set (or two) of rain gear. I have always had very good luck with Mountain Hardware and Helly Hansen
--Bring a good set of boots. I have a set of 8 year old Meindls which have not let me down
--Do not take ANYTHING that is Down filled. If it gets wet, it provides ZERO warmth. I have a North Face Snowshoe. Its a fully synthetic bag that was served me very well from Sheep Hunting to Moose Camp.
--Get set up to run dual batteries.
--Do not settle for anything less than a WARN M12K winch. You need a good winch that will pull that beast out of the thickest of peat bogs which are everywhere up there. While you are at it, think about a good land anchor for winching. Northern (western/eastern) AK is not know for large trees-thus limited anchor points.
--I would PM your Headgasket. I am doing this in a couple of weeks, in preparation for my AK trip next summer.

Most folks might think this list is overkill, I see it as being smart. If you have any specific questions about that route, let me know and I will do my best to answer. There are also a bunch of Cruiser Heads in the other forums which live in AK, so post some questions other there as well.

Josh
 
Josh thanks for the plethora of info, but as you can see from reading the above post, I won't be going to Alaska any time soon I don't think. Regrettably so, but I think this new trip will have just what I am looking for in my quest for beautiful solitude.

Anyone know how to change the name of the thread? I tried to no avail.
 
I actually did not notice that until after I submitted the post. I wanted to put this together anyway as there are several folks that will be heading to AK in the future.

Josh
 
just start a new thread


Josh thanks for the plethora of info, but as you can see from reading the above post, I won't be going to Alaska any time soon I don't think. Regrettably so, but I think this new trip will have just what I am looking for in my quest for beautiful solitude.

Anyone know how to change the name of the thread? I tried to no avail.
 
I have been toying around with the idea of adding tread plate to the outer flat sections of the hood for sometime now, but I know they don't make them for the 80, at least I am pretty sure. Granted that the hood most likely was not meant to bear weight on it, I figured adding some aluminum diamond plate tread cut to size and shape might negate that.

Here is a pic of just raw diamond plate that I found for sale as bulk. I figure I could get it cut no problem, but then again I am not sure yet on forming it to the hood and securing it without running the risk of the hood rusting.
blackpiecelg.webp
 
Here is what I am talking about.
5Diamond Plate.webp
 
I think this will compliment my hood blackout and reverse scoop over the engine to aid cooling.
 
Roof Rack

Ive been going back and forth on roof racks lately because some of the things I want conflict with each other.

Rails for extra containment for boxes/ jerry can- this increases the overall height by around 4 to 8 inches in the case of the INTI.

It needs to have the space for a RTT in the back without mounting on the rails....

Here are my favorites....
detail_532_touring.webp
INTI.webp
 
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